Field notes

Dofollow directories for startups: which ones actually pass a link

111 startup, SaaS and AI directories in our catalog link to your site with a dofollow link. The strongest ones, the free ones, and how to check a link yourself.

Guide cover: Dofollow directories for startups, with a table of high domain rating directories that pass a dofollow link
By Pruthvi RajSeptember 26, 2026

A directory listing links to your site. Whether that link helps your search rankings depends on one attribute: if the link carries rel="nofollow" (or sponsored or ugc), search engines treat it as a hint at best. A plain link, usually called dofollow, passes authority.

Most "dofollow directory" lists online are old web directories nobody visits. This one is different. We check startup, SaaS and AI directories one listing at a time, and 111 of the 397 in the AgentLaunch catalog are recorded as giving a dofollow link.

The strongest dofollow directories

Ranked by domain rating (DR), with real monthly traffic:

Directory Type DR Monthly visits Cost to list
SourceForge Software review 93 22.5M Free
VS Code Marketplace Integration marketplace 92 4.1M Free
Product Hunt Launch platform 91 3.7M Free
Finances Online Software review 87 10K Free
Softpedia Developer tools 86 3.3M Free
TrustRadius Software review 85 290K Free
Startup Fame Launch platform 84 69K Free with a backlink; paid from $19
F6S Startup database 83 1.3M Free
Fazier Launch platform 83 87K Free with a backlink; paid from $29
Dang AI AI tools directory 82 346K Free with a backlink; paid from $49
twelve.tools Launch platform 82 46K Free with a backlink; paid from $36
Findly Launch platform 81 25K Free with a backlink; paid from $79
AlternativeTo Software review 80 2.1M Free
Turbo0 SaaS 80 2K Free with a backlink; paid from $29.9
Index by Dodo Payments Launch platform 79 6K Free
ToolPilot AI AI tools directory 78 89K Free with a backlink; paid upgrades
There's An AI For That AI tools directory 77 5.1M Paid from $49
FindStack Software review 77 50K Free
BetaList Launch platform 76 259K Check the live page
Uneed Launch platform 76 173K Free; paid from $14.99
Alternative.me Software review 75 713K Free
SaaSworthy Software review 75 220K Free; paid upgrades
PeerPush Launch platform 75 55K Free; paid upgrades
CrozDesk Software review 74 255K Free
SelectHub Software review 74 122K Free
AI Agents Directory AI agents directory 74 70K Free
Launch Igniter Launch platform 74 19K Free with a backlink; paid from $12
Toolify AI tools directory 73 1.1M Paid from $99
TinyLaunch Launch platform 73 77K Free; paid from $15/wk
StartupBase Launch platform 73 35K Free with a backlink; paid from $39
Table of the highest domain rating startup directories that give a dofollow link, with monthly visits and price
The highest-DR dofollow directories in the AgentLaunch catalog (September 2026).

Free dofollow directories, no badge required

68 of the dofollow directories list you for free without asking for a badge or a link back. The strongest:

Directory DR Monthly visits Cost to list
SourceForge 93 22.5M Free
VS Code Marketplace 92 4.1M Free
Product Hunt 91 3.7M Free
Finances Online 87 10K Free
Softpedia 86 3.3M Free
TrustRadius 85 290K Free
F6S 83 1.3M Free
AlternativeTo 80 2.1M Free
Index by Dodo Payments 79 6K Free
FindStack 77 50K Free
Uneed 76 173K Free; paid from $14.99
Alternative.me 75 713K Free
SaaSworthy 75 220K Free; paid upgrades
PeerPush 75 55K Free; paid upgrades
CrozDesk 74 255K Free

How to check if a directory link is dofollow

You don't have to trust any list, including ours. Once your listing is live:

  1. Open your listing page.
  2. Right-click the link to your site and choose Inspect.
  3. Look at the <a> tag. If it has rel="nofollow", rel="sponsored" or rel="ugc", it's not a followed link. If rel is missing or only says things like noopener or noreferrer, it's dofollow.
  4. Check again after a month. Some directories switch free listings to nofollow later, or only give dofollow links to paid tiers.

A few honest caveats

  • One link type per page isn't the whole story. Many directories give a dofollow link on your listing but nofollow on category pages, or the reverse. Our catalog records what we saw on the listing.
  • Domain rating isn't traffic. Some high-DR directories get almost no visitors. For launch traffic, sort by visits instead. See best startup directories.
  • 246 directories in our catalog haven't had their link type checked yet, so they're not on this list. That doesn't mean they're nofollow.
  • Links from relevant sites matter more than the count. Thirty relevant dofollow listings beat three hundred from unrelated web directories.

Getting listed on dofollow directories without the busywork

AgentLaunch submits your product to the directories you choose through a Chrome extension in your own browser, with copy written for each one. When a listing goes live, it records the URL and checks whether the link to your site is dofollow or nofollow, so you know exactly what you got.

AgentLaunch directory list with live listings, each with its public URL and a dofollow or nofollow link check
Each live listing shows its URL and whether the link to your site is dofollow.

Frequently asked questions

What is a dofollow directory?

A directory whose listing links to your site without rel="nofollow", sponsored or ugc, so search engines can pass authority through it.

Are dofollow directory links still useful for SEO?

From relevant, real directories, yes, especially for a new domain. Mass submissions to unrelated web directories are not.

Which dofollow directories are free?

68 of the 111 dofollow directories in our catalog list you free without a badge. The strongest are in the table above.

Can a directory change a link from dofollow to nofollow?

Yes. Some do it for free listings after a while. Recheck your important listings every few months.

Related guides

See every directory's link type, traffic and price in the AgentLaunch catalog, or launch your product for $39.