If you built an AI tool, directories are one of the simplest ways to get found. A listing can send you visitors, and the link back to your site can help search engines notice you. But directories are not all the same. Some are free, some charge a one-time fee, and some charge every month. Some links pass ranking value, and some do not. This post compares 14 well-known AI tool directories, plus Draqee, on fee, link type, and review time. Every figure comes from the directory's own official page. Where a site does not state a fact, the table says "not confirmed" instead of guessing.
Quick Answer
If you want free routes first, start with Future Tools, Product Hunt, AlternativeTo, Dang.ai, AI Tools Directory, Guide of AI Tool, AI Tool Seekers, and Draqee. If you want a stated dofollow link, look at Toolify, EasyWithAI, AI Tool Seekers (free), and the paid plans on PoweredByAI. If you want speed, the fastest stated reviews are EasyWithAI and Toolify at 24 to 48 hours, with Guide of AI Tool also reviewing within 48 hours. The table below gives the full picture, and each section after it explains the trade-offs.
Comparison Table
| Directory | Free / Basic | Fast-Track | Featured | Turnaround | Link Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| There's An AI For That | $49 basic | $437 full package | $99/mo highlight | 1–2 days | Not confirmed |
| Future Tools | Free | None | None | Not promised | Not confirmed |
| Toolify | None shown | $99 | None stated | Within 48 hours | Dofollow |
| TopAI.tools | None shown | $47 | $229 (7 days) | 24–48 hours | Not confirmed |
| Product Hunt | Free | None | Paid ads (separate) | Not stated | Not confirmed |
| AlternativeTo | Free | Priority review | None | No date; priority 1–2 days | Nofollow |
| AIxploria | None | $99 Fast | $299 Verified; $499 Featured | Not stated | Not confirmed |
| Dang.ai | Free (backlink req.) | $49 Basic | Pro $30 + $19/mo | Up to 4 weeks (free) | Not confirmed |
| EasyWithAI | Free (education tools) | $125 | None stated | Within 24 hours | Dofollow |
| PoweredByAI | Free | Pro $11.99 | Elite $69.99 | 24–48h; paid instant | Dofollow (paid plans) |
| aitools.fyi | None found | $37 | $447/wk; $197/mo | Not stated | Not confirmed |
| AI Tools Directory | Free | $99 Fast Track | $299–$499 / 30 days | Fast Track ≤3 days | Not stated |
| Guide of AI Tool | Free | None | None | Within 48 hours | Not confirmed |
| AI Tool Seekers | Free | Fast Track | None stated | 7 days; 24h (Fast Track) | Dofollow |
| Draqee | Free | None | Yes | Within a few days | Dofollow |
There's An AI For That
Price: $49 for a basic website-only listing, $437 one-off for the full package with a newsletter mention, and a $99 per month highlight add-on.
Free tier: None stated on the official page.
Strengths: The average review time is 1–2 days, you get an email when your tool goes live, and the site refunds you in full if your tool is not published.
Trade-offs: There is no free route on the official page, and the highlight add-on renews every month until you cancel it.
Bottom line: A solid paid option if you want speed plus newsletter reach.
Future Tools
Price: Free. The official submit form states no fee.
Free tier: The whole listing route is free, and no account or login is needed.
Strengths: It costs nothing, the form is short, and the directory is curated by a human editor, which keeps quality high.
Trade-offs: Over 75% of submissions are not approved, you will likely hear nothing back if yours is rejected, and you must wait a week before resubmitting.
Bottom line: Submit here first because it is free, but do not count on it.
Toolify
Price: $99 one-time. The official page states your tool will be listed forever once paid.
Free tier: None shown on the official page.
Strengths: The site states you get no less than 6 quality dofollow links from Toolify, there is no queue, and listing takes within 48 hours. You can let Toolify write your listing or write it yourself.
Trade-offs: There is no free tier, so the $99 is the only way in.
Bottom line: The strongest value here if you want stated dofollow links for a one-time fee.
TopAI.tools
Price: $47 one-time for Fast Track, and $229 one-time for a Featured listing that runs for 7 days.
Free tier: None shown on the official page.
Strengths: Fast Track goes live within 24–48 hours, the listing is permanent, edits are free on claimed listings, and you get an automatic refund if your tool is not accepted.
Trade-offs: There is no free tier, and the Featured spot lasts only 7 days.
Bottom line: A cheap, fast route if you are happy to pay a small one-time fee.
Product Hunt
Price: Free. The official launch guide states it is 100% free to use.
Free tier: The whole launch route is free. Paid ads exist, but they are a separate product, not a submission fee.
Strengths: Launch day can bring a large crowd, real user feedback, and visibility far beyond a plain directory listing.
Trade-offs: This is a launch platform, not a classic directory, the link type is not stated, and homepage featuring is curated, not guaranteed. The official guide suggests launching at 12:01 am Pacific Time.
Bottom line: Launch here for users and attention, not just for a link. You need a personal account, since company accounts are not allowed.
AlternativeTo
Price: Free to suggest an app. A priority review costs a one-time fee, but the amount is not stated on the official FAQ page.
Free tier: The free suggestion route is the main way in.
Strengths: It is free, the audience is huge, and the site is honest about links: its FAQ states links are nofollow unless editors decide otherwise, and you cannot buy a followed link.
Trade-offs: The free queue holds several thousand apps, the site gives no date for a free review, and most apps wait a very long time. Priority review usually takes 1–2 business days.
Bottom line: Submit free and forget about it. Pay for priority only if you need speed.
AIxploria
Price: $99 one-time for Fast Listing, $299 one-time for Verified Listing, and $499 for Featured Ads. The site states it no longer offers free listings.
Free tier: None. Free listings are gone, per the site's own FAQ.
Strengths: Prices are clear and one-time, and the Verified tier is a step up from a basic listing.
Trade-offs: There is no free route at all, and no review time is stated on the official pages.
Bottom line: A paid-only directory. Pick Fast if you only want to be listed.
Dang.ai
Price: Free at $0, Basic at $49 one-time, and Pro at $30 setup plus $19 per month.
Free tier: Real, but it requires a crawlable backlink to Dang.ai, allows 1 category, and carries no Featured badge.
Strengths: Every tier states its review time, and the free tier is genuinely free.
Trade-offs: The free tier can take up to 4 weeks, Basic takes about 4 days, and Pro is a monthly cost, not a one-time fee.
Bottom line: Use the free route if you are happy to link back and wait, or pay Basic for a faster one-time listing.
EasyWithAI
Price: $125 one-time, and the site states your tool will be listed forever once complete.
Free tier: Free for free and open-source tools in education or academic research. Paid-plan tools in those fields may get a 50% discount.
Strengths: The submit page states the link to your tool will be dofollow, review usually takes within 24 hours, and you get a full refund if your tool is not approved. The site also claims a DA of 60.
Trade-offs: Commercial tools have no free route, and the $125 is the only way in for them.
Bottom line: A fast dofollow option. Education and open-source tools should check the free route first.
PoweredByAI
Price: A free listing is offered. Paid plans on the rendered pricing page are Pro at $11.99 per listing and Elite at $69.99 per listing.
Free tier: Yes, with a 24–48 hour review time stated in the official FAQ and guide pages.
Strengths: The paid plans are among the cheapest found here, the pricing table states "Backlink: Dofollow" for both paid plans, and paid listings are reviewed and published instantly after payment.
Trade-offs: The free listing's link type is not stated, and the working domain is poweredbyai.app — the poweredby.ai address does not resolve, so double-check you are on the right site.
Bottom line: A low-cost paid dofollow route, with a real free route behind it.
Aitools.fyi
Price: $37 submission fee, as shown on the rendered submission form.
Free tier: None found on the current submission route.
Strengths: The fee is low, and the form covers one directory plus up to two bonus directories.
Trade-offs: Submission now runs through a third-party form, not the site's own form, approval is not guaranteed, and bonus-directory review can take several weeks or months.
Bottom line: Cheap, but read the form carefully before paying, since approval is not promised.
AI Tools Directory
Price: Free submission, $99 one-time for Fast Track, and featured spots at $499, $399, or $299 per 30 days.
Free tier: Yes, through a form that is reviewed by hand. No review time is stated for the free route.
Strengths: Fast Track goes live in 3 days or less, often the same day, and the featured prices are stated plainly.
Trade-offs: The free route gives no time frame, featured spots are a monthly cost, and the rules are strict: AI tools only, no crypto, unique descriptions required, and no waiting-list products.
Bottom line: Submit free first, and use Fast Track only if you are in a hurry.
Guide of AI Tool
Price: Free. The official page states submitting your AI tool is completely free, and that the site does not accept payment to list or rank tools.
Free tier: The whole route is free.
Strengths: The directory lists over 5,000 tools across more than 50 categories, every tool is manually reviewed, the directory is updated daily, and review takes within 48 hours.
Trade-offs: The link type is not stated on the official page, and there is no paid fast route, since the site does not accept payment.
Bottom line: A large free directory with fast human review. Submit here early.
AI Tool Seekers
Price: Free. The official page states the free tier is the real tier, at no cost. Fast Track is an optional one-time speed boost, but its price is not stated on the page.
Free tier: Yes, and it is the real tier — not a trial. Every listing, including free ones, gets a dofollow link, per the official page.
Strengths: The site states every listing gets a permanent dofollow link, claims a Domain Rating of 70, and hand-verifies every submission across 831 tools and 13 categories. Each listing also gets a transparent Editor's Score from 0 to 100.
Trade-offs: Free review takes within 7 days. The 24-hour review needs Fast Track, whose price is not stated.
Bottom line: One of the best free routes here — a stated dofollow link from a DR 70 site at no cost.
Draqee
Price: Free. The submission form has no payment step and no fee stated.
Free tier: The whole route is free right now. Draqee is a new site, so drop your free submission and get listed.
Strengths: The form is short — name, tool name, URL, a description of up to 1,000 characters, category, and pricing type — and your email is never published. Listings link to your site with a dofollow link. Your submission is reviewed and listed within a few days, so you get listed quickly.
Bottom line: It is free right now, so grab the opportunity for free submissions.
How to Pick
Start with the free routes. They cost nothing, and a free listing on a large directory is worth more than a paid listing nobody visits. Pay only for something concrete: a stated review time, a stated dofollow link, or a featured spot you actually want. Never pay for a promise like "guaranteed ranking" — no honest directory sells that. Finally, open the submission page yourself before paying. Pages change, and an old price from another blog may no longer match the live site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do directory backlinks help SEO?
They can help, but they are not magic. A listing sends visitors to your site, and a followed link can pass ranking value. A nofollow link does not pass ranking value, but it can still send visitors. Treat directories as one small part of your marketing, not the whole plan.
Is a free submission enough?
Often, yes. Free routes on Future Tools, Product Hunt, AlternativeTo, Dang.ai, AI Tools Directory, Guide of AI Tool, AI Tool Seekers, and Draqee put your tool in front of real visitors. Paid routes mainly buy speed, a featured spot, or a stated dofollow link.
Why do some rows say "not confirmed"?
Because the directory's own official page does not state that fact. This post does not fill gaps with figures from other blogs. If a fee, link type, or review time is not stated by the site itself, the honest entry is "not confirmed".
Should I submit to every directory at once?
No. Start with three or four that fit your tool, write a clear and unique description for each, and track which ones send visitors. A few good listings beat many weak ones.
Submit your tool where it counts, and check each submission page yourself before you pay. A careful hour of submissions beats a rushed afternoon of paid listings that lead nowhere.
Final Thoughts
Submit your tool where it counts, and check each submission page yourself before you pay. A careful hour of submissions beats a rushed afternoon of paid listings that lead nowhere. And if you want a free start, Draqee is free right now — grab the opportunity for a free submission.
