Where to get backlinks for a Mac app

Checked Oct 30, 2026, from our dated comparison of launch sites.

Short answer

4 sites on our dated comparison of where to launch a Mac app fit this question: Product Hunt, MacBase, NativeShelf and MacPip.They reach different people, so most makers use several. There is no single best one for everyone.MacPip is in the table and it is our own site, so weigh that.

Mostly read on each site's own pages. Prices and rules change, so confirm them before you pay.

A backlink is a link to your site from someone else's. Search engines treat followed links from relevant sites as a vote. For a new Mac app, the easiest relevant links come from the places that list Mac apps.

These are the sites from our dated comparison where we know what kind of link you get, as of October 30, 2026. A ugc or nofollow link still sends visitors, but search engines discount it.

MacPip is one of them and it is our own site. We put it last.

Compared

Site	Who it is for	Free option	Paid options	Link and conditions
Product Hunt	All tech products	Free	None needed to launch	A September 2026 test saw a `ugc` link, which search engines discount
MacBase	Mac apps	Free, reviewed within a day	Featured $20 a week, $59 a month, $149 for 3 months	Followed only with its badge, checked weekly
NativeShelf	Native Apple-platform apps	Free, in order	Premium €9, Launch Week €49	Followed link. Free needs its badge, paid does not
MacPip (our site)	Mac apps only	Free, pick a date	Paid places, apart from the list and explained as paid, from $25 for 7 days	Followed link; badge for a free launch only

The sites, one by one

Product Hunt

All tech products

Free to listLaunch dayugc link

MacBase

Mac apps

Mac focusedFree to listPaid optionsFollowed with badge

NativeShelf

Native Apple-platform apps

Mac focusedFree to listPaid optionsFollowed link

MacPip (our site)

Mac apps only

Mac focusedFree to listPaid optionsLaunch dayFollowed link

MacPip is a free directory and launch site for Mac apps only. You pick your launch date, and the listing has a followed link. A badge is asked for on a free launch only. Paid places start at $25 for 7 days, and they are labeled as paid and kept apart from the list. It is new and small, so do not expect Product Hunt traffic. Our numbers are public on the stats page.

Beyond directories

Write something worth linking to: a changelog people follow, a guide to the problem your app solves, or a free tool.
Reach out to Mac writers with a short, specific note when you have real news.
Ask your users. Blog posts and setup guides by real users are the links that last.
Skip link farms. Paid "submit to 100 directories" services mostly produce links search engines ignore.

See free Mac app directories, Product Hunt alternatives and a free dofollow backlink for your Mac app.

Which one to pick

This part is our opinion.

Pick Product Hunt if you want one big day of attention from a general tech audience.
Pick MacBase if you are happy to show its badge in return for a followed link.
Pick NativeShelf if your app is a native Apple-platform app.
Pick MacPip if you want a free, Mac-only listing on a day you pick, with a followed link.

Questions

How do I get backlinks for a Mac app?

List it on sites whose link rules you have checked, and write pages people want to link to. A new site's link, ours included, is worth little until that site has earned links of its own.

Which launch sites give a followed link?

When we checked, MacPip and NativeShelf gave a followed link, and MacBase did with its badge. A test saw Product Hunt use a ugc link, which search engines discount.

Is this list ordered by payment?

No. It follows our dated comparison, and nobody can pay to be on it or to move up.