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15 AI directories and launch sites where indie makers can submit an AI tool in 2026: what each one costs, what you get, and a two-week submission plan.
2026/10/08
If you have just shipped an AI product, you have probably seen the advice: "submit it to 100 directories." Some of that advice is good, some of it is a fast way to end up on a lot of pages nobody reads. This guide is the shortlist we would use ourselves in 2026: 15 places that accept AI tools, what each one actually gives you, what it costs, and a simple two-week plan to get through them without losing a weekend.
Full disclosure: AIDirs is one of the directories on this list. We have kept the same standard for every entry: only facts each site publishes about itself, checked on its own pages in October 2026.
Be realistic before you start. A listing on an AI directory typically gives you:
What a listing will not do is replace distribution. Nobody builds a business on directory traffic alone. Treat submissions as one-off groundwork you finish in the first month, then move on to content, communities and partnerships.
Before you fill in a single form, check these five things:
site:directory.com yourcompetitor on Google. If competitors' listing pages don't show up, yours probably won't either.rel="nofollow" or rel="ugc" means the link passes little or no SEO value.You will type the same information 15 times. Put it in one document before you start:
?ref= parameter per directory if you want to track referrals)Also decide upfront whether you are willing to place badges on your site. If yes, put them in your footer once, not scattered across pages.
AIDirs is the directory you are reading now, built for indie makers who want an affordable, permanent listing. A free listing is available if you place an AIDirs backlink on your site, with a target review time of 72 hours. A one-time Pro plan skips the backlink requirement and adds priority review and a featured placement; see current plans and prices. Every listing gets its own page with a dofollow link to your website. Submit your tool here.
AIToolFame has one of the clearest pricing pages in the niche. Free listings need a permanent badge and can wait up to 180 days for review. The Basic plan ($6.9 one-time) lists you immediately with 3 dofollow links and no badge; Pro ($19.9) adds 5 dofollow links and featured spots. It publishes a self-reported figure of roughly 229,000 visitors in the last 30 days.
Acid Tools is an AI tools directory focused on automation-heavy work, AI writing, visual creation and productivity workflows, with a long list of categories from AI assistants and APIs to e-commerce and HR. You sign in (Google or an email account) to submit. Third-party submission lists describe its listings as free and dofollow; check the current terms when you submit.
AInexfinder is free to list, with a badge you must add and verify before you can submit. Reviews are done by hand and typically take 24 to 48 hours. It rejects tools without a clear AI component, so make the AI part of your product obvious in the description.
Good AI Tools is a general AI tools directory organised by productivity use cases. You need an account to submit. Third-party submission lists describe it as conditionally free with a dofollow link, so check the current terms on its submit page.
AINewTool is the AI-specific sibling of NewTool (below) and uses the same "submit in minutes, get indexed" launchpad model. Good for very new products that want a dated launch page.
SaaSCity turns every listing into a building on an interactive city map, with launches running in week-long voting rounds that open Mondays at 00:00 UTC. The free listing (with badge) is capped at 15 launches a week, so the queue can run a few weeks deep. Quick Pass ($19.99 one-time) skips the badge and the queue; Premium ($39.99) adds a written launch post with 3 dofollow links. Every submission is reviewed by a person. It reports an Ahrefs DR of 66.
HUNT0 is a weekly, community-ranked launch board, a lighter alternative to the daily Product Hunt scramble. The free queue has 70 slots a week. If your site already has an Ahrefs DR above 10, you can skip the queue for free by adding the HUNT0 badge. A Premium launch ($16.90 one-time at the time of writing) lets you reserve your launch week and get a featured listing.
TheSaaSDir needs no account. Free gets you 1 dofollow link in exchange for a badge; $19 one-time gives 3 dofollow links plus featured placement without a badge; $29 lists you on both TheSaaSDir and its sister site TheAIToolsDir.
SaaSFame uses the same model as AIToolFame. Free listings need a badge, earn 1 dofollow link and may wait up to 180 days. Basic ($14.9 one-time) gives 3 dofollow links and immediate listing; Pro ($49.9) gives 5 plus featured spots.
ToolFame covers online tools in general and appears to be run by the same team as AIToolFame and SaaSFame: their pricing pages sell guest posts on ToolFame.com. A good option if your product is an AI-powered utility rather than a pure "AI app."
NewTool is free with a badge (1 dofollow link, review within 90 days). Pro is $9.9 one-time for 3 or more dofollow links, immediate listing and homepage placement, with no backlink needed. Its SaaS sibling is SaaSTool.
ShipGrowth focuses on AI products. The free listing requires a backlink and a manual review. Basic ($9.99 one-time) skips the backlink and promises review within 24 hours, with one dofollow link on your tool page. Pro ($29.99) adds 90 days of featured placement.
If you would rather pay than spend 15 to 40 hours filling in forms, these services submit for you.
SubmitMatic submits your product to 60, 100 or 140+ directories ($60, $100 or $140 one-time at the time of writing) within about 48 hours and sends a Google Sheet report with screenshots. Two things to know: it creates a dedicated email account for the submissions (you get the credentials), and it does not track which directories eventually approve you.
SubmitSaaS offers a very similar package: submission to 140+ directories starting at $60, with 48-hour delivery and a report. Compare the directory lists of both services before buying; there is a lot of overlap.
A word of caution about any service that promises a specific Domain Rating. DR is a third-party metric, and a jump from dozens of low-traffic directories doesn't automatically mean better rankings. Use these services to save time, not as an SEO strategy on their own.
Days 1 and 2: setup. Write your submission kit, add one footer section to your site for badges, and create a spreadsheet with columns for directory, date submitted, plan, status, listing URL and link type.
Days 3 to 5: the fast, free ones. Submit to directories that review within days (AInexfinder, SaaSCity, HUNT0's free queue, TheSaaSDir). Add each badge only when the directory requires it.
Days 6 to 9: paid shortcuts, if they fit your budget. Long free queues (90 to 180 days) are where a $7 to $20 one-time plan actually buys you something: months of time. Pick the two or three most relevant to your niche.
Days 10 to 14: verify. Open every approved listing. Check the link goes to the right URL, is dofollow where promised, and that your description and logo look right. Fix anything broken now; most directories let you edit later.
After that, stop. Check Google Search Console a month later for new referring pages and branded impressions, then spend your time on things that compound, like writing about the problems your product solves.
Ready to start? Submit your AI tool to AIDirs, then work through the rest of the list above.