Directory Submission Services Compared (2026): SubmitSaaS, ListingBott & the Honest Alternative
The one thing no submission service will tell you: Google's link-spam policy is built to neutralize links you buy or mass-submit for ranking. So a "guaranteed DR 0→20" is a guarantee about an Ahrefs vanity metric — not about Google rankings or traffic. Read that line again before you spend $140–$999.
If you're launching a SaaS, you've seen the ads: "We'll submit you to 140 directories and boost your Domain Rating, guaranteed." There are now a dozen services selling this, and they look nearly identical from the outside.
So we did the boring work. We pulled live pricing and claims from every major SaaS directory-submission service in June 2026, and laid them side by side — what each actually does, what it costs, and when paying for one is (and isn't) worth it.
The real numbers (verified June 2026)
| Service | Price (one-time unless noted) | Directories | Method | Turnaround | DR "guarantee" | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SubmitSaaS | $60 / $100 / $140 | 60 / 100 / 140+ | auto + human review | 48h | "DR 0→10/15/20+" | No (free tools only) |
| SubmitMatic | $60 / $100 / $140 | 60 / 100 / 140 | auto + human review | 2 business days | "DR 0→10/15/20+" | Free tools |
| GetMoreBacklinks | ~$127–$779 (messy sale; orders paused) | 200+ | semi-auto + curation | 14 working days | none stated | No |
| ListingBott | $299 → $999 | 100 (from a 10k pool) | AI + human, drip | ~5 weeks | "DR 0–15 → 15+ or refund" (2mo) | No |
| AutoSaaSLaunch | $29 lifetime | 18 active (50+ planned) | Chrome-extension autofill, your accounts | you control | none stated | No |
| SaaSCity | Free listing · $19.99 Featured · $129 Launch Max | List on SaaSCity (DR 40+) + DIY list & tracker | self-serve or done-for-you promotion | instant dofollow | none — on purpose | Yes, free listing |
Counts and prices are each vendor's own claims as of the date above. No service guarantees a directory will actually approve you — directories approve on their own timelines, anywhere from days to months.
What each one actually is
SubmitSaaS / SubmitMatic — near-identical done-for-you services. Pay $60–$140, they submit you to 60–140 directories within a couple of days using automation plus a human check. Both lead with a guaranteed-DR claim. Both openly mix dofollow and nofollow targets (for example DEV Community, DR 90, dofollow; StackShare, DR 79, nofollow). Neither hands you a clean list of which submissions were approved.
GetMoreBacklinks — broader (200+ targets, paid platforms included), slower (14 working days), delivers a report with proof screenshots. No DR guarantee. Its pricing display is inconsistent and new orders are paused as of June 2026 — verify it's actually taking orders before you count on it.
ListingBott — the premium end ($299–$999). Hand-picks ~100 listings from a 10,000-site pool, drips submissions over a month in a deliberately "human-like" pattern, and is the one service with a real refund mechanic: a DR 0–15 site gets to DR 15+ in two months, or your money back. If you're going to pay for a guarantee, this is the only one that backs it with a refund.
AutoSaaSLaunch — not a service, a tool: a $29-lifetime Chrome extension that autofills directory forms (18 directories supported today, 50+ on the roadmap). You submit from your own accounts, which is more authentic, and reuse it across products. Cheapest if you're hands-on with multiple launches — but it covers far fewer directories than the done-for-you services, and you do the clicking.
SaaSCity (us) — we're deliberately a different thing, and we won't pretend otherwise:
- You get a free listing on SaaSCity itself — a DR 40+ directory — with a real dofollow backlink on the paid tiers, at no cost to list.
- A curated, DR-ranked directory list plus a submission tracker so you can DIY the rest — the exact work the $140 services sell, done on your own time.
- Optional done-for-you promotion (Launch Max, $129) — but note: that's SaaSCity promotion (billboard, ticker, listing, SEO posts), not a 140-directory blast.
- No DR guarantee. We removed it on purpose. Here's why that's a feature.
The DR-guarantee truth (the part that matters)
Three of these services guarantee "DR 0→15/20." Here's what's actually happening:
- DR is Ahrefs' metric, not Google's. Your DR can climb while your Google rankings and traffic don't move at all — a domain can sit at DR 40+ and still pull only a trickle of organic clicks. DR ≠ traffic.
- Google neutralizes mass-submitted and bought links. "Buying or selling links" and low-quality directory links are named directly in Google's link-spam guidance. Those links can stop passing value — and sometimes the DR bump itself partly unwinds once the directories get devalued.
- A guarantee on DR is a guarantee on a number, not a result. It's an easy promise to make precisely because DR is easy to nudge and hard for a buyer to tie back to revenue.
That's why we don't sell one. The honest version: directories are worth doing for the real referral traffic, the discovery, and a handful of genuinely authoritative dofollow links — not for a DR number. Do them for that, and no algorithm update can disappoint you.
So which should you actually pick?
- You want hands-off, cheap, and fast, and you take the DR pitch with a grain of salt → SubmitSaaS or SubmitMatic ($60–$140). Same product; comparison-shop the price.
- You want the strongest guarantee with a real refund → ListingBott ($299+). The only one that refunds.
- You launch products often and want a reusable tool → AutoSaaSLaunch ($29 lifetime), if its ~18 directories cover enough for you.
- You'd rather keep the money and do it yourself → grab a curated, DR-ranked directory list and tracker and submit on your own schedule. Start with the free directories and dofollow ones first.
- You just want one real, quality dofollow listing today → list free on SaaSCity; upgrade to Featured ($19.99) if you want the dofollow link and map placement instantly.
The honest bottom line
Paid submission services sell convenience, and for some founders that's worth $100. What they can't sell you is a Google ranking — only an Ahrefs number. Spend with your eyes open: do directories for traffic, discovery, and a few real links, treat any "guaranteed DR" as marketing, and don't pay for a list you can work yourself.
If a launch moment is what you're really after, our Product Hunt alternatives guide covers the platforms that actually drive users.
FAQ
Are paid directory submission services worth it? For convenience, sometimes — if your time is worth more than $100 and you'd otherwise never submit anywhere. For the SEO promise, manage expectations: you're buying convenience and a vanity-metric bump, not guaranteed rankings.
Is SubmitSaaS or SubmitMatic better? They're functionally the same — identical price ladder, near-identical turnaround, the same DR claim, the same dofollow/nofollow mix. Pick on price or reviews.
Why doesn't SaaSCity guarantee a DR increase? Because it would be dishonest. DR is an Ahrefs metric Google doesn't use, and mass-submitted links get neutralized. We'd rather give you a real listing and a real list to DIY.
Can I just do this myself for free? Yes — that's the entire point of a free directory list and a tracker. The services sell convenience over exactly that.