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How to Submit to AlternativeTo: Free Queue, Priority Review and Who Gets Declined (2026)
By Balwant Singh Rawat · Published · Updated · Research-based (not yet hands-on tested)
Quick answer: AlternativeTo is free, but the normal queue is very long and undated. An optional paid priority review usually takes 1–2 business days but doesn’t buy approval. Links are usually nofollow. It wants real software that people would look for as an alternative to another app, in English and available across Europe or the US. Services, AI-tool directories, review sites and simple one-function tools are declined.
Last checked: 10 November 2026 (IST), on AlternativeTo’s own FAQ and terms. AlternativeTo is on our checked directory list.
What does AlternativeTo cost?
Submitting is free. After you fill in the form, you can choose a one-time priority review fee (shown before you pay). It moves the app to the front of the queue, and the FAQ is explicit that:
- priority reviews are usually done in 1–2 business days, up to a week over holidays
- paying does not buy approval: the criteria are the same for every app
- if the listing is missing something, you’re told what to add instead of being declined outright
- the fee is refundable until the review is done, but not after
- paying has no effect on rank, likes or placement in alternatives lists
How long is the free queue?
AlternativeTo says the normal queue “holds several thousand apps and is growing faster than we can review it.” Most apps in it won’t be looked at for a very long time, and it won’t give a date or your position. Some submissions from power users and long-time contributors are moved up for free.
What gets declined?
The FAQ lists what AlternativeTo no longer accepts:
| Declined | Examples from the FAQ |
|---|---|
| Content, not software | Personal sites and blogs, guides and tutorials, review and comparison sites, coupon sites |
| Simple online tools | PDF tools, converters, calculators, QR generators, resume builders and similar one-function pages, even when bundled into a suite |
| Thin AI wrappers | Humanizers, paraphrasers, headshot generators, general image/video/music generators, directories of AI tools |
| A service, not a product | Custom-built or agency work, and apps only usable in one city or country |
| Clones and rebundles | Clone scripts and the same app under several names |
| Other rules | Unreleased or invite-only apps, hardware, adult content, apps not available in English |
On geography, AlternativeTo says it doesn’t accept apps targeted at a single nation or region, except apps available in the whole of Europe or the whole of the USA, its primary markets.
How do you submit, step by step?
- Sign up and verify your email. It’s required before you can submit an app.
- Open the user menu and choose Suggest new application.
- Fill in the fields: platforms, license (Free, Freemium, Free for personal use or Commercial), descriptions and tags. Don’t put links, emails or phone numbers in the description. Use the URL fields.
- Add a square icon, ideally PNG or SVG at 280×280 or larger with a transparent background.
- Submit, and optionally pay for a priority review. Track the status under My submissions.
- Once approved, developers can request developer access so their edits go live immediately.
Don’t add UTM tags to your official URL (AlternativeTo asks developers not to). Use the HTTP referrer to measure its traffic. And don’t incentivize likes or create fake accounts, which the FAQ says can get you dropped or removed.
What can a submission service do for AlternativeTo, and what can’t it?
It can: check whether your product actually fits, choose the right “alternative to” apps, write a clean description, and set the license correctly.
It can’t: get an ineligible product approved, buy a followed link, or speed things up without the paid priority option. We don’t submit products that clearly fall into AlternativeTo’s declined list. That includes GearPicked itself, because we’re a service with a directory list.
Sources
- AlternativeTo FAQ: submission steps, queue, priority review, link type, declined categories, geography, languages
- AlternativeTo terms: priority review terms
For catalogs that do fit services or new SaaS, see how to submit a SaaS to directories and our checked directory list. If you’d like the eligible free routes handled for you, see GearPicked’s manual submission service. Directories decide what they publish.
Frequently asked questions
Is AlternativeTo free?
Yes, submitting is free. After filling in the form you can choose a one-time paid priority review that moves your app to the front of the queue. The fee is shown before you pay and doesn't change the approval criteria.
How long does AlternativeTo take to review an app?
AlternativeTo says its normal queue holds several thousand apps and most will not be looked at for a very long time. It can't give a date. Priority reviews are usually done within 1–2 business days, up to a week at busy times.
Are AlternativeTo links dofollow?
Usually not. Its FAQ says links to apps' websites are nofollow unless editors decide otherwise, and a followed link can't be bought. A priority review doesn't change how it links to you.
What does AlternativeTo decline?
Content rather than software (blogs, guides, review and comparison sites), simple single-purpose online tools, thin wrappers around someone else's AI model, directories of AI tools, services and agency work, clones, apps only usable in one city or country, unreleased apps, hardware and non-English apps.
Can a service or directory site be listed on AlternativeTo?
No. AlternativeTo's FAQ lists 'a service, not a product' (custom-built or agency work) and 'directories of AI tools' among the things it no longer accepts. GearPicked is a service with a directory list, so we don't submit ourselves there and we don't submit ineligible clients either.