Show HN: Indie AI Directory – A Curated List of Indie AI Tools
What It Is
Indie AI Directory is a searchable, categorized directory of AI tools and resources created by indie developers and solo founders. Each listing includes:
A short description of the AI product
A link to the tool or landing page
Relevant categories/tags for easier discovery
Optional founder credits and further links
The site is designed to help:
Discover emerging AI tools you may otherwise never find
Give indie makers visibility beyond social feed posts
Connect builders with early adopters and collaborators
Unlike most directories that are either static lists or focus only on funded startups, this one prioritizes indie-built AI work.
Why It Matters
There’s an explosion of AI tools every day, yet many interesting or useful projects — especially from solo builders — get buried in search or social feeds. A central, easy-to-browse resource helps:
Developers and users find niche tools faster
Founders get early traction, backlinks, and discoverability
The indie AI ecosystem gain visibility
I built this because as an indie maker myself, I saw too many makers struggle to find a place where their project could be both found and appreciated.
Paid Submissions (Why They Exist)
To keep the directory sustainable and well-curated, featured listing options are available. Paid submissions help cover:
Ongoing development & infrastructure
Manual curation and quality control
Better SEO and more traffic for all listings
You can still submit for free, but featured/priority positions bring extra visibility. Anyone can submit via:
https://indieai.directory/submit
I’ve structured the pricing to be:
Transparent and affordable for early stage makers
Predictable and worth the value if you’re looking for discoverability
Who This Is For
This directory is especially useful for:
AI builders looking for audience & early feedback
Developers searching for useful tools to integrate
Product teams scouting emerging ideas
Anyone interested in indie AI innovation
Feedback Welcome
I’m posting this here because HN folks are often early adopters, creators, and builders — the kind of audience who has experience with indie tools or launching them. I’d love feedback on:
What filters or categories would you find most useful?
What features would make this directory more valuable?
Do you see value in paid featured submissions?
Would appreciate honest thoughts — thanks!
A few suggestions:
1. Filter by "solo founder" vs "small team" -- the constraints and stories are very different
2. A "stack" field would be useful. Knowing someone built with Lovable + Claude API + Neon tells me a lot about what's possible
3. Show launch date or "age" of the tool. Freshness matters for early adopters
4. Consider a "built in public" tag for makers who are sharing their journey -- that's often more interesting than the tool itself
I'll submit my tools. Happy to be an early contributor.