y.gy

12 High Quality Directories to Submit Your Startup

By Maya Kyler on September 4, 2024

As a founder myself at y.gy, a link-shortening tool created as an alternative to Bitly, I've been right where you are. We had just launched our MVP and were eager to get our product in front of the right audience. After submitting y.gy to a handful of startup directories, I quickly realized how powerful these platforms can be. That's why I want to share my experience with the community and help fellow founders get the word out.
If you're a new founder at the start of your entrepreneurial journey and you've just launched an MVP, prototype, or even just an idea you're testing, you're in for an exhilarating ride. But there's one looming challenge: how do you make people aware of your startup? Getting your business in front of the right audience can make or break its future. Without visibility, your brilliant idea could fizzle out before it even gets the chance it deserves.
There are plenty of strategies to get customers, like cold outreach or running paid ads, but these can be costly and time-consuming. Before diving into those, why not take a simpler and more cost-effective step? Submitting your startup to directories and communities can give you immediate exposure to people who are actively looking for businesses like yours.
It's a smart way to build early visibility and test the waters without having to sink money into expensive campaigns right away. Below, I'll share the best startup directories that helped me promote y.gy, and could do the same for you. Let's get your startup the attention it deserves!
  1. Product Hunt Product Hunt is the holy grail of startup directories. If you've built something cool, this is where you want to launch it. With thousands of tech enthusiasts, early adopters, and investors browsing Product Hunt daily, it's a great way to get your product in front of a large and active audience. Getting upvotes can boost your visibility, and being featured on the front page can drive significant traffic. Plus, it's free to submit, so you've got nothing to lose!
  2. DevHunt DevHunt is essentially the "Product Hunt" for developers. If your product is geared towards developers, engineers, or anyone in the tech space, this is where you need to be. The community is highly engaged, and the platform allows you to interact with other creators and potential users directly. If you're launching a tool, service, or even a dev-focused newsletter, submitting to DevHunt can give you that much-needed visibility within the tech-savvy crowd.
  3. Alternative.to Alternative.to is a fantastic platform if you're offering a solution that competes with or improves on existing tools. Users come here to find alternatives to the software they're currently using. When we submitted y.gy as an alternative to Bitly, it immediately attracted people looking for exactly that. If your product solves a pain point better or cheaper than existing solutions, get it listed here.
  4. BufferApps If you've built a marketing tool or something that complements social media, BufferApps.com is a great directory. It's primarily a marketplace for apps and integrations that work with Buffer (a popular social media scheduling tool), but it can also be a good source of traffic for any startup in the social media or content marketing space.
  5. BetaList BetaList is a tried-and-true directory that connects early adopters with new startups in their beta phase. It's ideal for products that are still being fine-tuned and are looking for real user feedback. I submitted y.gy here early on and got some fantastic insights from the community. If you're looking to build an engaged beta community or just want to put your product out there for feedback, BetaList is a must.
  6. Startups.FYI Startups.FYI is an excellent directory for new startups that want to build an initial user base. They feature all kinds of startups, from SaaS platforms to physical products. It's a straightforward directory but with a growing community. Getting listed here ensures you're seen by investors, tech enthusiasts, and potential users. Plus, it's optimized for search engines, which can help your startup appear in more relevant search results.
  7. Uneed Uneed.Best is a simple but effective directory that connects users with the best tools and products based on what they need. It's a great place to submit if you have a product that directly solves a specific problem. They categorize everything neatly, making it easy for potential users to find your startup. If you're offering a niche solution, this can be a powerful place to get discovered.
  8. ToolsForMakers This one's a hidden gem for indie makers and solo founders. ToolsForMakers is a directory specifically built for, you guessed it, makers! If you've built a tool, service, or resource that helps other creators and entrepreneurs, this is where you'll want to be. It's a smaller, tight-knit community, but perfect for getting quality feedback and visibility within the maker space.
  9. 1000.Tools 1000.Tools is exactly what it sounds like—a directory of 1,000 tools that serve different purposes. If your startup is a tool or software that improves productivity, helps with business processes, or makes life easier, you should be listed here. They have a highly searchable platform and users specifically looking for tools to solve their problems, so it's a great way to drive traffic.
  10. Dev.to Dev.to is not just a directory but an active community of developers who are eager to learn, share, and discover new tools. Posting about your product or service here can give you immediate visibility to a community that loves to try out new dev-related startups. It's also an excellent platform for blogging about your development journey and getting real feedback.
  11. LaunchingNext LaunchingNext is a fantastic directory if you're gearing up for a major launch or recently launched your product. The platform features newly launched startups and provides them with exposure to its audience of early adopters and startup enthusiasts. Whether you've just pushed your MVP or have already gone live, submitting here can help build momentum for your launch.
  12. SaaSHub If you've built a SaaS product, SaaSHub is a must. This directory specializes in listing SaaS tools and helps users discover software solutions tailored to their needs. SaaSHub has a robust comparison tool, so if your startup offers something unique in the SaaS world, you could attract users who are actively searching for a better option. It's a highly targeted platform and a great place to be seen if you're in the software space.
By getting listed on these directories, you can build initial awareness, grow your user base, and gain valuable feedback—all without spending a dime. As a fellow founder, I can't recommend these platforms enough. Take it from me, the more places you can get your product seen, the better your chances of success!
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