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 | Educative | 75 | Sometimes dofollow | educative.io | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Do first | Verified live | Propose a text-based, interactive course on web privacy, security headers, local-first tools, or accessible frontend testing, with practical code exercises and clear outcomes. | Applicants need real subject expertise and clear teaching ability. The outline, lessons, code, and claims receive Author Success, technical, and editorial review; the course must teach independently of AltFTool promotion. | 2026-08-03 | Open Educative submit page (new tab)Educative details |
| 2 | 81 | AI Verify Foundation | 35 | Link type unknown | aiverifyfoundation.sg | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | High | Live, conditional | Run AI Verify on a real your tool AI use case, then submit accurate results, version, experience, lessons and company logo. | Requires a genuine model/use case and substantive learnings; editorial acceptance, publication and backlinks are not guaranteed. | 2026-08-04 | Open AI Verify Foundation submit page (new tab)AI Verify Foundation details |
| 3 | 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 |
| 4 | 81 | PreventionWeb | 75 | Link type unknown | preventionweb.net | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | High | Verified live | Submit a formal publication, case study, educational resource or on-demand training linking digital resilience to disaster-risk reduction. | Editorial validation; no paywall, corporate flyer, private paper or workshop summary; recent DRR-relevant material is prioritized. | 2026-08-05 — https://www.preventionweb.net/upload-your-content | Open PreventionWeb submit page (new tab)PreventionWeb details |
| 5 | 78 | Authory | 55 | Link type unknown | authory.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Verified live | Create a real founder or researcher portfolio containing original your tool engineering, privacy, and accessibility articles already published under that person's byline. | Only claim work genuinely authored by the profile owner and disclose employment/founder affiliation. The portfolio is private by default until explicitly made public. Imported/manual items and outbound links are user-controlled portfolio content; public visibility, indexing, and followed-link treatment are not guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open Authory submit page (new tab)Authory details |
| 6 | 63 | DSCI Threat Intelligence & Research | 50 | Link type unknown | dsci.in | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Pitch an original evidence-backed privacy, scam, or cyber advisory based on genuine your tool research. | Requires real technical expertise, non-promotional research and editorial approval; a contribution is not DSCI endorsement. | 2026-08-05 official DSCI TIR page | Open DSCI Threat Intelligence & Research submit page (new tab)DSCI Threat Intelligence & Research details |
| 7 | 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 |
| 8 | 63 | PaperCall | 55 | Link type unknown | papercall.io | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Live, conditional | Submit useful your tool-related talks to relevant CFPs or run a genuine community CFP with a public event page. | Follow each event's submission rules; no generic pitches, fake events or irrelevant promotional talks. | 2026-08-05 | Open PaperCall submit page (new tab)PaperCall details |
| 9 | 63 | Podcast Movement | 60 | Link type unknown | podcastmovement.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Submit an educational, non-sales session on privacy-safe tooling or accessible creator workflows when the next CFP opens. | The June 2026 CFP is closed; monitor future calls and never turn a talk into a product pitch. | 2026-08-05 | Open Podcast Movement submit page (new tab)Podcast Movement details |
| 10 | 63 | ReactJS Example | 50 | Dofollow | reactjsexample.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Live, conditional | Submit a reusable open-source React component extracted from your tool with repository, demo, setup docs and screenshots. | Do not submit the commercial landing page or a thin wrapper; project must be genuinely reusable and open source. | 2026-08-04 | Open ReactJS Example submit page (new tab)ReactJS Example details |
| 11 | 63 | Research Data Alliance Adoption Stories | 65 | Link type unknown | rd-alliance.org | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Document a real your tool implementation of a named RDA recommendation with challenge, measurable outcome, lessons, and supporting resources. | Requires genuine adoption evidence; generic product profiles and promotional case studies are not eligible, and acceptance is editorial. | 2026-08-05 — https://www.rd-alliance.org/submit-an-adoption-story/ | Open Research Data Alliance Adoption Stories submit page (new tab)Research Data Alliance Adoption Stories details |
| 12 | 63 | The Hacker News | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | thehackernews.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Pitch original your tool security research, a defensible dataset or timely threat analysis. | Generic product launches are insufficient; credible evidence and disclosure are required. | 2026-08-05 | Open The Hacker News submit page (new tab)The Hacker News details |
| 13 | 43 | Digital Unite | 60 | Link type unknown | digitalunite.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | If you publish beginner tech guides, suggest them for their digital-skills resources. | Editorial; they only point to clear, ad-light help content. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Digital Unite submit page (new tab)Digital Unite details |
| 14 | 43 | Solid Applications | 60 | Link type unknown | solidproject.org | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Later | Verified live | Build a genuine Solid privacy utility that lets users choose identity providers and stores or retrieves their data from Solid Pods, then confirm the current listing handoff with maintainers. | Must be a functioning Solid app; eligibility is published, but the exact current editorial submission workflow should be reconfirmed first. | Official Solid applications criteria checked 2026-08-05 | Open Solid Applications submit page (new tab)Solid Applications details |
| 15 | 43 | Springwise | 75 | Sometimes dofollow | springwise.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Pitch your tool as innovation/useful web tool platform. | Needs genuinely newsworthy angle. | 2026-07-30 | Open Springwise submit page (new tab)Springwise details |
| 16 | 43 | TechSoup | 75 | Link type unknown | techsoup.org | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | If your tool helps nonprofits or libraries, reach out about their resource articles or partner programme. | Editorial decision; only for tools with a clear nonprofit use. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open TechSoup submit page (new tab)TechSoup 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.