Skip to content
Black Week: 50% off with BLACKWEEK See plans
another
Submit

Comparison

BuiltByMe vs Penguin Startup

Which one fits

BuiltByMe is the better fit for a solo founder who wants a maker profile, a weekly leaderboard shot and a newsletter feature, and who accepts a $9 or $19 one-time fee for a faster listing. Penguin Startup is the better fit for any founder who wants a free listing with no paid placements, or for readers who want to scan fresh launches by sector.

Free plan
BuiltByMe Yes, free plan
Penguin Startup Yes, free
Pricing
BuiltByMe Freemium
Penguin Startup Free
Both do
product launches, free listing

BuiltByMe and Penguin Startup are both directories where founders list a product for exposure. They differ in who gets in and how listings move up.

BuiltByMe covers products from indie makers and solo founders, and it excludes VC-backed companies and agencies. It runs a weekly upvote leaderboard and offers 18 free SEO tools. Penguin Startup is a daily list of new startups across eight sectors. It ranks by weekly page visits and says nobody can pay to move up.

What it is

BuiltByMe
Directory of products built by indie makers and solo founders
Penguin Startup
Daily directory of new startups, free for founders to list

Free plan

BuiltByMe
Yes, free plan
Penguin Startup
Yes, free

Pricing

BuiltByMe
Freemium. The free listing plan gives a NoFollow backlink and a place in a queue scheduled well into 2027. The Launch plan costs $9 one-time and the Sponsor plan costs $19 one-time.
Penguin Startup
Free. Listing is free and the site says there are no paid placements at the moment. No paid plans are described.

Who it is for

BuiltByMe
Indie makers and solo founders who want a listing, a backlink and a chance at weekly exposure for a product they built. It also suits people who want to find tools made by small independent teams. The site states that VC-backed companies and agencies are not listed.
Penguin Startup
Founders who want a free listing for a new product, and people who like scanning fresh launches in areas such as AI, SaaS and developer tools. The About page also names investors looking for deal flow outside their own networks. It is a discovery list, not a tool for deeper research on each company.

Highlights

BuiltByMe
675+ approved products across 20 categories. Weekly upvote leaderboard, Monday to Sunday. Winner gets a newsletter feature and an X post. Maker profile page for each listed product. 18 free browser-based SEO tools, no signup. RSS feeds for products, blog and weekly winners.
Penguin Startup
Daily directory of new startups, 574 listed at time of writing. Eight sectors including AI/ML, SaaS, DevTools and FinTech. Launch list ranked by weekly visitors, then recency. Free to list, with no paid placements stated. Founder submissions reviewed by hand, usually within 2 business days. Search and sector filter on the full directory.

Listed

BuiltByMe
15 Nov 2026
Penguin Startup
13 Nov 2026
Visit BuiltByMe Visit Penguin Startup

Questions about BuiltByMe and Penguin Startup

What is the difference between BuiltByMe and Penguin Startup?
BuiltByMe is the better fit for a solo founder who wants a maker profile, a weekly leaderboard shot and a newsletter feature, and who accepts a $9 or $19 one-time fee for a faster listing. Penguin Startup is the better fit for any founder who wants a free listing with no paid placements, or for readers who want to scan fresh launches by sector.
Does BuiltByMe have a free plan?
Yes, free plan. Freemium. The free listing plan gives a NoFollow backlink and a place in a queue scheduled well into 2027. The Launch plan costs $9 one-time and the Sponsor plan costs $19 one-time.
Does Penguin Startup have a free plan?
Yes, free. Free. Listing is free and the site says there are no paid placements at the moment. No paid plans are described.

Neither one quite right? BuiltByMe alternatives · Penguin Startup alternatives

Other comparisons