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 | 48 | Airtable Universe | 90 | Nofollow | airtable.com | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Publish backlink tracker/content calendar template. | Needs useful Airtable base/template. | 2026-07-30 | Open Airtable Universe submit page (new tab)Airtable Universe details |
| 2 | 48 | Babylon.js Forum Demos | — | Nofollow | forum.babylonjs.com | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Share a Babylon.js demo or game in the demos and projects category with a link to try it. | Must use Babylon.js; forum links are usually nofollow/ugc. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Babylon.js Forum Demos submit page (new tab)Babylon.js Forum Demos details |
| 3 | 48 | Cursor Forum | 70 | Nofollow | forum.cursor.com | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Share tools or extensions that work with Cursor in the showcase area. | Keep posts relevant to Cursor users. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Cursor Forum submit page (new tab)Cursor Forum details |
| 4 | 48 | Elixir Forum | 55 | Nofollow | elixirforum.com | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Announce your Elixir library or project in the libraries category. | Keep posts technical and stay to answer questions. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Elixir Forum submit page (new tab)Elixir Forum details |
| 5 | 48 | IndieWeb Wiki | 65 | Nofollow | indieweb.org | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Sign in with your domain to create a user page and document how your site works. | Wiki edits must be factual and on-topic. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open IndieWeb Wiki submit page (new tab)IndieWeb Wiki details |
| 6 | 48 | Laravel.io | 55 | Nofollow | laravel.io | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Write a technical article or answer forum threads, and link your site in your profile. | Articles are moderated; promotional content is rejected. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Laravel.io submit page (new tab)Laravel.io details |
| 7 | 48 | MacRumors Forums | 80 | Nofollow | forums.macrumors.com | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Post your Mac or iOS app in the developer-allowed app sections. | Self-promotion is restricted to specific forums. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open MacRumors Forums submit page (new tab)MacRumors Forums details |
| 8 | 48 | OpenAI Developer Community | 90 | Nofollow | community.openai.com | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Share what you built with the OpenAI API in the community showcase category and answer questions. | Promotional posts outside showcase areas are removed. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open OpenAI Developer Community submit page (new tab)OpenAI Developer Community details |
| 9 | 48 | Python Discourse | 90 | Nofollow | discuss.python.org | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Discuss your Python packaging or tooling project in the relevant category. | Focus is on Python itself; pure product promotion is off-topic. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Python Discourse submit page (new tab)Python Discourse details |
| 10 | 48 | Rust Users Forum | 80 | Nofollow | users.rust-lang.org | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Share your Rust crate or tool in the announcements category. | Off-topic or commercial spam is removed. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Rust Users Forum submit page (new tab)Rust Users Forum details |
| 11 | 48 | Swift Forums | 80 | Nofollow | forums.swift.org | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Announce open-source Swift packages in the related projects area. | Keep it technical and relevant to Swift. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Swift Forums submit page (new tab)Swift Forums details |
| 12 | 48 | three.js Forum Showcase | — | Nofollow | discourse.threejs.org | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Post your three.js experiment in the Showcase category with a live link and a few notes on how it was made. | Must use three.js; community forum links are usually marked nofollow/ugc. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open three.js Forum Showcase submit page (new tab)three.js Forum Showcase details |
| 13 | 48 | V2EX | 70 | Nofollow | v2ex.com | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Later | Needs checking | Share your project in the creation-sharing node with a Chinese description. | Promotion outside allowed nodes leads to deletion. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open V2EX submit page (new tab)V2EX details |
| 14 | 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 |
| 15 | 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 |
| 16 | 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 |
| 17 | 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 |
| 18 | 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 |
| 19 | 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 |
| 20 | 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 |
| 21 | 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 |
| 22 | 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 |
| 23 | 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 |
| 24 | 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 |
| 25 | 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 |
| 26 | 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 |
| 27 | 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 |
| 28 | 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 |
| 29 | 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 |
| 30 | 43 | Global Game Jam | 65 | Link type unknown | globalgamejam.org | Communities and forums | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Take part in the yearly jam through a local or online site and upload your game to get a public game page. | Held once a year, usually in January; you register through a jam site. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Global Game Jam submit page (new tab)Global Game Jam details |
| 31 | 43 | Habr | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | habr.com | Communities and forums | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Publish an in-depth technical article in Russian and link your project where relevant. | Moderated; advertising requires a company blog. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Habr submit page (new tab)Habr details |
| 32 | 43 | Ludum Dare | 60 | Link type unknown | ldjam.com | Communities and forums | Free | Involved | Later | Needs checking | Make a game during a Ludum Dare event and publish your entry page with a playable web build link. | Only during scheduled events; Compo and Jam rules differ on team size and assets. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Ludum Dare submit page (new tab)Ludum Dare details |
| 33 | 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.