Free Places to Launch a Mobile App or SaaS
A curated list of directories, communities and launch platforms that still accept a free submission — split into mobile apps and web/SaaS, with what each one is actually good for.
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Free Places to Launch a Mobile App or SaaS — free, no email, no sign up. PDF · 14 KB.
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Key takeaways
- Write the listing copy once and reuse it everywhere.
- Product Hunt is a launch day, not a submission form.
- Show HN needs something people can actually use — not a waitlist page.
- Free tiers and subreddit rules change, so re-check each submit page before launch.
- Track which submissions produced installs, not impressions.
Read the guide
Distribution is a separate job from building the app, and it is the one most indie builders leave until launch week. This is the written version of the PDF: a curated list of places that still accept a free submission, split into mobile apps and web/SaaS, with what each one is actually good for.
Before you submit anywhere
Write the listing copy once and reuse it. Every directory on the list asks for roughly the same things:
- A one-line tagline someone can understand without context.
- A short description you can paste without editing.
- Screenshots that show the app doing its job, not a splash screen.
- A working link that does not require a login to look at.
Mobile app — where the free paths are
The strongest free options for a new mobile app:
- Product Hunt — treat it as a launch day, not a submission. Screenshots, tagline and a maker comment ready before you post.
- Launchbase — the strongest India-specific option on the list; the site states there is no listing fee.
- Reddit — r/SideProject for feedback and the founder story, and the r/androidapps self-promo megathread rather than a standalone promo post.
- Hacker News (Show HN) — only for something people can actually use. A waitlist-only landing page is not a Show HN.
- Indie Hackers and Peerlist — share the build story and results, not just the store link.
- AlternativeTo — position against the closest real alternatives.
- DEV Community — "How I built…" outranks an ad, and it stays searchable.
Then the steady-drip directories: SaaSHub, Uneed, Fazier, Tiny Startups and Launching Next. Slower, but they compound.
Website or SaaS — what changes
The list overlaps heavily, with a few swaps: BetaList for pre-launch and early adopters, r/SaaS for learnings and case studies rather than link drops, and F6S if you want programs and accelerators more than consumer traffic.
Read the rules before you post
Two things date fast: whether a site still has a free tier, and what a subreddit currently allows. The PDF flags where a free path has conditions — Fazier asks for a backlink on the free route, Uneed's free queue is slower than the paid slot — and marks at least one community claim as unverified rather than presenting it as fact. Re-check each site's own submit page before launch day.
Track what actually worked
Note which submissions produced installs, not just impressions. Next launch, start from the top of that list and skip the rest.