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 | 95 | Accessibility Weekly | 35 | Dofollow | a11yweekly.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Do first | Verified live | First publish a fresh, human-authored accessibility case study or tutorial with real lessons and disabled-user perspective where available, then suggest that single article by email. | Prefer content from the last two months; it must be accurate, educational, accessible without paywall/signup, and not a product page or press release. No overlays, link exchanges, guest-post deals, paid links, or strong paid-product calls to action. | 2026-08-03 | Open Accessibility Weekly submit page (new tab)Accessibility Weekly details |
| 2 | 95 | Help Net Security | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | helpnetsecurity.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Do first | Verified live | Send a concise exclusive angle on a new your tool security feature, dataset, vulnerability study, or expert commentary. | Send pitches to the listed editorial address; relevance is essential and the team cannot reply to or publish every pitch. | https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/contact/ | Open Help Net Security submit page (new tab)Help Net Security details |
| 3 | 95 | Security Boulevard | 70 | Sometimes dofollow | securityboulevard.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Do first | Verified live | Pitch a vendor-neutral security article using original your tool tests, threat-model findings, or privacy research. | Content must be original, transparent about authorship, and vendor-neutral; promotional posts belong in paid programs. | https://securityboulevard.com/write-for-security-boulevard/ | Open Security Boulevard submit page (new tab)Security Boulevard details |
| 4 | 95 | The A11Y Project | 70 | Dofollow | a11yproject.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Do first | Verified live | Pitch a short, beginner-friendly, human-authored accessibility post through an issue, or submit one established free your tool accessibility resource under the correct Resources category. | Maintainers assess quality, host accessibility, mission, and author standing. No press releases, overlays, Medium links, affiliate/referral schemes, UTM tracking, SEO/backlink deals, plagiarism, or product promotion; contributions use the project's APLv2 license. | 2026-08-03 | Open The A11Y Project submit page (new tab)The A11Y Project details |
| 5 | 95 | Towards AI | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | towardsai.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Do first | Verified live | Submit a useful AI privacy, local processing, prompt-security, or responsible-tooling tutorial with reproducible examples. | Submit a complete draft for editorial review; avoid thin AI-generated or product-led content and expect no guaranteed placement. | https://towardsai.com/contribute/ | Open Towards AI submit page (new tab)Towards AI details |
| 6 | 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 |
| 7 | 81 | 2600: The Hacker Quarterly | 60 | Link type unknown | 2600.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit an original hacker-spirit article on a privacy failure, scam-defense experiment, file-forensics method, or unusual defensive technique—not an your tool advertisement. | The editor selects intelligent, interesting work; publication is not guaranteed. Treat the piece as independent technical journalism and keep product promotion out of it. | 2026-08-03 | Open 2600: The Hacker Quarterly submit page (new tab)2600: The Hacker Quarterly details |
| 8 | 81 | A List Apart | 80 | Sometimes dofollow | alistapart.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Pitch an original standards, accessibility, privacy, or responsible-web essay based on first-hand product engineering experience. | Original 600–2,500-word editorial work only; sales pitches, press releases, and disguised promotion are rejected. | https://alistapart.com/about/contribute/ | Open A List Apart submit page (new tab)A List Apart details |
| 9 | 81 | C# Corner | 75 | Nofollow | c-sharpcorner.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Register a real founder or engineer profile and publish an original code-backed tutorial on privacy-safe browser tooling, mentioning your tool only where it is part of the implementation. | Original content and source code are expected; editors review submissions, published content may not be removable, and spam or copyright violations are prohibited. | Official C# Corner submission guidelines and terms checked 2026-08-07 | Open C# Corner submit page (new tab)C# Corner details |
| 10 | 81 | CodeProject | 85 | Nofollow | codeproject.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit a substantial implementation article with code samples for a local privacy or document-processing technique used in your tool. | Articles are quality-reviewed and should include real code and explanation; marketing copy and unnecessary product links will be rejected. | 2026-08-03 | Open CodeProject submit page (new tab)CodeProject details |
| 11 | 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 |
| 12 | 81 | DevDojo | 55 | Sometimes dofollow | devdojo.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Join as the developer and publish an original technical tutorial about a privacy-safe browser workflow, citing your tool only where relevant. | Community content must teach something; avoid copied blog posts, thin launch announcements, or promotional comment drops. | 2026-08-03 | Open DevDojo submit page (new tab)DevDojo details |
| 13 | 81 | Pointer | 50 | Link type unknown | pointer.io | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Email one exceptional your tool engineering article, open-source project or deeply useful technical resource to Pointer's official share address. | Submit high-quality engineering reading, not a product-page pitch or link bait. | 2026-08-04 | Open Pointer submit page (new tab)Pointer details |
| 14 | 81 | Qiita | 85 | Nofollow | qiita.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Write an original Japanese developer tutorial or benchmark that uses your tool and cite the relevant tool or source only where it helps readers. | Follow Qiita community guidelines, disclose affiliations and avoid duplicate, translated-only or promotional content; links are UGC. | 2026-08-03 | Open Qiita submit page (new tab)Qiita details |
| 15 | 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 |
| 16 | 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 |
| 17 | 78 | AppSignal Blog | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | appsignal.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Apply with a code-heavy observability, Node, Ruby, Python, or Elixir tutorial using a real your tool engineering problem as the case study. | Mid or senior expertise, original long-form content, working code, and editorial review are required; no thin beginner or promotional post. | Official AppSignal write-for-us requirements checked 2026-08-07 | Open AppSignal Blog submit page (new tab)AppSignal Blog details |
| 18 | 78 | Curated | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | curated.co | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Launch a consistent Trustworthy Tools digest that mixes independent sources with occasional relevant your tool research, adding original commentary to every selected link. | Use consented subscribers and a real editorial cadence; the optional publication site provides searchable back issues. Do not publish AltFTool-only issues or undisclosed promotions. Archive links are publisher-controlled content, not independent endorsements, and no indexing or followed-link outcome is guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open Curated submit page (new tab)Curated details |
| 19 | 78 | Frontend Focus | 50 | Link type unknown | frontendfoc.us | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Send one current, technically substantive frontend or accessibility article/tool after publishing it, explaining the concrete reader value and disclosing your tool ownership. | The current newsletter footer asks readers with a link to reply, but editors cannot include everything. Pitch only strong frontend content, avoid generic product copy or repeated outreach, and keep paid promotion separate. Selection, timing, wording, and link rel/follow treatment are editorial and not guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open Frontend Focus submit page (new tab)Frontend Focus details |
| 20 | 78 | JavaScript Weekly | 60 | Link type unknown | javascriptweekly.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | First publish a strong JavaScript/browser engineering article or genuinely novel developer utility, then reply to a current issue with one concise, disclosed editorial tip. | Current issues invite readers to send relevant links by reply, but inclusion is fully editorial. Submit one timely technical item, not a generic homepage or repeated pitch; disclose AltFTool ownership and do not imply endorsement. Review/publication timing and rel/follow status are not guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open JavaScript Weekly submit page (new tab)JavaScript Weekly details |
| 21 | 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 | |
| 22 | 78 | Mataroa | 45 | Link type unknown | mataroa.blog | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Publish original, text-first notes about building local-only privacy and accessibility tools, with restrained links to the relevant live your tool implementation. | Mataroa forbids low-quality bot-focused content and may delete it; use human-edited, substantive writing and disclose ownership. Custom domains and post-by-email require Premium. It is self-published content, not editorial endorsement, with no ranking or followed-link guarantee. | 2026-08-03 | Open Mataroa submit page (new tab)Mataroa details |
| 23 | 78 | Mind the Product | 70 | Sometimes dofollow | mindtheproduct.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Submit a founder-written your tool product or privacy case study with concrete decisions, evidence, failures, and lessons for product practitioners. | Product practitioners only; no advertising, SEO outreach, or republished content, and editorial scope and exclusivity rules apply. | Official Mind the Product contributor and content guidance checked 2026-08-07 | Open Mind the Product submit page (new tab)Mind the Product details |
| 24 | 78 | Offprint | — | Link type unknown | offprint.app | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Use an your tool or founder social-web identity to publish original technical/privacy articles with relevant references. | One free publication; keep articles original and useful, and avoid duplicate cross-posts without canonical context. | 2026-08-04 | Open Offprint submit page (new tab)Offprint details |
| 25 | 78 | Paragraph | 55 | Link type unknown | paragraph.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Create an original your tool engineering field-notes publication with human-approved privacy, accessibility, and local-first essays rather than republished marketing copy. | Paragraph is self-publishing, not third-party editorial coverage. Use consented subscriber data, approve AI-assisted drafts manually, disclose brand ownership, and publish substantial original work. Platform terms prohibit spam/abuse; hosted links have no independent endorsement or followed-link guarantee. | 2026-08-03 | Open Paragraph submit page (new tab)Paragraph details |
| 26 | 78 | Zenn | 80 | Nofollow | zenn.dev | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Create an your tool publication or original Japanese engineering article with reproducible examples and contextual links to source or documentation. | Publish substantive technical content, disclose the brand relationship and avoid link-first promotion or duplicate posts. | 2026-08-03 | Open Zenn submit page (new tab)Zenn details |
| 27 | 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 |
| 28 | 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 |
| 29 | 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 |
| 30 | 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 |
| 31 | 77 | Semaphore Blog | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | 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 |
| 32 | 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 |
| 33 | 63 | CNCF TAG Security Blog | 80 | Sometimes dofollow | cncf.io | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Propose a vendor-neutral, reproducible cloud-native security tutorial or case study, then write it in Markdown and submit the draft by pull request after community discussion. | Topic must serve the cloud-native security community, be accurate, inclusive, non-duplicative, and normally 500–1,200 words. A TAG Security co-chair, tech lead, or project lead must sponsor it before approval; no product pitch. | 2026-08-03 | Open CNCF TAG Security Blog submit page (new tab)CNCF TAG Security Blog details |
| 34 | 63 | Hashnode | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | hashnode.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Medium | Not submitted | Post technical/product story with canonical link. | Use original article; don't duplicate everywhere. | 2026-07-30 | Open Hashnode submit page (new tab)Hashnode details |
| 35 | 63 | Showwcase | 55 | Link type unknown | showwcase.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Create a developer portfolio and publish an original your tool build story or project showcase. | Participate genuinely; avoid promotional-only Threads or duplicate low-value articles. | 2026-08-03 | Open Showwcase submit page (new tab)Showwcase details |
| 36 | 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 |
| 37 | 60 | Kodeco | 70 | Sometimes dofollow | kodeco.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Apply with a genuine technical portfolio and propose an original mobile privacy tutorial aligned with Kodeco's listed subject areas. | Niche expertise and editorial commitment are required; any AltFTool reference must remain incidental to the teaching. | Official Kodeco contributor opportunities checked 2026-08-07 | Open Kodeco submit page (new tab)Kodeco details |
| 38 | 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 |
| 39 | 60 | Portfoliobox | 70 | Link type unknown | portfoliobox.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Build a focused public portfolio for the real your tool designer/team and publish one detailed product, privacy, or accessibility design case study with the project link. | This is self-published hosting, not independent editorial endorsement. Use original, rights-cleared work and a real creator identity; avoid replicated doorway pages. The free subdomain/page can change with plan or account status, and no third-party authority, indexing, or followed-link benefit is promised. | 2026-08-03 | Open Portfoliobox submit page (new tab)Portfoliobox details |
| 40 | 60 | RadioGuestList.com | 40 | Link type unknown | radioguestlist.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | Medium | Live, conditional | Join the free guest-request emails and pitch only relevant shows with a useful privacy, security, accessibility, or tooling angle. | A subscription itself is not a backlink; a link may result only from a genuine accepted interview and show notes. | 2026-08-05 | Open RadioGuestList.com submit page (new tab)RadioGuestList.com details |
| 41 | 60 | Teletype | 75 | Link type unknown | teletype.in | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Publish an original, media-rich tutorial or founder case study with useful screenshots and a contextual your tool reference, using a complete real profile. | Publish only owned/licensed content and disclose AltFTool affiliation and any monetization. Do not mass-repost the same articles or use the profile as a link shell. Content is user-controlled/self-published, can be moderated, and has no editorial, indexing, or followed-link guarantee. | 2026-08-03 | Open Teletype submit page (new tab)Teletype details |
| 42 | 60 | Yumpu | 85 | Nofollow | yumpu.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | Medium | Live, conditional | Publish an original your tool guide or annual privacy report and add useful contextual website links through the Hotspot Editor. | Use substantial original content, not a thin promotional PDF; keep links editorially relevant. | 2026-08-05 | Open Yumpu submit page (new tab)Yumpu details |
| 43 | 59 | Posthaven | 65 | Link type unknown | 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 |
| 44 | 43 | BizSugar | 55 | Nofollow | bizsugar.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Share useful small-business/tool article. | Community vote; no thin links. | 2026-07-30 | Open BizSugar submit page (new tab)BizSugar details |
| 45 | 43 | Draft2Digital | 70 | Nofollow | draft2digital.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Publish a useful ebook through Draft2Digital to major stores and include your website in the book and author page. | Books must meet content and formatting standards; store pages usually do not pass links. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Draft2Digital submit page (new tab)Draft2Digital details |
| 46 | 43 | GrowthHackers | 70 | Nofollow | growthhackers.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Share growth/SEO/tool story with useful details. | Needs marketing insight, not promo. | 2026-07-30 | Open GrowthHackers submit page (new tab)GrowthHackers details |
| 47 | 43 | InfoQ | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | infoq.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Not submitted | Pitch only major developer/security story. | High authority but low acceptance. | 2026-07-30 | Open InfoQ submit page (new tab)InfoQ details |
| 48 | 43 | Kobo Writing Life | 80 | Nofollow | kobo.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Publish an ebook through Kobo's self-publishing service and mention your website in the book. | Books must follow the content policy; store listings rarely pass link value. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Kobo Writing Life submit page (new tab)Kobo Writing Life details |
| 49 | 43 | kottke.org | 80 | Link type unknown | kottke.org | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Send a short note about a genuinely delightful web project; the editor links to things that catch his interest. | Personal editorial selection; no guarantee of a reply or a link. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open kottke.org submit page (new tab)kottke.org details |
| 50 | 43 | Lulu | 80 | Nofollow | lulu.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Publish a print or ebook guide on Lulu and add your website to the book description and author profile. | Low-quality or public-domain repackaging is not allowed. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Lulu submit page (new tab)Lulu details |
| 51 | 43 | WebNovel | 75 | Link type unknown | webnovel.com | Publishing platforms | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Publish an original novel through their writer portal; your profile can mention your site. | Contract terms apply to monetised books; read them before signing. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open WebNovel submit page (new tab)WebNovel details |
| 52 | 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 |
| 53 | 40 | DZone | 85 | Nofollow | dzone.com | Publishing platforms | Free + paid tier | Involved | Later | Not submitted | Publish/pitch dev-tool article if accepted. | Technical content only; avoid promo. | 2026-07-30 | Open DZone submit page (new tab)DZone 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
Product launch sites87
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 directories200
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 sites120
Startup listings, beta lists and founder media.
Software directory submission sites215
General tool and software catalogues with real search traffic.
Software review sites29
B2B review sites. Slow to approve, strong once live.
Developer platforms for backlinks139
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 sites214
Write once, link back. Editorial standards vary widely.
PR and press release sites41
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 sites61
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. 208 of the 1,964 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?
1,628 of the 1,964 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. 1,580 of the 1,964 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.