Are paid directory listings worth it? Which ones pay back?
For most early-stage products, free listings come first and paid ones only pay back where a specific audience or a guaranteed placement justifies the fee. As of 2026-10-20, 22 of 410 directories in LinkPing's library are paid-only, and 165 of 223 with known pricing are free.
Updated Markdown version
| Directory | Type | DR | Free | Dofollow | Badge | Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| There's An AI For That | AI tool directory | 78 | No | Unknown | No | Unknown |
| BetaList | Launch platform | 77 | No | Unknown | No | Yes |
| AIStage | AI tool directory | 71 | No | Yes | No | No |
| StartupHub.ai | Startup directory | 64 | No | Yes | No | Unknown |
| Toolsfine | AI tool directory | 63 | No | Unknown | No | No |
| Tool Finder | AI tool directory | 59 | No | Unknown | No | No |
| aiwith.me | AI tool directory | 58 | No | Yes | No | No |
| YesChat.ai: Cutting-Edge AI Models for C | AI tool directory | 56 | No | Yes | No | Unknown |
| ai2people.com | AI tool directory | 53 | No | Unknown | No | No |
| tooldirectory.ai | AI tool directory | 50 | No | Yes | No | Yes |
A way to judge a paid listing
- Is the audience your buyers? Ask for visitor numbers by source, not just DR.
- Is the link type stated? Paid placements are often sponsored or nofollow.
- What does it cost per month compared with a free launch slot elsewhere?
- Can you cancel? One-off fees are easier to test than subscriptions.
LinkPing captured a price note for 22 of the 22 paid-only directories. It has not yet measured payback (visits or sign-ups per listing).
Data pending. LinkPing does not yet have enough submission records to publish which paid listings return traffic or sign-ups, and we will not estimate it. LinkPing is measuring this; results will be published in the monthly Directory Index at /data once the sample is large enough to be meaningful.
Related directories
Related questions
- Which directories have shut down or switched to paid in 2026?
- How much should a SaaS spend on backlinks in its first year?
- Link building agency vs DIY for an early-stage SaaS?
Domain Rating by Ahrefs. DR values are from LinkPing's directory snapshot dated 2026-10-20.
Source: LinkPing directory library snapshot 2026-10-20. Figures update when the snapshot is refreshed.
Frequently asked questions
Do paid listings pass link equity?
Some do; many are marked sponsored or nofollow. Check the page source after listing.
Are lifetime deals on directories safe?
They carry the risk that the site stops operating; the library flags offline ones, but a lifetime fee is still a bet on the operator.