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 | 84 | Alfred Gallery | 65 | Link type unknown | alfredapp.com | Design galleries | Free | Moderate | High | Not submitted | Build a polished Alfred workflow that opens or securely sends selected content to a relevant your tool utility, then submit it through the official Gallery forum flow. | Workflow must be useful and maintained, and forum/Gallery moderation decides acceptance; no guaranteed prominence or dofollow backlink. | 2026-08-03 | Open Alfred Gallery submit page (new tab)Alfred Gallery details |
| 2 | 84 | FOSDEM | 75 | Link type unknown | fosdem.org | Design galleries | Free | Moderate | High | Not submitted | Open-source a meaningful component and prepare a community-focused talk, demo, or joint stand proposal for the next FOSDEM CFP rather than a company sales presentation. | All content must relate to Free and Open Source Software; selection is competitive, recordings/slides are published under CC BY, and the code of conduct applies. FOSDEM 2026 is over and the 2027 CFP is not yet posted. | 2026-08-03 | Open FOSDEM submit page (new tab)FOSDEM details |
| 3 | 81 | Design Nominees | 50 | Link type unknown | designnominees.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | High | Not submitted | Start with the free submission using a strong screenshot, precise categories, and your tool canonical URL. | Free listings have a review delay and selection still applies; paid tiers offer faster or enhanced placement. | 2026-08-03 | Open Design Nominees submit page (new tab)Design Nominees details |
| 4 | 81 | Ecomm.design | 35 | Link type unknown | ecomm.design | Design galleries | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit the polished your tool landing/tool UI with clean screenshots and design credits. | Editorial/design review applies; submit only polished, relevant work. Dofollow is reported but recheck after approval. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/ecomm-design | Open Ecomm.design submit page (new tab)Ecomm.design details |
| 5 | 81 | Made With Vue.js | 55 | Dofollow | madewithvuejs.com | Design galleries | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit the polished your tool landing/tool UI with clean screenshots and design credits. | Editorial/design review applies; submit only polished, relevant work. Dofollow is reported but recheck after approval. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/made-with-vue-js | Open Made With Vue.js submit page (new tab)Made With Vue.js details |
| 6 | 81 | Sidebar | 60 | Link type unknown | sidebar.io | Design galleries | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit the polished your tool landing/tool UI with clean screenshots and design credits. | Editorial/design review applies; submit only polished, relevant work. Dofollow is reported but recheck after approval. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/sidebar | Open Sidebar submit page (new tab)Sidebar details |
| 7 | 81 | Web Guru Awards | 40 | Dofollow | webguruawards.com | Design galleries | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit the polished your tool landing/tool UI with clean screenshots and design credits. | Editorial/design review applies; submit only polished, relevant work. Dofollow is reported but recheck after approval. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/web-guru-awards | Open Web Guru Awards submit page (new tab)Web Guru Awards details |
| 8 | 81 | webdesign.gallery | — | Link type unknown | webdesign.gallery | Design galleries | Free | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit the canonical your tool URL and optional creator details; let the gallery prepare its own screenshots after review. | Every site is manually reviewed, so acceptance depends on design quality and editorial fit. | 2026-08-03 | Open webdesign.gallery submit page (new tab)webdesign.gallery details |
| 9 | 78 | Made with React.js | 50 | Dofollow | madewithreactjs.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Involved | High | Not submitted | Submit your tool as an actively maintained React and Next.js project, highlighting useful product functionality and implementation quality. | Projects are editorially reviewed; a paid feature can speed review but does not guarantee acceptance. | 2026-08-03 | Open Made with React.js submit page (new tab)Made with React.js details |
| 10 | 63 | Carbonmade | 70 | Sometimes dofollow | carbonmade.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Build a substantive product-design case study covering your tool system, flows, and outcomes, then add the canonical site through supported navigation or project links. | Payment is required to go live; publish unique portfolio content rather than a duplicate or thin SEO page. | 2026-08-03 | Open Carbonmade submit page (new tab)Carbonmade details |
| 11 | 59 | Mindsparkle Mag | 35 | Link type unknown | mindsparklemag.com | Design galleries | Not stated | Involved | Medium | Not submitted | Prepare an editorial-quality your tool story with large visuals, product context, design rationale, and original behind-the-scenes material. | Paid submission remains editorially selective; original assets are required and rejected out-of-scope submissions are eligible for a refund under the stated policy. | 2026-08-03 | Open Mindsparkle Mag submit page (new tab)Mindsparkle Mag details |
| 12 | 56 | CSS Light | 40 | Link type unknown | csslight.com | Design galleries | Paid | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Submit your tool best landing or tools page with a strong screenshot, accurate categories, and creator details. | Free submissions are currently closed; paid review does not replace the need for a high-quality, working website. | 2026-08-03 | Open CSS Light submit page (new tab)CSS Light details |
| 13 | 53 | Admire The Web | 30 | Link type unknown | admiretheweb.com | Design galleries | Paid | Involved | Medium | Not submitted | Submit your tool strongest responsive or product page with a clean screenshot and concise design summary. | Submission is paid and editorially curated; use only a finished, visually distinctive public page. | 2026-08-03 | Open Admire The Web submit page (new tab)Admire The Web details |
| 14 | 53 | CSS Nectar | 50 | Link type unknown | cssnectar.com | Design galleries | Paid | Involved | Medium | Not submitted | Submit a high-resolution screenshot, short design description, relevant categories, and the official your tool URL. | Editorial review applies and rejection is possible; the site states that rejected submissions are refunded. | 2026-08-03 | Open CSS Nectar submit page (new tab)CSS Nectar details |
| 15 | 46 | Web Designer News | 55 | Link type unknown | webdesignernews.com | Design galleries | Free | Moderate | Later | Not submitted | Submit your tool (or its blog/feed where required) under productivity, privacy or developer tools. | Human review may apply; use a natural brand title and avoid keyword stuffing. Dofollow is reported but recheck after approval. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/web-designer-news | Open Web Designer News submit page (new tab)Web Designer News details |
| 16 | 45 | Dribbble | 90 | Nofollow | dribbble.com | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Quick | Later | Not submitted | Share selected UI shots/tool pages with profile link. | Needs quality visuals; no spam shots. | 2026-07-30 | Open Dribbble submit page (new tab)Dribbble details |
| 17 | 40 | WP Gallery | — | Link type unknown | wp.gallery | Design galleries | Free + paid tier | Involved | Later | Not submitted | Submit the polished your tool landing/tool UI with clean screenshots and design credits. | Editorial/design review applies; submit only polished, relevant work. Dofollow is reported but recheck after approval. | 2026-07-30 • https://www.submission.directory/site/wp-gallery | Open WP Gallery submit page (new tab)WP Gallery 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.