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 | 91 | LinuxSecurity | 60 | Link type unknown | 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 | Nextool.ai | — | Link type unknown | nextool.ai | AI tool directories | Not stated | Quick | High | Not submitted | Submit a specific working AI-powered your tool utility, then claim the approved listing with a domain email to maintain features and pricing. | AI tools only; professional public website and accurate details required; claiming an existing listing is verified separately and does not guarantee featured placement. | 2026-08-03 | Open Nextool.ai submit page (new tab)Nextool.ai details |
| 3 | 77 | DevOps.com | 75 | Sometimes dofollow | 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 | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | infoworld.com | Guest posting sites | 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 | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | 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 | 65 | Sometimes dofollow | 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 | 50 | Link type unknown | 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 | Tripwire State of Security | 75 | Sometimes dofollow | 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 |
| 9 | 64 | HackerOne Bug Bounty Platform | 85 | Nofollow | hackerone.com | Communities and forums | Not stated | Quick | Medium | Not submitted | After security readiness, launch a properly scoped public VDP or bounty program with safe-harbor language, assets, response SLAs and funded rewards where applicable. | This is a security program, not an SEO tactic; requires mature triage and remediation, and public profile links may be nofollow or otherwise platform-controlled. | 2026-08-03 | Open HackerOne Bug Bounty Platform submit page (new tab)HackerOne Bug Bounty Platform details |
| 10 | 62 | Woo Marketplace | 90 | Link type unknown | woocommerce.com | Marketplaces and app stores | Not stated | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Develop a production-grade WooCommerce extension for privacy-safe exports or media cleanup and submit it through an approved vendor account. | Business, code, security, UX, HPOS, and accessibility review applies; decision timing and listing links are controlled by Woo. | 2026-08-03 | Open Woo Marketplace submit page (new tab)Woo Marketplace details |
| 11 | 59 | Mindsparkle Mag | 35 | Link type unknown | mindsparklemag.com | Design galleries | Not stated | Involved | Medium | Not submitted | Prepare an editorial-quality your tool story with large visuals, product context, design rationale, and original behind-the-scenes material. | Paid submission remains editorially selective; original assets are required and rejected out-of-scope submissions are eligible for a refund under the stated policy. | 2026-08-03 | Open Mindsparkle Mag submit page (new tab)Mindsparkle Mag 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
One-shot launches where timing and preparation decide the outcome.
Publications that accept contributed articles. Slow and editorial, but the links are earned.
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.