betalist.com
What BetaList is and why people still use it
BetaList (betalist.com) is a curated directory where early adopters discover upcoming and recently launched internet startups, and founders try to get those first waves of users and feedback. The positioning is pretty direct: if your product is new and you want an audience that actually enjoys trying new tools, BetaList is built for that.
On the visitor side, the homepage is basically a rolling feed of fresh launches, plus a “Trending Startups” area that highlights posts that are already getting attention. On the founder side, BetaList is about being featured (or promoted) in a way that can send real traffic and signups, especially if your landing page is ready to convert.
How discovery works on the site
If you land on BetaList as a reader, you can browse by topic (SaaS, developer tools, AI tools, analytics, and more) and skim new listings by day. The site leans into recency: daily entries are grouped by date, so it feels like a steady stream rather than a static directory.
The “Trending Startups” section is worth mentioning because it’s not just editorial. BetaList says it uses multiple metrics, including engagement like how many tweets a startup post receives, and while they don’t publish the exact ranking formula, the practical point is simple: if people share and talk about your listing, it has a better shot at staying visible.
There’s also a daily newsletter angle. BetaList runs a daily digest for readers who want a steady feed of new products. That matters because a lot of people who sign up for daily lists are exactly the kind of “try it early” users founders want.
Submitting a startup: what BetaList actually wants
BetaList is curated. You don’t just post and instantly go live. Their support docs make it clear an editorial team reviews submissions and selects what fits the audience. If selected, you typically get an email within about a week. Then, for regular submissions, there can be a queue before the feature goes live—BetaList says it’s often around two months, depending on volume.
The guidelines are pretty concrete, and they explain a lot about why some products don’t make it through:
- Your product should be new (pre-launch, private beta, or recently launched). If you’ve already had major press coverage, you’re less aligned with what their readers come for.
- You generally can’t be “re-featured” repeatedly. BetaList says each startup gets two opportunities: one pre-launch and one during launch, with at least a few weeks between them.
- It needs to be a technology startup. They explicitly call out that blogs, newsletters, courses, consultancies/agencies, and similar offerings are not what their audience is browsing BetaList for.
- Landing page quality matters. They discourage generic templates and thin pages. They also don’t accept submissions that rely on free hosting subdomains (like vercel.app / netlify.app / herokuapp.com) or direct links to app stores/crowdfunding pages. The expectation is: a real product site, on its own domain, with enough detail that a stranger can understand what they’re signing up for.
- Visitors must be able to do something right now: sign up, request access, download, or log in. A “follow us on X to get notified” style gate is called out as not enough.
That last point is underrated. BetaList is built around getting early users. If your listing sends people to a page where they can’t actually join, you waste the moment.
Timelines, priority review, and what “paid” means here
A lot of founders hear “curated” and assume it’s pay-to-play. BetaList’s docs are more specific than that. They offer a priority listing option that speeds up review to a matter of days instead of weeks. If accepted, it’s featured shortly after. But they also emphasize that paying does not guarantee acceptance; you’re paying for priority handling, not for a guaranteed yes.
Priority listing includes a few things: faster review, a decision email regardless of outcome, and guaranteed inclusion in the newsletter if the submission is accepted. If rejected, BetaList says you get an automatic full refund (with banks taking 5–10 business days to show it).
For founders, the clean takeaway is: the platform is still selective. The paid lever is about speed and distribution, not bypassing the quality bar.
Newsletter inclusion and performance tracking
Newsletter placement is one of the biggest reasons people care about BetaList, but it’s not identical for every listing. BetaList says expedited (priority) reviews will always be included in the newsletter if accepted. For regular submissions, the newsletter includes only the most popular featured startups, not every single one. There’s also a delay: at least 24 hours between being featured and being included, so popularity can be judged more fairly.
On analytics, BetaList says it automatically adds UTM parameters to links to your site, so you can track performance in analytics tools by looking for traffic from source “betalist.” That’s helpful because otherwise you end up guessing whether the feature “worked.”
Advertising options: when you’re not trying to be “featured”
BetaList draws a line between being featured as a startup (via submissions) and advertising. Their Advertise page spells out three ad package types:
- Partnership: starting at $99,000/year
- Sponsorship: $9,000/month
- Boost: $999/day
These placements include visibility on the homepage, in the newsletter, and on social channels, depending on the package. BetaList also states scale numbers right on the page: 250,000+ pageviews per month, and a newsletter with 30,000+ subscribers sent daily. They mention an average of about 400 clicks per week, with the obvious caveat that results depend heavily on the product and messaging.
So if your product doesn’t fit submission guidelines (or you want predictable timing around a launch), advertising is the straightforward route.
Who BetaList fits best, realistically
BetaList tends to work best when three things are true:
- Your product is genuinely new, and the landing page is clear enough that a cold visitor will understand it fast.
- You’re ready to capture signups immediately (waitlists, onboarding, beta access).
- You can handle feedback. Early adopters don’t just sign up; they ask questions, they poke holes, they want fast responses.
If you’re expecting a massive traffic spike like a mainstream press hit, that’s usually not the point. BetaList’s pitch is more about targeted discovery—people who browse it are there to try new services, not casually scroll.
Key takeaways
- BetaList is a curated startup discovery site for early adopters and founders seeking early feedback.
- Acceptance depends heavily on “newness,” being a real tech startup, and having a distinct, credible landing page on your own domain.
- Regular submissions can take time to be featured; priority review speeds things up but doesn’t guarantee acceptance.
- Newsletter inclusion is automatic for accepted priority listings, but selective for regular listings.
- Advertising packages exist for guaranteed timing and placement, with stated pricing and audience scale on the Advertise page.
FAQ
Is BetaList only for pre-launch startups?
No. BetaList says it features both pre-launch and recently launched startups, as long as they’re relatively new and a good fit for the audience.
What gets a submission rejected most often?
Based on the published guidelines: products that aren’t really “technology startups,” products that aren’t new, and landing pages that look generic or don’t let visitors sign up or access the product. Also, submissions without a proper domain (or that use free hosting subdomains) are explicitly disallowed.
How long does it take to get featured?
BetaList says you’ll hear back within about a week if selected, and after acceptance it often takes around two months to get featured (queue-dependent). Priority listings are reviewed within a few days and featured shortly after if accepted.
Does paying for priority guarantee I’ll be listed?
No. BetaList states you’re paying for the priority service (faster review, decision email, and newsletter inclusion if accepted), not guaranteed acceptance.
Can I track traffic from my BetaList listing?
Yes. BetaList says it automatically adds UTM parameters so you can track visits in analytics tools and look for source “betalist.”
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