35 Free Startup Directories to Submit Your Product

Short answer

You can submit a startup, SaaS product, AI tool, or side project to free directories without buying featured placement. Start with a focused batch of relevant platforms, prepare one submission kit, and measure qualified visits, signups, activation, and feedback.

This list focuses on free or free-to-submit routes. Some platforms require an account, manual approval, a queue, or a public product page. Rules change, so check the current submission page before investing time.

Why free startup directories are worth testing

A directory listing is not a substitute for product-market fit or a distribution strategy. Its value is more specific: it can put your product in front of people already looking for tools, create another discoverable product page, and help you test positioning.

For a broader list, see 99 Startup Directories to Submit Your Product.

35 free startup directories

Launch and founder communities

1. Product Hunt — Free signup: Public launches and early feedback.
2. Indie Hackers — Free signup: Bootstrapped products and founder discussions.
3. Hacker News — Free submit: Technical products with a clear Show HN story.
4. SideProjectors — Free signup: Side projects and small SaaS.
5. PeerPush — Free signup: Founder-to-founder discovery and feedback.
6. PitchWall — Free signup: Products with a concise startup pitch.
7. Website Hunt — Free signup: New websites and online products.
8. Uneed — Free signup: New tools and startup launches.
9. OpenHunts — Free signup: Launch-oriented product discovery.
10. StartupInspire — Free signup: Startup product visibility.
11. Awesome Indie — Free signup: Independent makers and products.
12. 10words.io — Free signup: Testing concise positioning.

Software and SaaS directories

13. G2 — Free profile: B2B software with a clear category.
14. Capterra — Free signup: Software buyer categories.
15. SourceForge — Free listing: Developer tools, downloads, and open source.
16. StackShare — Free signup: APIs, infrastructure, and developer tools.
17. Alternative.me — Free signup: Products positioned as alternatives.
18. AppRater — Direct submit: Apps and software products.
19. WebCurate — Direct submit: Websites and online products.
20. Startup Buffer — Direct submit: Early-stage startup visibility.
21. Startup Stash — Direct submit: Startup and business tools.
22. Make.rs — Free signup: Maker projects and builder products.
23. Twelve Tools — Direct submit: Small online tools.

AI and specialized directories

24. FutureTools — Direct submit: Public AI tools with a clear use case.
25. AI Tools Directory — Direct submit: AI products organized by task.
26. AI TOP HUB — Direct submit: Category-based AI discovery.
27. MarketerTools — Direct submit: Marketing, SEO, sales, and content tools.
28. TTOOLS.design — Direct submit: Design and creative tools.
29. AI to Grow — Direct submit: AI tools for business and productivity.
30. CodeHype — Free submit: SaaS products that can be tried online.
31. ToolScout — Free submit: Human-reviewed AI tool listings.

Regional and newer platforms

32. Product Radar Russia — Regional: Russian-language startups and side projects.
33. Product Radar Ukraine — Regional: Ukrainian SaaS and services.
34. 10015.io Product Finder — Free route: Product URL submission and generated listing.
35. Launchory — Free submit: SaaS, AI, apps, developer tools, and open source.

How to choose the right directories

Do not begin with all 35. Score each platform on four questions:

1. Does the audience match your ideal customer?
2. Can the product be explained clearly in the available format?
3. Is there a current, usable submission route?
4. Can you measure what happens after publication?

A B2B SaaS may start with G2, Capterra, SourceForge, StackShare, and Product Hunt. A developer tool may prioritize Hacker News, SourceForge, StackShare, FutureTools, and CodeHype. A product targeting Russian- or Ukrainian-speaking users should include the relevant Product Radar community.

A practical submission workflow

Step 1: Prepare one submission kit

Create a one-sentence value proposition, a 50–100-word description, a short tagline, a square logo, one or two screenshots, a product URL, pricing information, and a founder or support contact.

Keep the facts consistent, but adapt the opening sentence to each audience.

Step 2: Start with ten free routes

Choose ten platforms based on audience fit. Track the submission date, approval status, listing URL, referral traffic, signups, activation, and feedback.

Step 3: Improve from evidence

If a directory sends visits but no signups, inspect the message match between the listing and landing page. If it sends no visits, check the category, launch timing, and positioning before blaming the platform.

If a site requires a badge, reciprocal link, or paid upgrade, record that condition before proceeding.

Step 4: Reuse the launch story

One strong submission can become a Product Hunt launch, a founder-led short video, an email, a comparison page, or a community post. See LowKeyPost’s guide to promoting a startup with short-form video.

Common mistakes

• Treating “free” as proof that a directory is valuable.
• Copying the same vague AI description everywhere.
• Paying for featured placement before testing the free route.
• Tracking impressions but not activation or qualified signups.
• Ignoring queues and approval requirements.
• Listing in a category that does not match the product.
• Assuming every directory link will be indexed or pass SEO value.

Checklist

• The product has a clear landing page.
• The target audience and use case are obvious.
• A concise tagline is ready.
• Logo and screenshots are available.
• UTM parameters or referral tracking are prepared.
• The first ten submissions are free.
• Each directory has a clear audience-fit reason.
• Results are recorded in one spreadsheet.
• Paid upgrades have a specific hypothesis.
• Broken or outdated directories are removed from the workflow.

FAQ

Are free startup directories worth it?

Some are. The best ones are relevant to your audience and have a current discovery or review experience. A free listing with no audience is not automatically useful.

Do free directories give backlinks?

Some provide public product pages or links, but link type and indexing vary. Treat qualified traffic and signups as more important than backlink count.

How many directories should I submit to first?

Start with ten. A smaller tracked batch gives you better information than submitting to 50 platforms without analytics.

Should I submit to AI directories if AI is only one feature?

Only if AI is part of the product’s main discovery story. Otherwise, use a SaaS, software, developer, or industry-specific directory.

Conclusion

Free startup directories are worth testing as targeted distribution channels. Start with ten relevant platforms, prepare one strong submission kit, track the outcome, and expand only when the first batch produces useful evidence.