37 Best Startup Directories to Submit To in 2026 (Ranked by Real Authority)
24 July 2026
The short answer: the highest-value startup directories to submit to in 2026 are Google Business Profile (DA 100), Crunchbase (DA 91), G2 (DA 76), SourceForge (DA 93), and Trustpilot (DA 93). All of them pass a real do-follow link. Below we rank 37 of them by verified Moz Domain Authority, flag which links are actually do-follow (most "best directories" lists get this wrong), and tell you which ones are a waste of time. Skip to the comparison table if you just want the numbers.
Submitting your startup to directories is still one of the cheapest ways to earn authoritative backlinks, get discovered by buyers, and increasingly get cited by AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity when someone asks for tools in your category. But 90% of the "300+ directories" lists floating around are padded with dead sites, no-follow links dressed up as do-follow, and pay-to-list traps.
This list is different in one specific way: every ranking uses real Moz Domain Authority, not the inflated Ahrefs "DR" numbers directories advertise on their own badges. (More on why that distinction matters in a second.)
Why Domain Authority, and why not the DR on the badge
Here's the trap almost every directory list falls into. Directories inflate their own Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) because every startup they list embeds a "Featured on X" badge linking back. Thousands of listings create thousands of linking domains, which pumps DR without any real search authority behind it.
The tell is when DR and Moz DA diverge hard. A well-known launch directory advertises a "74 DR" backlink, but its actual Moz DA is 23, and it ranks for only ~582 keywords. That link passes almost nothing. So throughout this list we rank by Moz DA and, where it matters, note the organic footprint too.
Rule of thumb: if a directory brags about its DR but you've never seen it rank for anything, the link is decorative, not valuable.
The list at a glance
| # | Directory | Moz DA | Link | Cost | Worth it? | |---|-----------|:------:|------|------|-----------| | 1 | Google Business Profile | 100 | Do-follow | Free | Essential | | 2 | SourceForge | 93 | Do-follow | Free | Yes | | 3 | Trustpilot | 93 | Do-follow | Free | Yes | | 4 | Softonic | 92 | Do-follow | Free | If you ship software | | 5 | Crunchbase | 91 | Do-follow | Free | Yes | | 6 | GetApp (G2 Digital Markets) | 91 | Do-follow | Free | Yes (business email) | | 7 | Product Hunt | 89 | No-follow | Free | Yes, for traffic not links | | 8 | Tech in Asia | 88 | Do-follow | Free | Regional | | 9 | AlternativeTo | 87 | Do-follow | Free | Yes | | 10 | G2 | 76 | Do-follow | Free | Yes (business email) | | 11 | Capterra (G2 Digital Markets) | 78 | Do-follow | Free | Yes (business email) | | 12 | Sitejabber | 74 | Do-follow | Free | Yes | | 13 | Startup Ranking | 73 | Do-follow | Free | Yes | | 14 | StackShare | 71 | Do-follow | Free | If you're dev-facing | | 15 | TrustRadius | 70 | Do-follow | Free | Yes (business email) |
<small>*Free to list; requires a domain-matched business email and editorial review. Full 37-directory table with cost, queue times, and submission requirements is on our <a href="/directories">live directory tracker</a>.</small>
The top 10, and what each is actually good for
1. Google Business Profile: DA 100, do-follow, free
The single highest-authority listing on the internet, and most SaaS founders skip it because they think it's "for local businesses." It isn't. A Business Profile gets you into Google's knowledge panel and Maps, and the link is do-follow. Do this first.
2. SourceForge: DA 93, do-follow, free
Still a powerhouse for anything downloadable or open-source-adjacent. The vendor listing passes a clean do-follow link from a DA 93 domain, and SourceForge itself ranks for millions of software queries, so the listing gets real discovery traffic, not just a backlink.
3. Trustpilot: DA 93, do-follow, free
Reviews plus a do-follow link. Claiming your Trustpilot profile is free; the value compounds because Trustpilot results show up directly in Google for branded "[your product] reviews" searches.
5. Crunchbase: DA 91, do-follow, free
The default company database investors, journalists, and AI assistants pull from. A complete Crunchbase profile is one of the most-cited sources when an LLM answers "who makes [product category]." Worth completing in full, not just claiming.
7. Product Hunt: DA 89, no-follow, free
Here's where every other list lies to you: Product Hunt links are no-follow. They pass no direct link equity. That does not make Product Hunt worthless. a good launch drives real referral traffic, buyers, and secondary coverage (which does link do-follow). Just submit it for the traffic and the halo, not for the backlink.
10. G2: DA 76, do-follow, free (business email + review)
G2's real Moz DA is 76 (not the 80+ often quoted), but it ranks for ~485,000 keywords, one of the largest software-search footprints anywhere. A listing needs a business email and passes a three to five day research-team review. As of early 2026, G2 also acquired the old Gartner Digital Markets, so Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice now run on "G2 Digital Markets": one vendor account, four listings.
📺 Watch: How to claim and optimize a G2 profile (embed a relevant three to five minute walkthrough here)
The ones to skip (or pay for with your eyes open)
Not every "high DA" directory earns its place:
- Pay-to-list AI directories. For example, one popular AI directory charges $497 one-time to list, gated behind editorial review. Fine if AI-buyer traffic is your channel; a bad default.
- Long-queue "free" launch platforms. One charges $0 but the free queue runs ~6 months, and the do-follow link is only on the paid ($29.99) tier. "Free" in dollars, expensive in time.
- Badge-backlink farms. These require you to embed their badge on your site before they'll list you. That reciprocal loop is exactly the DR-inflation trap above. High advertised DR, near-zero real authority.
How to actually submit to 37 directories without losing a week
Doing this by hand means creating an account, finding the submit form, and re-typing your name, tagline, and three description lengths on every single site, then chasing email confirmations. For 37 directories that's a full day; for the 400+ that exist, it's weeks.
That's the problem suparank solves: you fill your product profile once, and it submits across every high-authority directory on this list automatically. Auto-lane for the straightforward ones, human-lane for the review-gated ones (G2, GetApp), then tracks which listings went live and joins the results to Google Search Console so you can see the traffic move.
→ See where your product stands across all 400+ directories. Free to start.
Frequently asked questions
Do directory backlinks still work for SEO in 2026? Yes, when they're do-follow links from high-authority domains that actually rank. The value has shifted: beyond link equity, directory listings are now a primary source AI assistants cite when recommending tools, so they drive both SEO and AI-search visibility.
Are Product Hunt links do-follow? No. Product Hunt applies no-follow to product links, so they pass no direct link equity. Submit Product Hunt for referral traffic and launch-day exposure, not for the backlink.
How many directories should I submit to? Prioritize free, do-follow, high-DA directories first. Realistically 30 to 50 are worth the effort. Beyond that you hit diminishing returns and dead or spammy sites. Quality of the linking domain matters far more than quantity.
What's the difference between Moz DA and Ahrefs DR for directories? DR is easily inflated by the badge-backlink loops directories run, so it overstates authority. Moz DA, combined with a directory's actual ranking-keyword count, is a more honest signal of whether a link will pass real value.
<small>Authority figures via Moz Domain Authority; do-follow/no-follow status verified manually per directory, July 2026. Sources: Surfer SEO case studies, Moz Domain Analysis, and suparank's own directory dataset.</small>