Startup Directories List: 45 Places to Submit a New Product (Checked October 2026)

You built the thing. Now you need people to see it, and every founder forum says the same: "submit it to directories." Then you find a list from 2023, half the links are dead, one redirects to a pirate app site, and the ones that still work want $99 to skip a two-month queue.

This list is the fix. On 28 October 2026 we loaded every site below in a real browser, checked it was up and still taking new products, and dropped the ones that were dead, parked or redirecting somewhere shady. What is left is 45 places, grouped by what they are good for, with what it costs to get listed where the site says so. After the list you will find the order to submit in, a submission kit you write once, and a two-a-day schedule. If you would rather hand the clicking off, the Astarii launch and directories helper lists a product on startup directories a couple a day. For the bigger picture of what you can hand off, see the guide to AI agents for small business.

The short version

• Start with five: Product Hunt, Hacker News (Show HN), Indie Hackers, BetaList and AlternativeTo. They bring real users, not only a link.
• Then the software catalogues where buyers compare tools: SaaSHub, G2, Capterra, GetApp, SaaSworthy.
• Add the AI directories only if your product really uses AI. There's An AI For That charges a $49 review fee for a basic listing; others have free forms.
• Write one submission kit (names, taglines at three lengths, logo, screenshots, pricing line) so each listing takes 10 minutes, not 40.
• Two a day, not forty in one evening. You get time to answer comments, fix what reviewers flag, and track which listing sends visits.
• Don't buy a blast. Paying for "500 directory backlinks" mostly buys low-quality links, and Google's spam policies treat links bought for ranking as spam.

How we checked this list

Old directory lists rot fast. Launch sites come and go every month, and a dead one costs you more than a click: some expired domains now redirect to spam. So every entry here passed three checks on 28 October 2026:

1. It loads. We opened each address in a headless browser. Sites that returned errors, expired security certificates or no DNS at all were dropped.
2. It is still a directory. One well-known AI tool site from older lists now redirects to an unrelated app-download page. Another is a bare hosting error. Gone.
3. It takes new products. We looked for a submit form, a launch page or a "list your product" route. Where the site states a price for listing, we wrote it down. Where it doesn't, the table says "see site", because these prices change often and we would rather not guess.

A few big catalogues (G2, Capterra) show a bot check to automated browsers. They are household names in software buying and both publish their free listing terms, so they stay in.

Launch platforms: 12 places to launch on a set day

These sites rank new products by votes on a launch day or week. They bring the most early users if you show up and answer comments. Most also give your product a permanent page.

Communities: 4 places where the comments matter more than the listing

These aren't directories in the strict sense. They are where founders and early adopters hang out, and a good post there can outdo ten listings.

Software directories and review sites: 9 places buyers compare tools

These catalogues bring slower, steadier traffic: people searching "alternatives to X" or comparing tools in a category. They reward complete profiles and reviews.

Startup databases and showcases: 10 places for credibility

These won't flood you with signups. They make your company look real to investors, journalists, candidates and the AI assistants that read these pages when someone asks "what does this startup do?"

One more for the credibility pile: Springwise is an editorial site that covers new ideas. You can't list yourself; you pitch a story, so only try it with a real angle.

AI tool directories: 10 places, only if your product uses AI

AI directories get a lot of traffic, and a lot of AI products. If your product doesn't use AI in a way users notice, skip this section; the visitors will bounce and the listing may be rejected.

That's 45: 12 launch platforms, 4 communities, 9 software catalogues, 9 startup databases plus Springwise, and 10 AI directories.

What we dropped, and why it matters

Several names that still appear on popular lists failed the check on 28 October: one AI directory domain now redirects to an app-download site, two show hosting errors, one has an expired security certificate and one no longer resolves at all. A Bubble-built startup list now shows "domain not supported". If you are working from an older list, check each link before you paste your details into a form, and never install anything a "directory" asks you to download.

The submission kit: write it once

Every directory asks for the same dozen things in a different order. Write them once in a doc and each listing takes about 10 minutes.

• Name and URL. The exact spelling, and the page you want people to land on (often a sign-up page, not your home page).
• Taglines at three lengths: 10 words, 60 characters and 140 characters. Directories cut whatever you paste at their own limit.
• A 100-word and a 300-word description. Say who it is for, what it does and what it costs. Plain words beat adjectives.
• Logo as a square PNG (512 x 512 covers almost everyone) and a wide version.
• Three to five screenshots at 1270 x 760 or larger, plus one short demo video link if you have it.
• Pricing in one line, including any free tier or trial.
• Categories and tags, the 3 to 5 that describe you, and the 3 products you are an alternative to.
• Founder name, email and social links, and a one-line maker comment for launch sites.
• A tracking tag for each listing (for example ?ref=betalist) so you can see later which ones sent visits.

A two-a-day schedule that finishes in about a month

Forty-five submissions in one evening sounds efficient. It isn't. You can't answer comments on all of them, you miss the moderator emails asking for a better screenshot, and you have no idea which listing sent which visitor. Two a day is about 20 minutes, and the whole list is done in about four weeks.

1. Week 1: AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, Crunchbase, Indie Hackers, Startup Ranking, 10words, StartupInspire, F6S. Easy, free and permanent. Submit to BetaList now too, because of its queue.
2. Week 2: G2, Capterra, GetApp, SaaSworthy, Startup Stash, Toolfolio. Ask your first happy users for reviews on the one or two that matter in your category.
3. Week 3: the smaller launch boards (Uneed, Microlaunch, Fazier, TinyLaunch, OpenHunts, StartupBase, Peerlist, Launching Next). Use the feedback to tighten your page.
4. Week 4: Product Hunt and Show HN on days you can spend answering, then the AI directories if they fit.

Keep a sheet with one row per directory: date submitted, status, listing URL, the tracking tag and visits after 30 days. After a month you'll know which five were worth it, and you can stop paying attention to the rest.

Do directory listings help SEO?

A little, and mostly indirectly. Many launch sites advertise "high-DR backlinks", and some of them do link to you, but plenty of directory links are marked nofollow and carry little ranking weight. The bigger wins are real visitors, reviews, the occasional blogger who finds you there, and pages that describe your product the same way everywhere, which helps search engines and AI assistants understand what you are.

Be careful with paid "submit to 500 directories" packages. Google's spam policies say that buying or selling links for ranking purposes is link spam. A handful of genuine listings on sites people use beats hundreds on sites nobody visits.

Where an AI helper fits

The work after you write the kit is pure repetition: open a site, find the submit page, sign in, paste the same fields in a new order, upload the logo, confirm the email. That is the kind of job a browser agent does well. The Astarii launch and directories helper lists your product on startup directories a couple a day, and drafts a Product Hunt launch for your approval rather than posting it on its own.

A few facts that matter for this job. It works in a real browser, so it can use sites with no integration. Saved passwords are encrypted in your browser before they are stored and are never shown to the AI. When a site emails or texts a code, it pauses and asks you, then carries on. Task memory means a scheduled run never submits to the same directory twice. You can put it on a schedule, such as two directories every weekday morning, and it can log each submission in a Google Sheet.

Where it is not the right pick: anything that needs a paid upgrade (you decide what to buy), Product Hunt launch-day comments (those should be you), and editorial pitches like Springwise. Plans start at $29.99 a month, with 3 free runs of up to 15 minutes each and no card needed; see pricing.

Common mistakes

• Different descriptions everywhere. Pick one tagline and one category and repeat it. Consistency is what search engines and AI assistants pick up.
• Launching before the page is ready. If your site has no pricing or no way to try it, launch boards will tell you so in public.
• Paying to skip every queue. Pay only for the one or two launches that suit your buyers, after the free ones show you which audiences respond.
• Ignoring the emails. Many directories approve listings by email or ask for changes. Use an inbox you actually read.
• No tracking. Without a tag per listing you'll never know which directory was worth it.

Next steps

Write the kit today, submit to the first five tomorrow, and set up your tracking sheet. If you'd rather not spend a month pasting the same fields, try the launch and directories helper on 3 free runs. For other launch-week channels, see our guides to getting followers on X and Reddit marketing, and the wider list of jobs in AI agents for small business.

Say it to an Astari

These are instructions you can give an Astari, word for word. It does the work in a browser, on a schedule if you want one, and asks you before anything goes live.

Questions

What are the best startup directories to submit to?

Start with Product Hunt, Hacker News (Show HN), Indie Hackers, BetaList and AlternativeTo, because they bring real users and feedback. Then add software catalogues buyers search, such as SaaSHub, G2, Capterra and GetApp, and startup databases like Crunchbase for credibility.

Are startup directories free?

Most offer a free listing. Many launch sites sell a paid option to skip the queue or get featured: Launching Next charges $99 to be considered within one business day, and There's An AI For That charges a $49 review fee for a basic listing (prices as shown on 28 October 2026).

How many directories should I submit my startup to?

Enough to cover where your buyers look, usually 20 to 45. Quality beats quantity: five listings that send visitors are worth more than hundreds nobody reads. Submit about two a day so you can answer comments and moderator emails.

Do directory submissions help SEO?

A little. Some directories give a followed link, many use nofollow, and the main value is visitors, reviews and consistent descriptions of your product across the web. Google's spam policies treat links bought for ranking as link spam, so avoid bulk paid submission packages.

How long does BetaList take to approve a startup?

BetaList reviews submissions by hand and has a free queue plus a paid priority option. Third-party guides report free waits of about two months, so submit early, before your public launch.

Where can I submit an AI tool?

There's An AI For That, Toolify, FutureTools, TopAI.tools, Insidr, Aixploria, ToolPilot, Dang.ai, AI Tools Directory and ListMyAI all take AI tools. Only list there if users will notice the AI in your product.

What do I need before submitting to directories?

A submission kit: name and URL, taglines at 10 words, 60 and 140 characters, a 100-word and a 300-word description, a square logo, 3 to 5 screenshots, one pricing line, categories, the products you replace, and a tracking tag for each listing.

Can an AI submit my startup to directories for me?

Yes. The Astarii launch and directories helper lists your product on startup directories a couple a day and drafts a Product Hunt launch for your approval. It pauses and asks you when a site sends a sign-in code, and task memory stops it submitting to the same directory twice.

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