Directory database · Pre-launch startups
Where to submit a pre-launch startup: 31 directories
Before launch, the goal of a directory listing is not traffic for its own sake but early users: people willing to try something unfinished and tell you what’s wrong. Beta lists and early-adopter directories exist for exactly this, and several have review queues that take weeks, so submit well before your planned launch date. Readers want to know what problem you are solving, who it is for and what joining the beta gets them. A waitlist page with a clear promise (early access, a founding price, direct contact with the founder) turns visits into sign-ups. General startup directories accept pre-launch companies too, but a listing there works better once there is something to try. Keep a note of each directory you submit to, because you will want to update listings when you launch.
16 with a verified dofollow link · 22 free or with a free option · 22 reviewed by a person · last checked Sep 24, 2026
By hand, from $79 one-time.
Beta and early-adopter lists 4
Most popular first.
Console
console.dev
An editorially reviewed newsletter and site highlighting a handful of interesting developer tools and betas each week. Being selected gets a short independent review sent to a developer audience; it…
LaunchIt
launchit.fast
A small independent launchpad for early-stage startups where every product gets a permanent page with its story, screenshots, votes and reviews, organised into weekly and monthly leaderboards. Its…
startups.gallery
startups.gallery
A hand-curated gallery of more than a thousand early-stage startups with daily funding news, filters by industry and city, and links to open roles. Job seekers, investors and founders browse it to…
Startup directories that accept early-stage companies 27
Most popular first.
Crunchbase
crunchbase.com
A large database of private companies with funding, people and investor data, plus AI-driven predictions for paid users. Investors, sales teams and journalists use it to research startups. Adding…
Indie Hackers Products
indiehackers.com
Indie Hackers' product database lists bootstrapped products and side projects, many with self-reported revenue, alongside a daily voting board for product updates. It is read by solo founders and…
Starter Story
starterstory.com
A publication (now part of HubSpot) that interviews founders about how they started, grew and run their businesses, as written case studies and videos. Readers are aspiring and current founders…
SideProjectors
sideprojectors.com
A marketplace for buying and selling side projects that also lets makers simply showcase what they've built. Developers, indie makers and small buyers browse it for projects and acquisition…
PitchWall (formerly BetaPage)
pitchwall.co
The old betapage.co domain now redirects here; it publishes new products, lately mostly AI tools, on a homepage feed and newsletter. Early adopters and startup followers use it to discover new…
VentureRadar
ventureradar.com
A London-based company discovery database that ranks startups and emerging companies by sector, used by corporate innovation teams, investors and consultants to scout technology partners. Companies…
Empire Flippers
empireflippers.com
A curated marketplace and brokerage for profitable online businesses, including SaaS, content sites, e-commerce and apps, with vetting of every listing before it goes live. Serious buyers and…
Startup Fame
startupfa.me
A reviewed startup directory that deliberately limits free dofollow listings by requiring a homepage badge. Founders and makers browse it for new startups and use it for a quality backlink. Listings…
Startup Ranking
startupranking.com
A global startup database that ranks companies by its own SR Score, overall and per country. Founders, investors and researchers use it to spot new and trending startups. A free profile includes a…
KillerStartups
killerstartups.com
A long-running startup publication that has reviewed tens of thousands of startups since 2007 and now also covers entrepreneurship, finance and remote work. Readers are founders and people…
Startup Stash
startupstash.com
A curated directory of tools and resources for startups, organised into categories, alternatives pages and top lists. Founders and early teams browse it when assembling their stack. Accepted tools…
Acquire.com
acquire.com
A startup acquisition marketplace (formerly MicroAcquire) where founders list SaaS and other online businesses for sale to a large pool of vetted buyers. Acquirers, search funds and investors browse…
Launching Next
launchingnext.com
A long-running site that publishes a handful of new startups each day with a short write-up. Readers are startup enthusiasts, founders and people looking for business ideas. Accepted submissions get…
Top Startups
topstartups.io
A filterable list of startups funded by top investors such as Sequoia, a16z, Accel and Y Combinator, updated with recent rounds and linked job openings. Job seekers and startup watchers use it to…
Tiny Startups
tinystartups.com
A curated launch platform and directory for small, indie-built startups, where every listing is approved by hand. It is followed by indie founders through the site and a weekly newsletter, and also…
10words
10words.io
A discovery service that describes new apps and startups in ten words or fewer, delivered by email digest (daily or weekly) and through Chrome and Firefox new-tab extensions. Readers are people who…
CodeX TechIndex
techindex.law.stanford.edu
A curated research database of several thousand legal technology companies maintained by Stanford's Center for Legal Informatics (CodeX), with category taxonomy and ecosystem statistics. Law firms…
ctrlalt.cc
ctrlalt.cc
A small community site for discovering startup tools, seeing what other founders use and launching your own product. Browsed by indie founders looking for tools for specific startup tasks. Launches…
Indiemaker
indiemaker.com
A new marketplace for discovering, comparing and transferring small internet businesses and side projects, with comparable-sales data and guides on selling. Buyers looking for small acquisitions…
Startup Listing
startuplist.ing
A curated catalogue of startups, SaaS and micro-SaaS products and side projects from indie builders. Visitors browse by category and tag to find new tools. Listings get a product page with a website…
Startups.fyi
startups.fyi
A showcase of profitable startups and side projects, each tagged with its revenue band, paired with a weekly newsletter for indie founders. Makers and would-be founders browse it for business ideas…
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
- Beta and early-adopter lists, weeks before launch, because queues are long.
- Startup directories that accept pre-launch companies, with your waitlist link.
- Launch platforms last: save them for launch day.
Questions about this list
When should I submit to beta directories?
As soon as you have a landing page and a way to sign up. Review queues on popular beta lists can take weeks, and you want early users before launch, not after.
What should a pre-launch listing link to?
A waitlist or beta sign-up page that says what people get and when. Avoid linking to a homepage that says only “coming soon”; it wastes the visit.
Should I use launch platforms before my product is ready?
Usually no. Most launch platforms give you one launch, and a launch without something to try loses its main benefit. Use beta lists now and save launch platforms for launch day.
Which of these directories give a dofollow link?
16 of the 31 had a followed (dofollow) listing link when we checked: BetaList, Console, LaunchIt, Dealroom, GetLatka, Starter Story and 10 more. Directories change their link policy, so check your own listing once it is live.