For makers · checked October 2026
41 launch boards, startup directories, review sites and communities — what each costs, how long the queue is, what it asks of you and the link a live page there really carries. Read on each site's own pages on 10 October 2026, or a dated archived copy where a site blocked us.
Each place below does one job. Used in this order, every step feeds the next — early users before the big day, the big day before the evergreen listings, customers before the review sites.
1Before launch
BetaList takes pre-launch and just-launched startups — every submission is paid now. Put the waitlist on your own site first, so the visits have somewhere to land.
2Launch week
Product Hunt is free from a personal account and goes live at 12:01 AM Pacific. Developer tools add Show HN and DevHunt; the smaller launch boards (Uneed, Peerlist, Fazier) keep it going.
3The month after
Pages people find months later while comparing: SaaSHub and AlternativeTo put you next to the apps you replace; the AI directories put you in front of people shopping for an AI tool.
4With customers
G2 verifies B2B products in a few business days; one form covers Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice but can take six weeks; TrustRadius wants 100+ customers.
Disclosure · EffectHub is an AI directory too
Most popular first, by Tranco rank
A dated launch, ranked by votes on the day or the week. Best when you can bring people on launch day.
| Platform | Free route | Paid listing from | Link on a live listing | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free route | — | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | #2,325Top 10k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: ugc — marked ugc (user-generated content) — treated much like nofollow | #4,352Top 10k | |
| Free routebadge or link back | $29 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #207,047Top 1M | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: Not checked — not checked — no live listing we could read | #207,417Top 1M | |
| Free route | $14.99 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #357,927Top 1M | |
| Free route | $39 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #469,897Top 1M | |
| Free route | $39 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #725,745Top 1M | |
| Free route | $19 | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free routebadge or link back | $19 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free route | $9 | Link observed: Not checked — not checked — no live listing we could read | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Not stated | $39 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free route | $11 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Paid only | $12 | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free route | $9.90 | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free routebadge or link back | $19 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free route | $39 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | —Outside the top 1M |
Most popular first, by Tranco rank
An evergreen listing — no launch day, found by people browsing a category or an alternative.
| Platform | Free route | Paid listing from | Link on a live listing | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free route | — | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | #3,141Top 10k | |
| Free route | $5 | Link observed: Via redirect — routed through the place's own redirect first, not straight to the product | #15,953Top 50k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #32,772Top 50k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | #144,280Top 200k | |
| Paid only | — | Link observed: Via redirect — routed through the place's own redirect first, not straight to the product | #144,853Top 200k | |
| Free route | $49 | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | #190,261Top 200k | |
| Free routebadge or link back | $19/mo | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #201,500Top 1M | |
| Free routebadge or link back | $36 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #253,660Top 1M | |
| Free routebadge or link back | $29 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #317,771Top 1M | |
| Paid only | $19 | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free route | $39 | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | —Outside the top 1M | |
| Free route | $99 | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | —Outside the top 1M |
Most popular first, by Tranco rank
Profiles that live on customer reviews. Worth it once you have business customers who will write one.
| Platform | Free route | Paid listing from | Link on a live listing | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free route | — | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | #243Top 10k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: Via redirect — routed through the place's own redirect first, not straight to the product | #3,977Top 10k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: Not checked — not checked — no live listing we could read | #5,868Top 10k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: Not checked — not checked — no live listing we could read | #18,312Top 50k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: Not checked — not checked — no live listing we could read | #27,183Top 50k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: Not checked — not checked — no live listing we could read | #32,461Top 50k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: sponsored — marked sponsored — the label Google asks for on paid links | #72,201Top 200k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | #133,015Top 200k | |
| Paid only | $249 | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | #647,604Top 1M |
Most popular first, by Tranco rank
A post, not a listing: it works when you share the story and the numbers, not an announcement.
| Community | Free route | Paid listing from | Link on a live listing | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free route | — | Link observed: Followed — a plain link to the product, with no nofollow, ugc or sponsored | #3,703Top 10k | |
| Free route | — | Link observed: nofollow — marked nofollow — search engines are asked not to pass ranking credit | #36,026Top 50k |
Still on plenty of “where to submit” lists, but not taking submissions when we checked.
AppVitaappvita.comGoneStartup directory · checked 10 October 2026
AppVita featured web apps by category with a weekly email; the domain has been repointed to an unrelated personal site.
Betafybetafy.coGoneStartup directory · checked 10 October 2026
Betafy offered a place for founders to get feedback from startup supporters, with a Submit Startup button; the site no longer answers.
Slantslant.coSubmissions closedSoftware review site · checked 10 October 2026
Slant was a community-voted product recommendation site; third-party sources say it is now read-only, so new products or options can no longer be added. Not a launch target in 2026.
Startup.li.ststartupli.stGoneStartup directory · checked 10 October 2026
The domain no longer hosts a startup directory; the archived page only offers the domain for sale.
StartUpLiftstartuplift.comGoneStartup directory · checked 10 October 2026
StartUpLift ran a startup directory and how-to articles in 2022; the site now serves no content.
Launching on Product Hunt is free. Posting is free from a personal account (company accounts are prohibited); new accounts must finish onboarding before posting; the launch link must be the product's direct page without shortened or UTM-tracked URLs; asking people directly for upvotes is not allowed.
15 launch boards here besides Product Hunt have a free route. By traffic the largest are Show HN, Fazier, Peerlist Launchpad, Uneed and PeerPush. Developer tools fit DevHunt and Show HN best; consumer and indie products fit the weekly boards.
On the live pages we read, 16 of 35 linked to the product with a plain link. Several give it only to a day's top three, or only while their badge stays on your site — each profile quotes the rule.
Stated waits on the paid route: AlternativeTo — usually 1-2 business days, up to a week over holidays or busy periods; PitchWall — 2-week waiting period; Startup Fame — published instantly, no badge needed. On the free route: Show HN — no review queue stated; every Show HN appears on /shownew and reaches the Show page after clearing a small points threshold; Crunchbase — profile pages appear without a stated review period; DEV Community — posts publish immediately; no review step stated. Each profile lists every stated wait, by plan.
