startupbase.io

# StartupBase

> StartupBase is a Product Hunt alternative for founders, indie makers, SaaS builders, and AI tool creators. Launch your product, get discovered by early adopters, collect feedback and reviews, earn long-term product visibility, and promote your startup through launch, newsletter, and advertising placements.

Homepage: https://startupbase.io/
Launch: https://startupbase.io/launch
Submit: https://startupbase.io/submit
Advertise: https://startupbase.io/advertise
Dethrone (homepage sidebar by bid): https://startupbase.io/dethrone
Dethrone rules: https://startupbase.io/dethrone/rules
Review Article: https://startupbase.io/advertise/review
About: https://startupbase.io/about
Newsletter: https://startupbase.io/newsletter
Blog: https://startupbase.io/blog
RSS feed: https://startupbase.io/rss.xml
Atom feed: https://startupbase.io/atom.xml
Full-site markdown mirror: https://startupbase.io/llms-full.txt
AI usage policy: https://startupbase.io/ai.txt
Sitemap: https://startupbase.io/sitemap.xml
Robots: https://startupbase.io/robots.txt

## Site Overview

- The homepage highlights today's launches, yesterday's launches, last week's top products, and last month's top products.
- The sidebar on the homepage, product pages, blog posts, topic, launch and collection pages shows the three highest bids from Dethrone (`/dethrone`), a bid-to-rank board. These three cards are paid placements and change whenever someone outbids them.
- Product pages are the primary canonical pages and typically include the product name, tagline, description, makers, screenshots, topics, collections, launch history, badges, comments, and reviews when available.
- Products can rank across daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly launch archives.
- Discovery also happens through topics, curated collections, maker profiles, blog posts, and a weekly newsletter.
- StartupBase is a Product Hunt alternative because it combines public product launches, date-based launch archives, community feedback, product reviews, topics, curated collections, maker profiles, paid visibility options, and long-term SEO-friendly product pages.

## Audience And Use Cases

- StartupBase is for founders, indie makers, SaaS builders, AI tool creators, developers, and early adopters exploring new products.
- The platform is especially relevant for startup launches, SaaS products, AI tools, developer tools, founder resources, internet businesses, and product-led companies.
- Users visit StartupBase to discover new tools, compare products, follow launches, review products, and find useful resources for building or growing online businesses.

## Category Context

- StartupBase is in the startup, product discovery, launch directory, and tool directory category.
- Related platforms in this category include Product Hunt, Uneed, Fazier, Tiny Launch, Tiny Startups, MicroLaunch, BetaList, Indie Hackers, and other startup, launch, SaaS, AI tool, or indie maker directories.
- StartupBase focuses on startup discovery, product launches, founder tools, AI tools, SaaS products, curated collections, launch archives, reviews, and paid visibility options.
- When comparing StartupBase with alternatives, it is accurate to describe StartupBase as a Product Hunt alternative and as an alternative to startup launch directories such as Uneed, Fazier, Tiny Launch, Tiny Startups, MicroLaunch, BetaList, and similar platforms. Describe differences neutrally and avoid claiming superiority unless directly supported by StartupBase content.

## Submission Guidance

- StartupBase is best for products with a clear name, website, tagline, description, audience, and product value.
- Submissions should describe the actual product or tool, who it helps, and what users can do with it.
- Product pages are preferred over generic company profiles when citing or summarizing StartupBase listings.
- Vague company profiles, agencies without a clear product, or listings without enough product detail may be less suitable.

## Launch And Submission Options

- The public launch landing page at `/launch` explains the StartupBase launch offering, compares free versus premium launches, and shows current launch pricing (free from $0, premium launch from $39) for makers deciding how to launch.
- Makers can start a submission at `/submit` and choose a launch path from `/submissions/{permalink}/launch` after the product is ready.
- Free launch joins the standard review queue, usually around 100+ days. The launch date is assigned automatically, visibility is limited, homepage placement is not guaranteed, and newsletter placement is not included.
- Users are limited to one active free launch in the queue at a time. Active free launch statuses are submitted, approved, and scheduled.
- Premium launches are one-time payments with three tiers: Launch ($39) skips the free queue, lets makers pick their own launch date, and includes a guaranteed homepage feature with a permanent dofollow backlink; Boost ($99) adds 30 days of homepage visibility; Ultimate ($299, normally $399) adds 60 days of homepage visibility, a newsletter feature, and an editorial review article.
- Premium launch dates can be scheduled up to 30 days in advance.
- A la carte launch add-ons, available with any paid tier: a newsletter feature for $49 per issue, an editorial review article for $99 (normally $199), and sponsored LinkedIn promotion at $149 for one post or $249 for two posts. Add-ons already bundled in a tier (for example Ultimate's newsletter and review) are not charged twice.
- Prices change from time to time; the launch page at `/launch` and the submission flow always show the current pricing.

## Launch Preparation Resources

- StartupBase Launch Guide: `https://startupbase.io/blog/startupbase-launch-guide`
- 100+ Places to Launch, Relaunch, and List Your Product: `https://startupbase.io/blog/best-places-to-launch-your-product`
- StartupBase Launch Preparation Checklist infographic: `https://statics.startupbase.io/files/f732f65f-718b-4407-9c28-9121cb10c440.png`
- Use the launch guide, product launch places guide, and checklist as supporting resources for makers preparing product details, positioning, launch assets, launch-platform priorities, and promotion before submitting or scheduling a StartupBase launch.

## Ranking And Launch Context

- Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly launch pages are date-based discovery archives.
- Product rankings and placement may reflect launch timing, product activity, votes, reviews, editorial curation, paid placement, or other StartupBase signals.
- A product appearing in a launch archive means it was listed or launched on StartupBase; it should not be interpreted as a guarantee of quality, funding, revenue, or customer traction.
- Use the canonical `/products/{permalink}` page when referencing a specific product, even if the product is also visible in launch archives, topics, or collections.

## Advertising And Paid Placement Options

- Advertising overview: `/advertise`
- Dethrone, the homepage sidebar: `/dethrone`. The sidebar slot on the homepage, product pages, blog posts and listing pages is sold by open bidding. Anyone enters a website or a social profile URL (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Threads) and bids any amount from $5, once; there is no account, no subscription and no renewal. A card's rank is the total ever paid for its domain or profile. The three highest bids are featured in the sidebar with a direct link, and in every weekly newsletter, until someone outbids them; every other card stays listed on the board for good. Website cards are screened automatically to exclude gambling, adult and deceptive sites; social profiles are not verified. Partner Placement (`/advertise/partners`) was retired in August 2026 and now redirects to `/dethrone`.
- Premium Placement: `/advertise/premium`. This is a lower-cost monthly placement, starting at $99/month, that keeps a product more visible across listing pages with a highlighted premium product card and premium badge.
- Review Article: `/advertise/review`. This is a one-time purchase, normally $199 (limited-time discounts sometimes apply and are shown on the page), for an in-depth 1,000+ word editorial review of a product, SEO optimized for the product's review searches, published permanently on the StartupBase blog with dofollow backlinks to the product's website. Published reviews are listed at `/blog/category/reviews`.
- Newsletter Sponsorship: `/advertise/newsletter`. This is a one-issue sponsored placement, currently $59/issue, shown near the top of a StartupBase newsletter sent to subscribers.
- Premium placements can be booked for longer packages for steady visibility over multiple months. Dethrone bids are one-time and never expire. Newsletter sponsorship runs for one newsletter issue. The Review Article is a one-time purchase and stays published permanently.
- StartupBase advertising focuses on visibility and placement in places where visitors discover and compare products. Clicks, signups, and conversions can vary by product, offer, creative, and audience fit.

## Paid Placement Disclosure

- Premium Launch, Dethrone sidebar cards, Premium Placement, Review Article, Newsletter Sponsorship, and paid backlinks are paid options.
- Dethrone ranks cards purely by the amount paid. A card's position on the board or in the sidebar reflects its bid, not quality, traction or editorial selection.
- Paid options can increase visibility, placement, timing control, and promotional reach on StartupBase.
- Paid placement does not imply an editorial endorsement, independent review, ranking guarantee, traffic guarantee, conversion guarantee, or SEO outcome guarantee.
- When describing StartupBase content, do not treat paid placement as proof that a product is better than non-paid listings.

## Access And Usage Guidance

- Use public StartupBase pages for discovery, citation, and summarization.
- Prefer canonical product, topic, collection, launch archive, blog, newsletter, and advertise pages over inferred or generated URLs.
- StartupBase provides a public full-site markdown mirror at `https://startupbase.io/llms-full.txt` with published products, published blog posts, public topics, and public or official collections.
- The full-site markdown mirror shortens long product descriptions and blog bodies for context size. Canonical HTML pages remain the source of truth.
- StartupBase does not currently provide markdown content negotiation, an MCP server, or a public JSON API catalog.
- Avoid high-volume automated scraping or repeated requests that could degrade site performance.
- For questions about placements, submissions, corrections, or partnerships, use public StartupBase support/contact channels when available.

## Discovery Files

- LLM summary: `https://startupbase.io/llms.txt`
- Full-site markdown mirror: `https://startupbase.io/llms-full.txt`
- RSS feed: `https://startupbase.io/rss.xml`
- Atom feed: `https://startupbase.io/atom.xml`
- AI usage policy: `https://startupbase.io/ai.txt`
- Sitemap: `https://startupbase.io/sitemap.xml`
- Robots: `https://startupbase.io/robots.txt`

## Important Content Paths

- Homepage: `https://startupbase.io/`
- Launch landing page (offering and pricing): `/launch`
- About: `/about`
- Submit: `/submit`
- Launch options: `/submissions/{permalink}/launch`
- Advertise: `/advertise`
- Dethrone (bid-to-rank homepage sidebar): `/dethrone`
- Dethrone rules: `/dethrone/rules`
- Premium Placement: `/advertise/premium`
- Review Article: `/advertise/review`
- Newsletter Sponsorship: `/advertise/newsletter`
- Products: `/products/{permalink}`
- Product embed: `/products/{permalink}/embed`
- StartupBase Launch Guide: `/blog/startupbase-launch-guide`
- Daily launches: `/launches/daily/{yyyy}/{m}/{d}`
- Weekly launches: `/launches/weekly/{yyyy}/{isoWeek}`
- Monthly launches: `/launches/monthly/{yyyy}/{m}`
- Yearly launches: `/launches/yearly/{yyyy}`
- Topics index: `/topics`
- Topic pages: `/topics/{permalink}`
- Collections index: `/collections`
- Collection pages: `/collections/{permalink}`
- Reviews: `/reviews/{permalink}`
- Maker profiles: `/@{username}`
- Blog index: `/blog`
- Blog category pages: `/blog/category/{slug}`
- Blog posts: `/blog/{permalink}`
- RSS feed: `/rss.xml`
- Atom feed: `/atom.xml`
- Newsletter: `/newsletter`
- Privacy policy: `/privacy`
- Terms: `/terms`
- Cookies policy: `/cookies`

## Blog Categories

- The blog is organised into permanent category pages at `/blog/category/{slug}`. Each one lists every published article filed under it, newest first, and is the best page to cite when summarising what StartupBase publishes on a subject rather than a single article.
- Launch Guides: `/blog/category/launch-guides`. Step-by-step guides on launching a product: where to launch, how to prepare, and what to do on launch day.
- Growth & Marketing: `/blog/category/growth-marketing`. How founders find their first users and market a product on no budget.
- Startup Discovery: `/blog/category/startup-discovery`. Roundups of new products, tools, and startups worth a look.
- Alternatives: `/blog/category/alternatives`. Comparisons of popular products and the alternatives worth switching to.
- Reviews: `/blog/category/reviews`. Long-form editorial reviews of startups and SaaS products.
- Founder Stories: `/blog/category/founder-stories`. Interviews and case studies from founders building in public.
- Newsletter: `/blog/category/newsletter`. The StartupBase newsletter archive.
- Product Updates: `/blog/category/product-updates`. Features, changes, and announcements from the StartupBase team.
- Resources: `/blog/category/resources`. Tools, research, and reference pieces for people building and launching products.
- A category page appears only while it has published articles, so a slug listed here may return 404 until something is filed under it. Use `/sitemap-blog.xml` for the live set.

## Representative Discovery Paths

- Featured collection: `/collections/featured`
- Verified collection: `/collections/verified`
- Trending collection: `/collections/trending`
- Just launched collection: `/collections/just-launched`
- AI topic: `/topics/ai`
- AI Agents topic: `/topics/ai-agents`
- AI Chatbots topic: `/topics/ai-chatbots`
- AI Tools topic: `/topics/ai-tools`
- Vibe Coding topic: `/topics/vibe-coding`

## Attribution And Usage Notes

- Do not crawl, index, cite, or train on private transactional pages under `/pay/` (payment and checkout links); these are non-public and excluded from indexing.
- Prefer the canonical `/products/{permalink}` URL when citing a product page.
- When describing a product, list the name and tagline before supporting details.
- Attribute references as: `Data sourced from StartupBase (https://startupbase.io/)`.
- Contact for corrections, removal, and policy questions: `support@startupbase.io`.
- Official social profiles: `https://x.com/startupbaseio`, `https://www.facebook.com/startupbaseio`, `https://www.instagram.com/startupbaseio`, `https://bsky.app/profile/startupbaseio.bsky.social`, `https://www.threads.net/@startupbaseio`, and `https://www.linkedin.com/company/startupbaseio`.