105 free startup directories for link-building – fresh for 2022

Updated on 18th October 2021

Awesome link building opportunities ranked by domain authority. Complete with up-to-date DoFollow and NoFollow status.

Surges is 100% independent, but some links may earn us an affiliate commission. Learn more.

You’ve taken the leap and launched your website. Now let’s get you some backlinks.

The easiest way to kickstart your link building is not digital PR, it’s free startup directories. I’ve gone to the trouble to find 105 of the best free directories and startup news sites that will be happy to feature you. The list has been compiled in 2022 so you can rest assured the opportunities are fresh and the sites haven’t changed their policies.

100% fresh startup directory list:

  • Tested in 2022
  • Includes Domain Authority
  • Do/No follow
  • Links to the submissions page
  • Tips to submit your startup
  • Best press coverage sites

This SEO gold is ranked by domain authority (DA) and comes complete with up-to-date DoFollow and NoFollow status. Together they amount to a combined Domain Authority of over 5,000 and priceless search engine ranking potential.

But they’re much more than that. We suggest you take the time to submit a decent pitch for your startup and respect the startup directory’s unique niche or aim. There’s some seriously popular sites on the list, so make a good impression and you can expect decent traffic and new customers too. If all of this sounds like too much work, you can always use paid submission websites such as ListHour to submit your listings for you or a tool such as Semrush or LinkHunter (which worked wonders for me!).

There’s a few big publications at the top this list which are harder to get into. You may wish to skip these for the low hanging no-cost startup directories.

The complete list of free startup directories:

Business Insider businessinsider.com

DA: 94 Follow

A financial and business news staple. There’s multiple angles to go at here, from tech success stories, personal finance and retail to news, reviews and culture. Also accepts one-off posts from authorities and personalities in their field.

Wired wired.com

DA: 94 NoFollow

News, from the future. WIRED prides itself at being at the cutting edge of everything - startup ideas, technology, culture, business and more. Getting featured here is likely to lead to a lot more coverage elsewhere. Worth your startup pitch, even if it’s harder get featured than a standard startup directory.

Digg digg.com

DA: 93 Follow

Digg is a less lively version of Reddit – a place to post interesting discoveries and take part in critical inquiry and debate. All posts are approved by moderators and guided by what the Internet is talking about right now. So self-promotion isn’t on unless you’re genuinely trending elsewhere, in which case they’ll be grateful for the tip off.

Mashable mashable.com

DA: 93 Follow

The internet institution that is Mashable is a media company for tech obsessives. It’s editorial remit is extremely broad these days, covering tech, internet culture, social media, culture, entertainment and gadgets. There’s no directory so you’ll have to find a news angle and write that press release.

Check out their 12 tips for getting your startup featured.

Entrepreneur.com entrepreneur.com

DA: 92 Follow

Entrepreneur publishes original writing about the inner workings of startup life. It favours unique insights about what it’s like to take the leap in your country, aiming to strike the relevance chord with others in your geography. Don’t be self-absorbed or promotional.

The Next Web thenextweb.com

DA: 92 Follow

A mecca for tech. Occasionally steps outside big tech and cypto to cover the best in what’s next. New ‘channels’ include Neural for AI, Shift for sustainable mobility and Growth Quarters for startup growth. Also consider their ‘Deals’ site to pick up a flurry of lifetime customers.

Crunchbase crunchbase.com

DA: 91 NoFollow

A who’s who of the startup world, featuring detailed growth indicators and the profiles of key personnel. Crunchbase is the go-to startup directory for VCs looking for their next investment, sales managers looking for leads and founders checking up on competitors. Should be one of your first free startup directory submissions for its high domain authority.

Digital Trends digitaltrends.com

DA: 91 Follow

Digital Trends is an oracle on all things technology, arguably spreading itself too thin across computing, mobile, gaming, cars, fintech, IoT and the like. They do cover new startups, tech reviews and exclusive deals for their readers so you don’t always have to be a big brand to make its pages.

Product Hunt producthunt.com

DA: 90 NoFollow

Product Hunt is a listing site for the best new tech launches that day. A tool starts life on the site once ‘hunted’, with other users voting it up or down depending on its usefulness and inventiveness. A minimum of 20-30 new startup tools are featured on the site daily, making it a great way to discover the next best thing. Make sure you have a robust promotional plan in place to accompany and amplify your Product Hunt submission.

Product Hunt   launches   Surges.co

Mint livemint.com

DA: 89 Follow

One of India’s top business news sites. Publishes A LOT of content so chances of coverage are high. Submit your startup in Mint’s ‘Start ups’ section to gain early user traction.

Make Use Of makeuseof.com

DA: 89 Follow

Has one aim: to help readers make the most of their consumer tech. Broad remit, including mobile phones, laptops, gadgets, apps, software, Smart tech, you name it. Recommended trying to influence their ‘Top list’ content, perhaps writing one for your niche.

Geekwire geekwire.com

DA: 88 NoFollow

GeekWire is a technology news site based in Seattle. Now 10 years old, they have built up the biggest directory of tech startups in the neighbouring area, so you have to be located in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho or British Columbia to feature.

Alternative To alternativeto.net

DA: 87 NoFollow

Ever wanted to broaden your horizons and try an alternative version of any software? That’s how AlternativeTo can help. One of the best startup directories, Alternative To compares the service you love to a long list of crowd-sourced competitors, complete with business information, key features, reviews, plugins and social accounts. Quite the resource with close to 100,000 apps on show.

AngelList angel.co

DA: 87 NoFollow

The jobsboard for the startup community. AngelList’s is a global community of over 3 million tech-savvy candidates. You can get in front of them by creating a company page. Links are NoFollow but come will boost your visibility amongst top talent.

Read Write readwrite.com

DA: 87 Follow

Tries to keep up with the changing pace of tech and decipher what it means for society at large. Submit your new startup as a your news story - either an exemplar of how to ‘grow’ or ‘lead’ your field, in line with how they present their content. Not as glossy as its peers, which is a good thing.

Hacker News news.ycombinator.com

DA: 86 Follow

Hacker News (often abbreviated as HN) is a forum for all things coding, making and “deeply interesting”. The site acts as a daily popularity contest for new discoveries and news stories vetted by the early adopters community. There are two rules: don’t share spammy content and be civil. So, you’ll have to pass the interesting threshold at least.

Hacker News listing   Surges.co

SiliconANGLE siliconangle.com

DA: 82 Follow

SiliconANGLE provides a mix of breaking news and critical analysis of the big stories in tech. Keen on video exclusives, emerging tech and startup news not done to death elsewhere, all providing a route into thorough coverage.

PSFK psfk.com

DA: 76 Follow

A top trends commentator that sells foresight and analysis to big brands, consultancies and innovation teams. If your new startup is at the cutting edge of your industry and forging new ground, they’ll want to know. Also a Do Follow link.

Inc42 Inc42.com

DA: 76 Follow

Inc42 is tech publisher known for its daily coverage of the Indian startup scene. The site has built up a back catalogue of 15,000 stories, reaching early adopters in India and beyond every month. Inc42 is bringing the world’s best innovations and new startups to its readers so it doesn’t matter if you’re based in Dehli, Dublin or Dallas.

F6S F6S.com

DA: 74 NoFollow

F6S is a global community of founders attracted to the site for its long list funding and talent finding opportunities. Expect to see hackathons, accelerators and job opportunities alongside its mammoth directory of startups. Links are nofollow but they all count.

Capterra Capterra.com

DA: 72 NoFollow

Founded in 1999, Capterra is one of the most established software authorities on the web. Popular SaaS have hundreds of reviews against them, however it can be light on newer, more independent vendors. There’s every chance your customers will have added you and critiqued your best features and weaknesses, meaning visitors can make a more informed purchase decision. A free startup listing also covers inclusion in GetApp and Software Advice.

Startups.co.uk startups.co.uk

DA: 72 Follow

Startups.co.uk is one of the UK’s top online resources for anyone looking to start and grow a business. It’s built up a huge library of content in its 20 years, covering business ideas, new startups, step-by-step guides of setting up, finding customers, recruiting top talent, raising finance and more, as well as founder stories. It’s the latter that’s of interest here – submit an interesting story of your journey so far (even if you’re just starting out) of 700+ words to be in with a chance of being featured.

Startups.co.uk   Surges.co

Site Jabber sitejabber.com

DA: 71 Follow

Swot up on the businesses you’re about to buy from. Sitejabber has racked up millions of customer ratings and reviews on successful startups such as yours. A business listing is automatically generated when a consumer visits our site and submits a review for your company, so make sure you claim it, fill it with accurate info and engage with reviewers.

Springwise springwise.com

DA: 70 Follow

Get spotted by Springwise and you’ll join 10,000 bitesized innovations in the inboxes of 70,000 executives searching for the next big thing. The Springwise spotters network is a community of people with their finger on the pulse in over 190 countries around the world. Become one of them or have somebody spot you on your behalf.

Growth Hackers growthhackers.com

DA: 66 Follow

A personal favourite of mine. Bursting with insider posts, AMAs and growth studies to supercharge your startup. Growth Hackers is a thriving marketing community that genuinely appreciate content that improves their craft, so every submission is reviewed and curated before being accepted.

G2 g2.com

DA: 62 NoFollow

Probably the first stop for anybody wanting to reassess their tech stack. Tap into G2’s product database, the largest in the world with over 1m user reviews and the cream of the crop rising to the top. The level of granularity here is mind-blowing so expect to have your software publicly interrogated by your customer base. For that reason, it’s perhaps only worth listing when you’re confident your software has spent some time in the market and can deliver the goods.

Surges’ guide: how to get more positive reviews on software review sites.

GetApp GetApp.com

DA: 62 NoFollow

A big fish in the software review world. GetApp has been crowdsourcing reviews for over 10 years and is ready to assess your efforts on every criteria imaginable. Links are sadly NoFollow but will lead to a lot of leads should you rank favourably versus the competition. Upgrades include increased product visibility and access to competitor analysis, buyer insight and intent tools.

BetaList betalist.com

DA: 61 Follow

BetaList is another early-stage startup aggregator. Every featured startup gets their own profile on BetaList and is put to a community vote for 24 hours, with the best ones rising to the top. A great opportunity to raise your profile, grab a DoFollow backlink and interact with fellow BetaList members as you answer their questions and give a snippet of your backstory.

BetaList submission   link building   Surges.co

Startup Nation startupnation.com

DA: 60 NoFollow

For entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, StartupNation aims to inspire and educate those taking the leap or deep in the trenches of running their own small business. There’s two forms of attack here – by joining the StartupNation community and joining in conversations in the forum or by making its news pages.

Designer News designernews.co

DA: 59 Follow

A virtual meeting place for the design community. This established site promises a constant feed of “designer-friendly content” for 175,000 monthly active users. Bonus points if you’re posting fonts, software, open source resources and sparking interesting discussions. Hates anything overly advertorial and listicles.

EU Startups eu-startups.com

DA: 59 Follow

Majoring in startup-related news from, you guessed it, Europe. EU Startup’s mission is to connect the European startup scene and to encourage more entrepreneurship. Directory listings don’t include a live link to your website but interviews and new startup stories do, so you’ll want to approach from a few angles.

Index.co index.co

DA: 57 NoFollow

A TNW project to help sales people and investors source hot new leads. Register and grab a profile for your startup, although be prepared to have that data used to contact you. Consider Index a mini version of Crunchbase.

Stack Share stackshare.io

DA: 56 Follow

StackShare is a different take on other free startup lists. Create a profile for your company and share the SaaS tools that make up your tech stack. Once you connect your Git repos, the dashboard automatically updates based on stack changes. A clever way to help developers make sounder technology decisions.

Killerstartups KillerStartups.com

DA: 56 Follow

Brought to you by the landing page builder Launchrock. KillerStartups.com specialises in reviewing newly born internet startups before anybody else. They claim to have “discovered” some of the biggest names in tech – here’s to hoping you can follow in their footsteps!

Indie Hackers indiehackers.com

DA 54 NoFollow

Next up is Indie Hackers, which is more article and forum-led. This extra room is for the startup world to grow together, share their learnings and find out who is building what to solve today’s big marketing challenges. There’s a real focus on side projects here, as makers look to bootstrap their way to financial freedom. If your product or service is aimed at other indie hackers it can lead to some decent early user traction.

Startup John startupjohn.com

DA: 54 NoFollow

More free visibility incoming. Free startup listings are short but sweet and can include a discount for StartupJohn readers. You’ll need to sign-up with your Twitter account before submitting new startups.

Startupjohn.com submissions   link building ideas

All Top Startups alltopstartups.com

DA: 51 Follow

Alltopstartups is a handy resource of startup lessons from fellow entrepreneurs. Their startup directory is not currently accepting any new free listings so you can pay to jump the queue -$49 to be published in 48 hours. An alternative route is to share your startup journey in 700 words or more.

Betabound betabound.com

DA: 51 NoFollow

Betabound brings an army of 200,000 to your beta product. Simply announce your beta test (e.g. a video game or web app) on the platform and these unpaid volunteers will kindly give up their time to give you detailed feedback. Much more than just a listing!

Startup Ranking startupranking.com

DA: 51 NoFollow

A leaderboard of every startup that cares to have a listing or is listed by another party. You start by creating or claiming your company. The former takes 2-3 months but can be sped up for a $99 fee. You’re then attributed a Startup Ranking score (SR code) from 0-100,000 based on your social audience, estimated traffic and ranking attributes. A free startup liftoff must!

Snapmunk snapmunk.com

DA: 50 Follow (currently paid)

One of many tech news sites on the web. Adding new startups to their directory is free-of-charge, however a link to your website costs $19.99 per month or $200.00 per year. Definitely worth trying to get featured as a news story instead.

Webwiki webwiki.com

DA: 50 NoFollow

Webwiki is somewhere to discover and review websites for every keyword. Their ‘popularity algorithm’ returns the most popular websites for a specified keyword or phrases.

Netted netted.net

DA: 50 Follow

Netted is the sister review site to the Webbys. Theory being that nobody knows the best tools and latest products, apps and hacks quite like the staffers over there. Everything they write about has to help their readers’ lives in some way – be that saving money, streamlining chores or enriching an aspect of their life.

Startup Blink startupblink.com

DA: 50 Follow

Startup Blink maps the world’s startups and uses the data it collects to crown the best cities to start a new business. Add your business to boost your city’s score and get that all-important Follow link.

Topio Networks topionetworks.com

DA: 49 NoFollow

Topio Networks is a relatively new industry research platform providing market intelligence and startup ideas to curious professionals. Alongside detailed whitepapers and industry landscape updates they compile case studies on distruptive new startups. The bar for submissions is high and require regular updates to stay on the site.

Sidebar.io sidebar.io

DA: 48 Follow

A curated roundup of the best design links of the day since October 2012. Accept everything from design tools to portfolios, articles and podcasts. If your startup is a paid product they’ll need to be a free or demo version to be considered for inclusion.

Startup Stash startupstash.com

DA: 47 Follow

Startup Stash is a popular directory of online tools and resources for startups. Covers a broad remit, from project management and idea generation to customer support, payroll software and investor relations. The most hunted website of all time on Product Hunt so make it one of your first ports of call.

Atlas Of The Future atlasofthefuture.org

DA: 46 Follow

A big Atlas Of The Future fan over here. Shining a spotlight on the unsung heroes solving our biggest challenges and forging a better tomorrow. Your innovation will need to help the greater good and will be immortalised on the world map of futurenauts. Not technically one of the startup directories but coverage gets a Follow link.

Ars Technica arstechnica.com

DA: 46 Follow

Ars Technica has spent 25 years at the forefront of the unimaginable advances in the way we live and work thanks to tech. Devoted to seismic trends and true gamechangers over click-bait content. Dive into the active forum which is frequently visited by journalists sourcing new topics to write about.

Web Designer News webdesignernews.com

DA: 45 NoFollow

A carbon copy of Designer News. One of the many homes for web designers and developers to stay ahead of the latest and greatest trends. Keep within the content guidelines of relevant news, UX, design and UI apps, infographics and in-jokes.

CrozDesk crozdesk.com

DA: 45 NoFollow

Crozdesk is an extremely advanced business software directory, featuring thousands of tools in over 300 categories. Covering topics as diverse as Payments & Invoicing, Construction Estimating, CRM and Social Media. Expert a comprehensive listing of your software, including full feature list, FAQs, user reviews and comparisons with similar tools. Make sure you claim your listing if it’s already been posted by another user.

Startup Resources startupresources.io

DA: 45 NoFollow

Another curated collection of startup SaaS. Also runs a weekly newsletter. Startup Resources offers a free profile with the potential to be upvoted by other users.

Starter Story starterstory.com

DA: 45 Follow

This site is bursting with founder case studies and shows no signs of slowing down. Each starter story is candidly written, disclosing turnover and employee numbers, discussing the highs and lows on their journey, and revealing the secrets to their success. Have your starter story heard.

Startup Valley News startupvalley.news

DA: 45 Follow

Don’t be deceived by the name. Startup Valley focuses on European startups not Silicon Valley. The editorial team actively encouraged guest contributions, exclusive interviews and spotlights on weird and wonderful startups.

Alternative.me alternative.me

DA: 45 Follow

An Alternative To clone. Not as comprehensive as the real deal but is slowly catching up. Use Alternative Me to quickly assess a service against its peers and find the best software for you. Make sure you claim your profile or list it as an alternative to a more established incumbent.

TechFaster techfaster.com

DA: 45 Follow

Two routes into TechFaster are its list of 300 startup tools and deep dive interviews with founders. Does these two things well but without frills.

Startup Savant startupsavant.com

DA: 44 NoFollow

A rabbit hole of useful resources for setting up and growing your own business. Startup Savant soverage ranges from the basics of idea generation and forming a legal entity through to detailed how to guides. Lots of admire here even if the site design is a little dated.

Tech Pluto techpluto.com

DA: 43 Follow

TechPluto covers the latest news and events from the tech and startup world. Featured reviews come with a Follow link, however you’ll need to provide a compherensive and compelling summary to be considered. TechPluto receives 500 submissions each month, with only 20 or so published. Alternatively, you can try the CEO interview route.

BetaPage betapage.co

DA: 42 NoFollow

BetaPage is a lite version of Product Hunt. Join 40,000 others by submitting your product or startup for free exposure and a free backlink. They can be at any stage in their lifecycle - under development, beta or live – and securing a minimum 5 upvotes will get you on the prominent ‘Recent’ tab. One of the easier free startup directories to get listed on.

Launching next launchingnext.com

DA: 42 NoFollow

A daily rundown of the latest inventions dreamed up by disruptive minds. Profiles are extremely bare but every link is appreciated. Launching Next has some neat resources tucked away on the site, including a startup name generator and a reading list for the must-have startup books ever written.

Web Design Inspiration webdesign-inspiration.com

DA: 41 NoFollow

A constant feed of web design inspiration. Aimed at anybody looking to embark on their own project and unsure where to start. Can’t do any harm putting your own site out there.

Land Book land-book.com

DA: 41 Follow

Land Book is a gallery full of eye-catching websites to hopefully inspire your next project. It’s an easy way to keep abreast of the latest trends and study the components of successful, well-crafted sites. Categories include blogs, stores, landing pages, portfolios and everything in-between. Adding your own good-looking website is easy and comes with a Follow link.

Side Projectors sideprojectors.com

DA: 40 Follow

Side Projectors is an active startups marketplace for buying and selling tech projects. Another option is to ‘showcase’ your startup. In other words, sharing the usual metrics on revenue, web traffic, users or downloads, just without an asking price. This gets you your link and allows interested parties to contact you should they meet certain criteria.

Top tip: Check out our analysis of the best startup marketplaces out there (there’s more than you think!).

Startup Buffer startupbuffer.com

DA: 39 NoFollow

Startup Buffer is a straight up directory for startups in any field. It’s the same info you’ll be submitting elsewhere and should take no more than a couple of minutes. Listings are however you can pay to feature on the homepage, get a shout out on their social accounts and appear on their apps.

SaaS Genius saasgenius.com

DA: 39 NoFollow

Helping you to find the right software for your business. SaaS vendor can claim a free listing assuming they’re not mobile- or B2C-only. Many of the reviews on the site are old but a site with potential.

Landing Folio landingfolio.com

DA: 39 Follow

The oracle for all things landing pages. Landing Folio is full of design inspiration, readymade templates, illustrations and component plugins. Give yourself a big headstart on your next landing page by borrowing from the best of them. Listings are free but take a month, or you can jump the queue for $29. This one was spotted by Buckle & Band.

Crazy About Startups crazyaboutstartups.com

DA: 38 NoFollow

Crazy About Startups is a one-stop-shop for starting and growing an online business. It mixes news agregration with starter stories, expert advice and industry trends. You’ll need to join the 5,000-strong Crazy About Startups community to have your listing added to the directory.

Startup Lift startuplift.com

DA: 38 Follow

Another way to effortlessly promote your business. The form takes 60 seconds to complete and the chances of being featured are high. Don’t forget to mention Surges when asked how your heard about Startup Lift!

Startup Lister startuplister.com

DA: 37 Follow

A super streamlined list of bootstrapped businesses. Brought to you by the lovely people at MicroAquire, a startup acquisition marketplace focused exclusively on SaaS.

The Startup Pitch thestartuppitch.com

DA: 37 Follow

Listings on The Startup Pitch are based around the standard pitch deck. Answering the Who, What and Why. Startups or services in beta only.

Startup Tracker Startuptracker.io

DA: 36 Follow

Just as the name suggests, Startup Tracker keeps tabs on startups from inception to IPO. This master list of all products and startups pulls in data from all the top entrepreneur platforms on the web. Think ProductHunt, Crunchbase, Beta List, as well as info sent in by founders. It’s 100% free to add your startup or verify and update the info pulled in from elsewhere.

Remote Tools remote.tools

DA: 36 NoFollow

Remote Tools curates top remote tech products – a handy resource in the changings to working patterns during the pandemic. Listings are of the same mould as found elsewhere so should be a straightforward submission process.

Startup88 startup88.com

DA: 34 NoFollow

A simple listing site that will happily host a profile page for your tech-related startup.

Paggu paggu.com

DA: 34 Follow

Startup pitch submissions are free but can be expedited for a fee (much like many other directories). Another way is to submit a guest post proposal. Posts are expected to be 1,200 words minimum and offer an original perspective on entrepreneurship or digital marketing. An okay Domain Authority and good Follow link to have.

Bootstrappers.io bootstrappers.io

DA: 33 NoFollow

As the name suggests, bootstrappers.io is a listing site for bootstrapped companies and resources. The rather rudimentary site has evolved under new owners to charge $19 membership, which includes your listing, access to private members only forum and Slack channel, and a featured profile.

T5 tools.robingood.com

DA: 33 Follow

T5 is a curated directory of 600 digital collaboration tools, arranged into 40 categories. Submissions are welcome and each one is vetted by internet marketer Robin Good. Improve the odds of making the grade by including your pricing info and key features in your submission.

Apps 400 apps400.com

DA: 32 Follow

Currently only accepting paid reviews at the time of writing. Costs $29 for Apps400 or $ 249 for inclusion in its network of 11 sites. Could do with a little design love.

Astro Growth astrogrowth.com

DA: 32 NoFollow

A busy business software review site. Quite broad in scope so plenty of room for your startup. Any listing is likely to take the form of a review which tend to be generic and glowing.

Your Stack yourstack.com

DA: 31 Follow

Brought to you by your friends at Product Hunt, YourStack is an easy way to share your favourite products with other makers. Currently in public beta, it features everything from software, books, podcasts, accessories and everything else in-between. It’s important to give shout outs to all the products you love, not just your own.

Saas Hub saashub.com

DA: 30 NoFollow

A huge database of digital products and their alternatives. Lacking detailed breakdowns of those products but offers a great snapshot of everything out there instead. All comparisons are independent and can be verified by the product owners. Accepts guests posts also.

Get Worm getworm.com

DA: 29 Follow

The early bird catches the worm. Get Worm promises to send lots of them your way, eager to discover new startups and give feedback in exchange for a small incentive. That could be an extended free trial, a discount, merch or hands-on onboarding for early users. A great concept that works for all parties involved.

Spectacle spectacle.is

DA: 28 Follow

YouTube without the fluff. If you’re looking for inspiration you’ve come to the right place. Spectacle showcases big ideas communicated in delightful ways. Use it to shape your new marketing campaign or see how individual brands use video in theirs. A genuinely useful resource.

Webapprater webapprater.com

DA: 28 Follow

Webapprater houses bitesized reviews about mobile and web apps. All reviews are honest and genuine, plus can feature your website address for more info. If you’re lucky you’ll be syndicated across their content network which includes AppsMirror, AppsListo and AppsThunder.

Thingtesting thingtesting.com

DA: 28 Follow

The darling of consumer product reviews. Carries a beautiful aesthetic and provides insider access to the people behind the businesses. Very quickly grown from its humble beginnings as an Instagram-only, bite-sized reviews by Jenny Gyllander to being VC-backed and giving the big guns a run for their money. Reviews are always 100% truthful.

The Startup Inc thestartupinc.com

DA: 27 DoFollow

The Startup INC covers every type of business imaginable. The upside being you’re likely to get your listing approved. The downside is it’s likely to get lost. That’s where their marketing arm comes in, offering to amplify your profile and pass on leads for free.

What’s New on the Net whatsnewonthenet.com

DA: 26 Follow

A collection of tech news and startups willing to pay $10+ to be listed for a period of six months. Worth trying to get your press release published to get round the fee.

Startup Inspire Startupinspire.com

DA: 24 Follow

StartupInspire’s freemium directory is one of the better looking ones so your startup will be seen in the best light. Get listed for free and join their community of founders voting up each other’s startups and getting early bird access to the next big thing. Upgrading involves a one-off $29 fee – the biggest incentive for doing is being able to add unlimited job listings to your profile.

Startupsgalaxy startupsgalaxy.com

DA: 23 Follow

A comprehensive directory of startups in every conceivable sector, including AI, blockchain, Fintech and Travel. Acts as a lead generation machine for matching startups with growth hackers and related services. Based in Egypt but serving the world.

Allstartups allstartups.info

DA: 23 Follow

A simple self-service way to post your startup to this pocket of the internet. All Startups focuses on mobile and web apps no older than 5 years in existence. All they ask is its related to tech and innovative in some shape or form, so no generic blogs or ecommerce stores.

Launched launched.io

DA: 23 Follow

Your Launched listing contains all the usual ingredients – product image, description and links to your social profiles and website. All they ask is that it’s a tech product or startup that has already been launched. Free startup submissions are typically published within 24 hours.

Side Projects sideprojects.net

DA: 23 Follow

A place to share your side hustles and meet others with similar ambitions. All kinds of projects are welcome and all submissions land on the front page unless they’re spam. Make sure your product description is exciting enough to entice upvotes from the community.

Promote Project promoteproject.com

DA: 23 Follow

Promote Project has one job: to promote startups for free. Consider it a new take on the traditional classified ad, bankrolled by goodwill. One of the better startup directories to submit and be accepted to.

Startup Base startupbase.io

DA: 20 Follow

Startup Base deals exclusively in newly launched software. For that reason your startup must be under one year old and not known to the early adopter community. Startup Base also asks that any submissions are publicly available i.e. not in private beta or ‘coming soon’.

10 Words 10words.io

DA: 19 Follow

A novel take on things. Discover new apps and startups in 10 words or less. Perfect for skim reading new ideas and soaking up inspiration without any of the usual marketing fluff or flashy graphics. One of the best startup directories I’ve seen.

Startup Costs startupcosts.co

DA: 19 Follow

You’ve got a killer idea but how much will it cost to make it happen? Startup Costs is a great way to find out with entrepreneurs sharing their tech stack and the associated monthly subscription cost.

Toolsalad toolsalad.com

DA: 18 NoFollow

Terrible name, decent resource. ToolSalad is a single page directory of digital marketing tools – SEO, usability testing, surveys, email marketing and social ads. Submission is quick and easy so there’s no excuse not to do so if you fit the bill.

Cuspera cuspera.com

DA: 16 NoFollow

Cuspera is an AI platform that recommends SaaS products based on peer-to-peer reviews sourced from around the web. Its content is a mixed bag, ranging from useful insights into the tool in question to irrelevant use cases plucked from keyword data. Still, seems a trusted resource and could end up being a good source of new leads.

Joinly Joinly.xyz

DA: 13 Follow

A lovely little site for the startup community to gather feedback and share product updates. The front end is reserved for new products and startups such as yours. The short form takes less than a minute to complete and asks that you summarise your thing in 80 characters or less. Joinly is still working out how to monetise itself so get involved now before they start charging.

Profit Hunt profithunt.co

DA: 13 Follow

Profit Hunt is a curated feed of profitable online projects, updated daily. You’ll be expected to share your monthly recurring revenue but, unlike Indie Hackers, there’s no way of verifying the figures given. Another nice site solely motivated by the desire to give other founders a leg up on their journey.

Growth Junkie growthjunkie.com

DA: 12 Follow

Growth Junkie is a fledgling directory of marketing tools. The details on each profile are relatively light but they do link out to your website and social accounts. Welcomes free startup submissions.

Surges surges.co

DA: 13 Follow

Surges is focussed exclusively on marketing SaaS. We’re a young but growing reviews site, coupled with the stories of the people behind the tools. So, if you’re on the hunt for more customers and want to keep them happy, it’s for you. Free startup directory listing for marketing tools only.

Storyfied storyfied.com

DA: 10 Follow

Storyfied publishes starter stories, written by the entreprenuers themselves. Listings are free but bare, not even including a website link. Those packages start from a one-off fee of £9.99 and rise to £24.99 to include promotion via the Storyfied newsletter and social media accounts.

Saasified Saasified.co

DA: 9 Follow

Big fan of the name! Saasified aims to make the fast-moving world of SaaS easier to navigate by organising the thousands of options out there by category and price point. It seems relatively early days for Saasified but this Follow link should only rise in Domain Authority.

Tools Valley toolsvalley.net

DA: 9 Follow

Arming YouTubers, Instagrammers, bloggers and more with the tools they need to up their game. Think copyright-free music, editing and special effect software, grammar checkers and logo creators. A useful side-project that I hope sticks around.

Owwly owwly.com

DA: 0 Follow

Owwly gathers and showcases new digital products to the world. There’s very little to the listings so make your screenshot and elevator pitch count. Might not make a big difference to search engines ranking yet, but it has potential.

Virtual Mojito virtualmojito.com

DA: 0 Follow

The pandemic has been the making of Virtual Mojito. This site celebrates digital tools that power virtual events and communities, remote working, meetups and online classrooms. Consider buying its founder, Felix, a virtual mojito if you get listed.

What free startup directories did we miss?

We’re on a mission to build the biggest and best startup directories list. Let us know any submission websites and review sites we’ve failed to include and we’ll add them.

Looking for top content marketing tools?

Backlinks are only part of the puzzle. You’ll need great content to point to and attract prospects via search engines. Thankfully, I’ve pulled together my favourite content marketing tools for that.

Make marketing tools your superpower

  • Giveaways
  • Sneak peeks
  • Discount codes
open in new window Surges Surges