🗂️ Directory Makers · revenue leaderboard
Top Directory Indie Makers by Revenue (2026)
11 directory makers ranked by publicly reported monthly revenue in 2026. John Rush leads with $3M/yr; the median is $7.7K per month. All figures are self-reported or from public sources, each linked and dated.
Top Directory indie makers by revenue
Ranked by reported monthly revenue in USD (annual figures ÷ 12).
| # | Maker | Top product | Revenue | ≈ / month | As of | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unicorn Platform | $3M/yr | $250K | 2025 | youtube.com | TrustMRR ↗ | |
| 2 | Photo AI | ~$219K/mo across products | $219K | 2026 | x.com | — | |
| 3 | Starter Story | $1M/yr | $83K | 2023 | patwalls.com | — | |
| 4 | Key Values | ~$300K–350K/yr | $27K | 2019 | podcasts.apple.com | — | |
| 5 | Uneed | $134K in 2025 | $11K | 2025 | api.fxtwitter.com | — | |
| 6 | AI Directories | $7.7K in the last 30 days (AI Directories) | $7.7K | 2026 | trustmrr.com | TrustMRR ↗ | |
| 7 | OpenGraph.xyz | S$5K/mo (portfolio) | $3.9K | 2026 | x.com | — | |
| 8 | Compresto | $73.8K all-time (verified, 2 apps) | $2.5K | 2026-10 | trustmrr.com | TrustMRR ↗ | |
| 9 | Ship Your Directory | $2K+/mo (first directory) | $2K | 2025 | wpgeodirectory.com | — | |
| 10 | Unsection | $1.4K MRR | $1.4K | 2026-10 | trustmrr.com | TrustMRR ↗ | |
| 11 | Watchdog | $444 MRR | $444 | 2025 | indiehackers.com | — |
Revenue is self-reported or sourced from public statements and is not verified by IndieMakerList. Rows marked TrustMRR link to a page where TrustMRR verifies revenue from the payment provider.
Most followed Directory makers not ranked by revenue
10 directory makers with the biggest audiences on X who haven't shared a current revenue figure.
- 01
Csaba Kissi256K followersSlovakia-based 'Coding Dinosaur' who has shipped 200+ web projects
- 02
Matt Wolfe121K followersAI YouTuber and founder of Future Tools, the AI tool directory and newsletter
- 03
Marc Köhlbrugge89K followersSerial maker behind BetaList, WIP and Startup Jobs, shipping online for 20+ years
- 04
Bram Kanstein52K followersDutch no-code maker of Startup Stash who built and sold five curation products
- 05
Pontus Abrahamsson31K followersCo-founder of open-source finance app Midday (acquired by Ramp) and Cursor Directory
- 06
Andrey Azimov23K followersProduct Hunt Maker of the Year 2018 behind Sheet2Site, Web3 Jobs and SearchConsole.ai
- 07
Mubashar Iqbal (Mubs)16K followersUpstate New York maker running a solo product studio with 100+ side projects
- 08
David Gutiérrez5.8K followersFounder of 1000.tools, a curated directory capped at 1,000 tools
- 09
Sergey Karakhanyan4.8K followersLaravel developer behind Larafast, Blogr.ai and bytemail; sold Directify for $85K
- 10
Atta Ur Rehman Shah4.5K followersPakistani solo founder of Fore Studio: Vitals and Flit Mac apps, StartupBase, Depost AI
Looking for products instead? how much does TrustMRR make, how much does Cursor Directory make, how much does WeddingLovely make, how much does 1000.tools make, how much does NoonLaunch make, how much does Directify make — or see all products with public revenue.
Revenue leaderboards by category
Directory indie maker revenue FAQ
Who is the highest-earning Directory indie maker?
John Rush tops the Directory leaderboard with $3M/yr (as of 2025), about $250K per month. Pieter Levels (~$219K/mo across products) and Pat Walls ($1M/yr) follow.
How much do Directory indie makers earn?
Of the 44 makers in Directory Makers on IndieMakerList, 11 have shared revenue publicly. Their median reported revenue is $7.7K per month; 5 report at least $10K per month and 2 report $100K or more.
What is the combined revenue of the top Directory indie makers?
Together the 11 ranked makers report about $608K per month ($7.3M a year). Figures are self-reported and dated differently, so treat the sum as a rough indication.
Is this revenue verified?
No — the numbers are self-reported or taken from public posts and interviews, each linked to its source. 4 of the 11 makers have a TrustMRR page, which verifies revenue from the payment provider; they carry a TrustMRR badge.