Launch catalog / Playbook
StartupTrusted
Conditional free route directory
Researched from public pages — no submission was run · sources read 2026-09-25. Rules change — recheck the platform's own pages before submitting.
What the free route requires
- Free listing requires adding the StartupTrusted badge to your website — automatic badge verification runs before submission
- Free listings are approved only after manual review
Requirements
- Sign-in required — Google OAuth or email
- A site that can carry the badge (free path)
- Startup/business suitable for a 'verified startups' database
Prepare before opening the form
- Google or email credentials
- Startup name, URL, description, logo, category
- Badge HTML deployed to the site before submitting (verification happens before the submission is accepted)
Workflow
- Open https://startuptrusted.com/submit
- Continue with Google or sign in with email
- Add the StartupTrusted badge to your site (free path)
- Pass the automatic badge verification, then complete the submission
- Manual review approves the listing; Pro ($11 one-time) or Featured ($19) skip badge + review wait with instant approval
Watch for
- Badge verification is a pre-submission gate, not a post-publish check — you cannot even file the free form without it
- Pro/Featured are one-time payments with 'permanent' dofollow links; Featured pins above all homepage listings
- Same operator runs sister projects (LaunchIgniter, SaaSGrow, outdr.lol, MacIgniter) — expect cross-promotion
- Manual review means the free path can reject or delay
What counts as live
The startup appears in the StartupTrusted database/category listings with a detail entry.
Not verified
- Manual review duration for the free tier
- Submit-form fields behind the auth wall
- Whether free listings carry dofollow or nofollow links