500 Startups vs Y Combinator
500 Startups vs Y Combinator, compared side by side on 16 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: 500 Startups is on 70/100 and Y Combinator on 21/100.
Where each one leads
500 Startups
- our overall score: 70/100 against 21/100
- agent readiness: 59/100 against 38/100
Y Combinator
- domain rating: 91/100 against 77/100
At a glance
| Measure | 500 Startups | Y Combinator |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Global venture capital firm investing in ambitious founders building fast-growing technology companies. | A startup accelerator that provides seed funding, mentorship, and resources to early-stage companies. |
| Category | Venture Capital, Startup Accelerator, Seed Funding, Early Stage Investing | Accelerator, Venture Capital, Startup, Startup Accelerator |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2B | B2B |
| Offering | Platform | Services |
| Founded | 2010 | 2005 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | San Francisco, United States |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | 500 Startups | Y Combinator |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 2,707 | Not published |
| Headcount growthLast 12 months | +23.1% | Not published |
| Total funding | $140M | Not published |
| Latest round | Global Flagship Fund | Not published |
| LinkedIn followers | 376,122 | Not published |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | 500 Startups | Y Combinator |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 70/100 | 21/100 |
| Team | 72/100 | 70/100 |
| Community | Not published | 2/100 |
| Search visibility | 100/100 | 45/100 |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (59/100) | F (38/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 77/100 | 91/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | 500 Startups | Y Combinator |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Vercel | AWS |
| CDN | Vercel | Cloudflare |
| Frameworks | Next.js, Tailwind CSS | Tailwind CSS |
| Analytics | Google Tag Manager | Google Analytics 4, Segment |
What users say
| Measure | 500 Startups | Y Combinator |
|---|---|---|
| Reddit sentimentThreads we track | 1 positive, 0 negative across 1 thread | Not published |
“500 Startups. We're kind of a big deal. #500strong”r/
500 Startups vs Y Combinator: common questions
Which is better, 500 Startups or Y Combinator?
On our 0-100 score 500 Startups rates higher (70/100 against 21/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 16 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do 500 Startups and Y Combinator compare on the numbers?
500 Startups leads on our overall score (70/100 against 21/100), agent readiness (59/100 against 38/100). Y Combinator leads on domain rating (91/100 against 77/100).
What do real users say about 500 Startups and Y Combinator?
500 Startups: 1 positive and 0 negative mentions across 1 Reddit threads we track.
Read the full 500 Startups review and pricing or the Y Combinator review and pricing. You can also browse other 500 Startups alternatives we track.