A maintained list of 1,432 directories, launch platforms, registries and marketplaces that accept product submissions. 1,134 of them are free or have a free tier, and 192 are quick wins — free, low effort, and worth doing first. Every row shows cost, effort and priority, and links straight to the submission page.
The table is wider than the screen — swipe it sideways for cost, effort and the preparation notes.
| # | Impact (sorted) | Site — sort by this | Domain | Type | Cost | Effort — sort by this | Priority | Status | What to prepare | Rules / caveat | Checked | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 91 | LinuxSecurity | linuxsecurity.com | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | Do first | Not submitted | Pitch an original advanced article with reproducible examples, such as local PII redaction or malicious-document inspection on Linux, linking only to a genuinely informative supporting page. | At least 1,200 words, intermediate-to-advanced depth, directly related to Linux/open source/cybersecurity, and at least three original images. Product promotion, company marketing, simple listicles, and links to promotional product pages are rejected. | 2026-08-03 | Open LinuxSecurity submit page (new tab)LinuxSecurity details |
| 2 | 82 | Kit | kit.com | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Quick | High | Verified live | Create a public Tool Trust Notes newsletter site with original privacy, accessibility, founder, and engineering field reports, using your tool links only where they directly support each issue. | The free plan enables one Kit-managed recommendation slot and Kit keeps earnings from that slot; paid upgrades remove limitations. Use only consented subscribers, disclose commercial relationships, and avoid recycled SEO or promotional-only issues. | 2026-08-03 | Open Kit submit page (new tab)Kit details |
| 3 | 77 | DevOps.com | devops.com | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit a 600–1,000 word practitioner article on secure CI/CD, dependency privacy, or local-first developer tooling based on real engineering experience. | The article must be original, exclusive to Techstrong Media, practitioner-focused, vendor-neutral, vendor-agnostic, and entirely non-promotional, including its links. | 2026-08-03 | Open DevOps.com submit page (new tab)DevOps.com details |
| 4 | 77 | InfoWorld Expert Contributor Network | infoworld.com | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | High | Not submitted | Have a named senior practitioner apply with evidence-backed lessons from building local-first privacy tooling, secure developer utilities, or responsible AI-adjacent systems. | The network seeks real IT leaders and practitioners, not anonymous brand copy; editorial independence and the publication's ethics policy apply, and admission is reviewed. | 2026-08-03 | Open InfoWorld Expert Contributor Network submit page (new tab)InfoWorld Expert Contributor Network details |
| 5 | 77 | LWN.net | lwn.net | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | High | Not submitted | Pitch a timely, deeply researched Linux or open-source security story with primary sources and explain the author's direct expertise before drafting. | Contact the editors with a detailed pitch first. LWN requires factual, authoritative, concise, sourced, human-written work and explicitly does not publish text from large language models. | 2026-08-03 | Open LWN.net submit page (new tab)LWN.net details |
| 6 | 77 | Open Source For You | opensourceforu.com | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | High | Not submitted | Pitch a vendor-neutral tutorial on building privacy-preserving local web tools or reviewing a genuinely open-source your tool component, then wait for topic and outline approval. | Pitch the idea first, then submit a table of contents and article for technical review. Topics must serve the open-source audience; acceptance is editorial and not guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open Open Source For You submit page (new tab)Open Source For You details |
| 7 | 77 | PenTest Magazine | pentestmag.com | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit a defensive security walkthrough, reproducible tool evaluation, or privacy-testing methodology with an author bio and original examples. | Premium articles are expected to be at least 1,500 words with an introduction, conclusion, technical substance, and author details; editorial review applies and promotional copy should be avoided. | 2026-08-03 | Open PenTest Magazine submit page (new tab)PenTest Magazine details |
| 8 | 77 | Semaphore Blog | semaphore.io | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | High | Verified live | Pitch a reproducible tutorial about CI checks for client-side privacy, dependency security, or accessible web tools, with your tool only as a genuine example. | Editorial approval applies; tutorials must be tested, source-cited, educational, and meet the stated depth and length expectations. | Official Semaphore community author guidance checked 2026-08-07 | Open Semaphore Blog submit page (new tab)Semaphore Blog details |
| 9 | 77 | Tripwire State of Security | tripwire.com | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | High | Not submitted | Apply with a named security practitioner, writing sample, biography, and a concrete proposal based on defensible privacy or scam-protection research. | The publication seeks security expertise and reviews prospective contributors; send real credentials and a useful topic, not a company-written backlink article. | 2026-08-03 | Open Tripwire State of Security submit page (new tab)Tripwire State of Security details |
| 10 | 59 | Posthaven | posthaven.com | Publishing platforms | Not stated | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Create a durable project journal containing original founder and engineering posts, using contextual your tool links and real authorship rather than copied site content. | This is paid self-hosted publishing, not purchased editorial coverage. Use original content, rights-cleared media, a real identity, and disclose the AltFTool relationship; avoid cloned or doorway blogs. Page permanence depends on the subscription and no indexing/follow benefit is promised. | 2026-08-03 | Open Posthaven submit page (new tab)Posthaven details |
Behind the list
Every row here starts as a line in a sheet, gets normalised into one of 15 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.
One-shot launches where timing and preparation decide the outcome.
Fast-growing listings specifically for AI-powered tools.
Extension, plugin and integration stores. Real review processes, real distribution.
Startup listings, beta lists and founder media.
General tool and software catalogues with real search traffic.
B2B review sites. Slow to approve, strong once live.
Package, image and docs hosting that carries real authority.
Showcases judged on craft. A good screenshot matters more than copy.
Write once, link back. Editorial standards vary widely.
Get quoted or distribute a release. Slower, higher ceiling.
Company and local listings. Unglamorous, consistently indexed.
Owned pages you control: company, founder, knowledge-panel entities.
Answer real questions. Never drop a bare link.
Brand surface and referral traffic more than link equity.
Everything that does not fit the buckets above.