Best Websites to Submit Your Startup [20+ Startup Directories]
Creating a product, even if you're developing an MVP, is never easy. And although your hands are busy with startup incorporation, the early product version release, and a million other small tasks, neglecting the importance of raising brand awareness may have unwanted consequences.
How should people find out about your startup? Because the business landscape seems to never stop growing, and new products emerge every week, founders constantly seek ways to promote their startups. One of the ways to do so is by making submissions to specialized startup directories. Our goal on this page is to provide a comprehensive overview of various startup information websites and list worthwhile ones.
Major Benefits of Startup Listings
Why do founders spend time on submissions on startup listing websites, and why is it worth it? Although you might be short on time when launching a startup, taking the effort to add a startup to such online platforms brings multiple business benefits. Here are a few worth noting.
- More exposure and visibility. First of all, this is an outstanding opportunity for startup branding. You can get additional visibility and expand the brand's exposure to a wider audience. Various people who are fundamental for business turn to directories for finding startups, seeking information, and discovering new companies (this includes potential product testers, investors, and fellow entrepreneurs).
- Networking. Connecting with other founders, business figures, and industry experts is an excellent chance to make useful acquaintances. You may learn about trending events to attend and get valuable contacts that could result in collaborations, further partnerships, mentorship, or investment opportunities. Not to mention that it may help you as you build a community for your startup.
- Getting educational materials. Plus, startup founders can take advantage of the available resources in directories, which often include insightful workshops, guides, and other practical information.
- Boosting brand credibility. Being up on a reputable directory that checks and confirms the listed companies can bring startups the sought-after endorsement and viability from a trusted source. This is helpful if you're pitching to investors or trying to convince potential clients that you're the real deal.
- Aiding search engine optimization. Lastly, when you submit your startup in a directory, this brings extra backlinks from credible pages and grows the online presence, which is both important for SEO, improving your search rankings, and enhancing the startup digital marketing strategy.
Best Startup Directories and Listings to List Your Product
As you see, making profiles or getting mentions in directories, databases, and listings can be advantageous for startups that want to showcase the company, grow their online presence, build in public, and connect with more people. Some are free, while others charge fees for getting listed, and the terms generally differ from platform to platform.
With so many options to choose from in the online space, how do you settle on the ones that deserve attention? We've compiled a collection of twenty directories for startups worth considering.
Google Business Profile
Once referred to as Google My Business, it is a universal tool and a popular place for various business types to list their company information. The major aim of the web tool is to create company profiles to provide users with key information via Google Maps and Google Search. Teams can add photos, contact details, links to social media and the website, their location, working hours, Q&As, and show customer reviews. It is especially handy for startups with a service area or that interact with clients one-on-one, make direct deliveries, and have an actual physical location. If so, it's a great way to boost your local searches and manage how the company appears in search results when people Google it.
Submission terms: setting up a business profile on Google is free.
Listing instructions: begin by verifying whether your company is eligible for being submitted (e.g., you are if your startup has a physical shop or office). Then, go to the Google Maps app, search for your company, and claim the business profile. Next, fill out the profile information and optimize it, for instance, by using keywords in the descriptions and pictures of high quality.
Crunchbase
Crunchbase is among the leading platforms that provide business information on companies, be they startups that are still at an early stage or big established brands. This extensive business and startup company database currently contains more than 2 million company profiles, each with detailed information like the company location, funding details, product and service descriptions, team members, industry, etc.
Submission terms: creating and claiming profiles is free of charge.
Listing instructions: to be included, a startup must first create an account on the official Crunchbase website and run a search for the company on the platform. Then, when finding the company, the founder should "Claim the Profile", and fill out the key data.
BetaList
BetaList is also one of the popular startup directories that focuses on early-stage startups, helping people discover new products and services before they grow to be big and allowing companies to be seen. The platform provides a daily digest with the newest startups as well.
Submission terms: submission is free, nonetheless, there's also a 99 USD option for getting a featured listing on the homepage.
Listing instructions: press "Submit Startup" on the homepage. After submission, it might take some time to get reviewed as there are quite many startups in the queue.
GoodFirms
GoodFirms assists clients in finding a suitable company to cater to their needs. The platform lists companies and showcases customer reviews (each undergoes a verification process), and there are more than 60k of them at the moment. The algorithm for finding a company is rather simple: you choose a category, browse the ratings and reviews, shortlist the ones you like, and compare them.
Submission terms: startups can use the free Start-up Plan to list their company profile on GoodFirms below the other paid priority listings.
Listing instructions: go to GoodFirms and find the "Get Listed" button all the way down at the bottom of the website's homepage. Log in or register on the platform, and then fill out the registration form, picking categories and other details. The submission goes live after approval.
Indie Hackers
Fair enough, Indie Hackers isn't one of the typical startup directories. However, this is a very popular entrepreneur community that allows you to share and discuss the details of your startup's journey and add your product. It is a gainful resource where you can connect and communicate with other business founders or people building products to get insights and share thoughts.
Submission terms: just as with posting, adding your product is free on Indie Hackers.
Listing instructions: after creating an Indie Hackers account and hanging out on the platform a bit (adding comments, participating in discussions, etc.), click on the "Add Your Product" button, fill out the details about the company, and wait for the submission to get accepted.
Feedough
Feedough is another popular startups directory and handy startup feed with more than 800k monthly visitors. It collects useful resources related to entrepreneurship and has lots of things on offer, like guides, tech startup ideas, tool recommendations, business tips, course suggestions, and new startup overviews in its Spotlight section.
Submission terms: submitting company information to get an overview is free.
Listing instructions: to get listed in the company review format, go to the website and find Feedough's Startup Discovery section. Fill out an application form indicating key business information. After submission, Feddough's algorithm decides which startups it'll showcase on the website.
AlternativeTo
Many often search for information that would allow them to compare several options, for instance, when seeking the most optimal software or applications. AlternativeTo specializes in providing decent substitutes, allowing people to find better options of products or services based on various criteria such as user ratings. The platform offers lists of comparable products that may help unknown products get discovered and also notes which apps have been recently discontinued.
Submission terms: mentioning other free startup directories, contributing an entry about your startup is free.
Listing instructions: any user can register an account on the official website and suggest a new application. When essential information (like the name, industry, website, category, tags, description, etc.) is filled out, it then gets reviewed before becoming publicly available.
PitchWall
Formerly known as BetaPage, PitchWall is a community for tech enthusiasts and those willing to find early adopters. It welcomes new product pitches on the platform, and users can share their feedback on the new products. The platform displays companies at different stages of startup development, including those that are in the process of creation, undergoing beta testing, or those that are already live.
Submission terms: submission is free, however, you may be offered to pay for extras (e.g., for being featured at the top for a couple of days).
Listing instructions: after registering on the website, users can submit the product by indicating vital information on the startup.
KillerStartups
Positioning itself as the "home for startups", KillerStartups is also a user-driven community. It shares valuable resources and allows startups to submit information about their companies. Established in 2007, it states that stars like Uber and Tinder were among the companies to be discovered in the early days of this platform, which currently has more than 6 million page views per year.
Submission terms: the platform doesn't have listing fees, joining the community is also free.
Listing instructions: to introduce your startup to the world, visit the official website, and enter your email. Next, complete the submission form by filling out company information (like the name, value proposition, short descriptions, links, among others) and wait for it to get verified.
Product Hunt
Being one of the most much-in-demand platforms of its kind, Product Hunt was built for sharing the newest and hottest products. New products get introduced every day and are upvoted, discussed, and commented by users, tech fans, and supporters during a 24-hour period. In the end, products can get such high-placed rankings as "Product of the Day". The competition is immense, but the entire launch potentially offers unparalleled opportunities to gain exposure, draw traffic to the product, and get useful feedback.
Submission terms: featuring your product on PH is free.
Listing instructions: launching on Product Hunt requires thorough preparation, including creating assets for the page, building up lists of supporters, and multiple other peculiarities.
Launching Next
Launching Next displays the freshest and newest startups that are trending in the tech field. Currently, there are over 37.6k startups featured on the platform. The process of getting submitted is rather simple and straightforward compared to many other startup directories.
Submission terms: the business listing is free, however, a 59 USD fee applies if you need the profile up within one business day.
Listing instructions: after clicking the "Submit Startup" button on the homepage, users can quickly fill out a form, indicating the startup name, URL, headline, short description, tags, and a few other vitals. The form is then reviewed by the moderators.
GeekWire
GeekWire is a technology news website that has a tech-savvy audience, mostly from Seattle. It's one of the top business listing websites in USA of its kind and the latest finds that are trending in the industry, including information about upcoming events, articles, and other resources like the monthly ranking of 200 startups. The only point worth noting is that this platform is geographically area-specific.
Submission terms: if you're from the Pacific Northwest, USA, your startup is privately owned, less than 15 years old, and the product is related to tech or web, then you can join the GeekWire Startup List for free.
Listing instructions: find the "Startup List" section on the official website, press the "Submit a Startup" button, and fill out a short form about the company. The entry is then reviewed and posted if it meets the requirements.
Clutch
Clutch is another renowned B2B ratings and reviews platform featuring over 280k providers located all over the world. It was tailored to help people allocate the best-fit service providers for their current needs, which is why it is commonly described as your one-stop shop for finding the right business services, tools, or partner company. Importantly, the platform allows client companies to add detailed reviews about the collaboration, project details, and other insights.
Submission terms: making a company listing is free.
Listing instructions: go to Clutch, find and click the "Get Listed" button, fill out the company details, choose the best-fit subcategories and categories, mark the number of employees, clients served, etc. When Clutch approves your submission, the listing becomes live.
StartUpLift
StartupLift is a review platform for startups that is crowdsourced. It is used to get customer feedback and for outreach purposes within the community. In essence, the platform speeds up the process of gathering feedback and encourages startups to offer users rewards or incentives for their participation.
Submission terms: there's no cost for getting featured on the directory.
Listing instructions: visit the StartupLift website and find "Submit Your Startup" in the main menu. Complete a short form with the main company info.
AngelList
Mentioning one of the best startup directories for those interested in finding investors, AngelList is a resource that serves as a bridge between startups and VCs or angel investors. The latter is a startup term referring to individuals who support early-stage startups by providing them with funds. This website or introduction board makes it possible for startups to create detailed profiles, which can then be pitched to venture firms, investors, fund managers, etc.
Submission terms: company profile creation is free.
Listing instructions: after signing up on the official AngelList website, it is crucial to give a lot of time to the details you indicate in the profile when you fill it out, as the given information has to help the company stand out and get noticed, so make sure to indicate your fundraising goal, unique selling point, and other "hooks".
The Startup Pitch
One of the ways to spread the word about your product is by listing the company on such startup directories as The Startup Pitch. As follows from the name, this platform is also good for uploading pitch deck presentations, meaning that giving pitch deck creation due thought is crucial. This is a place to find out about new startups, and the hub is aimed at connecting startups with interested parties, helping them attract funding.
Submission terms: free of charge.
Listing instructions: to submit a startup pitch post, visit the official website and click the submission button on the homepage. Mind the rules, and if you're eligible, fill out the company information (such as the age, whether the company deals with SaaS, and other questions) and upload your pitch deck.
StartupBase
StartupBase is one more community where product creators and early adopters meet. This is a place to share ideas, present products, and hold discussions. For users, it's a great chance to get a hold of early access to new products that are just getting started.
Submission terms: it's free to get listed among the Recent Startups, however, Featured Startups come at a price. A startup has to be from the tech sector, be publicly available, and have a decent design not to get rejected.
Listing instructions: log in to StartupBase to submit your startup, fill out the form with company details, and wait for the submission's verification results.
Crazy About Startups
What's for other startup listing websites, the Crazy About Startups community was designed for entrepreneurs and those thrilled about entrepreneurship. It connects like-minded people, sharing the latest innovations, articles, and startup-related resources.
Submission terms: free listing for community members (joining is free as well).
Listing instructions: after joining the community and creating an account, fill out the company details. Then, submit the form to go through the approval process. Your listing will be up after the verification is completed.
AppSumo
AppSumo is a wonderful marketplace to submit your startup if you have a digital product that you're willing to sell for a discount in exchange for exposure and traction, as this platform was designed for businesses to share information about their deals, offers, and prices. Essentially, it collects the hottest startup deals and allows people to save money on various software. The platform generates lots of traffic every month, explaining the high visibility, however, listing your product or some deal isn't free.
Submission terms: listing and promoting products on the platform comes at a cost. AppSumo operates on a revenue-sharing model, splitting a portion of the profit from every sale made thanks to the platform (exact terms may vary).
Listing instructions: go to the AppSumo website to add information about a startup or product using a form indicating all the required details. After submission, the pitch gets evaluated by the AppSumo team, and if it gets verified and accepted for consideration, both teams work together on a deal that will be featured on the platform and agree on the terms. If you shake on it, AppSumo can also create a page for your product and mention your deal in their send-outs and other channels apart from the website.
Startup Stash
Finally, here's one more popular curated resource among startup directories. Startup Stash features an impressive number of tools (more than 600, split into 50 categories). It is rich in resources for founders and those running ventures, too. Overviewing various tools is the platform's strength, not to mention that it suggests compilations, including valuable resources in its weekly newsletters.
Submission terms: there's no cost for adding a company or product.
Listing instructions: to list your product, visit the official Startup Stash website and fill out the form by answering questions, adding images, descriptions, links, etc. Then, submit the information for review, and, when approved, your firm will be added to the directory.
Startup Directory Submission Best Practices
As you see, sites like Crunchbase can be valuable for startups that want to get extra exposure. Here are several tips worth noting to get the most out of your effort.
- Shortlist a list of business websites that best suit yours (i.e., your industry, target audience, etc.). Remember that your placement should be relevant, as adding information all over the place just for the sake of it might not be reasonable.
- Select reputable resources and review sites to submit your startup since low-quality ones that are packed with links, ads, or other irritating things may be bad directories not worth your time or presence.
- Read the submission rules carefully, as some resources have strict guidelines and policies. If you violate them, you might get banned from the resource, which is never good.
- Make sure you submit integral startup information in any given startup directory without skipping vitals like your contact details, logo, tagline, and other details. Be consistent, as well (i.e., make sure that the information indicated doesn't contradict on different platforms).
- Double-check data accuracy when you submit startup info and avoid typos or anything misleading in your name, startup company website, and other things you indicate in the created business profiles.
Final Thoughts on Where to Submit Your Startup
Fair enough, startup directories or information submissions on sites similar to Crunchbase alone might not be your launchpad. However, if you add these to your promotion toolkit, they can be a wonderful arena for publicity, amplifying visibility, and making new connections. They can also boost credibility, generate users, and help your product or firm gain recognition and traction. If your product is of good quality and solves real problems that the target market faces, such platforms can contribute to finding early adopters who can evaluate your service or product, get you new customers, or possibly even investment opportunities.
If you need a hand with creating a decent product, Upsilon provides MVP development services for early-stage startups, and we can help you even if you're just getting started. Don't be shy to reach out to discuss your project, we'll be happy to provide a consultation!
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