Free app promotion sites, checked for dofollow
Lists of “100+ places to submit your app” are easy to find and hard to trust: many copy each other, and the link a directory gives you changes over time. So we opened live listing pages on the launch platforms and directories developers ask about most and read the actual link to the product’s website. Below is what we found, which sites we could not check, and how to check any directory yourself in a minute.
What link each site gives your website
Checked on 27 September 2026 on up to three live listing pages per site, reading the link to the listed product’s own website. “Followed” means the link carries no nofollow, ugc or sponsored value. Sites change this, and paid tiers can differ from free ones, so check again before you rely on it.
| Site | What it is | Link to your website | What we saw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microlaunch | launch platform | followed | direct link on every listing we opened |
| Fazier | launch platform | followed | direct link on every listing we opened |
| Uneed | daily launches of tools | followed | direct link on every listing we opened |
| Open Hunts | launch platform | followed | direct link; sponsor slots on the page are marked sponsored |
| LaunchIgniter | launch platform | followed | direct link on every listing we opened |
| Pitchwall | startup directory | followed | direct link on every listing we opened |
| Tiny Startups | directory of small startups | followed | direct link on every listing we opened |
| uno.directory | product directory | followed | checked on the homepage cards, which link straight to the product |
| Indie Hackers | founder community with product pages | nofollow | product pages link out with nofollow |
| Startupbase | product directory | nofollow | the product link carries nofollow |
| OpenAlternative | directory of open source alternatives | nofollow | the listed tool’s own link carries nofollow |
| BetaList | early-stage startup directory | via redirect | the visit button goes through BetaList’s own redirect, not straight to your site |
| Product Hunt | launch platform | not checked | the site refused our checker; see how to check it yourself below |
| AlternativeTo | software alternatives directory | not checked | the site refused our checker |
| Launching Next | startup directory | not checked | the site refused our checker |
Alternatives to Product Hunt with a followed link
If you want a launch day without Product Hunt, Microlaunch, Fazier, Uneed, Open Hunts and LaunchIgniter all run launch pages, and on every listing we opened the link to the product’s website was followed. Several of them sell a paid option to skip the queue or get featured; the check above is about the link, not the price, so read each site’s current terms before you submit.
Is a nofollow directory still worth it?
A nofollow link passes no ranking signal, but it can still bring people. Indie Hackers is a community first, and a product page there sits next to the founder’s posts, which is where the visits come from. OpenAlternative is read by people looking for exactly that kind of tool. Treat nofollow listings as a way to be found by humans, and followed ones as that plus a link. Neither is a promise of rankings: a link is one signal among many, and nobody can honestly guarantee a position in Google.
How to check a directory yourself
Open a live listing on the site, not the homepage, and find the button or link that goes to the product’s website. Right-click it and choose Inspect, or open the page source and search for the product’s domain. Look at the rel attribute on that link: nofollow, ugc or sponsored means no ranking signal; no rel, or only noopener and noreferrer, means the link is followed. If the link points to the directory’s own address first, such as a /visit or /out path, it is a redirect, and the directory keeps the link for itself.
Where Censuus fits
Censuus is a live ranking of apps by the visit traffic their pages draw, without bots. Listing your app is free through the List my app form, and free apps rise on the visits they earn. Sponsorship raises placement, and the paid package includes a dofollow link to your own website; the details are on the sponsor page. For what the data says about how crowded store niches are, read our study App Store niche attention 2026, and for the wider picture of independent apps, the indie app landscape.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best free app promotion sites?
Among the sites we checked on 27 September 2026, Microlaunch, Fazier, Uneed, Open Hunts, LaunchIgniter, Pitchwall and Tiny Startups gave the listed product a followed link to its website. Indie Hackers, Startupbase and OpenAlternative linked with nofollow, and BetaList linked through its own redirect.
What is a good alternative to Product Hunt?
Microlaunch, Fazier, Uneed, Open Hunts and LaunchIgniter all run launch pages, and on the listings we opened each of them linked to the product’s website without nofollow.
Does a dofollow directory link improve my app’s ranking?
It is one signal among many, not a guarantee. A followed link from a relevant site can help, but nobody can honestly promise a position in Google or in the stores.
How do I know if a directory link is dofollow?
Open a live listing, inspect the link to the product’s website and read its rel attribute. Nofollow, ugc or sponsored means no ranking signal; a link that first goes through the directory’s own /visit or /out address is a redirect.
Guides for app developers
Put your app in the ranking
Censuus ranks apps by the visits they draw and by sponsorship, no bots. Listing is free; sponsorship raises placement.