Startup directories with a verified dofollow link
Listed only when we fetched a real listing page on the directory and the outbound link to the listed product carried no nofollow, sponsored or ugc. A directory we could not check is not here, however likely it is to qualify.
In short
37 of the 108 startup directories we track gave a dofollow outbound link when we fetched a real listing page on each and read the link's rel attribute. 11 of them are free to submit to, 23 have a free tier and 3 are paid only; 6 require a reciprocal backlink badge. Most recent check: September 16, 2026.
- Directories on this list
- 37
- Verified dofollow
- 37
- Free to submit
- 11
- Require a backlink badge
- 6
- Most recent check
- September 16, 2026
- Whole index
- 108
The list
Price, link type, badge requirement and the date we last read each link.
| Directory | Price | Link type | Badge required | Last checked | Submit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AICyclopediaaicyclopedia.comAI tool directory with news and a free submission form. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| AIToolMallaitoolmall.comAI tool catalogue with short editorial write-ups per category. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| AITopToolsaitoptools.comHigh-volume AI tool directory, updated daily. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| AIxploriaaixploria.comManually verified AI directory, updated daily, open to free submissions. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Awesome Indieawesomeindie.comDaily board for indie products, free tier plus cheap paid placements. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| BetaListbetalist.comCurated pre-launch startup feed for early adopters, paid submission only. | Paid | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Brick Launchbricklaun.chLay a brick — a small directory of dofollow-backlink tools for builders. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 16, 2026 | Submit |
| Dang.aidang.aiAI tools directory running since 2022, with verified and featured listings. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| EasyDoFolloweasydofollow.dev"List your site, get a real dofollow backlink — no nonsense." | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 16, 2026 | Submit |
| Fazierfazier.comDaily product feed with a badge-gated free tier and cheap paid slots. | Free tier | Dofollow | Yes | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Find My AI Toolfindmyaitool.comAI tool directory with expensive paid tiers and a badge condition. | Paid | Dofollow | Yes | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Future Toolsfuturetools.ioMatt Wolfe's hand-curated AI tool library, free but selective. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Indie Hackersindiehackers.comFounder community with a products database and a daily Build Board. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Insidr AIinsidr.aiAI tools directory plus long-form reviews, aimed at business users. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| MicroLaunchmicrolaunch.netMonthly leaderboard for indie startups with a paid skip-the-queue tier. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| OpenHuntsopenhunts.comWeekly Monday launch board; free slots exist but the queue is very long. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Open Launchopen-launch.comDaily 08:00 UTC launch board; free slots are booked out a long way. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| OpenToolsopentools.aiAI tool, model and MCP-server marketplace with a free submission path. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| PeerPushpeerpush.comProduct directory built for AI-assistant discovery as well as human browsing. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| PitchWallpitchwall.coDaily launch board for new AI products — the site Betapage became. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| SaaS AI Toolssaasaitools.comDirectory of generative AI tools for SaaS builders. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| SaaSHubsaashub.comIndependent software marketplace built around alternatives and comparisons. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| ScrollLaunchscrolllaunch.comWeekly ISO-week leaderboard with permanent, AI-readable product pages. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| StartupBasestartupbase.ioDaily launch board with a badge-gated free queue and a pay-to-rank board. | Free tier | Dofollow | Yes | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Startup Famestartupfa.meLaunch board with a genuinely free tier and paid queue-skipping. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Startups.fyistartups.fyiCurated feed of profitable startups and online business ideas. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Startup Stashstartupstash.comLarge curated catalogue of tools and resources, organised by startup need. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| TheAIToolsDirtheaitoolsdir.comAI-tool sibling of TheSaaSDir; free listing costs you a badge. | Free tier | Dofollow | Yes | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| TheSaaSDirthesaasdir.comSmall SaaS and AI directory giving a free listing in exchange for a badge. | Free tier | Dofollow | Yes | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| TinyLaunchtinylaunch.comFree daily launch competition where only the top 3 earn a badge and link. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Toolfoliotoolfolio.comTool directory — note it moved from toolfolio.io to toolfolio.com. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| ToolHunttoolhunt.netGeneral tool directory with an open submission form. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| ToolPilottoolpilot.aiAI tool marketplace with a free listing tier and cheap upgrades. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Twelve Toolstwelve.toolsCurated feed publishing twelve new tools a day; free tier needs a backlink. | Free tier | Dofollow | Yes | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Uneeduneed.bestDaily tool launchpad with a dofollow link, now paid-only. | Paid | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
| Vibe Coding Listvibecodinglist.comCurated list of AI coding tools and platforms. | Free | Dofollow | No | Sep 16, 2026 | Submit |
| Webframewebframe.xyzLibrary of web app screenshots and UI patterns. | Free tier | Dofollow | No | Sep 1, 2026 | Submit |
Frequently asked questions
Which startup directories give dofollow links?
37 directories in our index, each confirmed on a live listing page: AICyclopedia, AIToolMall, AITopTools, AIxploria, Awesome Indie, BetaList, Brick Launch, Dang.ai and 29 more. The full list, with price and badge requirement, is in the table on this page.
Which dofollow directories are free?
11 of the 37 cost nothing for a basic listing: AICyclopedia, AIToolMall, Brick Launch, EasyDoFollow, Future Tools, Indie Hackers, Insidr AI, Startups.fyi and 3 more. 23 more have a free tier alongside paid upgrades.
Do dofollow directories require a backlink badge?
6 of the 37 do: Fazier, Find My AI Tool, StartupBase, TheAIToolsDir, TheSaaSDir and Twelve Tools. The other 31 ask for nothing in return.
How was the dofollow status checked?
We fetch a real listing page on the directory — a page for a product that is actually listed there — and read the rel attribute on the outbound link to that product. If it contains nofollow, sponsored or ugc, the link passes no authority; if not, it is dofollow. The most recent check on this list was on September 16, 2026. A directory we could not read is marked not verified rather than guessed.
Other shortlists: Free to submit · Dofollow, no badge. Or the full index, with how the dofollow check works and every directory we couldn’t verify.