The Startup Benchmarks Alternative Where You Pick
Submitator is a Startup Benchmarks alternative at about the same price, with one big difference: you choose your own directories instead of taking a fixed list. Startup Benchmarks submits you to directories "from this list" for $25 (25 directories) or $50 (50), and promises a specific Domain Rating jump. Submitator is $29 to $79 for 30 to 100 directories that you pick, with the badges handled and a live link proving every listing.
We're not going to pretend we're dramatically cheaper, we're not. Per directory the two are within pennies of each other. So this comparison is about what actually differs: who picks the directories, whether the badges get handled, how you prove the work happened, and one promise on their pricing page that no directory service can really keep. Here's the honest breakdown.
Startup Benchmarks vs Submitator
| Feature | Submitator | Startup Benchmarks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29–79 one-time | $25–50 one-time |
| Directories | 30–100, you pick | 25–50, fixed list |
| Choose your directories | ||
| Badges handled | ||
| Proof per listing | Live dashboard + link | Works from a list |
| Promises a DR number |
Startup Benchmarks pricing ($0 free / $25 for 25 directories / $50 for 50, one-time) and the 'from this list' scope and 'increase your DR from 0 to 10 (or 15) in 2 weeks' claim are from its public pricing page when last checked (July 2026); its free tier requires a reciprocal backlink to its site. Some pages (the directory list, account terms) sit behind login and weren't fully verified. Submitator is $29/30, $49/60, $79/100 one-time, directories you choose, with a live link per listing and a 30-day refund.
Same ballpark on price. Not on control.
Let's put the money to bed first. Startup Benchmarks is $25 for 25 directories and $50 for 50, so a flat dollar a directory. Submitator is $29 for 30, $49 for 60, and $79 for 100, which works out to 79 cents to 97 cents a directory, a little less, and more directories once you scale up. Close enough that price shouldn't decide it. What should decide it is that with them you don't choose where you're listed, and with us you do.
You pick. They submit "from this list."
Startup Benchmarks' own plans say it best: "Submit to 25 directories (from this list)." The list is fixed and pre-set, and you take what's on it. There is no hand-picking, no filtering to the directories that actually fit your product. Submitator hands you the whole catalog. You choose your directories from your dashboard, filtered by category or Domain Rating, and skip the ones that don't belong.
The "DR from 0 to 10 in 2 weeks" promise
This is the line worth pausing on. Startup Benchmarks' pricing promises to "increase your DR from 0 to 10 in 2 weeks" on the $25 plan, and 0 to 15 on the $50 one. Domain Rating is Ahrefs' own metric; no submission service controls it, it moves on Ahrefs' schedule, and a 10-to-15-point jump in two weeks from a batch of directory links is not something anyone can honestly guarantee. A promise you can't enforce isn't a feature. Submitator doesn't put a DR number on the box. It gives you real, dofollow directory listings and a live link for each, and lets your Domain Rating do what it does, which you can actually verify.
Badges? Not handled.
Some high-value directories only keep your listing live if you display their badge on your site. Startup Benchmarks doesn't handle those, so that part is on you. Submitator installs one badge component once and places and keeps every directory's badge live for you, so listings that require one stay live without you touching your site.
A live link, not a spreadsheet
Startup Benchmarks works from a pre-set list and reports back against it. Submitator gives you a live dashboard with a clickable link for every submission, so you can open each listing and confirm the backlink is really there, today and next month, instead of trusting a row in a spreadsheet. Every entry is a link you can click and check, not a row you have to take on faith.
Same price. You pick. Badges handled.
30 to 100 directories you choose, a live link for each, badges handled. From $29, one-time.
When Startup Benchmarks might fit
To be fair: if the fixed list already covers the directories you'd want, you don't care about choosing, and a dollar a directory works for you, Startup Benchmarks does the job at a fair price. Submitator is the better fit when you want to pick your own directories, have the badges handled, verify each listing with a live link, and not pay for a Domain Rating promise no service can keep, all for about the same money.
Real backlinks. Real DR. Real proof.
FAQ
Is Submitator a good Startup Benchmarks alternative?
Yes. The price is roughly the same, but Submitator lets you pick your own directories instead of submitting to a fixed list, handles the badges some directories require, proves each listing with a live link, and doesn't promise a Domain Rating number no service can control. If you want control and proof for about the same money, it's the better pick.
How much does Startup Benchmarks cost?
Startup Benchmarks is $25 for 25 directories and $50 for 50 (about $1 per directory), plus a free tier that gets you one listing on its own site but requires a reciprocal backlink to their site. Submitator is $29 for 30 directories, $49 for 60, and $79 for 100, a little less per directory, and more directories at the top. On price the two are close; the difference is what you get for it.
Can you choose your directories with Startup Benchmarks?
No. Its plans submit you to directories 'from this list', a fixed, pre-set list you don't get to hand-pick from. Submitator hands you the whole catalog, so you choose every directory in your dashboard, filtered by category or Domain Rating, and target exactly where your product fits.
Does Startup Benchmarks really guarantee a DR increase?
Its pricing promises to 'increase your DR from 0 to 10 in 2 weeks' (or 0 to 15 on the $50 plan). Domain Rating is an Ahrefs metric that no submission service controls, and a jump like that from directory links in two weeks isn't something anyone can honestly guarantee. Submitator doesn't promise a DR number; it gives you real, dofollow directory listings you can verify yourself.
Does Startup Benchmarks handle directory badges?
No. It doesn't offer to install or maintain the badges some directories require to keep your listing live. Submitator installs one badge component once and keeps every directory's badge live for you.
What do you get as proof?
Startup Benchmarks works from a pre-set list and reports back on it. Submitator gives you a live dashboard with a clickable link for every submission, so you can open each listing and confirm the backlink is live, today and next month, instead of trusting a spreadsheet.
Comparing options? See the others.
You pick. Badges handled. Real proof.
100+ real directories you choose, dofollow backlinks, badges handled, a live link for each. From $29, one-time.