Sponsor StackDrop

StackDrop is live, and we add tools and re-check prices as they change. We don't quote traffic or subscriber numbers until we've measured a full month, so everything below is launch pricing, and it's low on purpose for our first sponsors. Here's what exists today:

• 79tools in the directory
• 16use-case shortlists
• 19recent launches tracked
• 76free tiers checked against official pricing

Every outbound click goes through a StackDrop link that we count server-side, so at the end of each run, sponsors get a click report for every placement. The weekly newsletter is just getting started.

We write for two kinds of readers: builders (developers and indie founders putting together an app stack) and professionals (people who want an AI tool for a specific task, like meeting notes or research). Each use-case page is a short list for one of those jobs. That's where a Featured slot sits.

Current tier: newsletter N0 (0 to 1k subscribers), site S0 (Under 5k monthly unique visitors (or not yet measured)). Metrics as of 2026-10-19: newsletter subscriber count not published yet, monthly visitors not measured yet.

• Featured slot on a use-case page

  One labeled Featured row at the top of a single use-case shortlist, above the editorial picks. One sponsor per use case at a time. $99 per month. Launch pricing.

• Home page Featured slot

  One labeled Featured row on the home page, above the use-case groups. One sponsor at a time. $249 per month. Launch pricing.

• Newsletter primary slot

  The first sponsor block in the weekly issue: a short paragraph and one link, labeled Sponsored. $50 per issue. Launch pricing.

• Newsletter secondary slot

  A one-line sponsored mention further down the issue, labeled Sponsored. $25 per issue. Launch pricing.

• Sponsored setup guide

  A step-by-step setup guide written by StackDrop that uses your product, labeled Sponsored, listed on /guides. You review it for accuracy; we keep editorial control. $399 one-time. Launch pricing.

Priced per issue from the subscriber count at booking: subscribers ÷ 1,000 × CPM (we sell at the midpoint), never below the floor. The secondary slot is 40% of the primary.

Featured slots are priced per month by monthly unique visitors. Founding-sponsor bonus: if a Featured slot delivers fewer than 50 clicks in its month, you get the next month free in the same slot. No cash refunds. Applies only to founding sponsors during the launch period. The 50-click threshold will be revisited after the first full month of measured traffic. Clicks are counted by our server-side click logs.

• Use-case launch

  Featured slot on one use-case page for 1 month, plus 1 newsletter secondary slot. $110 (10% off $124), launch pricing.

• Category owner

  Featured slot on one use-case page for 3 months, plus 2 newsletter primary slots. $335 (15% off $397), launch pricing.

• Founding sponsor

  Home Featured for 1 month, Featured on one use-case page for 1 month, 2 newsletter primary slots and 1 sponsored setup guide. $680 (20% off $847), launch pricing.

Re-check every benchmark source monthly and update benchmarks_checked; adjust CPM ranges only if the sources moved. Move up one tier as soon as a milestone is reached (subscribers for newsletter slots, monthly unique visitors for site slots). Never move down mid-booking. Existing bookings keep their rate until the run ends; renewals are quoted at the current tier, with notice. All prices are launch pricing until the first full month of measured traffic.

Benchmarks from comparable newsletters and AI directories, checked 2026-10-13 and re-checked monthly. These are other publishers' prices, not ours.

• beehiiv sponsorship pricing guide (Nov 2025)

  Newsletter CPMs typically $10 to $75; small newsletters (under 5,000) $15 to $35 CPM, with flat rates from about $50; mid-sized (5,000 to 50,000) $20 to $50 CPM. Source

• TLDR (estimate by Sponsorships.ai)

  No public rate card; per-send prices imply about $10 to $15 CPM, roughly $11,000 to $16,500 per send in TLDR AI (1.1M subscribers). Source

• Ben's Bites

  Main ad $2,000, tools-section ad $1,200, classified $200 (reported 2023; current rates not published; 150k+ subscribers by its own figure). Source

• There's An AI For That

  Basic listing $49 one-time; listing with guaranteed newsletter spot $437 one-time; Featured-section PPC at an estimated $0.005 to $0.20 per click. Source

• Futurepedia

  Verified Enhanced Listing with a newsletter feature and a 1,000-click guarantee, $497 one-time. Source

• Always labeled

  Every paid placement carries a visible Featured or Sponsored label, and its links use rel="sponsored".

• Kept separate from editorial

  Sponsorship buys a labeled slot only. It doesn't include changes to the regular listings, the free-tier badges or the descriptions of other tools (see how we order tools). A sponsor that is also an editorial pick keeps the same description in both places.

• Fit first

  We only take sponsors that are a genuine fit for the use case they appear on, and we can decline any placement.

• Honest copy

  No invented stats, testimonials or pricing claims. Sponsor copy states the real price and free tier, checked against the official pricing page.