Free directory submission sites for startups

Search for free directory submission sites and you’ll find a free directory list of hundreds of old web directories that will list anything, and have been ignored by Google for a decade. This isn’t one of those lists: it’s the free website directories where startups actually get found.

We track 532 directories where founders launch new products: launch platforms, startup databases, SaaS review sites, AI tool directories and maker communities. 121 of them are completely free, and 52 of those have a domain rating of 50 or more. Below are the 30 free directories with the highest domain ratings, with who each one accepts and what it asks you to do.

What “free” means here

Plenty of directories call themselves free and then charge to have your listing reviewed this year. We sort every directory into one of four groups, from what it actually asks:

• Free (121): no payment and no paid upsell mentioned. These are the directories in the table below.
• Freemium (159): free to list, with an optional paid upgrade, usually faster review or a featured spot. The free route often works; it can just take weeks.
• Free with requirements (127): free if you do something in return, such as adding their badge to your site, linking back to them, or collecting upvotes.
• Paid: no free route at all. Some are still worth it; most aren’t for a brand-new product.

What makes a free directory worth your time

Not every free web directory is worth submitting to. The old kind, which lists any website in any category for anyone who fills in the form, adds nothing, and a site with a lot of links from them can look like it’s been buying links. The free directories worth your time have four things in common:

• Someone reviews what gets listed. A directory that turns down poor products is one search engines and readers trust.
• It’s about products like yours. A listing on an AI tool directory means more for an AI tool than a listing on a general one, and its visitors are more likely to try you.
• People actually visit it. Founders, early adopters and buyers browse these sites looking for new tools. A listing that sends ten real visitors is worth more than a link nobody sees.
• A strong domain rating. Domain rating (DR) is Ahrefs’ score from 0 to 100 for how strong a site’s links are. A link from a high-DR site carries more weight, which is why the table is sorted by it.

The best free directory submission sites, by domain rating

Unlike a typical web directory list, every directory submission website here is one where founders launch real products, checked against its own rules.

Sorted by DR, highest first. Click a column heading to sort by name instead, or tick the box to see only the directories that take any kind of product. Directories marked as taking only some products, such as AI tools, a region or open-source software, are worth it if you fit and a waste of time if you don’t.

How to work through the list

1. Start with the ones that take any product (60 of the 121 free directories), highest DR first.
2. Add the niche directories you fit. If you’ve built an AI tool, there are 30 free directories for AI products alone. There are also directories just for SaaS, B2B software, developer tools, open-source software, apps and MCP servers.
3. Add regional ones if you qualify. Some directories only list startups from India, Europe, Southeast Asia or a single city. If you’re based there, they’re among the easiest to get into.
4. Then look at freemium and free-with-requirements directories. Many of the best-known launch platforms are in these groups.

Spread your submissions over a few weeks rather than one afternoon. It’s easier to keep the details consistent, follow up on reviews, and reply when a directory’s community comments on your listing.

What to have ready before you submit

Every directory asks for roughly the same things, in different orders and at different lengths. Have these ready and each submission takes minutes instead of half an hour:

• your product’s name, a tagline of about 60 characters, and descriptions at several lengths, from one line to a few paragraphs;
• categories and keywords, and a short list of features and who it’s for;
• your logo as a square image, an icon, and screenshots of the product;
• pricing (free, freemium or paid, and from how much), your launch year, and links to your social accounts;
• a contact email on your own domain: several directories won’t accept Gmail or Outlook addresses.

Write fresh descriptions rather than pasting the same paragraph everywhere. Many directories reject copied text, and different wording reads better to the people browsing.

Are free directory links good for SEO?

The right ones help, especially for a new site with few links. A listing on a reviewed, relevant directory with a strong domain rating is one of the easiest good links a new product can get, and it can send visitors from day one. Directories are also among the pages AI assistants read when someone asks them for tools like yours.

Keep expectations sensible, though. Some directories mark their links “nofollow”, which tells search engines not to pass on credit; those still bring visitors and help people find you, but count for less in search. And links are one part of ranking, not all of it: a handful of good directory listings won’t move a site on their own, but they give a new one a footing.

How we keep this list

Each directory’s cost, who it accepts and what it asks you to do are recorded from its own submission page, then sorted into the categories in the table. Domain ratings come from Ahrefs and are updated monthly; directories that close are removed. The table reads from that list each time the page loads, so it’s never out of date. For the figures across all 532 directories, see our startup directory statistics.

Free or paid directories?

Start free. The free directories in this list include some of the strongest sites founders launch on, and they cost you only time. Pay for a listing only when you know the directory’s visitors are your buyers, and it shows you real traffic numbers. Paying to skip a review queue is worth it only if timing matters, such as on a launch day.

Common questions

Are free web directories still worth it in 2026?

General web directories that list anything are not. Curated directories for startups, SaaS and AI tools are, because people use them to find products and search engines treat a reviewed listing as a real link.

How many directories should I submit to?

As many as fit your product, and no more. Twenty relevant directories are worth more than two hundred random ones. For most products that means somewhere between 30 and 100.

How long do free listings take?

Anywhere from instantly to several months. Many free directories review in a few days; some popular ones have queues of weeks, which is what their paid upgrade skips.

Do I need a website to submit?

Almost always. Most directories want a live site on your own domain, and many won’t take app store links, free subdomains or waitlist-only pages.

Get through the list faster

This list shows the top 30 free directories. SubmitLinksNow has all 532, free and paid, with each one’s rules. We read your website and write every answer directory forms ask for, check which directories will list your product and which to skip, and keep each answer one click away while you submit. It’s US$29 per website, paid once, with a 7-day refund for any reason.

List your product, or read our guide to marketing your product on Reddit to reach early users beyond directories.