# Free vs premium launches: which link each partner directory gives (2026)

Compare the dofollow or nofollow link a free launch and a premium launch get on six partner directories, plus what premium adds. Checked October 2026.

A free launch and a premium launch do not get the same link on every directory. This page compares Aura++, EarlyHunt, IndieHunt, MakerHunt, SideHunt, and Uno Directory using each site's own pricing, submit, FAQ, or llms.txt pages.

Checked October 2026. If a page does not state a fact, this post says "not stated". Each partner page lists its premium or paid listing at $29 one-time. Premium Launcher is $300 per month.

## How dofollow, nofollow, ugc, and sponsored differ

A normal link has no rel qualifier. People call that dofollow. Google's guide, [Qualify your outbound links to Google](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/qualify-outbound-links), says you do not add a rel attribute for regular links you expect Google to fetch and parse without qualifications. Use rel="sponsored" for advertisements or paid placements. Use rel="ugc" for user-generated content such as comments and forum posts. Use rel="nofollow" when those values do not apply and you would rather Google not associate your site with the linked page, or crawl that page from your site. Google says links marked with these rel values will generally not be followed. A directory's own "dofollow" or "nofollow" label is that site's statement about the link it publishes. It is not a ranking promise.

## Free vs premium at a glance

Premium listing price on each of these pages is $29 one-time. The free column is the free launch, or the free listing on Uno Directory. MakerHunt and SideHunt also offer a separate free Nofollow plan, noted in that column.

| Directory | Free link | Premium link | Also included with premium |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Aura++ | Nofollow unless top 3 on launch day and a verified badge | Dofollow. Aura++ states DR 74. $29 | Blog with dofollow links; at least 1 X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Pinterest post; 1-day site-wide ad |
| EarlyHunt | Nofollow unless top 3 and the badge is on the maker's site | Dofollow, no badge. EarlyHunt states DR 67 (cited on its page). $29 | Blog with dofollow links; X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Pinterest posts; 7-day site-wide ad |
| IndieHunt | Nofollow by default; top 3 can earn dofollow; badge required | Dofollow immediately, no badge. $29 | SEO launch blog; X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Pinterest posts; 7-day site-wide ads |
| MakerHunt | Free plan: nofollow, dofollow if top 3. Nofollow plan: always nofollow | Dofollow immediately, no badge. $29 | Launch blog; sidebar spotlight while live. Social networks: not stated |
| SideHunt | Free plan: nofollow, dofollow if top 3. Nofollow plan: always nofollow | Dofollow, no badge. Blog links are dofollow. $29 | Launch blog with dofollow links; sidebar spotlight while live. Social posts: not stated |
| Uno Directory | not stated. Badge required | not stated. No badge. $29 | Blog, social posts, and homepage time: not stated |

## Aura++

Aura++ pricing and FAQ say a free launch link stays nofollow until both of these are true: a top-3 ranking on launch day, and a verified Aura++ badge on your site. Free launches are featured on the homepage on launch day and include at least one Pinterest post. An AI launch story is optional, and Aura++ says outbound links on free posts are nofollow.

Premium is $29 one-time. Aura++ states a guaranteed dofollow backlink and describes the domain as DR 74. Premium also includes a launch blog post with dofollow links, at least one X post, one LinkedIn post, one Bluesky post, and at least one Pinterest post, Launch Kit graphics, and a one-day site-wide ad on launch day.

Aura++ also lists a Premium Plus tier. For that tier's price, see the site's pricing page. This comparison is Free versus Premium.

- [Aura++ pricing](https://auraplusplus.com/pricing)
- [Aura++ FAQ](https://auraplusplus.com/faq)
- [Aura++ llms.txt](https://auraplusplus.com/llms.txt)

## EarlyHunt

EarlyHunt's pricing and what-you-get pages say a free launch is nofollow by default. Dofollow, and a badge, happen only if the project finishes in the top 3 and the badge is on the maker's site. Every launch, including free, gets a launch blog post and Pinterest pin(s), and seven days on the homepage. Free launches are not posted to X, LinkedIn, or Bluesky.

Premium is $29 one-time. EarlyHunt states a guaranteed dofollow backlink with no badge required. It states DR 67 and says that figure is an Ahrefs number cited from producthunt-alternatives.com on 12 October 2026. Premium also includes a launch blog post with dofollow links, a site-wide ad for all seven live days, Launch Kit graphics (9 PNGs), and social posts: at least one X post, one LinkedIn post, one Bluesky post, and at least one Pinterest post.

- [EarlyHunt pricing](https://earlyhunt.com/pricing)
- [EarlyHunt what you get](https://earlyhunt.com/what-you-get)
- [EarlyHunt submit](https://earlyhunt.com/submit)
- [EarlyHunt llms.txt](https://earlyhunt.com/llms.txt)

## IndieHunt

IndieHunt's pricing page says the free launch requires an IndieHunt badge, the project link is nofollow by default, and a top-3 free launch can earn dofollow. Free launches get homepage visibility for the seven-day launch week. The pricing page lists the SEO launch blog under Premium. Whether a free launch gets a blog post is not stated. Free social posts are not stated. IndieHunt says there is no separate paid nofollow plan.

Premium is $29 one-time. IndieHunt states guaranteed dofollow backlinks immediately, with no badge requirement. Premium also includes an SEO launch blog post, Launch Kit graphics (9 PNGs), site-wide ad slots for the full seven-day live week, and social posts: at least one X post, one LinkedIn post, one Bluesky post, and at least one Pinterest post.

- [IndieHunt pricing](https://indiehunt.io/pricing)
- [IndieHunt submit](https://indiehunt.io/submit)
- [IndieHunt llms.txt](https://indiehunt.io/llms.txt)

## MakerHunt

MakerHunt's pricing page lists two free plans. Free Launch is $0, requires a badge, is nofollow by default, and is dofollow if you finish top 3. Nofollow Launch is $0, needs no badge, and the links stay nofollow even for a top-3 finish. A launch blog post on the free plans is not stated. MakerHunt says projects go live on the homepage for seven days, and free and nofollow launches get the main weekly feed.

Premium is $29 one-time. MakerHunt states a guaranteed dofollow link immediately, with no badge required, plus a launch blog post. Premium projects also get a homepage left-sidebar spotlight on desktop while the launch is live (ongoing, up to about seven days), not while the project is only scheduled. MakerHunt's llms.txt says premium launches include social promotion. It does not name X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, or Pinterest, so those networks are not stated.

- [MakerHunt pricing](https://makerhunt.io/pricing)
- [MakerHunt submit](https://makerhunt.io/submit)
- [MakerHunt FAQ](https://makerhunt.io/faq)
- [MakerHunt llms.txt](https://makerhunt.io/llms.txt)

## SideHunt

SideHunt's pricing page uses the same two free plans. Free Launch requires a SideHunt badge, is nofollow by default, and is dofollow if you win top 3. It includes seven days on the homepage and a launch blog post. Nofollow Launch needs no badge, stays nofollow even if you win, and also includes a launch blog post and seven days on the homepage. Social posts on either free plan are not stated.

Premium is $29 one-time. SideHunt states a guaranteed dofollow backlink, no badge required, and a launch blog post with dofollow links. It also states a homepage sidebar spotlight while the launch is live on desktop. Social posts are not stated.

- [SideHunt pricing](https://sidehunt.io/pricing)
- [SideHunt FAQ](https://sidehunt.io/faq)
- [SideHunt llms.txt](https://sidehunt.io/llms.txt)

## Uno Directory

Uno Directory's pricing and submit pages do not state whether the listing link is dofollow or nofollow. A free listing requires a verification badge on your website. The paid listing is $29 one-time and does not require that badge. Both options state a direct link to your website. A blog post, directory social posts, and homepage time are not stated for the paid listing. The submit page says the paid listing adds instant activation, enhanced visibility, better search ranking, and featured placement opportunities, and that it includes everything in the free plan. The free plan lists "Social sharing enabled" as a listing feature.

- [Uno Directory pricing](https://uno.directory/pricing)
- [Uno Directory submit a tool](https://uno.directory/submit-tool)
- [Uno Directory FAQ](https://uno.directory/faq)
- [Uno Directory llms.txt](https://uno.directory/llms.txt)

## One key covers the premium slot

One Premium Launcher license is $300 per month. That one key covers the premium slot on all six directories. Without it you would pay each site separately, or skip the premium slot. Each directory still applies its own review rules, including a rejection, a delay, a category limit, or a duplicate-product rule. The key does not replace those rules. See [pricing](/pricing), the [platform list](/platforms), and [what a premium launch means](/blog/what-is-a-premium-launch).

## FAQ

### What do dofollow, nofollow, ugc, and sponsored mean?

Google's Search Central page "Qualify your outbound links to Google" says a regular link does not need a rel attribute. That unmarked link is what people call dofollow. rel="sponsored" is for advertisements or paid placements. rel="ugc" is for user-generated content such as comments and forum posts. rel="nofollow" is for when the other values do not apply and you would rather Google not associate your site with the linked page, or crawl that page from your site. Google says links marked with these rel values will generally not be followed.

### What link does a free launch get?

Aura++ keeps a free listing link nofollow unless the project ranks top 3 on launch day and the Aura++ badge is verified on the site. EarlyHunt is nofollow by default, and states dofollow plus a badge only if the project finishes top 3 and the badge is on the maker's site. IndieHunt is nofollow by default, requires its badge, and says a top-3 free launch can earn dofollow. MakerHunt's Free plan is nofollow by default and dofollow if top 3, and it requires a badge. MakerHunt's separate Nofollow plan stays nofollow even for a top-3 finish. SideHunt's Free plan is nofollow by default and dofollow if top 3, and it requires a badge. SideHunt's separate Nofollow plan stays nofollow. Uno Directory does not state dofollow or nofollow. A free Uno listing requires a badge on the site.

### What link does a premium launch get?

Aura++, EarlyHunt, IndieHunt, MakerHunt, and SideHunt each state a guaranteed dofollow link on the premium launch, with no badge required. Aura++ states that link is from a DR 74 domain. EarlyHunt states a DR 67 figure and says it is an Ahrefs number cited from producthunt-alternatives.com on 12 October 2026. Uno Directory does not state whether the paid listing link is dofollow or nofollow. It does state that the paid listing does not require a badge.

### What else does a premium launch include?

Aura++ states a launch blog post with dofollow links, at least one X post, one LinkedIn post, one Bluesky post, and at least one Pinterest post, plus a one-day site-wide ad on launch day. EarlyHunt states a launch blog with dofollow links, those same social posts, and a site-wide ad for all seven live days. IndieHunt states an SEO launch blog post, those social posts, and site-wide ad slots for the seven-day live week. MakerHunt states a launch blog post and a homepage sidebar spotlight while the launch is live. Its llms.txt also says social promotion for premium launches and does not name the networks. SideHunt states a launch blog post with dofollow links and a homepage sidebar spotlight while live. Social posts on SideHunt are not stated. Uno Directory does not state a blog post, directory social posts, or homepage time for the paid listing.

### Does one Premium Launcher key cover premium on all six directories?

Yes. Premium Launcher is $300 per month, and one license key covers the premium slot on Aura++, EarlyHunt, IndieHunt, MakerHunt, SideHunt, and Uno Directory. Each directory still applies its own review rules. The key does not override a rejection, a delay, or a site's quality, category, or duplicate-product rules.

HTML: https://premiumlauncher.com/blog/dofollow-launch-backlinks