Not all backlinks are equal. A single link from a DR 90 directory is worth more than a dozen from DR 30 sites. These 53 directories all carry a Domain Rating of 70 or higher — the top tier of authority in the backlinks.fyi database of 153+ sites. Submitting to this list should be your first priority in any startup link-building campaign.
53
DR 70+ Dirs
47
Free to Submit
DR 93
Top Score
Google's PageRank algorithm weights links from authoritative sites much more heavily than links from low-authority sites. A link from a DR 90 directory can have more SEO impact than 20 links from DR 20 directories combined.
For early-stage startups starting with a low or zero domain rating, high-DR directory backlinks provide the fastest path to meaningful DR improvement. Once your DR rises, you rank better across all your target keywords — creating a compounding growth effect.
Of these 53 high-DR directories, 47 are free to submit to and 46 offer dofollow links. Prioritize the intersection: free, dofollow, high-DR directories are your single best submission target.
Authority Floor
DR 70 minimum
Median DR 79
Link Value
86.8% dofollow
88.7% free in this tier
Execution Cost
81.1% account-required
0% include CAPTCHA
These are premium authority targets, so optimize for completeness over speed: use stronger listing copy, richer media, and category-relevant positioning to improve approval rates on high-competition platforms.
SourceForge
⏱ 3-7 days
Product Hunt
⏱ Instant after launch
Crunchbase
⏱ 1-3 days
Capterra
⏱ 3-7 days
AngelList / Wellfound
⏱ 1-3 days
Tech in Asia
⏱ 5-10 days
GeekWire
⏱ 7-14 days
MakeUseOf
⏱ 14-30 days
G2
⏱ 3-7 days
Software Advice
⏱ 5-10 days
GetApp
⏱ 3-7 days
Get App
⏱ 5-10 days
F6S
⏱ Instant
Devpost
⏱ Instant
Clutch
⏱ 3-7 days
FinancesOnline
⏱ 5-10 days
Changelog
⏱ 3-7 days
TrustRadius
⏱ 3-5 days
AlternativeTo
⏱ 1-3 days
StackShare
⏱ Instant
SiteJabber
⏱ Instant
Built In
⏱ 5-10 days
EU-Startups
⏱ 7-14 days
Webwiki
⏱ Instant
SoftwareSuggest
⏱ 3-7 days
Inc42
⏱ 7-14 days
SaaSHub
⏱ 1-3 days
CrozDesk
⏱ 3-7 days
Dang
⏱ 1-3 days
Gust
⏱ 3-7 days
SaaSworthy
⏱ 1-3 days
Tool Pilot
⏱ 1-3 days
SoftwareWorld
⏱ 3-7 days
Trustpilot
⏱ Instant
DEV Community (dev.to)
⏱ Instant
Alternative.me
⏱ 3-7 days
e27
⏱ 5-10 days
Toolify
⏱ 1-3 days
Slant
⏱ Instant
Hacker News (Show HN)
⏱ Instant
Side Projectors
⏱ 1-3 days
CrowdReviews
⏱ 3-7 days
Tekpon
⏱ 3-7 days
Softonic
⏱ 7-14 days
AppSumo
⏱ 14-30 days
BetaList
⏱ 3-7 days
Futurepedia
⏱ 2-3 days
GoodFirms
⏱ 3-7 days
There's An AI For That
⏱ 3-7 days
KillerStartups
⏱ 3-7 days
Indie Hackers
⏱ Instant
StackSocial
⏱ 7-14 days
PeerPush
⏱ 1-3 days
Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' metric for measuring the overall backlink authority of a website, on a scale of 0–100. A higher DR means a stronger, more authoritative site. When a high-DR directory links to your startup, it passes more link equity (PageRank) than a low-DR directory would. For startups building their SEO foundation, prioritizing high-DR directories gives you the fastest and most durable improvements to your own domain rating.
In the backlinks.fyi database, we define high DR as 70 or above. Directories in the DR 70–79 range are strong authority sites; DR 80+ directories are exceptional. A backlink from any high-DR directory will meaningfully contribute to your domain's authority — especially for early-stage startups starting from a low DR baseline.
Start with high-DR directories, but don't stop there. A diverse backlink profile that includes a range of DRs looks more natural to Google and is harder for competitors to replicate. After submitting to all high-DR directories, work through the rest of the backlinks.fyi database. Lower-DR links still contribute to your profile's diversity and can drive qualified referral traffic in their own niches.
No — not all high-DR directories are dofollow. Some large platforms like review sites use nofollow or sponsored link attributes. Of the 53 directories listed here, 46 offer dofollow links. Filter or sort by link type to prioritize the highest-value targets.