Directory database · Linux apps
Where to submit a Linux app: 10 directories
Most Linux users install apps from a store or a package repository, so that's where a Linux app needs to be. Flathub is the main store for Flatpak packages and is built into many distributions. You submit a pull request against its new-pr branch and a reviewer tests the app, so give them access to anything behind a login. The Snap Store, run by Canonical, puts an upload live as soon as its automated review passes, but classic confinement needs a manual approval that takes about three to five business days. AppImageHub doesn't host files: you add one file that points to your repository's Releases page, and a test checks that the AppImage runs on the oldest supported Ubuntu LTS. The Arch User Repository lets anyone with an account publish a build script, and Homebrew's core formulae must be open source with versioned releases. Beyond the stores, LinuxLinks writes up actively maintained Linux software, and Downloadcrew installs and tests each program it lists.
- Directories
- 10
- 4 categories
- Dofollow (verified)
- 7
- of 10 with a checked link
- Free to submit
- 10
- free, or with a free plan
By hand, from $49 one-time.
Start with these 3
Free to submit, a followed link where we verified one, then the highest Domain Rating.
- heise Download
Free · Dofollow · DR 91
- Snap Store (Snapcraft)
Free · Dofollow · DR 84
- Flathub
Free · Dofollow · DR 83
Stores, repositories and sites for Linux apps 7
Most popular first.
Snap Store (Snapcraft)
snapcraft.io
Canonical's store for snap packages, used on Ubuntu and other Linux distributions to install desktop apps, CLI tools and services. Store pages show publisher, screenshots and contact links, and a…
Homebrew
brew.sh
The dominant package manager for macOS (and Linux), with a public index of formulae and casks at formulae.brew.sh. Getting into homebrew/core or homebrew/cask makes a tool installable with a single…
Flathub
flathub.org
The main app store for Flatpak packages, used by many Linux distributions to install desktop apps. Submissions are made as GitHub pull requests and checked by reviewers; accepted apps get a store…
LinuxLinks
linuxlinks.com
LinuxLinks is an editorial site that reviews and rounds up free and open-source Linux software, with 'best of' lists and individual program write-ups. Suggested programs can end up featured in an…
AppImageHub (appimage.github.io)
appimage.github.io
A community catalog of AppImages, the single-file Linux apps that run without installation, with more than 3,300 apps on the day we checked. It does not host files: each page describes the app and…
Arch User Repository (AUR)
aur.archlinux.org
The community-driven repository of build scripts (PKGBUILDs) for Arch Linux users. Anyone with an AUR account can publish a package, which gets a page with its upstream URL, votes, popularity and…
Downloadcrew
downloadcrew.com
A hand-selected download site run by BetaNews, Inc., with Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android sections. The editors say they download, install, test and review each application they list…
Software directories that also list Linux apps 3
Most popular first.
SourceForge
sourceforge.net
A veteran open source hosting and download platform that also runs a business software directory. Projects can be created or imported from GitHub with free mirror-based downloads and stats; each…
AlternativeTo
alternativeto.net
A large crowd-sourced site where people recommend software alternatives across desktop, web and mobile platforms. Adding your app puts it on the 'alternatives to' pages of the products you compete…
heise Download
heise.de
The software download catalogue of the German tech publisher heise: programs, apps and web services for Windows, Mac, Linux and phones, sorted into categories with reader ratings and comments…
DR is Domain Rating by Ahrefs: a 0–100 score of a site’s backlinks, higher is stronger. It isn’t a Google metric. Tranco rank is a research top-sites ranking: lower means more popular. How we check each directory
How to prioritise
- Flathub first for a desktop app: it reaches users on most distributions.
- The Snap Store as well if many of your users run Ubuntu.
- AppImageHub if you'd rather ship one file that runs without installing.
- The AUR and Homebrew for command-line tools and developer audiences.
- LinuxLinks and Downloadcrew for a write-up that links back to your site.
Questions about this list
Do I need to package my app for every Linux format?
No. Most developers start with the one format that reaches the most distributions, usually Flatpak on Flathub, and add a Snap or an AppImage when users ask for it. Each store has its own build and review steps, so every extra format is work you repeat at each release.
Does a Linux app have to be open source to be listed?
Not everywhere. Homebrew's core formulae must be open source under a DFSG-compatible licence, and LinuxLinks covers free and open-source software. Flathub and the Snap Store also carry proprietary apps that follow their rules.
How long does review take?
It depends on the store. A Snap Store upload goes live as soon as the automated review passes, while classic confinement needs a manual approval of about three to five business days. Flathub reviewers test each new app by hand, which goes faster if you've built it with flatpak-builder and run the linter first.
Which of these directories give a dofollow link?
7 of the 10 had a followed (dofollow) listing link when we checked: Snap Store (Snapcraft), Flathub, LinuxLinks, AppImageHub (appimage.github.io), Arch User Repository (AUR), Downloadcrew and 1 more. Directories change their link policy, so check your own listing once it is live.