About
A launch directory that takes curation seriously
AppLauncher is an independent, self-funded directory for apps that are live and usable, on every platform including the ones other directories squeeze into a generic category.
Why this exists
Launching an app without an audience is mostly a distribution problem. The directories that solve it have drifted in two directions: some sell whatever a maker will pay for, including the link attribute itself, and some have queues so long that a free submission is a coin flip on whether it is still relevant when it goes live. Meanwhile command line tools, self-hosted projects and browser extensions get filed under whichever category fits worst, because platform and purpose are fighting for the same dropdown.
AppLauncher is the correction. Three independent axes so a terminal tool is listed as a terminal tool. A published quality bar and a fixed set of rejection reasons so review is predictable. A free queue capped at 30 days. And a listing that keeps earning after launch week rather than scrolling away.
Who it is for
Solo developers and indie hackers who need distribution without a budget. Startup teams who need a launch date they can plan a release around. Growth teams who need referral traffic they can actually attribute. Agencies running the same launch process across many client apps. If your app is live, on a domain you control, and has a page that explains what it does, you are the audience.
How it is paid for
Paid submission tiers, and later a small number of clearly labeled sponsor placements. Nothing else. There is no engagement-credit marketplace, no pay-per-upvote mechanic and no arrangement where a fee changes a review outcome. A rejected paid submission is refunded in full, automatically, which is what keeps that promise expensive enough to be real.
What is not built yet
Being honest about the state of things: public submissions open in Phase 2, and until then the directory is a curated seed inventory with a waitlist on the submit page. The three free tools are in build and each has a dated stub. Accounts, comments and the content hub come after that. The legal pages are solid drafts pending review by a lawyer, and they say so at the top.
Corrections
If a listing about your app is wrong, out of date, or should not be here at all, tell us and we will fix or remove it. Seed listings are written from public information and are unclaimed until the maker claims them; claiming is free and gives you editing control. Use the contact form and pick "A correction to a listing".
How we operate
Four rules we do not bend
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Curation over volume
A directory is only worth reading if something was left out. We would rather publish six listings a week that clear the bar than sixty that do not.
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Publish the rules
Queue times, the quality bar, every rejection reason code and the exact conditions for a dofollow link are all on the site. If a rule is not written down, it is not a rule.
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Never sell a link attribute
Tiers sell review speed, placement and editorial work. The link attribute is derived from upvotes, badge verification or editorial judgment, and it is not for sale at any price.
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Be useful before the submission
The free tools exist because a better-prepared launch makes a better listing. They work without an account and without an email wall.
Questions we have not answered?
Ask directly. We answer every message within two working days.