For makers · checked October 2026
Free rarely means free of conditions. Each card quotes the condition from the directory's own pages — a badge on your site, a link back, a queue, a vote — as it read on 10 October 2026, or as a dated archived copy read where the site blocked us.
Disclosure · EffectHub is an AI directory too
The median one-time paid listing across the 32 AI directories we checked is $49.
General AI tools
Only through a monthly thread on X: indie makers submit there and one tool per thread is chosen and listed for free. Normal submission through the launch form is paid.
Paid from $49
Curated AI tools and model releases by the Rundown AI newsletter, organized by category
The submit page says to recommend a tool by emailing [email protected] with name, URL, category and a one-sentence description; the team reviews it for inclusion. No fee is stated and inclusion is not promised. Third-party write-ups (Launch Almanac, 2026-08-09; WhereToSubmit, 2026-08-13) say the free route is gone or not processed.
Curated AI tools database by Matt Wolfe, with AI news and a newsletter
Free form (name, tool URL, short description, category, pricing, email, captcha). Tools are hand-picked by Matt's team; the FAQ says over 75% of submissions are not approved and the submitter will likely not be told either way.
Wait: Resubmit only after a week without a listing
General AI tools (7,000+ published tools, including an NSFW section)
Requires a crawlable backlink to dang.ai, one category and a free email-only account; no Featured badge or ranking boost.
Badge or link backWait: Up to 4 weeksPaid from $49
Hand-curated AI tools directory (1,000+ tools, 142+ categories) with AI news, guides and free tools
Free listing in exchange for a badge: add the 'Featured on Whatsthebigdata' badge, linking back, to your homepage or footer, then email the tool details and the badge URL. The badge must stay visible on a publicly indexable page.
Badge or link backWait: 2-3 business days after the badge is verifiedPaid from $599
General AI tools (22,000+ curated tools, multi-language)
Free tier is a basic submission placed in a review queue. A reciprocal-link route is described on the post-submission /finish page: add a backlink to Aitoolnet, email [email protected] with the subject 'Friend link' and the site promises publication within 24 hours.
Wait: Published within 30 days per the plan card; the FAQ says the queue currently takes 30-60 daysPaid from $9.90
General AI tools across 50+ categories (running since 2022)
Only for free or open-source tools in education (learning platforms, tutoring, homework help) or academic research; tools with paid plans in those categories may get 50% off the listing fee. Arranged by email.
Paid from $125
General AI tools with deals, coupon codes, guides and a mobile app
A link back to ToolPilot (one of its badges or logos on your site) is mandatory for free listings. Free tier per the pricing table: standard overview, up to 2 categories and 3 tags, no FAQs or media.
Badge or link backWait: Up to 90 days per the 2024 pricing-table image; up to 60 days per a hands-on third-party test on 2026-10-04Paid from $99
General AI tools directory with AI news and guest posts, in six languages
Free listing gives a basic tool page with limited visibility in categories and search; it excludes customer support, the dofollow backlink and the 24-hour review.
Paid from $9.99
AI tools and SaaS directory built around dofollow listing links
Free listing is dofollow only while the site's badge stays on your website; remove it and the link drops to nofollow. Only 5 free slots a day site-wide, first come first served.
Wait: Waits 7 days in the review queuePaid from $19
AI tools directory with reviews, categories and a blog
Open form (app name, description, URL, category, free-plan and free-trial flags, starting price, key features, email) with no fee on the page. A hands-on third-party test on 2026-10-04 (submitmystartup.com) reported no account needed beyond email verification and a choice after submitting between a free normal review and a free priority review that asks for a backlink.
Wait: Normal review within 2 weeks; priority review in 24-48 hours with a backlink (per the third-party test)
General AI tools organized by category, job and task; run by the team behind The Recap AI newsletter
Free Listing enters a queue with no guaranteed placement.
Wait: 30-90 day listing timePaid from $129
Curated AI tools for business, productivity and creative work (no NSFW, crypto or gambling); the site says it is not affiliated with aitoolsdirectory.net
Free form submission; every tool is reviewed manually and publication is not guaranteed. The team writes its own description and may rewrite supplied text.
Paid from $99
AI tools directory built around discounts and hot deals, with categories, comparisons and a community
The Verified Partner package is free in exchange for a link back to the site; it requires a website with a non-zero Domain Rating (DR > 0), per the page. Deals-related badges apply only if the tool offers deals or discounts.
Badge or link backWait: Listed in up to 1 weekPaid from $25
General AI tools (1,780+) and prompts (390+); founded January 2023
Open form: name, email, tool name, tool URL, optional descriptions and a category. No fee, review time or approval rule is stated on the page.
AI tools and AI agents directory with comparisons, news and an AI jobs board; run from the UK
The Free plan ($0, forever) includes one free tool listing, with no analytics. Further listings need a paid plan.
Paid from $75
AI tools directory (6,000+ tools in 163+ categories) with monthly rankings, statistics and trends
Account-based form (tool name, title, website URL, summary, description) with a separate Claim Existing Tool option. No fee, review time or rules are stated on the pages; /pricing, /advertise and /promote return 404.
AI tools directory with a weekly voting leaderboard (The Capital), deals and a blog
Free plan ($0 forever): a standard tool page and directory listing, eligible for the weekly leaderboard whose top 3 voted tools get the homepage podium on Mondays. The tool must be publicly accessible, AI or machine-learning focused and not a duplicate.
Wait: Typically reviewed within 24 hours
Curated AI tools and agents by category, with alternatives pages, task guides, curated lists and a weekly Buildboard
The free plan lists the tool with a name, link, description and categories; no payment or credit card. Sign-in with GitHub or Google is required and every listing is reviewed by a human. A hands-on third-party test on 2026-10-04 (submitmystartup.com) reported that the free plan also asks for Altern's badge on your homepage (or a post linking Altern), a follow of its X account and a newsletter subscription.
Wait: Most submissions are reviewed within a few daysPaid from $29
General AI tools (500+ tools in 78+ categories) with reviews, news and an AI newsletter
Public on-site form with three fields: what the tool does, a link (an affiliate signup link is requested if possible) and a tool category. No fee or review time is stated; inclusion is not promised.
AI websites and tools directory with rankings by visits and growth
Basic submission is free: a standard directory listing with community support. Only a tool name, website and contact email are needed, and the site can generate the page content.
Wait: 30-90 daysPaid from $29.90
Monthly rankings of 63,000+ AI tools by web traffic, reviews and investment data; a non-profit run with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Inclusion is free of charge through a form (name, email, tool name and URL, use cases up to 300 characters, description up to 400 characters, company details, pricing and API availability). The tool needs its own website or subdomain and a significant AI component; inclusion decisions are at the site's discretion.
Wait: Review may take up to 7 days
General AI and SaaS tools (curated, run by the maker of SaaS Gems)
Free listing joins the normal review queue with no featured spot, badge or Facebook-group post. The page says free submission is still open 'and always will be'. Needs a free account created at /join/, which also subscribes you to the SaaS Gems newsletter.
Paid from $67/mo
Curated AI tools directory for developers and creators (3,200+ tools) with upvotes and a blog
Basic Listing is free forever, with a dedicated tool page and a stated dofollow backlink; no credit card needed. Complete information is said to speed up approval.
Wait: Review within a few business days; average go-live 48 hoursPaid from $199
Hand-curated AI tools catalog by category, with upvotes and a blog, in English, German and Russian
A 'Submit a tool' form on the home page (tool information, product tags, pricing model, personal information) with no price shown; submissions can also be emailed to [email protected]. Every submission is reviewed manually.
Wait: A hands-on third-party test on 2026-10-04 was told the estimated time to add a tool is 3 days
Rarely without a condition. Of the 25 AI directories here with a free route, 4 ask for a badge or a link back on your site, and many queue free submissions behind paid ones. The conditions are quoted on each card.
On the live listings we read, 14 of these 25 linked to the product with a plain link. Some give the free tier a nofollow link and keep the plain one for paid plans — check the rel on a live listing.
Where a wait is stated: Future Tools — Resubmit only after a week without a listing; Dang.ai — Up to 4 weeks; What's the Big Data — 2-3 business days after the badge is verified. Many free routes state none.
