Which startup directories give dofollow backlinks?

Of the five directories checked on 20 October 2026, BetaList is the only one whose own pages say a featured listing gets a do-follow link, and it is paid. Product Hunt uses rel="ugc", Hype Star uses rel="ugc nofollow", SaaSHub uses rel="nofollow", and AlternativeTo varied between listings.

Are nofollow or ugc directory links worthless?

No, but they are a weaker signal. Google says links marked nofollow, ugc, or sponsored will generally not be followed. They still send the people who click them, and a reviewed, indexable listing page is one more place where your project can be found.

Is there a free startup directory with a permanent listing?

Yes. Hype Star lists a reviewed project permanently at no cost, with no account or card. New free listings need a visible Hype Star badge on a public page of the project site.

Does Hype Star require a backlink?

New free listings submitted since 15 September 2026 need a visible Hype Star badge on a public page of the project site. Listings already approved stay listed without one.

What are the best startup directories to get backlinks?

Best startup directories for backlinks in 2026

Judged only on backlinks, BetaList is the strongest of the five directories we checked: its own FAQ says a featured listing carries a do-follow link, but every submission is paid and it only features new technology startups. Product Hunt, Hype Star, and AlternativeTo cost nothing to submit to, but Product Hunt marks the link to your site ugc, Hype Star marks it ugc nofollow, and AlternativeTo's link varied between listings, so value those three mainly for discovery and referral clicks.

Five startup directories, checked on their own pages on 20 October 2026.
Directory	Cost to be listed	Link to your site	Review	Listing page
1. BetaList	Paid only; full refund if not selected	Do-follow, through a 301 redirect	Editorial team selects	No noindex on the page checked; featured for a day, then moves down the list
2. Product Hunt	Free	rel="ugc"	Anyone can post; the team picks featured launches	No noindex on the pages checked
3. Hype Star	Free ($0); a Hype Star badge on your site is required	rel="ugc nofollow"	Reviewed for accuracy, safety, and duplicates	Indexable profile with no expiry
4. AlternativeTo	Free; optional paid priority review	Varied: plain on one listing, rel="sponsored" on another	Human review; long queue	index, follow
5. SaaSHub	No fee shown for a basic listing; featured listing $99 a month	rel="nofollow"	Every submission goes through approval	No noindex on the pages checked

Facts about other sites were checked on their own pages on 20 October 2026. They can change; check the source before you rely on a detail.

How we ranked them

Hype Star publishes this page and is one of the five directories, so the criteria are stated here first and Hype Star sits where those criteria put it.

We left out traffic estimates and authority scores because we could not confirm them from the directories' own pages.

Cost to be listed: what the directory's own pages say a basic listing costs.
Link attribute: the rel value on the link from a live listing page to the listed site. Google says links marked nofollow, ugc, or sponsored will generally not be followed.
Review: whether a person or team decides what gets listed or featured.
Listing page: whether the listing page carries a noindex rule, and what the directory says about how long it stays visible.

The ranking

The order reflects backlink value first, then cost and how long the listing lasts.

1. BetaList. Every submission is paid, with a full refund if your startup is not selected. Its FAQ says the Visit Site button on a featured listing is do-follow and goes through a 301 redirect that adds ref=betalist, which matched the listing we checked. It features pre-launch and recently launched technology startups on their own domain, at most twice: once before launch and once at launch.
2. Product Hunt. Free with a personal account; company accounts are not allowed. The Visit website link on the product pages we checked was rel="noreferrer noopener ugc". The team curates which launches are featured on the homepage, and launches that are not featured still appear in the All feed.
3. Hype Star. Free and permanent: one accepted project gets one reviewed public profile with no expiry, and no account or card is needed. The link to your site is rel="noopener ugc nofollow", and new free listings need a visible Hype Star badge on a public page of your site.
4. AlternativeTo. Free to submit, with an optional one-time fee for priority review that it says does not buy approval or change rank. Its FAQ says the normal queue holds several thousand apps and most will not be looked at for a very long time. Of the two app pages we checked, the official website link was plain on one and rel="sponsored" on the other.
5. SaaSHub. Its submission page shows no fee for a basic listing, and every submission goes through approval. It does not accept unreleased products, waitlist landing pages, or sites on free subdomains. The Visit website link on the product pages we checked was rel="nofollow". A featured listing costs $99 a month.

Which directory fits which project

Most projects benefit from more than one of these. Pick by what you need from the listing, not by the ranking alone.

Pre-launch or just launched, with a budget for a paid feature: BetaList.
A live digital product and time to show up for one launch day: Product Hunt.
A free, reviewed profile that stays up and that people and agents can find later: Hype Star.
A product that people would look for as an alternative to a known app: AlternativeTo.
Software that buyers compare against named competitors: SaaSHub.

When to pick something other than Hype Star

If a followed link is the only thing you want, Hype Star will not give you one; BetaList is the only directory here whose own pages say it does.

If you cannot place a Hype Star badge on a public page of your site, a new free Hype Star listing is not possible. Hype Star also only accepts submissions in English.

If you want a burst of attention on a single day, Product Hunt is built for that and Hype Star is not.

Questions

Which startup directories give dofollow backlinks?: Of the five directories checked on 20 October 2026, BetaList is the only one whose own pages say a featured listing gets a do-follow link, and it is paid. Product Hunt uses rel="ugc", Hype Star uses rel="ugc nofollow", SaaSHub uses rel="nofollow", and AlternativeTo varied between listings.
Are nofollow or ugc directory links worthless?: No, but they are a weaker signal. Google says links marked nofollow, ugc, or sponsored will generally not be followed. They still send the people who click them, and a reviewed, indexable listing page is one more place where your project can be found.
Is there a free startup directory with a permanent listing?: Yes. Hype Star lists a reviewed project permanently at no cost, with no account or card. New free listings need a visible Hype Star badge on a public page of the project site.
Does Hype Star require a backlink?: New free listings submitted since 15 September 2026 need a visible Hype Star badge on a public page of the project site. Listings already approved stay listed without one.