Short answer: for SaaS, the directories that matter are the software review platforms buyers actually use to shortlist tools — G2, Capterra, GetApp, Software Advice and TrustRadius — plus discovery sites like AlternativeTo, SaaSHub and StackShare. Listing is almost always free; the real asset is reviews. And one 2026 shift changes how you play it: G2 now owns Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice, so they share a review corpus. Here's where to list your software and how to think about each.
The big 2026 shift: G2 Digital Markets
In early 2026, G2 acquired Capterra, GetApp and Software Advice from Gartner. Those three already shared a single review corpus — a review left on one showed up on the others — and now all four sit under one company as G2 Digital Markets. The practical upshot for you: claim all four profiles, keep your product data consistent across them, and coordinate your review efforts, because a review earned in one place can surface in several. It's less "four separate listings" and more "one review ecosystem with four front doors."
The review platforms (the moat)
These are where B2B software buyers go to compare and decide. Listing is free; the reviews are what make the profile worth anything.
| Platform | What it's for |
|---|---|
| G2 | The largest B2B software review site; heavy weight with both Google and AI answer engines. |
| Capterra | Millions of active buyers a month who arrive already searching for a category — strong for purchase-ready traffic. |
| GetApp | Millions of verified reviews across a thousand-plus categories. |
| Software Advice | Guided, advisory-style discovery for buyers who want a recommendation. |
| TrustRadius | Fewer but long-form, rigorously verified reviews aimed at serious B2B buyers. |
| Trustpilot | General trust and social proof, visible in search and to consumers. |
The discovery and comparison sites
Beyond the review giants, a second tier drives ongoing discovery:
- AlternativeTo — where people search for replacements for a tool they already know.
- SaaSHub — a free, well-indexed software discovery directory.
- StackShare — how engineering teams share and discover their tech stacks.
- Product Hunt and Crunchbase — launch buzz and the entity of record; see our startup directory playbook for how these fit a launch.
Position for buyer intent
The most valuable SaaS traffic isn't generic browsing — it's someone typing "alternatives to [the category leader]." Those buyers land with switching intent already formed. So list your product deliberately as an alternative to your closest named competitor, and choose your primary category with care: the category you pick determines which comparisons and shortlists you show up in. This is the SaaS version of the niche-vs-general decision — relevance is everything.
Reviews are the whole game
A free listing is table stakes; a profile with genuine reviews behind it is the actual asset — and it's what AI assistants cite when they answer "best tool for X." The playbook is simple and honest:
- Claim and complete the profile — accurate description, categories, screenshots, pricing.
- Ask real customers for honest reviews, and make it easy for them.
- Build momentum on G2 and Capterra first before pushing traffic from smaller sites.
- Never fake reviews. They're vetted, hard to game, and getting caught is worse than having none — the same trust logic as vetting directories for quality.
A sane rollout
- 1. Claim your 6–9 highest-fit platforms — the G2 family, TrustRadius, and the discovery sites that match your product.
- 2. Optimise each profile and run one QA pass for consistent data.
- 3. Seed genuine reviews from happy customers.
- 4. Then expand into niche and AI-tool directories relevant to your category — not dozens of low-authority ones (see how many directories should you actually submit to?).
Directory listings are also one of the fastest ways to build early backlinks and social proof in your first 90 days — a real bonus on top of the buyer traffic.
Where AIO fits
The review platforms — G2, Capterra, TrustRadius — you handle yourself, because their whole value is reviews and only your customers can supply those. Where AIO helps is the breadth: the general web-directory and smaller software-directory long tail that builds your backlink and citation footprint. Instead of hand-filling dozens of lesser directories while you should be chasing reviews, broadcast your listing across the whole network in one step and get that layer done — then pour your energy into the review moat that actually closes SaaS deals. Do the review platforms by hand; let AIO cover the rest.