← Guides · Updated 28 Oct 2026

How to launch an AI tool: 163 directories, prioritized

Directories won't make a bad product succeed, but for a new AI tool they are one of the cheapest ways to get discovered, collect first backlinks and show up when people (and AI assistants) search for tools like yours. Here is the order we use.

This is our editorial prioritization, based on category fit and how the sites work. We don't publish traffic or domain-authority numbers because we haven't measured them ourselves. The full list is in our free directory of AI directories.

Step 0: prepare one listing kit

• Name, a tagline under 60 characters, a 160-character description and a 500-word long description.
• Square logo (at least 512×512), 3–5 screenshots, an optional 30-second demo video or GIF.
• Pricing model (free, freemium, paid, trial), categories and 5–10 tags.
• A spreadsheet to log each submission: date, site, status and live URL.

Tier 1: launch platforms (plan these, don't rush them)

Product Hunt, Hacker News (Show HN), BetaList, plus newer launch sites like Uneed, Peerlist Launchpad, DevHunt, Microlaunch. These reward a prepared launch day: a maker comment explaining why you built it, being present to answer questions, and telling your existing users. Never ask for upvotes; most platforms penalize it.

Tier 2: the big AI tool directories

There's An AI For That, Futurepedia, Future Tools, Toolify. These are where people browse specifically for AI tools. Several have free and paid (faster or featured) options; paid is optional. Some block automated access, so submit in a normal browser.

Tier 3: software marketplaces and review sites

AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, G2, Capterra, GetApp, Software Advice, Toolfolio, SaaSworthy, Indie Hackers Stack, StackShare. Here a complete vendor profile and a few honest reviews from real users matter more than speed.

Tier 4: the long tail of AI directories

We track 66 AI-specific directories in total, including Toolpilot, Supertools (Rundown), TheAISurf, AI Valley, Ben's Bites Tools, Hugging Face Spaces, There's a Tool For That, AI Library, Altern, AIToolMall, AI Top Tools, TopTools AI. Individually small, together they add discovery and links. Reuse your kit, adapt the category per site.

Tier 5: startup databases and communities

27 startup databases (e.g. Crunchbase, F6S, StartupBase, Launching Next, Startup Stash, SideProjectors) and 11 communities (e.g. Indie Hackers, Reddit r/SideProject, Reddit r/alphaandbetausers, Dev.to, Hashnode, Medium). In communities, share what you learned building the product and follow each community's self-promotion rules.

Tier 6: local-language directories

If you sell in Spanish, Portuguese or German markets, local directories are much less crowded: 17 Spanish, 17 Portuguese and 21 German-language sites in our list, such as SUBE.dev, TopStartups LATAM, PulsoBeta, Buskai, MicroSaaS MKT, USO IA and DACHstartups, vona KI-Tools, KIFOX. Write the listing natively rather than machine-translating.

What to expect

• Acceptance is never guaranteed; each site decides.
• Review times vary from instant to several weeks.
• Many links are nofollow. That's fine: the goal is discovery and consistent presence, not a link scheme.

Want to know where you're already listed? Run the free AI Tool Visibility Checker.