AltF Backlinks

Free backlink sites list: 1,854 places to get a link

A maintained list of 1,854 legitimate backlink sites: directories, profile creation sites, guest posting sites, launch platforms, registries and marketplaces. 1,532 are free or have a free tier, 44 usually give a dofollow link, and 772 have an estimated DA of 70 or more. Every row shows authority, link type, cost and effort, and links straight to the submit page.

1,854
Opportunities: 1,532
Free or freemium: 772
Est. DA 70+: 200
Quick wins

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The table is wider than the screen — swipe it sideways for cost, effort and the preparation notes.

Submission opportunities with impact score, cost, effort, priority, status and preparation notes. Scroll horizontally for all columns.
#	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	74	CSS Weekly	45	Sometimes dofollow	css-weekly.com	Design galleries	Paid	Moderate	High	Verified live	Sponsor an your tool frontend, accessibility, CSS, or developer utility with a useful demo and audience-specific copy.	Official page advertises a permanent dofollow link, but paid links should be marked rel=sponsored for search-policy compliance; prioritize audience value.	https://css-weekly.com/advertise	Open CSS Weekly submit page (new tab)CSS Weekly details
2	74	Dense Discovery	50	Link type unknown	densediscovery.com	Design galleries	Paid	Moderate	High	Verified live	Promote a privacy-respecting or thoughtfully designed your tool utility through a classified or main sponsor slot.	Ads are reviewed for fit and values; links are paid placements, so measure referral value and do not treat them as PageRank endorsements.	https://www.densediscovery.com/advertise/	Open Dense Discovery submit page (new tab)Dense Discovery details
3	74	MetaFilter Projects	85	Nofollow	metafilter.com	Design galleries	Paid	Moderate	High	Verified live	After becoming a genuine member, submit your tool as a completed web project with a plain factual description in MetaFilter Projects only.	Self-links are prohibited elsewhere; use Projects only, respect posting cadence, and participate as a community member.	Official MetaFilter Projects, FAQ, and about pages checked 2026-08-07	Open MetaFilter Projects submit page (new tab)MetaFilter Projects details
4	71	Codrops	75	Sometimes dofollow	tympanus.net	Design galleries	Paid	Involved	High	Verified live	Pitch a crafted, original interactive tutorial or demo about client-side privacy visualization, inclusive motion, or accessible creative tooling, with source and a working demo.	Codrops seeks fresh ideas and high-quality work for web professionals; the editorial and visual craft bar is high. Use a real author identity and pitch original teaching value, not a promotional guest post.	2026-08-03	Open Codrops submit page (new tab)Codrops details
5	56	CSS Light	40	Link type unknown	csslight.com	Design galleries	Paid	Moderate	Medium	Not submitted	Submit your tool best landing or tools page with a strong screenshot, accurate categories, and creator details.	Free submissions are currently closed; paid review does not replace the need for a high-quality, working website.	2026-08-03	Open CSS Light submit page (new tab)CSS Light details
6	53	Admire The Web	30	Link type unknown	admiretheweb.com	Design galleries	Paid	Involved	Medium	Not submitted	Submit your tool strongest responsive or product page with a clean screenshot and concise design summary.	Submission is paid and editorially curated; use only a finished, visually distinctive public page.	2026-08-03	Open Admire The Web submit page (new tab)Admire The Web details
7	53	CSS Nectar	50	Link type unknown	cssnectar.com	Design galleries	Paid	Involved	Medium	Not submitted	Submit a high-resolution screenshot, short design description, relevant categories, and the official your tool URL.	Editorial review applies and rejection is possible; the site states that rejected submissions are refunded.	2026-08-03	Open CSS Nectar submit page (new tab)CSS Nectar details
8	36	Awwwards	85	Sometimes dofollow	awwwards.com	Design galleries	Paid	Moderate	Later	Needs checking	Submit your tool web design if premium/polished.	High authority; paid and design quality gate.	2026-07-30	Open Awwwards submit page (new tab)Awwwards details
9	36	CSS Design Awards	70	Sometimes dofollow	cssdesignawards.com	Design galleries	Paid	Moderate	Later	Needs checking	Submit site for CSS/design award.	Only after homepage/tool UX polished.	2026-07-30	Open CSS Design Awards submit page (new tab)CSS Design Awards details
10	36	CSS Winner	55	Link type unknown	csswinner.com	Design galleries	Paid	Moderate	Later	Needs checking	Submit site for CSS award/listing.	Only if design meets award standard.	2026-07-30	Open CSS Winner submit page (new tab)CSS Winner details
11	36	The FWA	70	Link type unknown	thefwa.com	Design galleries	Paid	Moderate	Later	Needs checking	Submit an interactive site or WebGL experience for jury review; winners get a public award page linking to the work.	Submission fee per entry; judged on craft and innovation, most entries are not awarded.	Added 2026-11-01	Open The FWA submit page (new tab)The FWA 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 view

Backlink sites by category

Product launch sites85

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 directories151

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 sites113

Startup listings, beta lists and founder media.

Software directory submission sites210

General tool and software catalogues with real search traffic.

Software review sites29

B2B review sites. Slow to approve, strong once live.

Developer platforms for backlinks127

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 sites183

Write once, link back. Editorial standards vary widely.

PR and press release sites40

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 sites58

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. 200 of the 1,854 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?

1,532 of the 1,854 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. 1,524 of the 1,854 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.

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