How to use the Startup Directories List
- Filter the list: no badge, no account, or just launch platforms.
- Open a directory, submit, and tick it off. Your progress stays in this browser.
- Copy your list of done and to-do directories whenever you want a backup.
Are startup directories worth it?
A few send real visitors, especially launch platforms on your launch day. Most send a trickle. Their bigger value is being found: people searching for tools in your category, AI assistants that read directory pages, and a handful of links pointing at your new domain.
Spend an afternoon, not a month. Start with the directories that fit your product and go live fast, then add the slow queues and let them run in the background.
How to read this list
- Badge required means the free listing needs their badge or a link back on your site. Many check it regularly and drop you if it disappears.
- Badge optional means it's free without one, but the badge buys a followed link or a faster review.
- Wait is what the site showed or told us when we submitted. Free queues grow, so expect longer.
- Web directories are old-style link directories. They're slow and approval is unlikely, so do them last if at all.
Before you submit anywhere, make sure your page is ready: run the marketing SEO checker, make a share image with the OG image generator, and work through the launch checklist.
Where this list comes from
We built it while submitting StarTap itself, in October 2026. Every entry is one we submitted to, and the notes are what we saw on the way: hidden paid options, preselected plans, badge rules and queue times. We only list places with a free way in, and we don't take payment to be listed.
Frequently asked questions
Are these startup directories really free?
Each one had a free way in when we checked. Many also sell paid upgrades, and some preselect them on the form, so look for the free plan before you submit.
How many directories should I submit to?
Ten to twenty that fit your product is plenty for a launch. Pick the launch platforms for your launch week, then the directories with short queues.
Do directory backlinks help SEO?
A few followed links from relevant sites can help a brand-new domain get crawled and trusted. Mass submissions to low-quality directories don't help and can look spammy.
Should I put directory badges on my site?
Only where the listing is worth it to you. A footer full of badges is fine on a launch page, but each badge is a link out of your site.
Where is my progress saved?
In your browser's local storage on this device. Nothing is sent to us. Use Copy progress to keep a backup.