Compared, on the record
The Launch Directory as an alternative to BetaList
BetaList picks the startups it features from paid submissions. The Launch Directory publishes its price up front, offers a free route, and never chooses who gets in by taste.
Their facts were last checked on . Every fact about them links to the page it came from.
Side by side
| Topic | BetaList | The Launch Directory |
|---|---|---|
| How a launch works | Paid submissions are reviewed by an editorial team; selected startups are featured on a timeline set by the plan (about 14, 3 or 1 days)source, checked 2026-10-30 | Weekly editions: each launch is filed in a dated week, stays in the archive, and the week's top three by community votes win Product of the Week |
| Free option | No: "All submissions are paid. There is no free submission option."source, checked 2026-10-30 | Yes: with our badge on your website and a complete founder profile, the free queue, 1-2 weeks out |
| Paid options | Lite, Standard and Premium plans; prices are shown only at the end of the submission form; full automatic refund if not selected, no refund once featuredsource, checked 2026-10-30 | Paid launch $5, live at once or in the week you pick; the Featured spot $19 |
| Votes and ranking | Not published on the pages we read | One person, one vote; votes are never sold and paid places are labelled |
| Link to your website | The Visit Site button on a featured listing is a do-follow link, through a 301 redirectsource, checked 2026-10-30 | Followed on a paid launch; not followed on a free listing |
| Who can launch | New technology startups (pre-launch, beta or live) on their own domainsource, checked 2026-10-30 | Any product, startup or business with its own website |
| Extras | Not published on the pages we read | Launch receipt, free AI answer check, founder profiles and domain records on every listing |
| Domain Rating (Ahrefs) | 77measured 31 Oct 2026 | 71measured 31 Oct 2026 |
Prices change. Where a platform shows an offer price, we quote its list price. If something here is out of date, write to launch@zinndigital.com and we will correct it.
What is BetaList?
BetaList features new technology startups to early adopters, on its site and in its newsletter. Every submission is paid, reviewed by its editors, and featured on a timeline set by the plan you choose.
Who it suits
Pre-launch and early startups on their own domain who want an edited feature in front of early adopters and are happy to pay for a faster slot or a newsletter place.
What BetaList does well
- An edited feature with a do-follow link to your site.
- An automatic full refund if your startup is not selected.
- A clear choice of speed between plans.
Where The Launch Directory is different
BetaList publishes no free route: every submission is paid. The Launch Directory has a free listing as well as a paid launch, and the paid price, $5, is on our pricing page before you start rather than at the end of a form.
Nobody here decides whether your product is good enough. A listing that keeps to the rules goes live, and community votes, not editors, decide the week's order.
Your listing also keeps a launch receipt: Domain Rating, referring domains, AI mentions and visits sent, updated every day.
What a launch on The Launch Directory includes
Whatever you decide about the platform above, this is what a listing here comes with.
- A paid launch at $5
- It goes live straight away or in the week you choose, with a followed link to your website and every profile section open: the founder story, milestones and demo video.
- A free way in
- With our badge on your website and your founder profile complete, a free listing joins the free queue and goes live in its week, 1-2 weeks out. Its link to you is not followed; screenshots and comparisons are shown all the same.
- A launch receipt for every listing
- Each live listing carries a dated record of what we measured after launch: Domain Rating by Ahrefs then and now, referring domains, AI mentions where we measure them, and the visits we sent you. It is updated daily, and nothing in it is estimated.
- A free AI answer check
- Every listed business can run one free check of what ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity answer when a buyer asks about its category: whether you are named, where, and which sources they cite.
- Votes that cannot be bought
- One person, one vote. Featured places, sponsors and the Billboard are labelled as paid and never add a vote to anything.
- Our Domain Rating, in public
- Our own Ahrefs Domain Rating is printed on the pricing page, so you can judge the link before you pay for it.
- Pay without signing up first
- Your account is created at checkout. Pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal or crypto; prices are in US dollars, VAT is added only where due, and invoices come from Zinn Digital® Ltd.
- Product of the Week
- The three listings with the most community votes each week win #1, #2 and #3 Product of the Week, with a badge for the listing and a page to share.
- Founders by name
- Every founder gets a profile page linked to their companies, and a paid listing can carry the founder story behind the product.
- Domain records on every listing
- Listings show the company domain's public registration record, and the free domain age checker looks up any domain.
When BetaList is the better choice
If an editor's selection and a newsletter feature matter more to you than speed or price, BetaList offers something we do not.
File your launch Read the rate card
Questions readers ask
Does BetaList have a free option?
Its help pages say all submissions are paid and there is no free option. The Launch Directory offers a free listing alongside the paid launch.
How fast does a paid launch go live on The Launch Directory?
Straight away, or in the launch week you choose at checkout.
Does a paid launch here include a followed link?
Yes. A paid launch links to your website with a followed link; a free listing's link is not followed.