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 | 95 | Podbean | 85 | Nofollow | podbean.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Do first | Live, conditional | Publish a real your tool episode and add contextual links to resources actually discussed in its show notes. | No keyword stuffing or shell podcast; some custom show and episode website fields require Unlimited Audio or higher. | 2026-08-04 | Open Podbean submit page (new tab)Podbean details |
| 2 | 83 | MCP.so | 50 | Link type unknown | mcp.so | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Quick | High | Live, conditional | Submit a real public your tool MCP server repository with correct name, install steps and configuration details. | Free listing uses random placement and a nofollow link; only submit a working maintained MCP server. | 2026-08-04 | Open MCP.so submit page (new tab)MCP.so details |
| 3 | 83 | ShipList | — | Link type unknown | shipli.st | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Quick | High | Verified live | Use the free listing path for your tool; evaluate paid multi-directory service separately. | Keep this task to the direct ShipList profile; do not authorize bulk third-party submissions blindly. | 2026-08-05 | Open ShipList submit page (new tab)ShipList details |
| 4 | 81 | Apple Podcasts for Creators | 100 | Nofollow | podcasters.apple.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Submit a genuine your tool podcast RSS feed in Podcasts Connect and include the official show website in valid metadata. | Requires at least one episode, compliant RSS, artwork, content rights, technical validation, and Apple review. | 2026-08-05 | Open Apple Podcasts for Creators submit page (new tab)Apple Podcasts for Creators details |
| 5 | 81 | Luma | 80 | Nofollow | luma.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Publish a real your tool webinar, demo or workshop with a contextual canonical link in its event details. | Event details and host identity must be genuine; do not create empty or duplicate promotional events. | 2026-08-05 | Open Luma submit page (new tab)Luma details |
| 6 | 81 | Replit | 85 | Nofollow | replit.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Verified live | Publish a focused open your tool demo or developer utility and link its canonical your tool page from the app and project description. | A real working app is required; publishing may request a payment method and hosting usage can cost money. | https://docs.replit.com/learn/projects-and-artifacts/replit-deployments | Open Replit submit page (new tab)Replit details |
| 7 | 81 | Skillshare | 90 | Nofollow | skillshare.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Verified live | Apply with an original class outline and teaching sample for privacy-safe design, accessibility, or a practical productivity workflow, then build the class project and lessons if approved. | First-time teachers require approval; applications are currently English-only and must fit accepted or in-demand categories. Every class must meet content and class-quality guidelines and cannot function as an advertisement. | 2026-08-03 | Open Skillshare submit page (new tab)Skillshare details |
| 8 | 78 | Authory | 55 | Link type unknown | authory.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Create a real founder or researcher portfolio containing original your tool engineering, privacy, and accessibility articles already published under that person's byline. | Only claim work genuinely authored by the profile owner and disclose employment/founder affiliation. The portfolio is private by default until explicitly made public. Imported/manual items and outbound links are user-controlled portfolio content; public visibility, indexing, and followed-link treatment are not guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open Authory submit page (new tab)Authory details |
| 9 | 63 | BCcampus Open Collection | 70 | Link type unknown | bccampus.ca | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Publish a Canadian-ready, openly licensed privacy or digital-citizenship textbook and use Contribute → Suggest a Textbook. | Needs textbook-style objectives and activities, editable open licence/source files, accessible formats and Canadian relevance. | 2026-08-05 — https://collection.bccampus.ca/about/ | Open BCcampus Open Collection submit page (new tab)BCcampus Open Collection details |
| 10 | 63 | Buzzsprout | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | buzzsprout.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Launch a real your tool educational podcast, complete its public site, and cite relevant tools and sources in useful show notes. | Choose one primary host; publish original episodes and do not duplicate feeds solely to manufacture links. | 2026-08-05 | Open Buzzsprout submit page (new tab)Buzzsprout details |
| 11 | 63 | Calaméo | 85 | Nofollow | calameo.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Publish a polished original guide, research brief, or accessibility zine as a public document, with useful references and a relevant your tool link inside the editorial content. | Public publications are searchable and reusable through platform features; upload only lawful content AltFTool owns or licenses. BASIC includes limited features/advertising, and abusive SEO, spam, or promotional document dumping is explicitly prohibited. | 2026-08-03 | Open Calaméo submit page (new tab)Calaméo details |
| 12 | 63 | Cargo | 75 | Sometimes dofollow | cargo.site | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Create an authentic your tool or founder design portfolio with substantive case studies and contextual links to shipped tools. | Use only real design/product work; public pages may be indexed, but do not create a thin backlink microsite. | 2026-08-04 | Open Cargo submit page (new tab)Cargo details |
| 13 | 63 | Crevado | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | crevado.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Create a complete your tool product case study and add the canonical URL naturally within project text or a linked image. | Keep the portfolio public and substantive; custom-domain and other advanced features may require Premium. | 2026-08-03 | Open Crevado submit page (new tab)Crevado details |
| 14 | 63 | Journo Portfolio | 50 | Sometimes dofollow | journoportfolio.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Create a founder portfolio with original your tool launch notes or product case studies and use an external-link page for the canonical website. | The free plan is limited to a home page and ten items; publish meaningful original work, not a backlink-only shell. | 2026-08-03 | Open Journo Portfolio submit page (new tab)Journo Portfolio details |
| 15 | 63 | Milkshake | 50 | Link type unknown | milkshake.app | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Build a free mobile your tool mini-site with brand story, key collections, demos and contact links. | App-based setup; publish substantive cards instead of a bare backlink page. | 2026-08-04 | Open Milkshake submit page (new tab)Milkshake details |
| 16 | 63 | Portship | — | Link type unknown | portship.app | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Claim a builder profile and add your tool as a shipped project using its live public URL. | Best for genuinely AI-assisted builds; keep project status and ownership accurate. | 2026-08-03 | Open Portship submit page (new tab)Portship details |
| 17 | 63 | pretalx | 55 | Link type unknown | pretalx.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Use pretalx for a genuine your tool community conference or submit relevant talks to events that use the platform. | Public pages require a real conference and accepted content; trial-only pages are not a backlink strategy. | 2026-08-05 | Open pretalx submit page (new tab)pretalx details |
| 18 | 63 | Zotero Groups | 80 | Nofollow | zotero.org | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a public privacy-tool research library with credible standards, papers, and references, including only genuinely relevant your tool documentation. | Curate a real scholarly collection rather than a promotional list; public-open groups cannot share files, and visibility depends on settings. | Official Zotero Groups documentation checked 2026-08-07 | Open Zotero Groups submit page (new tab)Zotero Groups details |
| 19 | 45 | LinkDR | 20 | Link type unknown | linkdr.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Use to organize submissions and find more SaaS directories. | Service/tool, not direct backlink source. | 2026-07-30 | Open LinkDR submit page (new tab)LinkDR details |
| 20 | 45 | Nexus Spring of Code | — | Link type unknown | nsoc.in | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Quick | Later | Live, conditional | Register as a maintainer and submit a real your tool open-source project with contributor-ready issues. | Time-bound program; requires active mentoring, issue curation and production-quality tasks. | 2026-08-03 | Open Nexus Spring of Code submit page (new tab)Nexus Spring of Code 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.