App Directories Where I Would Submit a Mobile App First
App directories are what I would look for after the obvious step of publishing a mobile app on the App Store or Google Play. The stores are mandatory, but they are not enough if you want early users, backlinks, search visibility, and places where people can discover the app outside the store ecosystem.
Founder of SaaS Directories
The app stores are only the first distribution layer
For a mobile app, I would separate distribution into two layers. The first layer is mandatory: Apple App Store and Google Play. The second layer is where most founders underinvest: public pages around the web that explain what the app does, link back to the site or store page, and give people another way to discover it. That second layer is what this article is about. Some app directories are closer to launch platforms, some are startup directories, and some are software discovery sites that can still work if the app has a clear use case.
I would not submit a mobile app everywhere. I would start with sites where people expect to discover new products, where the submission flow is clear, and where the final page can be found by search engines. The goal is not to replace App Store Optimization. It is to create extra discovery surfaces, referral paths, and backlinks around the app.
How I would choose the first sites
- Publish or prepare your App Store and Google Play pages first.
- Prioritize directories that create a public product page, not just a temporary post.
- Use launch platforms when the app is new, polished, and ready for feedback.
- Submit only where the audience can understand the mobile app from a short description.
Questions I would ask before submitting
- Where should I submit a mobile app besides the App Store?
- Start with launch platforms, startup directories, product discovery sites, and app-friendly software directories that create public pages linking back to your app or website.
- Are app directories good for mobile app SEO?
- They can help create backlinks, branded search results, and referral paths, but they do not replace App Store Optimization, content, reviews, or real user acquisition.
- Should every mobile app use Product Hunt-style launch sites?
- Only if the app is ready for public feedback and has a clear story. Some apps are better suited to niche directories or communities before a broader launch.
25 places I would check first (see all 299 sites)
Start with this shortlist, then open each submission page and keep track of the ones that are relevant to your product.
You may also want to compare product hunt alternatives, startup submission sites, ai tools directories, best places to launch a saas, where to submit my saas.