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.
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 | Softpedia | 90 | Nofollow | softpedia.com | Software directories | Free | Involved | Do first | Verified live | Submit your tool with homepage URL, privacy-first positioning, logo, screenshots and accurate pricing. | Accurate tool details required; editorial approval controls publication. Listing link is currently reported nofollow. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/softpedia | Open Softpedia submit page (new tab)Softpedia details |
| 2 | 81 | CSS-Tricks | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | css-tricks.com | Guest posting sites | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Propose a lived-experience frontend article on accessible tool interfaces, privacy-safe browser APIs, CSS, or performance. | Attach a rough draft or outline and demonstrate real expertise; the article must be useful rather than an AltFTool promotion. | https://css-tricks.com/guest-writing/ | Open CSS-Tricks submit page (new tab)CSS-Tricks details |
| 3 | 81 | DEV Community | 90 | Nofollow | dev.to | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Publish #showdev article about client-side privacy tools. | Write useful technical article; avoid thin promotion. | 2026-07-30 | Open DEV Community submit page (new tab)DEV Community details |
| 4 | 81 | Envato Tuts+ | 90 | Link type unknown | tutsplus.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Pitch a practical, outcome-based tutorial on client-side privacy, accessible UI, or web safety using original examples and an honest author identity. | Applications and pitches receive editorial review; tutorials must teach a complete practical outcome and use owned/licensed assets. Disclose any AltFTool relationship and keep the lesson vendor-neutral rather than a product walkthrough. Publication timing and link treatment are editorial decisions, with no inclusion or followed-link guarantee. | 2026-08-03 | Open Envato Tuts+ submit page (new tab)Envato Tuts+ details |
| 5 | 81 | GeeksforGeeks Contribute | 90 | Nofollow | geeksforgeeks.org | Review platforms | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Write an original technical article about a broadly useful browser-security, privacy, or accessibility technique and cite your tool only when it is a necessary working example. | Articles are submitted for review and promotional, incorrect, or plagiarized work can be rejected. Use original code and images, disclose affiliation, and do not turn the article into an AltFTool sales page. Review timing, publication, author-page visibility, and rel/follow behavior are not guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open GeeksforGeeks Contribute submit page (new tab)GeeksforGeeks Contribute details |
| 6 | 81 | Instructables | 90 | Nofollow | instructables.com | Communities and forums | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Publish a detailed build or usage tutorial around an original your tool workflow, with the relevant tool link only where it helps readers. | Commercial projects are acceptable only when the article is genuinely instructional; include original steps, images, and results. | https://www.instructables.com/create/ | Open Instructables submit page (new tab)Instructables details |
| 7 | 81 | Moz Blog | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | moz.com | Guest posting sites | Free | Involved | High | Needs checking | Read the blog's submission guidelines, then send a detailed pitch for an in-depth SEO tutorial or case study with original data. | Moz accepts only a small number of expert posts; recycled advice and link-driven pitches are declined. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Moz Blog submit page (new tab)Moz Blog details |
| 8 | 81 | Search Engine Journal | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | searchenginejournal.com | Guest posting sites | Free | Involved | High | Needs checking | Apply to become a contributor with writing samples, then pitch practical, data-backed SEO or PPC pieces to the editors. | Editors reject promotional or thin articles and control all outbound links; expect heavy editing and a firm no on self-serving links. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Search Engine Journal submit page (new tab)Search Engine Journal details |
| 9 | 81 | Search Engine Land | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | searchengineland.com | Guest posting sites | Free | Involved | High | Needs checking | Use the contributor link in the site footer to apply, then pitch original search marketing analysis or tactics from your own work. | Contributors must be practitioners, not ghostwriters; vendor pitches and links to your own product are generally not allowed in the body. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Search Engine Land submit page (new tab)Search Engine Land details |
| 10 | 81 | Smashing Magazine | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | smashingmagazine.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Pitch a practical privacy-by-design, accessibility, frontend-security, or local-first tooling article backed by real your tool lessons. | No press releases, product walkthroughs, listicles, or content marketing; AltFTool may be cited only when editorially useful. | https://www.smashingmagazine.com/write-for-us/ | Open Smashing Magazine submit page (new tab)Smashing Magazine details |
| 11 | 81 | Stack Overflow Blog | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | stackoverflow.blog | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Pitch a rigorous developer-facing article about secure file handling, browser privacy, accessibility testing, or tool architecture. | Strict technical quality and editorial review apply; avoid product marketing and disclose conflicts or affiliations. | https://stackoverflow.blog/2020/01/27/blog-contributor-guidelines/ | Open Stack Overflow Blog submit page (new tab)Stack Overflow Blog details |
| 12 | 81 | VentureBeat | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | venturebeat.com | Guest posting sites | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Pitch original your tool data, an AI/privacy industry argument, or a consequential product launch to the relevant desk. | Follow the contact and guest-post rules; a generic launch email or self-promotional draft will not earn placement. | https://venturebeat.com/contact/ | Open VentureBeat submit page (new tab)VentureBeat details |
| 13 | 78 | 100 | Nofollow | linkedin.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Not submitted | Create company page and publish case-study posts. | Use real company details; publish useful posts. | 2026-07-30 | Open LinkedIn submit page (new tab)LinkedIn details | |
| 14 | 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 |
| 15 | 71 | PRWeb | 90 | Nofollow | prweb.com | PR and source platforms | Paid | Involved | High | Verified live | Use a major your tool product update, benchmark report, or partnership story with one clear media angle. | Editorial review applies; PRWeb explicitly does not guarantee search rank or media use of the release. | https://www.prweb.com/product/faq/ | Open PRWeb submit page (new tab)PRWeb details |
| 16 | 63 | CIO | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | cio.com | Guest posting sites | Free | Involved | Medium | Needs checking | Apply to the publication's expert contributor network if you are a senior IT practitioner and propose a regular column topic. | Acceptance is selective and vendor employees face strict rules; promotional content is not published. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open CIO submit page (new tab)CIO details |
| 17 | 63 | Interoperable Europe / Joinup Solutions | 95 | Link type unknown | interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Publish a mature open-source interoperability or public-administration solution with documentation, releases, licence, and owner metadata. | Only appropriate for genuine reusable digital-government value; account, eligibility, and editorial review apply. | 2026-08-05 — https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/portal-support/news/joinup-solutions-hub | Open Interoperable Europe / Joinup Solutions submit page (new tab)Interoperable Europe / Joinup Solutions details |
| 18 | 63 | Wikidata | 95 | Nofollow | wikidata.org | Profiles and entities | Free | Involved | Medium | Needs checking | If your organisation or product meets notability rules, create an item with official website and sourced statements. | Items need reliable references and must not be self-promotion; unsourced items get deleted. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Wikidata submit page (new tab)Wikidata details |
| 19 | 60 | HackerNoon | 90 | Sometimes dofollow | hackernoon.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | Medium | Not submitted | Pitch/write article about privacy-first browser tools. | Editorial quality required; not instant. | 2026-07-30 | Open HackerNoon submit page (new tab)HackerNoon details |
| 20 | 60 | Medium | 95 | Nofollow | medium.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | Medium | Not submitted | Publish founder/productivity article linking your tool. | Canonical/duplicate strategy needed. | 2026-07-30 | Open Medium submit page (new tab)Medium details |
| 21 | 53 | Business Wire | 90 | Nofollow | businesswire.com | PR and source platforms | Paid | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Reserve for major corporate news, partnerships, funding, or independently useful your tool research. | Account setup and editorial review are required; distribution is not an editorial endorsement and links may be qualified. | https://secure.businesswire.com/pricing | Open Business Wire submit page (new tab)Business Wire details |
| 22 | 53 | GlobeNewswire | 90 | Nofollow | globenewswire.com | PR and source platforms | Paid | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Use for a major release or original your tool trend report that merits broad international distribution. | Submit only verifiable corporate news; publisher pickups and link attributes vary by outlet. | https://www.globenewswire.com/en/press-release-distribution-services | Open GlobeNewswire submit page (new tab)GlobeNewswire details |
| 23 | 53 | PR Newswire | 95 | Nofollow | prnewswire.com | PR and source platforms | Paid | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Pitch a high-signal announcement to relevant technology, AI, privacy, or India media lists through its distribution network. | Membership and distribution charges may apply; placement, pickup, and backlinks are never guaranteed. | https://www.prnewswire.com/pr-distribution-and-placement/ | Open PR Newswire submit page (new tab)PR Newswire details |
| 24 | 53 | Semrush AI PR Toolkit | 90 | Link type unknown | semrush.com | AI tool directories | Paid | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Research AI-cited journalists, build a narrow list, and pitch your tool research or expert commentary rather than generic product copy. | Prowly has been rebranded into this toolkit; access does not guarantee replies, coverage, citations, or backlinks. | https://prowly.com/ | Open Semrush AI PR Toolkit submit page (new tab)Semrush AI PR Toolkit details |
| 25 | 43 | Boing Boing | 90 | Link type unknown | boingboing.net | PR and source platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Send a tip about a quirky web toy or creative project with one clear link; editors choose what to write up. | Editorial selection; use the tip route the site currently lists. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Boing Boing submit page (new tab)Boing Boing details |
| 26 | 43 | Harvard Business Review | 95 | Sometimes dofollow | hbr.org | Guest posting sites | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Read the guidelines for authors and submit a short pitch with a clear, evidence-backed management idea. | Acceptance is very selective and links are rare; most value comes from authority rather than the link itself. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Harvard Business Review submit page (new tab)Harvard Business Review details |
| 27 | 43 | Mailchimp Integrations | 95 | Sometimes dofollow | mailchimp.com | Marketplaces and app stores | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | If you build a Mailchimp integration, apply to have it listed in their directory. | Integration must be live and reviewed by their partner team. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Mailchimp Integrations submit page (new tab)Mailchimp Integrations details |
| 28 | 43 | wikiHow | 90 | Nofollow | wikihow.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Write or improve a how-to article where you have real expertise, and cite sources properly. | External links are tightly controlled and nofollow; treat it as visibility, not link equity. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open wikiHow submit page (new tab)wikiHow details |
| 29 | 40 | CodeCanyon | 90 | Nofollow | codecanyon.net | Marketplaces and app stores | Free + paid tier | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Become an author and sell scripts or plugins, linking your site from your profile. | Items go through strict quality review; Envato takes a commission. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open CodeCanyon submit page (new tab)CodeCanyon details |
| 30 | 40 | ThemeForest | 90 | Nofollow | themeforest.net | Marketplaces and app stores | Free + paid tier | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Sell website themes or templates as an author with a profile link to your site. | Hard review standards; most first submissions are rejected. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open ThemeForest submit page (new tab)ThemeForest details |
| 31 | 33 | Alibaba | 95 | Nofollow | alibaba.com | Business directories | Paid | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Only worth it if you sell physical goods wholesale; apply for a supplier membership. | Supplier accounts require business verification and a paid plan in most regions. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Alibaba submit page (new tab)Alibaba details |
| 32 | 33 | Indiegogo | 90 | Nofollow | indiegogo.com | Launch platforms | Paid | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Run a crowdfunding or pre-order campaign and link your site from the campaign page. | Platform fees apply; campaigns are reviewed for compliance. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Indiegogo submit page (new tab)Indiegogo details |
| 33 | 33 | Kickstarter | 95 | Nofollow | kickstarter.com | Launch platforms | Paid | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Launch a campaign for a hardware, creative or game project and link your site from the creator profile. | Projects must create something tangible to share; fees apply on funded campaigns. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Kickstarter submit page (new tab)Kickstarter details |
Four steps that work for a new site, a SaaS or a side project. No paid link packages, nothing that risks a penalty.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.