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
Filtered byCommunities and forums— remove this filterModerate to submit— remove this filterClear all
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 | 84 | Cloudron Community Apps | 60 | Link type unknown | cloudron.io | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | High | Verified live | Package a secure self-hosted your app for Cloudron, publish its version catalog and documentation, then request inclusion in Community Apps. | Must support Cloudron's read-only filesystem, backups, updates, health checks, manifest fields, and publicly hosted version catalog; community apps are not reviewed by Cloudron. | Official Cloudron packaging and publishing documentation checked 2026-08-05 | Open Cloudron Community Apps submit page (new tab)Cloudron Community Apps details |
| 2 | 84 | ethical.net | 45 | Link type unknown | ethical.net | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | High | Verified live | Submit your tool only with concrete evidence of privacy-first operation, local processing, transparent data practices, accessibility, and useful free resources. | Disclose the relationship, provide evidence, avoid unsupported ethical claims or promotional link drops, and let the community evaluate it. | Official Ethical.net directory suggestion thread checked 2026-08-07 | Open ethical.net submit page (new tab)ethical.net details |
| 3 | 84 | Hackaday.io | 85 | Nofollow | hackaday.io | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | High | Verified live | Document a real hardware, privacy or security build that uses your tool, including schematics, progress logs and a natural official-project link. | Projects should document genuine work and follow community conduct; advertising-only pages and repetitive link posts are inappropriate. | 2026-08-03 | Open Hackaday.io submit page (new tab)Hackaday.io details |
| 4 | 84 | Kaggle | 90 | Nofollow | kaggle.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Publish a clean your tool benchmark or open dataset plus a reproducible notebook, with proper licensing and the canonical project URL in the data card. | Only publish useful non-sensitive data/code; remove secrets and PII, document methodology, choose a valid license, and avoid promotional-only datasets. | https://www.kaggle.com/datasets | Open Kaggle submit page (new tab)Kaggle details |
| 5 | 84 | Slant | 75 | Nofollow | slant.co | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | High | Needs checking | Find an existing question where a specific your tool utility is a genuine option, add it accurately, and document balanced pros and cons. | Never create fake recommendations or coordinate votes; add only a relevant product and disclose the relationship when participating. | 2026-08-03 | Open Slant submit page (new tab)Slant details |
| 6 | 84 | Streamlit Community Cloud | 75 | Link type unknown | streamlit.io | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | High | Verified live | Deploy an educational your tool data or AI demo from a public GitHub repository and include a useful link to the full tool or documentation. | The app must work independently, protect secrets and comply with resource limits; do not create a doorway page solely for a backlink. | 2026-08-03 | Open Streamlit Community Cloud submit page (new tab)Streamlit Community Cloud details |
| 7 | 84 | Super User | 80 | Nofollow | superuser.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | High | Needs checking | Set up a profile with your site in the website field, then answer computer questions where your guide genuinely helps. | Self-promotion must be disclosed and relevant; answers that are mostly a link get deleted. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Super User submit page (new tab)Super User details |
| 8 | 84 | Windmill Hub | 55 | Link type unknown | windmill.dev | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | High | Verified live | Publish a reusable your tool-backed privacy or security script, flow, app, or resource type for the public Windmill Hub. | Submission must be reusable and documented; Windmill team reviews and approves community Hub entries. | 2026-08-05 | Open Windmill Hub submit page (new tab)Windmill Hub details |
| 9 | 80 | India SME Forum | 45 | Link type unknown | indiasmeforum.org | Communities and forums | Not stated | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Submit a truthful MSME membership request with your tool entity, business, contact and website details. | India MSME only, executive-board approval required; verify the latest tier price before payment. | 2026-08-04 | Open India SME Forum submit page (new tab)India SME Forum details |
| 10 | 80 | Workato Community Library | 75 | Link type unknown | workato.com | Communities and forums | Not stated | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Build a tested Workato connector for legitimate your tool triggers and actions, add clear support and usage documentation, publish it to the community library, and provide simple successful community recipes. | The connector must pass Workato review and accept the developer agreement. Remove secrets, accurately choose open- or closed-source visibility, provide support contact details, meaningful tags and docs, test every action and trigger, and maintain shared versions; do not publish a promotional shell. | 2026-08-03 | Open Workato Community Library submit page (new tab)Workato Community Library details |
| 11 | 74 | data.world | 75 | Nofollow | data.world | Communities and forums | Paid | Moderate | High | Verified live | Publish a documented synthetic privacy, redaction, accessibility, or scam-detection benchmark dataset. | Use an appropriate licence and rich metadata; never publish proprietary, copyrighted, sensitive, or personal data. | Official data.world dataset creation documentation checked 2026-08-07 | Open data.world submit page (new tab)data.world details |
| 12 | 66 | Android Enthusiasts | 80 | Nofollow | android.stackexchange.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Answer Android questions properly and add your site to your profile. | Same Stack Exchange rules: disclose affiliation and keep answers self-contained. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Android Enthusiasts submit page (new tab)Android Enthusiasts details |
| 13 | 66 | Ask Different | 80 | Nofollow | apple.stackexchange.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Answer Mac and iPhone questions in full, linking your own page only when it adds detail the answer cannot hold. | Disclose that you own the linked site; link-only answers are removed. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Ask Different submit page (new tab)Ask Different details |
| 14 | 66 | Hasgeek | — | Link type unknown | hasgeek.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Propose a talk on building privacy-first browser tools at a relevant Hasgeek event. | Indian tech community events; talk pages link to speaker sites. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Hasgeek submit page (new tab)Hasgeek details |
| 15 | 66 | 95 | Nofollow | reddit.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Post to relevant subs with context: SideProject, SaaS, webdev. | Respect subreddit rules; 90/10 self-promo; no spam/comments. | 2026-07-30 | Open Reddit submit page (new tab)Reddit details | |
| 16 | 66 | SaaSBoomi | — | Link type unknown | saasboomi.org | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Join the community and share learnings from building a free tools platform. | Indian SaaS founder community; contribute, don't advertise. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open SaaSBoomi submit page (new tab)SaaSBoomi details |
| 17 | 66 | Spiceworks Community | 80 | Nofollow | community.spiceworks.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | A good fit for IT and admin tools: answer IT pro questions and fill in your vendor or personal profile. | Vendors must disclose themselves; sales pitches are not welcome. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Spiceworks Community submit page (new tab)Spiceworks Community details |
| 18 | 66 | The Product Folks | — | Link type unknown | theproductfolks.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Medium | Needs checking | Join and share a case study on product-led SEO for free tools. | Indian product community. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open The Product Folks submit page (new tab)The Product Folks details |
| 19 | 66 | TrueNAS Apps Market | 60 | Link type unknown | apps.truenas.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a secure Docker Compose-based your tool self-hosted deployment, test it against TrueNAS app tooling and submit it to the official community catalog with useful documentation/resources. | Requires a real containerized app, local validation, maintained versions and clear storage/network/security settings; community apps are independently supported and contributions go through repository review. | 2026-08-05 | Open TrueNAS Apps Market submit page (new tab)TrueNAS Apps Market details |
| 20 | 63 | Meetup | 90 | Nofollow | meetup.com | Communities and forums | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Run a genuine privacy, online-tools or accessibility community and reference your tool only where it supports the group or event. | Requires an active group and real events; Starter limits attendance and frequency, and organizer plans auto-renew. | 2026-08-05 | Open Meetup submit page (new tab)Meetup details |
| 21 | 46 | Accessibility Stack Exchange | 80 | Nofollow | accessibility.stackexchange.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Answer accessibility questions where you have real expertise and link your profile to your site. | Small community; obvious promotion stands out and is removed. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Accessibility Stack Exchange submit page (new tab)Accessibility Stack Exchange details |
| 22 | 46 | AppleVis | 55 | Link type unknown | applevis.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | If your app works well with VoiceOver, add it to the app directory or share it in the forum. | Only relevant for genuinely accessible Apple apps; the community tests claims. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open AppleVis submit page (new tab)AppleVis details |
| 23 | 46 | Ask Ubuntu | 80 | Nofollow | askubuntu.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Help Ubuntu users with complete answers and keep your site link on your profile. | Answers have to stand on their own; promotional posts get flagged quickly. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Ask Ubuntu submit page (new tab)Ask Ubuntu details |
| 24 | 46 | BioImage.IO | 40 | Link type unknown | bioimage.io | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Verified live | Contribute a documented bioimaging privacy or de-identification model, application integration, or other qualifying resource linked to your tool. | Must genuinely serve bioimaging, follow the BioImage.IO resource specification and model card requirements, and pass community validation. | 2026-08-05 — https://bioimage.io/docs/ | Open BioImage.IO submit page (new tab)BioImage.IO details |
| 25 | 46 | BleepingComputer Forums | 90 | Nofollow | bleepingcomputer.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Join, help with tech support threads and add your site to your profile where allowed. | Strict moderation; link drops in threads count as spam. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open BleepingComputer Forums submit page (new tab)BleepingComputer Forums details |
| 26 | 46 | ElevenForum | 50 | Link type unknown | elevenforum.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Help Windows 11 users and keep your site on your profile. | New accounts posting links are often held for review. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open ElevenForum submit page (new tab)ElevenForum details |
| 27 | 46 | Juejin | 75 | Nofollow | juejin.cn | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Write a Chinese-language technical post about your tool or open-source project. | Pure ads are removed; quality posts are recommended. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Juejin submit page (new tab)Juejin details |
| 28 | 46 | Linus Tech Tips Forum | 60 | Link type unknown | linustechtips.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Join the community, answer questions and add your site to your profile. | Advertising has its own rules; read them before linking. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Linus Tech Tips Forum submit page (new tab)Linus Tech Tips Forum details |
| 29 | 46 | Tech Support Guy | 60 | Link type unknown | techguy.org | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Help people with computer problems and add a website link to your profile. | Signature links usually need a post history first. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Tech Support Guy submit page (new tab)Tech Support Guy details |
| 30 | 46 | TechPowerUp Forums | 75 | Link type unknown | techpowerup.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Take part in hardware threads and add your site to your profile. | Profile links only; no thread spam. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open TechPowerUp Forums submit page (new tab)TechPowerUp Forums details |
| 31 | 46 | Ten Forums | 55 | Link type unknown | tenforums.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Answer Windows 10 questions and list your site on your profile. | No advertising in threads. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Ten Forums submit page (new tab)Ten Forums details |
| 32 | 46 | TIGSource Forums | — | Link type unknown | forums.tigsource.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Start a DevLog thread for your game and keep it updated with progress and a link to the playable build. | DevLogs should be genuine progress logs; the forum is quieter than it used to be. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open TIGSource Forums submit page (new tab)TIGSource Forums details |
| 33 | 46 | Tom's Guide Forums | 90 | Nofollow | forums.tomsguide.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Help with consumer tech questions and list your website on your profile. | Shares rules with Tom's Hardware: no promotional posts. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Tom's Guide Forums submit page (new tab)Tom's Guide Forums details |
| 34 | 46 | Tom's Hardware Forums | 90 | Nofollow | tomshardware.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Contribute to hardware threads and keep your site on your profile. | Self-promotion outside profile fields is removed. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Tom's Hardware Forums submit page (new tab)Tom's Hardware Forums details |
| 35 | 46 | Unix & Linux Stack Exchange | 80 | Nofollow | unix.stackexchange.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Answer shell and Linux questions and put your site on your profile. | Disclose any link to your own work. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Unix & Linux Stack Exchange submit page (new tab)Unix & Linux Stack Exchange details |
| 36 | 46 | XDA Forums | 80 | Nofollow | xdaforums.com | Communities and forums | Free | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Start a thread for your Android app in the right section and support users there. | Follow the section rules for app threads; no spam bumping. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open XDA Forums submit page (new tab)XDA Forums details |
| 37 | 43 | Makerlog | 40 | Nofollow | getmakerlog.com | Communities and forums | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Later | Needs checking | Post build updates with profile/site link. | Founder community; avoid link spam. | 2026-07-30 | Open Makerlog submit page (new tab)Makerlog 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.