Directory database · Windows apps
Where to submit a Windows app: 15 directories
Windows software gets found in three kinds of places: download sites, the Microsoft Store and package managers. Download sites are the oldest. MajorGeeks has run since 2001, and its editors scan every program with VirusTotal and run it in a virtual machine before listing it. FileHorse and Filepuma scan with VirusTotal and Google Safe Browsing and turn away anything flagged as a potentially unwanted program. Softonic lets you publish a listing yourself, but rejects .exe, .msi and .msix files that aren't digitally signed. The Microsoft Store is free to join through its new onboarding flow, with ID verification for the account and a certification check for each app. Package managers reach developers and power users: winget takes a YAML manifest by pull request and needs the installer at your own release URL, Scoop wants a maintainer to agree to an issue before you send the pull request, and Chocolatey has a person review each new package version. All of them reward the same things: a signed installer, a stable download link and a clear changelog.
- Directories
- 15
- 4 categories
- Dofollow (verified)
- 6
- of 12 with a checked link
- Free to submit
- 15
- 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
- Uptodown
Free · Dofollow · DR 83
- FOSSHub
Free · Dofollow · DR 74
Sites, stores and package managers for Windows apps 12
Most popular first.
Uptodown
en.uptodown.com
A large alternative app store and download site for Android, Windows and Mac. Its Developers Console lets any maker publish and distribute software, with app pages that also rank in web search.
FOSSHub
fosshub.com
FOSSHub is a download host and catalog for open-source and some freeware desktop software, known for serving installers without bundled adware. Projects that are accepted get a program page with…
FileHorse
filehorse.com
A software download catalogue for Windows and Mac with reviews, version histories and screenshots. Desktop app developers can ask to have their program listed and tested, gaining a download page and…
Filepuma
filepuma.com
Filepuma is a software download catalog covering Windows, Mac, Android and web apps, with reviews and version histories. Developers can submit a program by PAD file or form, and each accepted title…
Chocolatey Community Repository
community.chocolatey.org
The public package feed for Chocolatey, the Windows package manager, with thousands of community-maintained packages. Each package page shows install commands, version history and links to the…
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…
MajorGeeks
majorgeeks.com
A Windows software download site founded in 2001 that lists only programs its editors have researched, scanned and tested, with how-to guides and a forum alongside. Listings show the author, size…
Microsoft Store (Windows)
apps.microsoft.com
The built-in app store on Windows PCs, also browsable on the web, for desktop apps and games. Developers publish through Partner Center, and apps pass Store certification before being listed to…
Scoop (Extras bucket)
scoop.sh
A command-line installer for Windows that installs apps from community-maintained buckets. The Extras bucket takes manifests that do not meet the Main bucket’s criteria, which cover only well-known…
SharewareOnSale
sharewareonsale.com
A daily software deals site that runs time-limited giveaways and heavily discounted sales for a newsletter and social audience. Developers partner with it by email, and a typical promotion pairs a…
Softonic
en.softonic.com
A large software download site covering Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and web apps. Developers publish and manage listings themselves in its free Publishing Center, which also lets them claim a…
The public repository behind the winget client, where each package is a YAML manifest submitted by pull request. An automated pipeline validates and tests the installer, a moderator reviews the…
Software directories that also list Windows 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
- Download sites that test each program and show version history, like MajorGeeks, FileHorse and Downloadcrew.
- The Microsoft Store, once your app can pass certification, so Windows users can install it in one click.
- winget, Scoop and Chocolatey if your users are developers or install software from the command line.
- Giveaway and deal sites like SharewareOnSale for a burst of new users on a paid app.
Questions about this list
Do I need a code-signing certificate to list a Windows app?
Softonic needs one: it rejects unsigned .exe, .msi and .msix files. Elsewhere it isn't always required, but Windows warns people before they run an unsigned installer from a new publisher, so a signed build is worth having before you submit anywhere.
Is the Microsoft Store worth it for a desktop app?
It's free to join through the Store's new onboarding flow, and it puts the app where Windows users already look. Expect ID and selfie verification when you set up the account and a certification check on each submission, so read the Store policies before you send the first build.
What's the difference between winget, Scoop and Chocolatey?
All three install software from the command line. winget is Microsoft's own and takes a YAML manifest by pull request. Scoop installs from community buckets, and most apps with a window go in its Extras bucket. Chocolatey runs a public feed where moderators review each new package version. Once you have a stable release URL, submitting to all three is a few hours of work.
Which of these directories give a dofollow link?
6 of the 15 had a followed (dofollow) listing link when we checked: Uptodown, FOSSHub, FileHorse, Downloadcrew, SharewareOnSale, heise Download. Directories change their link policy, so check your own listing once it is live.
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