Launch catalog / Playbook
Startup Benchmarks
Conditional free route directory
Researched from public pages — no submission was run · sources read 2026-09-26. Rules change — recheck the platform's own pages before submitting.
What the free route requires
- An account is required before the submission form is reachable — 'Log in to Submit' gates everything (Google OAuth at /api/auth/google or email signup at /signup)
Requirements
- Software/startup products across ~55 categories (AI assistants, dev tools, productivity, marketing, finance, etc.)
- Account registration is mandatory to submit
- Self-described scope: 'startup software for operations, growth, collaboration, and day-to-day execution'
Prepare before opening the form
- Account (Google sign-in or email + password at /signup)
- Product name, URL, description, category fit, logo/screenshot
- Check post-login whether a free tier exists — pricing is not visible before login
Workflow
- Sign up/log in at https://startupbenchmarks.com/login or /api/auth/google
- Open /submit (or 'Submit' in nav → /get-started)
- Fill the product submission form, pick a category, submit
- Verify the listing on /explore or /latest
Watch for
- The submit form is entirely behind auth — you cannot preview requirements or pricing without an account
- Persistent top ad links to submitsaas.com (paid 140+ directory submission service) — likely the operator's upsell; don't confuse it with the site's own free route
- Login copy says 'submit your AI tool' though the directory is broader — the site was probably templated from an AI-directory codebase
- Post-login there may be a paid/priority tier — unknown until inside
What counts as live
The product appears on https://startupbenchmarks.com/explore or /latest with its own listing page and outbound link
Not verified
- Whether a free tier exists behind the login wall
- Form fields and review process
- Whether links are dofollow