Launch plan · AI tools
Where to launch an AI tool
AI tools have their own directories, and many of them now charge. The strongest launches pair one general launch board with a few carefully chosen AI directories, rather than paying for dozens.
What to have ready
- One real example of the tool's output on your landing page, since every directory visitor looks for it first.
- A demo people can try without a long sign-up. Hugging Face can host a static Space for free.
- A budget for directories: several charge a review fee, such as $49 at There's An AI For That and $99 at Toolify.
- If the tool has an MCP server, the published package, since the official MCP registry stores metadata only.
01
Before launch: interest and feedback
Show the tool doing a real task and collect people who want to try it.
BetaList
For unreleased technology startups with a custom landing page; submissions are paid.
Paid submissionStep-by-step guide
Hugging Face Spaces
Static Spaces are free, and a working demo in front of the ML community is the best early test.
Free + paid options, paid from $0.03 an hour for CPU Upgrade
02
Launch week: a board with an audience for new tools
Pick one general board and one AI-focused listing with a free route.
Product Hunt
Free to launch, with a tagline limit of 60 characters and at least two gallery images.
Free submissionStep-by-step guide
Uneed
A free queue up to five months out, or paid fast-track from $14.99.
Free + paid options, paid from $14.99 fast-trackStep-by-step guide
03
First month: paid AI directories, chosen carefully
Compare each fee with the directory's traffic and how similar tools are presented before paying.
There's An AI For That
Basic listing is a $49 review fee, with every submission reviewed by staff.
Paid submission, from $49 review fee
TopAI.tools
From $47, with an automatic refund if the tool is not accepted.
Paid submission, from $47 Fast Track
Dang.ai
Free with a backlink (up to 4 weeks), or $49 for a 4 day review.
Free + paid options, paid from $49 Basic
The Rundown AI
A paid sponsorship across AI, Tech and Robotics editions, with a performance report a week after.
Paid submission
04
If the tool speaks MCP: agent and assistant registries
An MCP server makes the tool usable inside Claude, ChatGPT and coding agents. Register it once in the official registry, then submit to the directories whose users you want.
Official MCP Registry
Free, stores metadata only, and several directories read from it. Publish the package first.
Free submission
Claude Connectors Directory
Remote servers are reviewed; every tool needs a title and a read-only or destructive annotation.
Free submission
ChatGPT plugin directory
Needs a verified OpenAI Platform identity, a public MCP endpoint and at least 8 test cases.
Fee not confirmed
Smithery
Publish a Streamable HTTP server by URL, or an .mcpb bundle for a local one.
Free + paid options
05
Ongoing: buyers and AI assistants
Keep a structured listing where buyers and assistants can find you.
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying for many directories at once, before you know which ones send people who stay.
- Listing the tool before it can be tried, which directory visitors notice within seconds.
- Describing it like every other tool in its category instead of saying what it does better.
How to tell if it worked
- Signups per directory against what you paid for the listing. The launch tracker records both.
- Whether people from each directory come back after the first try.
The launch tracker keeps each channel's cost and results in your browser, and launch receipts shows what other founders got from the same channels.
More tips
- Put one real example of the output on your landing page; every directory visitor will look for it.
- Track referrals per directory so you know which fees were worth paying.
Fees, queues and rules change. Every channel page shows when it was last checked and links to the site's own pages.
See every channel for AI toolsQuestions about launching AI tools
Are paid AI directories worth it?
- Some are, for some tools. Fees range from free listings to a $49 review fee at There's An AI For That and $99 at Toolify. Look at how similar tools are presented before paying, and track signups per directory so you know which fees paid off.
How do I get my AI tool into Claude or ChatGPT?
- Through an MCP server. Register it in the official MCP registry, then apply to the assistant directories. Claude's connectors directory reviews remote servers and needs a title and a read-only or destructive annotation on every tool. ChatGPT's directory needs a verified OpenAI Platform identity, a public MCP endpoint and at least 8 test cases.