Free backlink sites list: 1,964 places to get a link
A maintained list of 1,964 legitimate backlink sites: directories, profile creation sites, guest posting sites, launch platforms, registries and marketplaces. 1,628 are free or have a free tier, 44 usually give a dofollow link, and 781 have an estimated DA of 70 or more. Every row shows authority, link type, cost and effort, and links straight to the submit page.
- 1,964
- Opportunities
- 1,628
- Free or freemium
- 781
- Est. DA 70+
- 208
- Quick wins
All filters2
The table is wider than the screen — swipe it sideways for cost, effort and the preparation notes.
| # | Impact (sorted) | Site — sort by this | Est. DA — sort by this | Link | Domain | Type | Cost | Effort — sort by this | Priority | Status | What to prepare | Rules / caveat | Checked | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Design Nominees | 50 | Link type unknown | designnominees.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Not submitted | Start with the free submission using a strong screenshot, precise categories, and your tool canonical URL. | Free listings have a review delay and selection still applies; paid tiers offer faster or enhanced placement. | 2026-08-03 | Open Design Nominees submit page (new tab)Design Nominees details |
| 2 | 81 | FolioHD | 50 | Sometimes dofollow | foliohd.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Verified live | Publish authentic your tool UX screenshots and case studies, then add a custom page or navigation link to the matching live tool. | Use genuine owned work and accurate project text; no misleading keywords, spam promotion or impersonation. | 2026-08-04 | Open FolioHD submit page (new tab)FolioHD details |
| 3 | 81 | LiveCodes | 40 | Nofollow | livecodes.io | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Verified live | Publish a small original demo showing one your tool privacy or accessibility technique, then share its encoded URL or deploy the project to a controlled GitHub Pages site. | Do not include secrets, PII, or proprietary code; service-hosted short URLs cannot be deleted, so use a long encoded URL or controlled deployment when permanence matters. | Official LiveCodes documentation and sharing guidance checked 2026-08-07 | Open LiveCodes submit page (new tab)LiveCodes details |
| 4 | 81 | PlayCode | 55 | Nofollow | playcode.io | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Verified live | Publish polished public your tool demos and use their share links in genuine tutorials or reproducible examples. | Free projects are public; remove proprietary secrets and sensitive data and avoid near-duplicate promotional demos. | Official PlayCode sharing, billing, and project-limit guidance checked 2026-08-07 | Open PlayCode submit page (new tab)PlayCode details |
| 5 | 81 | Roboflow Universe | 70 | Link type unknown | roboflow.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Verified live | Publish a synthetic benchmark for screenshot redaction, document masking, or visual privacy detection. | Roboflow prohibits publishing PII, proprietary or copyrighted images, and unsafe content; select a valid licence. | Official Roboflow public project documentation checked 2026-08-07 | Open Roboflow Universe submit page (new tab)Roboflow Universe details |
| 6 | 78 | Creativepool | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | creativepool.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Create a free your tool company profile and upload polished UX, privacy-tool, or brand work as documented case studies. | Project uploads are allowed; article publishing is invite-only, and review or link spam is removed. | Official Creativepool signup, plan, and project guidance checked 2026-08-07 | Open Creativepool submit page (new tab)Creativepool details |
| 7 | 78 | Made with React.js | 50 | Dofollow | madewithreactjs.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit your tool as an actively maintained React and Next.js project, highlighting useful product functionality and implementation quality. | Projects are editorially reviewed; a paid feature can speed review but does not guarantee acceptance. | 2026-08-03 | Open Made with React.js submit page (new tab)Made with React.js details |
| 8 | 65 | Freelancer.com | 90 | Nofollow | freelancer.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Use an authentic maker profile to publish an your tool portfolio piece containing original images, article, code, video, or audio samples. | Use only when the person genuinely offers services; publish owned work and avoid profile keyword stuffing. | Official Freelancer.com portfolio and profile guidance checked 2026-08-07 | Open Freelancer.com submit page (new tab)Freelancer.com details |
| 9 | 65 | OpenProcessing | 60 | Link type unknown | openprocessing.org | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Quick | Medium | Needs checking | Post p5.js or Processing sketches publicly and fill in your profile with a link to your site or the full experiment. | Sketches should be your own work; some features need a paid plan. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open OpenProcessing submit page (new tab)OpenProcessing details |
| 10 | 63 | Carbonmade | 70 | Sometimes dofollow | carbonmade.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Build a substantive product-design case study covering your tool system, flows, and outcomes, then add the canonical site through supported navigation or project links. | Payment is required to go live; publish unique portfolio content rather than a duplicate or thin SEO page. | 2026-08-03 | Open Carbonmade submit page (new tab)Carbonmade details |
| 11 | 63 | Godly | 45 | Link type unknown | godly.website | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Submit your tool landing/design pages. | Design quality gate; useful if featured. | 2026-07-30 | Open Godly submit page (new tab)Godly details |
| 12 | 63 | Land-book | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | land-book.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Submit landing page for inspiration gallery. | Good if landing design is strong. | 2026-07-30 | Open Land-book submit page (new tab)Land-book details |
| 13 | 63 | Landingfolio | 55 | Link type unknown | landingfolio.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Submit your tool homepage/category landing page. | Works if page design is strong. | 2026-07-30 | Open Landingfolio submit page (new tab)Landingfolio details |
| 14 | 63 | Lapa Ninja | 55 | Sometimes dofollow | lapa.ninja | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Submit your tool landing/category page. | Landing-page focused. | 2026-07-30 | Open Lapa Ninja submit page (new tab)Lapa Ninja details |
| 15 | 60 | Curated | — | Link type unknown | curated.design | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Involved | Medium | Needs checking | Submit the polished your tool landing/tool UI with clean screenshots and design credits. | Editorial/design review applies; submit only polished, relevant work. Listing link is currently reported nofollow. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/curated | Open Curated submit page (new tab)Curated details |
| 16 | 45 | Dribbble | 90 | Nofollow | dribbble.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Quick | Later | Not submitted | Share selected UI shots/tool pages with profile link. | Needs quality visuals; no spam shots. | 2026-07-30 | Open Dribbble submit page (new tab)Dribbble details |
| 17 | 45 | Orpetron | 45 | Sometimes dofollow | orpetron.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Submit your website for their daily design awards. | Juried; paid fast-track may exist. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Orpetron submit page (new tab)Orpetron details |
| 18 | 45 | Rawkode Academy | — | Link type unknown | rawkode.academy | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Quick | Later | Live, conditional | Pitch a maintained open-source your tool component for a technical live demo and Q&A. | Requires a real open-source project and maintainer availability; not a directory link drop. | 2026-08-03 | Open Rawkode Academy submit page (new tab)Rawkode Academy details |
| 19 | 45 | Tailwind Awesome | 45 | Sometimes dofollow | tailwindawesome.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Submit your Tailwind template, UI kit or site to the curated showcase. | Must be built with Tailwind; paid listings are available. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Tailwind Awesome submit page (new tab)Tailwind Awesome details |
| 20 | 43 | SiteInspire | 70 | Dofollow | siteinspire.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Submit high-quality website design. | Selective design curation. | 2026-07-30 | Open SiteInspire submit page (new tab)SiteInspire details |
| 21 | 43 | Web Design Inspiration | 45 | Link type unknown | webdesign-inspiration.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Submit well-designed your tool pages. | Design gallery; verify submission route. | 2026-07-30 | Open Web Design Inspiration submit page (new tab)Web Design Inspiration details |
| 22 | 40 | Prototypr | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | prototypr.io | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Publish/pitch design/dev article linking your tool. | Quality content only. | 2026-07-30 | Open Prototypr submit page (new tab)Prototypr details |
| 23 | 40 | WP Gallery | — | Link type unknown | wp.gallery | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Involved | Later | Not submitted | Submit the polished your tool landing/tool UI with clean screenshots and design credits. | Editorial/design review applies; submit only polished, relevant work. Dofollow is reported but recheck after approval. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/wp-gallery | Open WP Gallery submit page (new tab)WP Gallery details |
How to build backlinks with this list
Four steps that work for a new site, a SaaS or a side project. No paid link packages, nothing that risks a penalty.
Get the basics right first
Before submitting anywhere, have a one-line description, a 150-word description, a square logo and two or three screenshots ready. Every form asks for some mix of these.
Claim profiles and free listings
Start with the free, quick rows: profile creation sites and free directories. They are one form each and build the entity signals search engines use to understand who you are.
Go after a few strong links
Then pick a handful of high DA and dofollow sites that fit your niche, and write proper guest posts or launch posts for them. Ten relevant links beat a hundred random ones.
Track and keep it clean
Note where you submitted and when. Recheck after a month, update stale descriptions, and never pay for bulk link packages: they put the whole site at risk.
Behind the list
A link opportunity is not a link.
Every row here starts as a line in a sheet, gets normalised into one of 16 groups, scored for cost, effort and impact, and written up with the steps to actually submit. The floor below represents that pipeline.
Open the sheet viewAn illustration of the AltF Backlinks floor: opportunities sourced at the back, vetted for cost and effort by the engineering pod, written up for outreach by the design pod, then tracked to placement along a line.
Backlink sites by category
Product launch sites87
One-shot launches where timing and preparation decide the outcome.
Guest posting sites55
Publications that accept contributed articles. Slow and editorial, but the links are earned.
AI tool directories200
Fast-growing listings specifically for AI-powered tools.
App stores and marketplaces273
Extension, plugin and integration stores. Real review processes, real distribution.
Startup directory submission sites120
Startup listings, beta lists and founder media.
Software directory submission sites215
General tool and software catalogues with real search traffic.
Software review sites29
B2B review sites. Slow to approve, strong once live.
Developer platforms for backlinks139
Package, image and docs hosting that carries real authority.
Web design galleries for backlinks87
Showcases judged on craft. A good screenshot matters more than copy.
Web 2.0 and publishing sites214
Write once, link back. Editorial standards vary widely.
PR and press release sites41
Get quoted or distribute a release. Slower, higher ceiling.
Business directory submission sites109
Company and local listings. Unglamorous, consistently indexed.
Profile creation sites163
Owned pages you control: company, founder, knowledge-panel entities.
Forum and community backlink sites61
Answer real questions. Never drop a bare link.
Social bookmarking sites18
Brand surface and referral traffic more than link equity.
More backlink opportunities153
Everything that does not fit the buckets above.
Common questions
Do backlinks still matter for ranking in 2026?
Links remain one signal among many, and low-quality bulk links do more harm than good. What still works is being listed where your buyers actually look — directories with real traffic, registries your peers use, and launch platforms with engaged audiences. Every entry in this list is a place a human might plausibly find you, which is why they are worth submitting to regardless of link equity.
Which submissions should I do first?
Start with the quick wins filter: free, low effort, and not in the lowest priority band. 208 of the 1,964 entries qualify, and those are the ones where a single form submission gets you a live listing the same week. Launch platforms are worth saving until your product is genuinely ready, because you only get one good attempt at each.
How is the impact score calculated?
It starts from a hand-assigned priority band (do first, high, medium, later), then adjusts for cost and effort. A free, quick opportunity scores above a paid, involved one in the same band, because it is the one you can realistically finish today. The score is a queueing aid, not a measure of domain authority.
Are these links free?
1,628 of the 1,964 entries are free to submit to or offer a free tier that includes a listing. Cost is shown on every row, and the "nothing to pay" filter narrows the list to exactly those.
Which backlink sites are dofollow?
44 entries are known to give a followed link on a normal listing, and more give one only in some placements. The link type is shown on every row and can be filtered. Sites change their link policy without notice, so treat the label as a starting point and check the live page after you are listed. A nofollow link from a busy site still sends visitors and helps search engines discover you.
What does the DA number mean?
It is our estimate of the site's domain authority, a third-party style 0-100 score of how strong a domain's link profile is, rounded to the nearest 5. 1,580 of the 1,964 sites have one. It is useful for comparing sites, not a Google metric, so relevance to your niche still matters more.
How do I get backlinks for a new website?
1. Get the basics right first: Before submitting anywhere, have a one-line description, a 150-word description, a square logo and two or three screenshots ready. Every form asks for some mix of these. 2. Claim profiles and free listings: Start with the free, quick rows: profile creation sites and free directories. They are one form each and build the entity signals search engines use to understand who you are. 3. Go after a few strong links: Then pick a handful of high DA and dofollow sites that fit your niche, and write proper guest posts or launch posts for them. Ten relevant links beat a hundred random ones. 4. Track and keep it clean: Note where you submitted and when. Recheck after a month, update stale descriptions, and never pay for bulk link packages: they put the whole site at risk.
Will submitting everywhere hurt my site?
Submitting to spam directories can. That is why this list is curated rather than scraped, and why entries carry a status showing whether they have been verified as live. Skip anything that promises hundreds of links for a fee, and prefer places where a real person reviews submissions.