The best startup directories to list your product on
The startup directories worth your time fall into five groups: launch platforms (Product Hunt, Hacker News, Peerlist, Uneed), comparison sites (AlternativeTo, SaaSHub), review platforms (G2, Capterra), communities (Indie Hackers) and long-tail startup directories (Startup Fame, Twelve Tools and many more). Together they give a new product backlinks, referral traffic, and the third-party listings that search engines and AI assistants read.
Updated · Citable
Why directories still matter
A new site has no links, no reviews and no mentions. Directories fix all three at once: each listing is a page on an established domain that names your product, states its category and links to you. Many are dofollow. The audience is small per site, but buyers searching for tools in your category do land on them, and so do AI assistants answering "what are alternatives to X?"
Launch platforms
| Directory | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Product Hunt | Launch-day traffic, early adopters, a badge | Plan the day; see how to launch on Product Hunt |
| Hacker News (Show HN) | Technical products; honest feedback | Strict rules; see how to post a Show HN |
| Peerlist | Launches for a professional audience | Weekly launchpad |
| Uneed | Indie and SaaS launches | Daily launch lists |
| Microlaunch, Fazier | Indie launches | Smaller launch communities |
| BetaList | Pre-launch and beta products | Early adopter signups |
More options: Product Hunt alternatives.
Comparison and review sites
| Directory | Best for |
|---|---|
| AlternativeTo | "Alternatives to [competitor]" searches; widely cited by AI assistants |
| SaaSHub | Software alternatives and comparisons |
| G2 | B2B software reviews and category grids |
| Capterra, GetApp, Software Advice | SMB software buyers; paid placement options |
| Trustpilot | Consumer-facing review profile |
Details: comparison and review directories.
Communities
Indie Hackers (product pages and milestone posts), relevant subreddits that allow launches, Dev.to and Hashnode for developer tools. These are discussion platforms, so contribute rather than just post a link. See Reddit and AI answers.
The long tail of startup directories
Dozens of smaller directories list new startups and SaaS: Startup Fame, Twelve Tools, Launching Next, SideProjectors, Startup Stash, and category lists for AI tools, developer tools, no-code and more. Each sends little traffic on its own; together they add a meaningful set of links and listings. For AI products specifically, see AI tool directories.
Submitting to them by hand takes many hours of forms, accounts and follow-ups. A directory launch service submits one listing to many directories at once. Citable's launch covers up to 100 startup and software directories, about three in four of them dofollow, and tracks every listing until it is live.
Prepare a listing kit first
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Name | Exactly as you want it everywhere |
| Tagline | Under 60 characters |
| Short description | About 160–250 characters |
| Long description | 100–300 words: what, for whom, key features, pricing |
| Category and tags | One main category, 5–10 tags |
| Logo | Square PNG, 512×512 or larger |
| Screenshots | 3–5, landscape, around 1270×760 |
| Pricing | Free tier? Paid plans? One-line summary |
| Links | Website, X, LinkedIn, GitHub |
Consistent listings help search engines and AI assistants recognize you as one entity. See entity SEO.
Questions people ask
Are directory submissions good for SEO?
Relevant directories with real audiences are a normal part of a new site's link profile. Mass submissions to low-quality directories are not. See directory submissions and SEO.
How many directories should I submit to?
All the relevant major ones, plus as many quality niche directories as you can manage. Quality and relevance matter more than count.
Are paid directory listings worth it?
Some paid fast-track options (faster review, a featured slot) can be worth it on directories with real traffic. Paying for links alone is against Google's guidelines; paid links should be marked sponsored.