Platform Guide
AlternativeTo Strategy: How to Rank as an Alternative
AlternativeTo captures high-intent traffic from people actively switching tools. Getting your product listed as an alternative to popular software puts you in front of buyers who are already motivated to change.
AlternativeTo receives millions of monthly visitors searching for alternatives to specific products. "Alternatives to Notion," "alternatives to Slack," "alternatives to Airtable" — these are searches from people who have already decided their current tool is not working. This is some of the highest-intent traffic available.
Getting listed correctly
- Submit your product with a clear, factual description of what it does and who it is for.
- Tag your product with the relevant alternatives. If you compete with or serve as an alternative to Trello, Asana, or similar tools, add them to your profile.
- Add your product to the "Alternatives to [Competitor]" lists for every major player in your space.
- Upload a quality logo and screenshots — visual quality affects how often users recommend your product.
Building votes and recommendations
AlternativeTo rankings are driven by user votes. Your existing users are your best source of votes. Ask your happiest users to recommend your product as an alternative on AlternativeTo — a personal ask via email converts much better than a generic notice.
Focus on the 2 to 3 competitors where you overlap most. Ranking highly as an alternative to one major tool is more valuable than appearing marginally on dozens of lists.
Capture switcher traffic at scale
UpStart identifies which platforms your competitors are listed on and helps you position your product as the right alternative.