# Startup Directory Statistics 2026: 67 Analyzed

> 62 of 67 directories (93%) require a badge or reciprocal link before the free listing gets a dofollow link. 60 of 67 directories (90%) are freemium (a free listing plus paid upgrades); 7 (10%) have no paid tier.

Canonical: https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories
Last updated: 2026-10-06

## Key findings

1. 62 of 67 directories (93%) require a badge or reciprocal link before the free listing gets a dofollow link. [Link to this finding](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#badge-required)
2. 60 of 67 directories (90%) are freemium (a free listing plus paid upgrades); 7 (10%) have no paid tier. [Link to this finding](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#pricing)
3. A Domain Rating is on record for 24 of 67 directories (36%); the figures are publisher-reported, not measured by LaunchAF. [Link to this finding](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#dr-known)
4. Among the 24 directories with a reported Domain Rating, the median is 65 and the range is 43 to 82. [Link to this finding](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#dr-median)
5. General is the most common niche: 53 of 67 (79%) directories list it. A directory can list more than one niche. [Link to this finding](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#top-niche)
6. Every directory was policy-checked within the last 90 days of the data date: 17 on 2026-10-06, 50 on 2026-09-23. [Link to this finding](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#review-dates)

## Breakdowns

### Directories by reported Domain Rating

| Domain Rating | Directories | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 80+ | 3 | 4% |
| 60-79 | 14 | 21% |
| 40-59 | 7 | 10% |
| under 40 | 0 | 0% |
| not reported | 43 | 64% |

Denominator: all 67 directories. Ratings are the figure each publisher shows on its own site, not an Ahrefs measurement by LaunchAF.

### Directories by pricing and badge requirement

| Pricing | Badge or link required | Directories |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Freemium | Yes | 57 |
| Freemium | No | 3 |
| Free | Yes | 5 |
| Free | No | 2 |

Denominator: all 67 directories.

### Directories by niche

| Niche | Directories | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General | 53 | 79% |
| Indie / Side Projects | 50 | 75% |
| AI | 14 | 21% |
| B2B SaaS | 9 | 13% |
| Dev Tools | 6 | 9% |

Denominator: all 67 directories. A directory can list more than one niche, so the column adds up to more than 100%.

## Methodology

- Source: the 67 launch directories in the LaunchAF reviewed catalog, the same list the Launch Directories tracker and the Chrome extension use.
- Included: directories with a documented $0 route to a listing whose product link is dofollow, confirmed on a dated source page. Paid-only directories, vote-gated dofollow links and directories without a checkable source are excluded, so this is not a census of every directory.
- A directory drops out of the catalog when its last policy check is older than 90 days, so the count can fall between reviews.
- Domain Rating is the figure a directory shows on its own pages at the check date; LaunchAF does not measure it. Directories that show none are counted as "not reported".
- Refreshes when the catalog is re-reviewed; the data date is the newest policy check.
- Rounding: percentages to the nearest whole percent. A finding is only stated when at least 20 rows stand behind its denominator.

## Suggested citation

LaunchAF, "Startup Directory Statistics 2026: 67 Analyzed", https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories, October 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many startup directories require a badge for a free dofollow link?

62 of 67 (93%) of the reviewed directories require a badge or reciprocal link before the free listing's link is dofollow. [Link to this answer](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#faq-badge)

### How many launch directories are completely free?

7 of 67 (10%) have no paid tier at all; 60 (90%) offer a free listing with paid upgrades. [Link to this answer](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#faq-free)

### What Domain Rating do startup directories have?

Among the 24 directories that publish a Domain Rating, the median is 65; 43 of 67 publish none. Figures are publisher-reported. [Link to this answer](https://launchaf.com/research/startup-directories#faq-dr)

## Related

- [All research](https://launchaf.com/research)