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We Checked 156 AI and Startup Directories: 106 Made the List, 50 Didn't

By Balwant Singh Rawat · Published 10 November 2026 · Updated 10 November 2026· Research-based (not yet hands-on tested)

Quick answer: most “500+ directory” lists are padded. When we checked 156 AI and startup directory routes on their own pages on 9–10 November 2026 (IST), 106 were good enough for our public list and 50 were not. Among the 106, 63 had a free option, 21 were paid only, and 22 didn’t state a cost. Only 18 stated what kind of link you get. Among the 50 rejects, 29 wanted a backlink or badge in exchange for the free listing.

All the numbers below come from our published dataset: the checked directory list and its CSV, plus the exclusion table in the list’s methodology section. You can recount every figure yourself.

How did we check them?

• Primary sources only. Each route was checked on the directory’s own submit, pricing, FAQ or terms page. We didn’t rely on other people’s lists, which were often out of date.
• Operator statements, not measurements. Costs, queues and link types are what each directory says about itself. Where a page didn’t say, we recorded “not stated” or “unverified” instead of guessing.
• Dates. 100 routes were checked on 9 November 2026 and 6 more on 10 November 2026 (IST). Each row shows its own date.
• Exclusion rules. We excluded routes whose free listing needed a badge or backlink, sites that weren’t really directories, closed or paused submissions, conflicting terms, duplicates, and wrong eligibility.
• Scope. The 156 are the routes we’ve finished deciding on. More candidates are still in our review queue and aren’t counted here.
• What we didn’t measure: traffic, domain rating, indexing or approval rates. “Tier” on our list is editorial priority, not measured value.

What’s actually free?

Launch boards are the friendliest to a $0 budget: 23 of 30 had a free route. AI catalogs are the most commercial: 16 of 54 were paid only, the largest group. BetaList is a well-known example that is now paid only, with an automatic refund if you aren’t selected (see our BetaList guide).

Free usually means waiting. 61 of the 106 routes stated some kind of timing, and the free queues can be long. OpenHunts states about 60 weeks for its free queue, Firsto about 180 days, YAATD a 90-day queue, and StartupBase an estimated 10+ weeks for its standard free launch. AlternativeTo says its normal queue holds several thousand apps and gives no date (see our AlternativeTo guide). Plan launch-dependent listings early, or pay for speed only where it’s worth it.

Do directories give followed (dofollow) links?

Mostly, they don’t say.

So an “X dofollow backlinks” promise built on directory listings deserves questions. On most routes nobody can know the link type until the listing is live and you inspect it. Even then, Google decides how much any link counts. That’s why we keep submitted, approved, live and indexed as separate statuses.

What did we exclude, and why?

Some examples, as recorded on the check date:

• Futurepedia: its official /submit-tool and /submit pages returned HTTP 404, although the directory itself was reachable.
• BetaPage: redirects to PitchWall, so we count it once under its current name.
• AllTopStartups: its page says free listings are currently suspended.
• All The AI Tools: submit and pricing URLs served unrelated gambling content.
• AI Tool Net: its pricing table shows a free tier while its FAQ says listing costs $9.9, so we left it out until the terms agree.

The biggest group, 29 routes with a mandatory badge or backlink, is a deliberate choice. A free listing that requires linking back is a link exchange, and Google’s spam policies name excessive link exchanges as a link scheme. Among the 21 listed routes that state a badge rule, the badge is optional for the free listing on every one.

What should a founder take from this?

1. Distrust padded counts. About a third of the routes we finished checking (50 of 156) failed basic checks. A list of hundreds that hasn’t been rechecked recently will contain dead and link-exchange routes.
2. Budget time, not just money. Many free routes are real but slow. Submit to slow, relevant ones early.
3. Check eligibility before you write a single description. Big names have strict rules: Product Hunt doesn’t feature services or directories (our Product Hunt guide), SaaSHub rejects agencies, waitlists and free subdomains (SaaSHub guide), and the EU-Startups database is organized around European countries only (EU-Startups guide).
4. Track proof per listing. Record the live URL and link type you saw, and don’t count a submission as a listing.

Use the data

• Checked directory list: filter by category, cost and tier, with the check date and official source for each route
• CSV download and the directory changelog RSS
• Free shortlist builder: an ordered shortlist and tracker CSV for your product type and budget

GearPicked built this list for our own manual submission service ($99 for 100 submissions or $149 for 200). The data is free whether or not you hire anyone. Directories decide what they publish, so approvals, links, rankings and traffic are never guaranteed.