# Launch Directory Statistics

> Original data on SaaS launch platforms and startup directories: how many give dofollow links, how many are free, median domain rating and approval times.

Original data on 141 active launch platforms, startup directories and communities: how many give a dofollow link, how many are free, how authoritative they are and how long they take to approve.

By the DodoLaunch team · Data checked up to 5 Nov 2026 · [Browse the full database](https://dodolaunch.com/directories)

141

active directories analysed

33%

give an unconditional dofollow link

94%

let you list for free

DR 58

median domain rating

## Key findings

### 1. Only 33% of launch directories give an unconditional dofollow link.

Of 141 active launch platforms, directories and communities, 33% (46 of 141) link with a plain dofollow link. Another 26% (37 of 141) make the link dofollow only if you add their badge, and 39% (55 of 141) are nofollow.

### 2. 59% can give you a dofollow link, counting badge deals.

Including directories that require a badge on your site, 59% (83 of 141) can pass a dofollow link.

### 3. 94% let you list for free.

24% (34 of 141) are fully free and 70% (99 of 141) are free with paid upgrades. Only 6% (8 of 141) charge to be listed at all. Where a paid option exists (88 directories), the median price is $19.

### 4. 52% of launch platforms tie the dofollow link to a badge.

Of 56 launch platforms, 52% (29 of 56) give a dofollow link only while their badge stays on your site, 23% (13 of 56) give one with no conditions, and 25% (14 of 56) are nofollow.

### 5. 48% of startup directories give an unconditional dofollow link, vs 23% of launch platforms.

Of 46 startup and SaaS directories, 48% (22 of 46) give an unconditional dofollow link; for launch platforms it's 23% (13 of 56).

### 6. Higher-authority sites are more likely to be nofollow: median DR 68 vs 55 for dofollow.

Median domain rating is 58 across all 141 directories (range 20 to 92). By link type: dofollow 55, dofollow with badge 50, nofollow 68.

### 7. Median approval time is 7 days.

Across the 79 directories where we've recorded approval time, 19% (15 of 79) approve the same day or next day and 28% (22 of 79) take more than two weeks.

## Dofollow links by type of site

Share of each kind of site that links with a plain dofollow link, a dofollow link only with their badge, or nofollow. Groups with fewer than 20 sites are shown as counts only, because percentages of a handful of sites mislead.

| Kind of site | Sites | Dofollow | Dofollow with badge | Nofollow | Median DR |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Launch platforms | 56 | 23% | 52% | 25% | 45 |
| Startup and SaaS directories | 46 | 48% | 15% | 35% | 55 |
| AI tool directories | 13 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 57 |
| Communities | 12 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 89.5 |
| Review sites | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 85 |
| Newsletters | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66 |

## Free vs paid

| Pricing | Sites | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | 34 | 24% |
| Free, with paid upgrades | 99 | 70% |
| Paid only | 8 | 6% |

Where a paid listing or upgrade exists (88 sites with a recorded price), the median price is $19.

## Domain rating

Median DR 58 across 141 sites, from 20 to 92. Median DR by link type: dofollow 55, dofollow with badge 50, nofollow 68.

| DR band | Sites | Unconditional dofollow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DR 0 to 39 | 33 | 36% (12) |
| DR 40 to 59 | 41 | 46% (19) |
| DR 60 to 79 | 49 | 27% (13) |
| DR 80 to 100 | 18 | 2 of 18 |

## Approval time

Recorded for 79 of 141 sites. Median 7 days; 15 approve within a day and 22 take more than two weeks. 46 sites (33%) ask for a badge or backlink on your site as a condition of listing or of a dofollow link.

## Methodology

- Source: the DodoLaunch [directory database](https://dodolaunch.com/directories), 141 sites marked active. Sites that closed or stopped accepting submissions are excluded.
- Link type is what the live listing page uses for the link to your site: dofollow, dofollow only while their badge is on your site, nofollow, or no link. We re-check listings and their link attributes; 122 of 141 sites have a recorded check, the latest on 5 Nov 2026.
- Domain rating (DR) is a 0 to 100 estimate of a site's link authority, refreshed periodically.
- Prices are the listed price of a paid listing or upgrade, in USD. Approval time is our recorded time from submission to a live listing, where known.
- Percentages are of the sites with that field recorded and are rounded to whole numbers; every percentage shows its count. Groups under 20 sites get counts, not percentages.
- The figures update automatically as the database changes. The raw data is available as a [CSV download](https://dodolaunch.com/directories.csv).

## How to cite

You're welcome to use these figures with a link back to this page (CC BY 4.0). Each finding has its own anchor link.

DodoLaunch (2026). Launch Directory Statistics. https://dodolaunch.com/research/launch-directory-statistics

Planning a launch? Compare platforms in the [best Product Hunt alternatives](https://dodolaunch.com/product-hunt-alternatives), or let us [submit you to 100 directories by hand](https://dodolaunch.com/submit-to-directories).

## Frequently asked questions.

33% (46 of 141) give an unconditional dofollow link, and another 26% (37) give one only if you add their badge. 39% are nofollow. Source: https://dodolaunch.com/research/launch-directory-statistics#dofollow-share

Yes. 94% (133 of 141) let you list for free, either fully free (34) or free with paid upgrades (99). Where a paid option exists, the median price is $19. Source: https://dodolaunch.com/research/launch-directory-statistics#free-to-list

The median is 7 days across 79 directories where approval time is recorded; 19% approve within a day and 28% take more than two weeks. Source: https://dodolaunch.com/research/launch-directory-statistics#approval-time

The median DR is 58 across 141 directories, ranging from 20 to 92. Source: https://dodolaunch.com/research/launch-directory-statistics#dr-vs-link

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Source: https://dodolaunch.com/research/launch-directory-statistics