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

All filters2

Filtered byDeveloper registries Est. DA 90+Clear all

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	98	NIST Privacy Framework Resource Repository	95	Link type unknown	nist.gov	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	Do first	Verified live	Publish an open your tool Privacy Framework mapping, template, tutorial, or implementation tool and submit it for repository review.	Must substantively support privacy-risk management or a Privacy Framework use case; inclusion is moderated and is not NIST endorsement.	2026-08-05 — https://www.nist.gov/privacy-framework/resource-repository	Open NIST Privacy Framework Resource Repository submit page (new tab)NIST Privacy Framework Resource Repository details
2	98	PyPI	90	Nofollow	pypi.org	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	Do first	Live, conditional	Publish a real your tool Python SDK, CLI, or integration package and set Homepage, Documentation, Source, and Issues URLs in package metadata.	Conditional on maintaining a functional Python package; no placeholder packages, name squatting, or keyword stuffing.	https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/specifications/well-known-project-urls/	Open PyPI submit page (new tab)PyPI details
3	95	Read the Docs	90	Nofollow	readthedocs.org	Developer registries	Free + paid tier	Moderate	Do first	Verified live	Import public your tool developer documentation, add the build config and expose versioned, searchable docs with canonical project links.	Community hosting expects a public repository and genuine documentation; configure canonical URLs to avoid duplicate-content issues.	Official Read the Docs import guide checked 2026-07-30	Open Read the Docs submit page (new tab)Read the Docs details
4	86	GitHub	95	Nofollow	github.com	Developer registries	Free	Quick	High	Not submitted	Create org/repo README linking your tool; submit to relevant awesome lists.	Only publish original/clean licensed code; no fake stars.	2026-07-30	Open GitHub submit page (new tab)GitHub details
5	84	CRAN	90	Nofollow	cran.r-project.org	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	High	Verified live	Submit a useful R package with URL and BugReports metadata pointing to its official project and documentation pages.	CRAN performs rigorous automated and manual review; packages must meet policy across supported platforms.	Official CRAN repository policy checked 2026-07-30	Open CRAN submit page (new tab)CRAN details
6	84	Docker Hub	90	Nofollow	docker.com	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	High	Live, conditional	Publish a maintained your tool CLI or server image with source, documentation, descriptions and canonical homepage links.	Ship a scanned, reproducible and maintained image; public presence is not Docker verification and fair-use limits apply.	2026-08-05 official Docker Hub repository and usage documentation	Open Docker Hub submit page (new tab)Docker Hub details
7	84	Drupal.org Projects	90	Nofollow	drupal.org	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	High	Verified live	Create a functional Drupal integration or reusable module and publish a maintained project page with documentation and official links.	Project must contain real Drupal-compatible code and follow security, licensing, naming and non-promotional rules.	Official Drupal project docs checked 2026-07-30	Open Drupal.org Projects submit page (new tab)Drupal.org Projects details
8	84	Go Packages	90	Link type unknown	pkg.go.dev	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	High	Verified live	Tag and publish a public Go module with module docs and repository metadata so pkg.go.dev indexes it.	Use a valid module path and semantic-version tag; the module becomes discoverable after the proxy fetches it.	Official Go module publishing docs checked 2026-07-30	Open Go Packages submit page (new tab)Go Packages details
9	84	npm	95	Nofollow	npmjs.com	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	High	Not submitted	Publish @your tool/embed or utility package with homepage.	Only after package exists; keep license clean.	2026-07-30	Open npm submit page (new tab)npm details
10	66	arXiv	95	Nofollow	arxiv.org	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	Medium	Live, conditional	Submit an original your tool-related technical paper and cite your tool only where it is genuinely the software or study subject.	Requires scholarly content in an accepted category, author registration and sometimes endorsement; promotional papers are inappropriate.	https://info.arxiv.org/help/submit/index.html	Open arXiv submit page (new tab)arXiv details
11	66	Harvard Dataverse	95	Link type unknown	dataverse.harvard.edu	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	Medium	Live, conditional	Deposit a genuine your tool benchmark, evaluation dataset or reproducibility bundle with project URL in the description/metadata.	Account and appropriate collection permissions are required; data must have lawful sharing rights and complete citation metadata.	https://guides.dataverse.org/en/latest/user/dataset-management.html	Open Harvard Dataverse submit page (new tab)Harvard Dataverse details
12	66	Windows Package Manager	95	Nofollow	learn.microsoft.com	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	Medium	Verified live	Submit a validated manifest for an installable Windows release with PackageUrl, PublisherUrl and support metadata.	Official distribution is manifest and CLI-first, so web backlink visibility is limited; automated and manual safety review applies.	Official Microsoft WinGet docs checked 2026-07-30	Open Windows Package Manager submit page (new tab)Windows Package Manager details
13	48	Docker Hub	95	Nofollow	hub.docker.com	Developer registries	Free	Quick	Later	Not submitted	Publish open-source helper image only if useful.	Only if real image exists; avoid empty backlink repo.	2026-07-30	Open Docker Hub submit page (new tab)Docker Hub details
14	46	Debian Package Archive	90	Link type unknown	packages.debian.org	Developer registries	Free	Moderate	Later	Verified live	Create a policy-compliant Debian package for a stable useful your tool CLI, file the appropriate intent-to-package request, include accurate upstream metadata and secure a Debian sponsor for upload.	High-effort maintainership commitment: must be distributable, lintian-clean, reproducibly buildable and useful to Debian users; non-developers need sponsor review, and acceptance into NEW is not guaranteed.	2026-08-05	Open Debian Package Archive submit page (new tab)Debian Package Archive 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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