- Around 137,000 startups launch every day. Most disappear because nobody found them. - Product Hunt is still the highest single-impact launch. A successful 2026 launch drives 5,000 to 30,000 high-intent visitors in 24 hours. But it's a one-day event. Everything else is long-tail. - For developer-founded SaaS products, the highest-value directories are Product Hunt, Hacker News, Indie Hackers, and a core set of 15 to 20 free submission sites that build backlinks. - Don't spray and pray. Submit to the core 10 to 15 directories well rather than 100 badly. - The SEO value from directories compounds. A consistent backlink profile from 30 to 40 relevant directories is worth more than one viral launch day.

## Why Startup Directories Still Matter in 2026 The best startup launch directories in 2026 do three things: build a backlink profile, create discovery surfaces, and add credibility. Most founders treat them as an afterthought. That's backwards. Around 137,000 startups launch every single day. 22% fail specifically due to poor marketing and visibility (Failory, 2025). Directories won't save a product nobody wants. But they lower the cost of getting found. That matters more than most founders realize. **Backlinks.** Every listing is a backlink to your domain. Individually small. Collectively meaningful. A profile of 30 to 50 relevant backlinks in your first month gives Google enough signal to start ranking your site for long-tail queries. **Discovery surface.** Someone searching for a specific tool category on a niche directory is higher intent than someone who stumbled onto a blog post. Small traffic, high conversion. **Credibility.** A founder who Googles your product and finds it on Product Hunt, Indie Hackers, and a handful of relevant directories has more confidence hitting signup than one who finds nothing. This guide covers the directories worth submitting to for a developer-founded SaaS product, organized by what each one is actually good for.

## Tier 1: High-Impact Launch Platforms These are the platforms that can move the needle on day one. Submit here first, on dedicated launch days, with fully prepared assets. | Platform | Best for | Free | |---|---|---| | [Product Hunt](https://producthunt.com) | Launch-day traffic spike, press coverage | Yes (paid featured) | | [Hacker News Show HN](https://news.ycombinator.com) | Developer audience, technical credibility | Yes | | [Indie Hackers](https://indiehackers.com) | Bootstrapped founder community, early traction | Yes | **On Product Hunt specifically:** The algorithm has moved away from raw upvote counting since 2023. Quality-weighted votes from active accounts count far more than votes from new accounts. If you ask 300 brand-new Product Hunt accounts to upvote you, your effective ranking signal is closer to 50 votes. Only ask people who already have active accounts.

## Tier 2: High-Value Free Submission Directories These directories won't spike your traffic. They build a consistent backlink profile and create discovery surfaces that compound over months. Submit to all of these in your first two weeks. | Directory | Best for | DA | Free | |---|---|---|---| | [BetaList](https://betalist.com) | Early adopters, beta signups | 68 | Yes | | [Crunchbase](https://crunchbase.com) | Investor visibility, credibility | 91 | Free basic | | [G2](https://g2.com) | B2B SaaS reviews, buyer discovery | 90 | Yes | | [Capterra](https://capterra.com) | SMB software buyers | 88 | Yes | | [AlternativeTo](https://alternativeto.net) | Captures comparison searches | 80 | Yes | | [twelve.tools](https://twelve.tools) | Daily curated tool discovery | 80 | Yes | | [Slant](https://slant.co) | Developer tool comparisons | 71 | Yes | | [StackShare](https://stackshare.io) | Developer stack discovery | 72 | Yes | | [SaaSHub](https://saashub.com) | SaaS alternatives and comparisons | 68 | Yes | | [GetApp](https://getapp.com) | Business software discovery | 86 | Yes | | [Startup Stash](https://startupstash.com) | Founder tools directory | 62 | Yes | | [Launching Next](https://launchingnext.com) | General startup listings | 55 | Yes | | [SideProjectors](https://sideprojectors.com) | Side project community | 54 | Yes | **The AlternativeTo play:** This one is underrated. When someone searches "[Competitor] alternatives" on Google, AlternativeTo frequently ranks on page one. If your product competes with Linear, Jira, or Notion, a well-written listing here captures high-intent comparison traffic for years without any ongoing effort.

## Tier 3: Developer and SaaS-Specific Directories These directories reach a more targeted audience than general startup directories. Smaller traffic volumes, significantly higher intent. | Directory | Best for | Free | |---|---|---| | [Aura++](https://auraplusplus.com/projects/adeptdev-project-management-for-web-developers) | Early visibility, backlinks, AI launch story | Paid from $17 | | [EarlyHunt](https://earlyhunt.com/project/adeptdev) | Weekly launch format, SaaS and AI products | Free + paid | | [StackShare](https://stackshare.io) | Developer stack discovery | Yes | | [DevHunt](https://devhunt.org) | Developer tools | Yes | | [Uneed](https://uneed.best) | Developer audience, daily format | Yes (paid featured) | | [Tiny Startups](https://tinystartups.com) | Indie hacker community | Yes | | [PeerPush](https://peerpush.net) | Bootstrapped SaaS founders | Yes | | [Startup Fame](https://startupfa.me) | Community-driven visibility | Yes | | [Turbo0](https://turbo0.com/item/adeptdev) | Product and tool discovery | Yes | | [Findly](https://findly.tools/adeptdev?utm_source=adeptdev) | Tool and product discovery | Yes |

## Tier 4: Investor Visibility Directories If you're raising or plan to raise, these directories matter because investors actively use them to research products before reaching out. | Directory | Best for | Free | |---|---|---| | [Crunchbase](https://crunchbase.com) | Investor research, press visibility | Free basic | | [Wellfound (AngelList)](https://wellfound.com) | Angel investors, seed funds | Yes | | [F6S](https://f6s.com) | EU market reach | Yes |

## How to Actually Launch on These Platforms Most founders submit a description, add a screenshot, and move on. The ones who get traction do five things differently. **Prepare your assets before day one.** You need a tagline under 10 words, a one-paragraph description, a 3 to 5 sentence longer description, a logo, and 3 to 5 product screenshots. Having these ready means you can do 10 to 15 submissions in an afternoon instead of spending an hour on each one. **Stagger your launches.** Don't submit everything on the same day. Product Hunt and Hacker News on launch day. Core free directories in week one. Niche developer directories in week two. This spreads discovery across multiple weeks and avoids the "launched once and nothing happened" pattern. **Write descriptions for each platform's audience.** Product Hunt readers want to know what's exciting. StackShare readers want to know how it fits their stack. G2 readers want to know how it compares to alternatives. Same product, different framing. **Respond to every comment and review.** Especially on Product Hunt in the first 6 hours. The algorithm weights engagement density heavily. Founders who engage convert visitors. Founders who post and disappear don't. **Use UTM parameters.** Add `?utm_source=producthunt` and equivalent to every directory link. You need to know which platforms actually drive signups, not just traffic.

## What Not to Waste Time On **Submitting to 100 directories in week one.** Submitting a large volume of low-quality or irrelevant directory listings in a short period is a spam signal to Google, not a quality signal. Build the profile gradually over 4 to 6 weeks. **Paid listings on low-authority directories.** Worth paying for: Product Hunt featured placement for launch-day visibility. G2 or Capterra if your product is B2B and buyers in your category research there. Everything else: only pay after you've validated the platform actually drives signups. **Directories with no audience.** A directory with 500 monthly visitors and no community gives you a backlink and nothing else. The time to fill out the form may not be worth it. Prioritize platforms where real people are actively looking for tools.

## The 4-Week Launch Sequence **Week 1:** Product Hunt launch day (Tuesday, 2nd or 3rd week of the month). Show HN post the same week. Indie Hackers product listing and launch story. BetaList submission (note: BetaList has a review queue so submit 2 to 3 weeks before your target date). **Week 2:** Submit to the Tier 2 free directories. Prioritize AlternativeTo, G2, StackShare, SaaSHub, and Crunchbase first. Highest domain authority and search presence. **Week 3:** Developer-specific directories. DevHunt, Uneed, Aura++, PeerPush, Startup Fame, Tiny Startups. **Week 4:** Investor directories if relevant. Wellfound, F6S, remaining Tier 2 directories. **Ongoing:** Respond to G2 and Capterra reviews. Engage with Indie Hackers and Product Hunt comments. Update your Crunchbase profile as milestones happen.

## Wrap Up Directory submissions are not a growth strategy. They're a distribution foundation. The best startup launch directories build the backlink profile and discovery surface that makes everything else work better. Do the core 15 to 20 well. Stagger the submissions over 4 weeks. Write descriptions that match each platform's audience. Respond to everything. Then move on to channels that actually scale. If you're building a SaaS product and want your project management, deployment tracking, and analytics in one place so you can focus on shipping and launching, check out [AdeptDev](https://adeptdev.io). Free for 7 days.

## What are the best startup directories to submit to in 2026? The highest-impact startup launch directories for a developer-founded SaaS product are Product Hunt (launch-day traffic, 5,000-30,000 visitors on a successful day), Hacker News Show HN (developer community), Indie Hackers (bootstrapped founder community), Crunchbase (investor visibility), AlternativeTo (comparison search traffic), G2 and Capterra (B2B buyer discovery), and StackShare (developer stack discovery). Submit to Product Hunt and Hacker News on launch day, then work through the free directories over the following two weeks. ## Is Product Hunt still worth it in 2026? Yes. A successful Product Hunt launch in 2026 sends 5,000 to 30,000 high-intent visitors to your product in 24 hours. The #1 product of the day requires 500 to 1,200 quality-weighted votes, with the critical window being the first 6 hours where you need 200+ upvotes and 30+ comments to set your ranking. Launch on a Tuesday in the 2nd or 3rd week of the month. The algorithm heavily weights vote quality. Votes from active accounts count significantly more than votes from new accounts. ## How many startup directories should I submit to? Submit to 30 to 50 directories over your first month, prioritizing quality over quantity. Submitting to 100 directories in a short period reads as a spam signal to Google. Focus on the highest domain authority directories first (Crunchbase, G2, AlternativeTo, Capterra), then work through developer-specific and niche directories over 4 to 6 weeks. Three to five well-maintained listings with reviews and responses convert better than 50 placeholder profiles. ## Are startup directory submissions good for SEO? Yes. Each listing is a backlink to your domain. A consistent profile of 30 to 50 relevant backlinks in your first month gives Google enough signal to start ranking your site. AlternativeTo is especially valuable. Its pages rank on page one for "[Competitor] alternatives" searches, capturing high-intent comparison traffic long after your launch. The SEO value compounds over months as your listing accumulates views and engagement. ## What is the best free startup directory? For developer-founded SaaS products, the best free directories are Indie Hackers (strong community, good domain authority, listings rank in Google), AlternativeTo (captures comparison searches), StackShare (developer stack discovery), and BetaList (early adopter signups). Crunchbase is free for a basic listing and essential regardless of whether you're raising. Investors will check it. G2 is free to list and important for B2B SaaS where buyers research before purchasing. ## How do I launch on Product Hunt successfully? Prepare all assets before launch day: tagline under 10 words, clear description, logo, and 3 to 5 screenshots. Launch on a Tuesday in the 2nd or 3rd week of the month. Target 200+ upvotes and 30+ comments in the first 6 hours. That window sets your ranking. Only ask people with active Product Hunt accounts to upvote you. Respond to every comment within 30 minutes. Don't post and disappear. ## What startup directories are best for developer tools? The highest-value directories for developer tools are Hacker News Show HN (most influential developer community), StackShare (developers actively researching their stack), DevHunt (Product Hunt alternative for dev tools), Aura++ (limited daily launches means guaranteed visibility, dofollow backlink included), and PeerPush (bootstrapped SaaS founder community). These send smaller traffic than Product Hunt but the visitors are significantly higher intent.