11 directories that do not ask for a badge (2026)
The badge exchange is the quiet standard price of a free listing: put our mark on your homepage, get a followed link back. One badge is a fair deal. The problem is that 296 platforms here ask for one, and a maker working a submission list ends up with a footer that links out to nine directories, which is a lot of your own page given away for links from theirs. Several of them also keep checking. Sumo Dir rescans for the badge, and Toolhunter serves your listing an HTTP 410 until it finds theirs.
These eleven ask for nothing on your site at any tier. Some charge money instead, which is at least a price you pay once: BetaList starts at $39, MicroLaunch is paid only, DevHunt is $49 a launch week. The rest are free and simply do not run the trade. If you are picking a handful of directories to work properly rather than forty to work badly, starting here keeps your own homepage yours.
Across the 11 platforms on this list, median approval time is 7 days across the 8 that state one, 11 of 11 give dofollow backlinks, 7 are free to submit. Median domain rating: 62.
Product Hunt
The default launch stage. High traffic for one day, a permanent backlink after.DR 91freeSame dayAppSumo
A marketplace of deal-hunting buyers. Real revenue, on their terms.DR 83paid1-2 monthsPeerlist
A professional network for builders with a weekly project spotlight.DR 77freeAbout a weekBetaList
Early-stage startups shown to an audience that expects rough edges.DR 76paid1-2 weeksUneed
A small, well-run tools directory with a daily and weekly leaderboard.DR 75freemium1-2 weeksMicroLaunch
Daily launches for small products, with far less competition than the big boards.DR 62paidSame dayDevHunt
A weekly leaderboard for developer tools only, run by the community.DR 57paidAbout a weekAwesome Tools
A 200-tool developer and entrepreneur directory that gates on DR 30 and gives accepted listings a genuine dofollow.DR 43freeNot statedBuildHop
An indie startup directory that ranks by dwell time rather than votes, and refuses any product whose site will not load in an iframe.DR 43freeNot statedPublishYourSaaS
The rare directory that means it when it says free: no account, no payment, and the badge is genuinely optional.DR 30freemiumNot statedTulimoa
A free curated SaaS directory that is also an MCP server, so an agent can find your listing the same day a person can.DR 29freeSame day
