LaunchRepoBetaList alternatives matter again because BetaList changed its rules: its support page says all submissions are paid and there is no free option. We keep a catalog of 299 launch platforms for LaunchRepo and removed 50 of them, BetaList included, because the only way in costs money. Here are ten whose free route we opened on September 28, 2026 (one from our last catalog check): what it costs, how long it takes and who sees your product.
How we picked
- A free route that worked on the check day. Paid upgrades are named so you know what to decline.
- Room for early products: an editorial queue, a launch date, a showcase or a community where a beta or a product launched weeks ago is welcome.
- People who look for new products, not a directory nobody browses.
- At most ten names, editorial and launch sites first, then communities. The order is not a ranking, and we did not measure traffic from any of them.
The ten free BetaList alternatives
For each platform: what it is, who it fits, the check date and our source. The table below compares them with BetaList.
Launching Next
Editorial startup directoryThe closest match to BetaList: an editor picks which submitted startups are published. Submitting is free and needs no account; paid options only speed up the review. It blocks automated visits, so this entry uses our September catalog check.
Good fit if: you can wait months and are fine hearing back only if you are selected.
Pitchwall
Launch site with newsletterA long-running launch site: one free day on the homepage and a chance of a newsletter mention, close to the BetaList format.
Good fit if: you can plan a month ahead and want a newsletter shot without paying for it.
Tiny Startups
Curated launch platformA hand-approved launch platform for small startups. The free listing needs no account and goes live once you post about it on X; the revenue step accepts “not making money yet”.
Good fit if: you are active on X and your product is small, new or pre-revenue.
StartupBase
Launch site with queueA daily launch site that describes its audience as founders and early adopters. It has two free queues: with its badge on your site, or without a badge and a longer wait.
Good fit if: you want a real launch day and can accept a date that is assigned to you.
Startup Inspire
Startup directoryA startup directory whose free plan covers one startup with a permanent page. The submission form asks for your launch status and launch date, so an upcoming product fits.
Good fit if: your startup is not launched yet and you want a lasting profile now.
TechPluto
Tech news siteA tech news site that writes about startups it selects by novelty, vision and impact. Submitting is a free form; coverage is never guaranteed.
Good fit if: your idea is unusual enough to be a story and you do not depend on the result.
ComingUp
Daily launch listA daily list of new products where you pick your own launch date, today or later. You need a free account and can submit one product per day.
Good fit if: you want a date you control and no queue.
LaunchVibe
Launch siteA launch site that promises free launches without a credit card and a leaderboard of new products. The only paid offer is a sponsor slot.
Good fit if: you want a quick free listing while you wait for slower editorial sites.
SideProjectors
Project marketplaceA marketplace for side projects that also lets you showcase a project or look for a co-founder. The standard manual review is free.
Good fit if: your beta is a side project or you are still looking for a co-founder.
Indie Hackers
Founder communityA community of bootstrapped founders with free product pages. Honest posts about what you are building bring the early readers.
Good fit if: you want feedback before launch and like writing about your progress.
Compared with BetaList
Cost, wait, audience and what “live” means, as published on each platform’s own pages on the check day. Queues move every day, so treat the waits as a snapshot from September 28, 2026.
| Platform | Free route | Wait for a free launch | Audience | What “live” means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetaListPaid pre-launch showcase with editorial review | No free route: “All submissions are paid”; prices appear only at the end of the signed-in form. Full automatic refund if not selected, none once featured | Depends on the paid plan; shown when you choose it | Early adopters looking for upcoming and recently launched startups | Featured on the day’s timeline after editorial acceptance; newsletter only with some plans |
| Launching NextEditorial startup directory | Free, no account; paid options only speed up the review | Manual review, typically 2 to 4 months | People browsing new startups | Published only if selected; you get an email only then |
| PitchwallLaunch site with newsletter | Free Launch; Pro $49 and Premium $99 are optional | At least 30 days (Pro: 2 weeks) | Makers and founders; the site states 50,000+ newsletter subscribers | One day on the homepage; newsletter mention not guaranteed |
| Tiny StartupsCurated launch platform | Free after you post about the listing on X; upgrades from $69 skip the post and the queue | Not published | Indie makers; the site states a weekly newsletter read by 25k+ founders | Hand-approved listing; popular ones reach the homepage and the newsletter |
| StartupBaseLaunch site with queue | Free with its badge on your site, or free without a badge; paid launch from $39 | About 4 to 5 weeks with the badge, 10+ weeks without | Founders and early adopters | Launch on an assigned date; no guaranteed homepage or newsletter slot for free launches |
| Startup InspireStartup directory | Free for one startup; Standard €19 and Premium €49 are lifetime options | Not published; our September test showed “Under review” | Readers browsing new startups | A permanent profile page once reviewed |
| TechPlutoTech news site | Free form; the paid Priority Pass is optional | Not published; our two September applications were not published after 10 to 11 days | Tech news readers | An article, only if the editors select your startup |
| ComingUpDaily launch list | Free with a free account, one product per day | None: you pick the date, today or later | Makers checking the daily list | On the homepage on your chosen date; outbound links are nofollow |
| LaunchVibeLaunch site | Free, no credit card; sponsor slot $29 for 30 days is optional | None published | Founders browsing the leaderboard | Product page and leaderboard entry; outbound links are nofollow |
| SideProjectorsProject marketplace | Free standard review; priority review is a one-time payment | Most projects within 2 to 5 business days | Developers and buyers of side projects | Approved project page, as a showcase, for sale or seeking a co-founder |
| Indie HackersFounder community | Free product page; IH+ at $198 a year is optional | None | Bootstrapped founders | Product page public at once; reach comes from your posts |
Startup launch platforms →
Best startup directories in 2026 →
Product Hunt alternatives →
What to prepare for a beta launch
- A landing page on your own domain
- BetaList rejects free hosting subdomains, and editors judge the page first. Say what it does, for whom, and how to join.
- A real way to sign up
- A waitlist, a beta invite or a working sign-up, so an early adopter’s one visit is not wasted.
- One text in three lengths
- A name, a one-line pitch and a description of a few hundred characters. Every platform here asks for some version of these.
- A tracker with honest states
- Submitted, in review, scheduled and live are different. Editorial sites may never answer, so write down the date you applied and check back.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for one editorial yes
- Editorial queues take months and may not answer. Submit to slow ones early, use fast ones meanwhile.
- Launching the beta and the launch as one event
- BetaList itself allows one feature pre-launch and one at launch. Keep some platforms for your public launch.
- Paying to skip a queue you did not plan for
- Most waits are published. Plan a month ahead and the free route is usually enough.
- Asking for upvotes
- Launch sites forbid vote rings and bought votes. Tell people you launched; do not tell them how to vote.
Questions
Is BetaList free?
No. On September 28, 2026 its support page said: “All submissions are paid. There is no free submission option.” BetaList used to offer free submissions. If your startup is not selected, the payment is refunded in full automatically; once it has been featured, refunds are not available.
How much does BetaList cost?
The submission prices appear only at the end of the signed-in submission form; we did not sign in or pay, so we do not publish them. Its public Boost page sells homepage placement plus newsletter inclusion at $99 a week or $199 a month, on top of being featured.
BetaList review: is it worth paying for?
It can be, if your page meets its criteria and you have the budget: thanks to the automatic refund, you only pay if you are selected. We did not measure traffic from BetaList.
What is the best free BetaList alternative?
For an editorial pick like BetaList, Launching Next, if you can wait. For a newsletter chance, Pitchwall. For a date you control this week, ComingUp.
Can I list a product that is not launched yet?
On some. Startup Inspire asks for your launch status, SideProjectors takes showcase projects and co-founder searches, and Indie Hackers works well for building in public. Launch sites usually want a working product, so read the rules first.
Can an AI agent submit my beta to these sites?
For launch sites with forms, yes, with you handling logins, CAPTCHA and verification. Write community posts and posts on X yourself. LaunchRepo gives your agent the playbooks and a tracker.
Launch on the alternatives without doing every form by hand
LaunchRepo gives your AI agent a playbook for each of 299 launch platforms and a tracker that keeps queued, scheduled and live apart. The launch price is €99.98, paid once, for unlimited own products.
See pricing