Best-of guide
9 Directory Submission Services for SaaS, Compared (2026)
Ranked by what you actually receive for the money, not by directory count.
Contents
Quick answer
A directory submission service fills in startup directory forms for you, usually for a one-time fee. In August 2026 the real cost per directory runs from $0.50 at SubmitWell up to $5.99 at SubmitToDirectories, a twelve-fold spread that package prices hide. Most providers sell submissions rather than results, so a form a directory rejects still counts against what you bought. Smol Launch and StartupSubmit are the two that commit to a count and keep working until it lands.
Filling in 50 directory forms by hand takes a weekend you will not get back, so a small industry now does it for you. Comparing them is the hard part. One quotes a rate per directory, another sells packages of 25, a third is still a waitlist, and almost none say what happens when a directory rejects your product. We read every price from the provider's own pricing page on 18 August 2026, in raw HTML rather than through a reader tool, then divided the packages out so every number sits on one scale. Promotional prices are labelled, and so is the one service you cannot actually buy yet.
Key takeaways
- Cost per directory spans $0.50 to $5.99, a twelve-fold gap that headline package prices hide completely.
- SubmitWell, PushSaaS and StartupSubmit each publish a guaranteed DR increase, which is a promise about your domain rating and not about whether any single listing goes live.
- Most providers sell submissions, not results. A form rejected by a directory still counts against what you bought.
- DirForge is a waitlist with no customers yet, so its $39 entry price cannot be acted on today.
How to use this 9-option ranking
Use this 9-option ranking as a working shortlist, not a browsing session. Pick SubmitWell first if it fits your stage, then choose 2 supporting channels that add something different: a backlink, a newsletter mention, a technical audience, or a longer feedback window. Your first 50 users and first 100 signups matter more than being everywhere. Start there.
- SubmitWell: Lowest unit cost in this comparison, by a clear margin; pricing: $35 / $59 / $99 one time.
- PushSaaS: Cheapest paid rate after SubmitWell, plus a free tier; pricing: $49 / $99 / $180, plus a free tier.
- SubmitSaaS: The fastest turnaround, at roughly a dollar a directory; pricing: $60 / $100 / $140 one time.
Methodology: how we rank founder resources.
Scan first
Ranking at a glance
Scan the full shortlist first, then use the detailed notes below to choose the best fit for your launch stage.
| Pick | Best for | Pricing | Why it made the list |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank 1.
SubmitWell
|
Lowest unit cost in this comparison, by a clear margin | $35 / $59 / $99 one time | Three fixed packages: $35 buys 50 directories, $59 buys 100 and $99 buys 200. The vendor prints the unit cost itself, and $0.50 at the Pro tier is... |
|
Rank 2.
PushSaaS
|
Cheapest paid rate after SubmitWell, plus a free tier | $49 / $99 / $180, plus a free tier | Paid plans are $49 for 50 or more directories, $99 for 100 and $180 for 200, landing between $0.90 and $0.99 each, second only to SubmitWell on... |
|
Rank 3.
SubmitSaaS
|
The fastest turnaround, at roughly a dollar a directory | $60 / $100 / $140 one time | Packages are $60 for 60 or more directories, $100 for 100 and $140 for 140, each quoted at a 48 hour turnaround, the quickest promise among the... |
|
|
Counts listings that went live, not forms that went out | $99 / $149 / $199 one time | Tiers of $99, $149 and $199 buy a floor of 30, 60 and 100 listings that are actually live, and we submit elsewhere when a directory says no. That... |
|
Rank 5.
StartupSubmit
|
Keeps working until the promised count is met | $99 / $199 / $299 while discounted | Its promise is the closest thing here to an outcome: it commits to the number of successful submissions in your plan and says it will keep going... |
|
Rank 6.
SaaSListing.co
|
Buy a curated list, your own list, or both | $3 per directory, or $99 / $229 packages | Three ways in: a curated $99 package covering 35 hand-picked directories, a $3 per directory rate for any list you supply with no minimum, or a... |
|
Rank 7.
LaunchRocket.io
|
One flat fee, and very little published about it | $97 flat, scope not published | The offer is a single line on its free directory list: submission handled for you at a flat $97. That list runs past 600 sites with authority... |
|
Rank 8.
DirForge
|
Not buyable yet, a waitlist with no customers | $39 / $69 / $99 promised, pre-launch | You cannot buy this one yet. Every button says join the waitlist, and the site states plainly that it has no customers and no case studies yet.... |
|
Rank 9.
SubmitToDirectories
|
The highest price per target in this comparison | $149 / $399 / $899 one time | Packages are $149 for 25 targets, $399 for 75 and $899 for 150, landing between $5.32 and $5.99 each, roughly ten times the rate at the top of this... |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
The full ranking
-
1
SubmitWell Best value per directory
Lowest unit cost in this comparison, by a clear margin
Three fixed packages: $35 buys 50 directories, $59 buys 100 and $99 buys 200. The vendor prints the unit cost itself, and $0.50 at the Pro tier is the cheapest rate anywhere on this page. A person fills every form, work lands in 6 to 7 business days, and a 30-day money-back promise sits behind it. Two do-it-yourself lists are sold separately at $15 and $25 if you would rather submit them alone.
Pros
- $0.50 per directory at 200
- Fixed tiers, published unit costs
- Hand submitted, no bots
- 30-day money-back promise
Cons
- Counts submissions, not live listings
- Slower than the 48 hour services
Pricing: $35 / $59 / $99 one time
-
2
PushSaaS
Cheapest paid rate after SubmitWell, plus a free tier
Paid plans are $49 for 50 or more directories, $99 for 100 and $180 for 200, landing between $0.90 and $0.99 each, second only to SubmitWell on price. Campaigns are run by hand rather than by bot, and Scale and Accelerate carry a stated DR target. The site also says it starts free with 50 directories and asks for no credit card, but it never states what that free tier actually delivers, so treat it as untested until you ask.
Pros
- $0.90 per directory at 200
- Hand-run campaigns, no bots
- Stated DR target on the upper tiers
- A free tier exists to try
Cons
- Free tier contents are not published
- Counts submissions, not live listings
Pricing: $49 / $99 / $180, plus a free tier
-
3
SubmitSaaS Fastest turnaround
The fastest turnaround, at roughly a dollar a directory
Packages are $60 for 60 or more directories, $100 for 100 and $140 for 140, each quoted at a 48 hour turnaround, the quickest promise among the services you can buy today. Near $1 each, it is priced with the volume leaders. The method is automation with a human review pass rather than hand submission, so weigh it against the manual services on awkward forms. Paid directories are excluded, which its pricing page states plainly.
Pros
- 48 hour turnaround, fastest you can buy
- About $1 per directory
- Submission report with screenshots
- Three clear package sizes
Cons
- Automated with a review pass, not hand filled
- Paid directories excluded
Pricing: $60 / $100 / $140 one time
-
4
Smol Launch (Launch Everywhere) Publisher of this page Best if you are already launching
Counts listings that went live, not forms that went out
Tiers of $99, $149 and $199 buy a floor of 30, 60 and 100 listings that are actually live, and we submit elsewhere when a directory says no. That is $3.30 down to $1.99 per live listing, and the dashboard marks each listing live with its link. StartupSubmit promises a count of successful submissions, which is not the same as an approved listing, and it costs less per directory than we do. A Premium launch is included when you buy with a launch.
Pros
- Floor is live listings, not attempts
- Re-submits when a directory declines
- Per-directory status and live links
- Premium launch when bought with a launch
Cons
- Dearer per directory than the volume services
- Lower raw counts than the 200+ services
Pricing: $99 / $149 / $199 one time
-
5
StartupSubmit Strongest delivery promise
Keeps working until the promised count is met
Its promise is the closest thing here to an outcome: it commits to the number of successful submissions in your plan and says it will keep going until that number lands, substituting another high-authority destination when a directory rejects your niche. Pricing is currently half off at $99, $199 and $299 for 60, 150 and 220 directories, against list prices of $199, $399 and $599. Every form is filled by hand and returns a screenshot.
Pros
- Commits to the promised count
- Substitutes on rejection
- Screenshot proof per directory
- 220 directories at the top tier
Cons
- Prices are promotional, not standing
- 5 to 7 day delivery
Pricing: $99 / $199 / $299 while discounted
-
6
SaaSListing.co Best for your own target list
Buy a curated list, your own list, or both
Three ways in: a curated $99 package covering 35 hand-picked directories, a $3 per directory rate for any list you supply with no minimum, or a $229 hybrid pairing the curated 35 with 40 of your own picks. Rush delivery adds 20 percent. Every submission is done by a person and returns a screenshot, unused credits are refundable, and a rejected listing gets one free revision and resubmission.
Pros
- $3 per directory with no minimum
- Bring your own target list
- Screenshot for every submission
- One free resubmission if rejected
Cons
- Dearer per directory than the volume tiers
- Curated list covers only 35
Pricing: $3 per directory, or $99 / $229 packages
-
7
LaunchRocket.io Best free directory list
One flat fee, and very little published about it
The offer is a single line on its free directory list: submission handled for you at a flat $97. That list runs past 600 sites with authority scores attached, more than 400 of them free to use, and the tracker beside it is worth having whether or not you buy. What the site never states is how many directories the $97 covers, the turnaround, or any refund terms. Get those in writing first.
Pros
- Flat $97, nothing to configure
- Free list of 600+ sites, 400+ of them free to use
- Free submission tracker
- No account needed to browse
Cons
- Directory count for the fee not published
- No turnaround or refund terms published
Pricing: $97 flat, scope not published
-
8
DirForge
Not buyable yet, a waitlist with no customers
You cannot buy this one yet. Every button says join the waitlist, and the site states plainly that it has no customers and no case studies yet. Promised packages are $39 for 30 directories at DR 50 and above, $69 for 60 and $99 for 90, cut about 33 percent from $59, $99 and $149 as founding pricing. Reports include screenshots on the upper two tiers. Nothing has been delivered to anyone so far.
Pros
- $1.10 per directory if it ships
- Filters by DR 40 or 50
- Reports include screenshots
- Honest about being pre-launch
Cons
- Cannot be bought, waitlist only
- No delivery record at all
Pricing: $39 / $69 / $99 promised, pre-launch
-
9
SubmitToDirectories
The highest price per target in this comparison
Packages are $149 for 25 targets, $399 for 75 and $899 for 150, landing between $5.32 and $5.99 each, roughly ten times the rate at the top of this page. Weigh that against a figure the site publishes itself: 16 directories in catalog. A rejected submission gets one revision where allowed, and third-party paid listing fees are excluded unless agreed in writing.
Pros
- Custom category research on Scale
- Submission tracking and URL report
- One revision on fixable rejections
- Clear written fee boundary
Cons
- About $5.96 per target on the entry tier
- Sells 150 targets from a stated 16-directory catalog
Pricing: $149 / $399 / $899 one time
Live Smol Launch data
Refreshed weekly13 approved launches in this category over the past 4 weeks on Smol Launch.
How we ranked these
We ranked on what a buyer receives for the money, not on headline directory counts. Four signals set the order: the real cost per directory once packages are divided out, whether the provider commits to a count or only to the effort of submitting, whether you can buy it at all today, and what proof of work comes back. Every figure was read from the provider's own pricing page on 18 August 2026, in raw HTML, because reader tools drop pricing tables and two providers were misreported in our first pass. Where a provider shows a struck list price beside its live one, we label that price promotional.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a directory submission service cost in 2026?
Do these services include the directories' own paid fees?
What is the difference between a submission and a live listing?
Are manual submissions worth more than automated ones?
How long do directory submissions take to go live?
Is it cheaper to submit to directories myself?
Where we'd start
Pick on the failure case, not the brochure. For volume at the lowest rate, SubmitWell at $99 for 200 is the cheapest on this page and PushSaaS is close behind. Pay more only to move the risk off yourself: StartupSubmit keeps working until its promised count of successful submissions lands, and Smol Launch counts only listings that went live. Treat any service that will not publish its scope, or that has not sold to anyone yet, as one to revisit later.