# Frequently Asked Questions

> Short answers about launching on Spotlighted and about launch directories in general.

Canonical: https://spotlighted.app/faq

### How much does it cost to launch on Spotlighted? {#cost}

Listing a product on Spotlighted is free. Instant launch, which lets you pick your launch week, costs $12 one-time. Placements are sold by the week: Featured $24, Sponsored $19, Ad spot $19 and Newsletter sponsor $39. Runs of 4 or 6 weeks save up to 25%.

Source: [Pricing](https://spotlighted.app/pricing)

[Link to this answer](https://spotlighted.app/faq#cost)

### When is the next free launch week? {#next-free-week}

As of Nov 5, 2026, the next free launch slot is the week of Nov 9, 2026 in all four MRR stages. Launch weeks start on Monday at 00:00 UTC.

[Link to this answer](https://spotlighted.app/faq#next-free-week)

### How do launch weeks and rankings work on Spotlighted? {#launch-weeks}

Each launch week runs Monday 00:00 to Sunday 23:59 UTC. Products are ranked by the community upvotes they get during their launch week, and only against products in the same MRR stage.

Source: [How It Works](https://spotlighted.app/how-it-works)

[Link to this answer](https://spotlighted.app/faq#launch-weeks)

### What MRR stages does Spotlighted rank products in? {#mrr-stages}

4 stages: Under $1K MRR, $1K – $3K MRR, $3K – $5K MRR and $5K+ MRR. Makers pick their stage when they submit, so the stage shown on a product is self-reported.

Source: [Community Guidelines](https://spotlighted.app/guidelines)

[Link to this answer](https://spotlighted.app/faq#mrr-stages)

### How many paid placements does Spotlighted sell each week? {#placement-slots}

Each week has 4 Featured slots, 3 Sponsored slots, 2 ad spots and 1 newsletter sponsor. Once a week’s slots are booked, that placement is sold out for the week.

Source: [Pricing](https://spotlighted.app/pricing)

[Link to this answer](https://spotlighted.app/faq#placement-slots)

### Does Spotlighted give products a dofollow link? {#dofollow}

Yes. Every approved product’s page links to its website with rel="noopener noreferrer" and no nofollow, on the free plan and on paid plans. No badge or link back is required.

[Link to this answer](https://spotlighted.app/faq#dofollow)

### How much does a paid launch cost on startup launch directories? {#directories-paid-launch-cost}

9 of 10 launch directories with a readable price list sell a paid launch. The median price is $39, from $10.50 to $49.

Source: [Launch Directory Study 2026: 12 Sites Compared](https://spotlighted.app/research/launch-directories#paid-launch-price)

[Link to this answer](https://spotlighted.app/faq#directories-paid-launch-cost)

### Which launch directories give free dofollow links? {#directories-free-dofollow}

None of the 9 launch directories whose free-listing rules we could read give every free listing a followed (dofollow) link. Of the 9, 4 require a badge or a link back, 3 require votes or a top rank and 2 keep free links nofollow. The ones that give a free listing a followed link in exchange for a badge or a link back are ScrollLaunch, CodeHype, ListBulb and Fazier.

Source: [Launch Directory Study 2026: 12 Sites Compared](https://spotlighted.app/research/launch-directories#free-followed-links)

[Link to this answer](https://spotlighted.app/faq#directories-free-dofollow)