AltF Backlinks

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 filters3
Filtered byPublishing platforms— remove this filterModerate to submit— remove this filterHigh— remove this filterClear all

1–15 of 15 opportunities

High impactimpact 84–81

  • Bear Blog

    bearblog.dev

    Build a small founder-written knowledge blog with genuinely useful local-first privacy and file-safety guides.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~60Sometimes dofollowFreeModerateNot submitted
    SubmitBear Blog (opens in a new tab)

  • Flipboard

    flipboard.com

    Create a public digital-privacy magazine, curate reputable third-party resources, and occasionally add strong your tool guides with commentary.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~90NofollowFreeModerateNot submitted
    SubmitFlipboard (opens in a new tab)

  • freeCodeCamp News

    freecodecamp.org

    Create a comprehensive tutorial around a reusable privacy, file-processing, accessibility, or security technique, with your tool only as a natural example.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~90Sometimes dofollowFreeModerateVerified live
    SubmitfreeCodeCamp News (opens in a new tab)

  • Leaflet

    leaflet.pub

    Create your publication and write original tutorials or research with contextual links to relevant tools.

    FreeModerateVerified live
    SubmitLeaflet (opens in a new tab)

  • Mendeley Data

    mendeley.com

    Publish an original, human-verified privacy or accessibility benchmark with complete methodology, provenance, schema, license, and a relevant project citation.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~90NofollowFreeModerateVerified live
    SubmitMendeley Data (opens in a new tab)

  • OpenML

    openml.org

    Publish a documented, de-identified ML-ready benchmark such as labelled phishing, homograph, or accessibility test cases with provenance and an open license.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~60FreeModerateVerified live
    SubmitOpenML (opens in a new tab)

  • Raindrop.io Public Pages

    raindrop.io

    Publish a carefully annotated collection of trustworthy privacy, accessibility, and safety resources, including only your tool pages that genuinely fit each section.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~70NofollowFreeModerateVerified live
    SubmitRaindrop.io Public Pages (opens in a new tab)

  • Start.me

    start.me

    Build a valuable public start page of privacy and productivity resources, then submit it to Community Pages after adding your tool selectively.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~80NofollowFreeModerateNot submitted
    SubmitStart.me (opens in a new tab)

  • Univ. of St Andrews online learning tools

    st-andrews.ac.uk

    Submit the PDF tools and image tools as free teaching/learning utilities.

    FreeModerateNeeds checking
    SubmitUniv. of St Andrews online learning tools (opens in a new tab)

  • Wakelet

    wakelet.com

    Publish a well-organized privacy-toolkit collection containing authoritative resources plus selected your tool utilities.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~80NofollowFreeModerateNot submitted
    SubmitWakelet (opens in a new tab)

  • Are.na

    are.na

    Curate a thoughtful public channel on local-first privacy, scam safety, or accessible-tool design, adding your tool only among diverse high-quality resources with original annotations.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~70NofollowFree + paid tierModerateVerified live
    SubmitAre.na (opens in a new tab)

  • Listed

    listed.to

    Publish original sanitized essays on privacy engineering, safe document processing, or accessible product design, using your tool only as a relevant implementation example.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~45Free + paid tierModerateVerified live
    SubmitListed (opens in a new tab)

  • Pika

    pika.page

    Start your small human-written lab notebook with original build lessons, accessibility fixes, and privacy experiments, linking to tools only when they support the post.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~40Free + paid tierModerateVerified live
    SubmitPika (opens in a new tab)

  • PubPub

    pubpub.org

    Launch a public-interest digital-safety community and publish substantial methods, reports, and tutorials with contextual your tool references.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~65Free + paid tierModerateVerified live
    SubmitPubPub (opens in a new tab)

  • Slides

    slides.com

    Publish your original research, privacy or accessibility deck with useful citations and contextual links.

    Estimated domain authority DA ~75NofollowFree + paid tierModerateVerified live
    SubmitSlides (opens in a new tab)

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.

  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.

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

An 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.