Do I need an account to use Altern, and what can I do after signing in?

Updated

You can browse Altern without an account, but some actions require signing in. The site shows a "Sign in to continue" prompt, which means at least part of the experience is gated behind a login. Browsing categories, lists, alternatives, and the leaderboard appears to be open, while actions tied to your identity — such as adding an AI tool or saving things to your own account — are where the sign-in requirement kicks in.

What you can do without signing in

Altern is built as a directory of AI tools and agents, and its core browsing experience is public. From the homepage you can:

  • Browse by category — the site indexes 2,173 AIs across a very long list of categories, from Background Remover and Code Assistant to Healthcare, Legal Assistants, and Voice Agents.
  • Explore curated lists — the "Lists" section groups tools by theme rather than just category.
  • Check the Leaderboard — a ranked view of tools, with a "Buildboard · Week 4" label suggesting it updates on a weekly cycle.
  • Look for alternatives — the "Alternatives" section is aimed at finding substitutes for a given tool.
  • Search and navigate — the interface supports keyboard navigation (↑↓ to move, ↵ to open), which is useful if you're scanning many entries quickly.

None of this requires you to identify yourself, so if you just want to research tools, you can do it anonymously.

What signing in unlocks

The page evidence only confirms that a "Sign in to continue" state exists — it doesn't spell out the full list of gated features. Based on the visible navigation and the "Add" entry point, the actions most likely to require an account are:

Action Likely requires sign-in Why
Browsing categories and lists No Public directory content
Viewing the leaderboard No Public ranking view
Adding a new AI tool ("Add") Yes Submissions are tied to a contributor
Saving or personalizing Yes Needs an identity to attach data to
Voting or interacting Yes Requires a user record

Treat this as a reasonable inference from the interface, not a confirmed feature list. The exact set of post-login features isn't documented in the source material, so verify on the site itself if a specific action matters to you.

The "Add" entry and submitting tools

The "Add" button in the navigation is the most concrete reason you'd want an account. Altern positions itself as a place where tools get indexed, and an "Add" flow implies you can submit a tool that isn't listed yet. Submitting typically requires:

  1. Signing in — so the submission is attributed and you can track it.
  2. Providing the tool's details — name, category, and a link, following whatever form the site presents.
  3. Waiting for review — directories usually vet submissions before they appear in the index.

If your goal is to get your own AI tool listed, plan on creating an account first.

Practical guidance

  • If you're just researching: skip the login. Browse categories, lists, alternatives, and the leaderboard freely.
  • If you want to contribute or personalize: sign in. The "Sign in to continue" prompt is your signal that you've hit a gated action.
  • If you're unsure whether a feature needs an account: try it. The site will show the sign-in prompt when it's required, which is a cleaner test than guessing.

One caveat worth stating plainly: the source material doesn't describe pricing, so nothing here should be read as "free" or "paid." It also doesn't detail what the account dashboard looks like after login. For anything beyond browsing, the site itself is the authoritative check.