How much does it cost to list a startup on a paid directory?

Across the 52 paid directories we benchmark, listings start from $3 (ToolHub) up to $99 (toolfolio), with a median of $19. Most quality directories fall between $10 and $30 for a basic paid listing.

Do paid directories give a dofollow backlink?

Yes. That is the whole point of paying. Every directory on this page gives a dofollow backlink on its paid tier, passing SEO link equity to your site, plus faster review and better placement than a free submission.

Which paid directory gives the best value?

By Domain Rating per dollar, the best value is Uno Directory (DR 63 for $5), followed by ToolHub and Openhunts. Cheapest isn't always best. A slightly pricier directory with much higher DR often delivers more authority per dollar. See the full top five below.

How did you choose which directories to include?

We only include directories worth paying for: a one-off paid listing (we exclude subscription-based sites), a Domain Rating of at least 25, and a dofollow link. We then rank by Domain Rating per dollar so you can see where your budget goes furthest.

Should I pay for directories or use free ones?

Start with free directories to build a baseline, then spend on paid listings where the authority, traffic, and dofollow link justify it. If you'd rather not manage dozens of checkouts, our submission service does it for you, with plans from $99 (Starter 30+, Pro 60+, Premium 100+ directories).

Directory Submission Cost: Every Paid Directory Priced & Ranked (2026)

If you have tried getting your startup listed anywhere, you have seen the pattern. There are now hundreds of directories, and most of them charge for a submission. The paid tier almost always includes a backlink, and that link is the real product. Directories need revenue to keep running, and selling listings with a dofollow link is how they pay for it.

For a founder that raises an obvious question. With so many paid options, which ones are actually worth the money? A $50 listing on a weak site can be a waste, while a $15 listing on a strong one can be a bargain. The sticker price on its own tells you very little.

So we benchmarked 52 paid directories and lined up the two numbers that decide the answer: the price of a listing and the Domain Rating of the site giving you the link. Together they show how much authority you actually buy per dollar. Prices run from $3 to $99 (median $19), across sites averaging DR 58, and every directory here gives a dofollow link on its paid tier. Here is what the data shows.

Price vs. Domain Rating at a glance

Each bar stacks a directory's listing price (blue) on top of its Domain Rating (orange), sorted from cheapest to most expensive. A short blue block under a tall orange one is the shape you want: low price, high authority. Hover any bar for the exact figures, or save the chart as an image to share.

Price vs. Domain Rating, cheapest first

Starting listing price and Ahrefs Domain Rating, stacked per directory.

Price ($)Domain Rating

Source: launchdirectories.comAs of August 8, 2026

A few directories worth a look:

A few things stand out. The cheapest paid listings sit under $20, so building a paid backlink profile does not have to be expensive. Most directories cluster in the $10 to $30 range, which is the sweet spot for authority you can actually afford. The single best value right now is Uno Directory (DR 63 for $5). At the top end, a small number of premium listings reach $99, and those only make sense when the directory has the traffic and authority to back the price up.

Best value directories per dollar

The number that actually matters is Domain Rating per dollar: how much authority a listing buys for every dollar you spend. A cheap link from a weak site scores badly here, while a mid-priced link from a strong one scores well. These are the top five paid directories by value right now.

#	Directory	DR	From	Value (DR/$)
1	Uno Directory	63	$5	12.6
2	ToolHub	26	$3	8.7
3	Openhunts	68	$9.90	6.9
4	toolsfine	64	$10	6.4
5	Indiehunt	60	$9.50	6.3

Price tiers: what to expect

Paid pricing clusters into three bands. The mid-range ($10 to $30) is the sweet spot, where most directories with real traffic and solid authority sit.

Tier	Price	Directories	Avg DR	Examples
Budget	Under $10	14	48	ToolHub, Uno Directory, Toollist +11
Mid-range	$10 to $30	26	62	LaunchIgniter, Open Launch, FindYourSaaS +23
Premium	Over $30	12	61	Twelve Tools, RankYourAI, Indie Hackers +9

Every paid directory, ranked by price

Directory	From	DR	Traffic/mo	Value (DR/$)
ToolHub	$3	26	—	8.7
Uno Directory	$5	63	2K	12.6
Toollist	$7.60	25	1	3.3
SaasHunt	$9	55	11	6.1
Web Review	$9	40	—	4.4
SaaSGrow	$9	26	—	2.9
Indiehunt	$9.50	60	—	6.3
Openhunts	$9.90	68	545	6.9
Firsto	$9.90	55	32K	5.6
DodoDirectory	$9.99	46	—	4.6
SaaSBison	$9.99	49	—	4.9
TinyLaunchpad	$9.99	43	—	4.3
toolsfine	$10	64	—	6.4
FridayHunt	$10	58	—	5.8
LaunchIgniter	$12	75	9	6.3
Open Launch	$12	71	9	5.9
FindYourSaaS	$12	41	—	3.4
Sumodir	$15	44	—	2.9
magicbox.tools	$15.90	69	136	4.3
Turbo0	$16.90	80	1	4.7
HUNT0	$16.90	29	—	1.7
Aura++	$17	72	15	4.2
Shipybara	$18	52	—	2.9
Toolfio	$19	61	—	3.2
EarlyHunt	$19	59	—	3.1
findly.tools	$19	80	78	4.2
FoundrList	$19	72	—	3.8
Smol Launch	$19	71	—	3.7
TrustMRR	$19	70	144	3.7
Huzzler	$19	60	—	3.2
IdeaKiln	$19	50	34	2.6
Sidehunt	$19	39	500	2.1
MakerHunt	$19	39	500	2.1
aiwith.me	$19.89	58	25	2.9
Launch Llama Tools	$24	66	—	2.8
BetaList	$28.99	76	11K	2.6
Fazier	$29	82	253	2.8
Dang AI	$29	81	2K	2.8
Uneed	$29	75	3K	2.6
AiTools	$30	44	857	1.5
Twelve Tools	$36	81	—	2.3
RankYourAI	$38	35	—	0.9
Indie Hackers	$39	81	17K	2.1
PeerPush	$39	73	5	1.9
MicroLaunch	$39	62	1K	1.6
Launch	$39	55	14	1.4
There's An AI For That	$49	77	546K	1.6
DevHunt	$49	62	2K	1.3
Indie Deals	$49	61	—	1.2
ConfettiSaaS	$50	36	—	0.7
Pitchwall	$99	69	4K	0.7
toolfolio	$99	39	13K	0.4

Prices are starting/entry-tier listing fees. Domain Rating from Ahrefs. Every listed directory provides a dofollow link on its paid tier. Last updated August 2026.

How we chose these directories

Not every paid directory earns a spot here. A backlink is only worth buying if the site behind it carries real authority, so we applied three rules:

A one-off paid listing. We exclude subscription-based directories (for example, sites that only offer a recurring plan rather than a single listing fee). Paying every month for one backlink rarely makes sense.
Domain Rating of at least 25. Below that, a paid link passes so little authority that it's hard to justify the spend. A free listing elsewhere is a better use of your time.
A dofollow link. You're paying for SEO value, so the paid tier has to pass link equity. Every directory here does.

We then rank everything by Domain Rating per dollar. That ratio, not the sticker price, is what tells you where your budget goes furthest. A $19 listing on a DR 75 site beats a $10 listing on a DR 30 one. Prefer to skip paying entirely? Browse our free startup directories.

Skip the Manual Submissions

Buying paid listings one at a time adds up fast. We get you into 100+ directories for one flat price, with real human submissions and dofollow backlinks. No forms, no checkouts, no bots.

Free vs. paid vs. a submission service

A paid listing is not your only option, and the number that really matters is the cost per backlink. Buying listings one by one, you pay the full price for each link. With our submission service the plan price is spread across dozens of directories, so each backlink works out to just a few dollars. Here is how the three routes compare.

	Free listing	Paid listing	Submission service
Cost	$0	$3 to $99 per directory	$99 / $149 / $199 per plan
Cost per backlink	$0	= the listing price	about $2 to $3.30
What you get	A basic listing	A paid listing or launch	30+ / 60+ / 100+ submissions
Backlink	Often nofollow	Usually dofollow	Mix across many sites
Review speed	Days to weeks	Hours to days	We handle it
Effort	You fill every form	You pay and submit each	Done for you
Best for	Baseline coverage	Targeted SEO links	Saving time at scale

One thing to know: many paid directory listings are actually "premium launch" tiers you pay for on each directory. Our submission service covers getting you listed (Starter $99 for 30+, Pro $149 for 60+, Premium $199 for 100+); any paid launch upgrades on individual directories are separate. Prefer to spend nothing? Browse our free directories.

The bottom line

Paying for a directory listing can be one of the cheapest backlinks you will ever buy, but only if you pick the right ones. Do not chase the lowest price. Chase the most Domain Rating per dollar, and favour directories that also bring real traffic. For most founders that means a handful of mid-range listings on high-authority sites rather than a long list of cheap, weak ones.

Use the chart and table above to shortlist a few, check the coupons on our directory coupon codes page to bring the price down further, and start with free directories for everything else. If you would rather not manage dozens of checkouts, our submission service does it for you, with plans from $99.

Directory Pricing FAQ

Ready to build high-quality backlinks?

We'll submit your product to 100+ directories and build valuable backlinks for your SEO. Save hours of manual work so you can focus on what's important — selling and building, not submitting boring forms.