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 | 100 | CSA STAR Registry | 80 | Sometimes dofollow | cloudsecurityalliance.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Do first | Live, conditional | Complete the current CAIQ or AI-CAIQ truthfully and submit your tool real cloud service to the STAR Registry. | Cloud/SaaS fit only; disclose actual controls and update annually. Never overstate security practices. | 2026-08-04 | Open CSA STAR Registry submit page (new tab)CSA STAR Registry details |
| 2 | 100 | Smithery MCP Registry | 50 | Link type unknown | smithery.ai | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Do first | Not submitted | Publish a genuine hosted, external, or stdio MCP server exposing a small set of consent-based your tool utilities with complete metadata and documentation. | Server must be operational and compliant; public page and analytics do not guarantee prominence, referral traffic, or dofollow links. | 2026-08-03 | Open Smithery MCP Registry submit page (new tab)Smithery MCP Registry details |
| 3 | 86 | Ansible Galaxy | 80 | Nofollow | ansible.com | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Not submitted | Create a tested Ansible collection for supported your tool deployment or audit automation, complete galaxy.yml, version it, and publish with a Galaxy token. | Publish only maintained, useful collection content with accurate metadata and versioning; acceptance does not guarantee discovery, referrals, or followed links. | 2026-08-03 | Open Ansible Galaxy submit page (new tab)Ansible Galaxy details |
| 4 | 86 | GitHub | 95 | Nofollow | github.com | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Not submitted | Create org/repo README linking your tool; submit to relevant awesome lists. | Only publish original/clean licensed code; no fake stars. | 2026-07-30 | Open GitHub submit page (new tab)GitHub details |
| 5 | 86 | Nimble Directory | 35 | Link type unknown | nimble.directory | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Verified live | Release a maintained Nim client or utility for your tool and publish it through Nimble with accurate repository and homepage metadata. | The package must meet Nimble manifest and source-hosting requirements and remain installable. | 2026-08-03 | Open Nimble Directory submit page (new tab)Nimble Directory details |
| 6 | 86 | Node-RED Flow Library | 65 | Link type unknown | nodered.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Verified live | Create a functional your tool Node-RED node, publish it to npm, and add it to the Flow Library with documentation and support metadata. | Must follow Node-RED naming, package metadata, node UX, testing, and documentation conventions and avoid thin wrappers. | Official Node-RED custom node documentation checked 2026-08-07 | Open Node-RED Flow Library submit page (new tab)Node-RED Flow Library details |
| 7 | 86 | NuGet | 85 | Nofollow | nuget.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Verified live | Publish a real .NET library or CLI package with ProjectUrl, readme, repository and license metadata. | Requires a Microsoft account and API key; packages undergo validation and indexing. | Official Microsoft NuGet docs checked 2026-07-30 | Open NuGet submit page (new tab)NuGet details |
| 8 | 86 | PlatformIO Registry | 60 | Link type unknown | registry.platformio.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Verified live | Package a real embedded privacy or security library for supported boards, add complete PlatformIO manifest and examples, test it, and publish it publicly. | Published name-version pairs are immutable; package must be functional, properly licensed, documented, versioned, and maintained. | Official PlatformIO package-publish documentation checked 2026-08-05 | Open PlatformIO Registry submit page (new tab)PlatformIO Registry details |
| 9 | 86 | PowerShell Gallery | 75 | Nofollow | powershellgallery.com | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Verified live | Publish a stable your tool module or script with ProjectURI, LicenseURI, tags, help and examples. | Requires an account and API key; pass PowerShell Gallery validation and avoid placeholder packages. | Official Microsoft publishing docs checked 2026-07-30 | Open PowerShell Gallery submit page (new tab)PowerShell Gallery details |
| 10 | 86 | pub.dev | 85 | Link type unknown | pub.dev | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Verified live | Publish an your tool Dart package with homepage, repository, issue tracker, documentation and a complete readme. | Must satisfy pub.dev policy and quality checks; a verified publisher is preferable for a branded package. | Official Dart publishing docs checked 2026-07-30 | Open pub.dev submit page (new tab)pub.dev details |
| 11 | 86 | Pulsar Package Registry | 45 | Link type unknown | pulsar-edit.dev | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Verified live | Build a maintained Pulsar editor package that performs a real your tool workflow, then publish it to the official package registry with a useful README and project link. | Package must be hosted on GitHub and include valid package.json metadata, SemVer and Pulsar engine constraints; it must provide real editor functionality, not a backlink wrapper. | 2026-08-05 | Open Pulsar Package Registry submit page (new tab)Pulsar Package Registry details |
| 12 | 86 | Terraform Registry | 80 | Link type unknown | registry.terraform.io | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Live, conditional | Publish a maintained Terraform provider for your tool stable API, or a genuinely reusable deployment module, with signed releases, generated documentation, examples, tests, and semantic versions. | A provider must use a public lowercase terraform-provider-* GitHub repository, signed cross-platform release assets, a valid manifest, docs, and SemVer tags. A module has separate public-repository, naming, structure, documentation, and tag requirements. Publish only a functional reusable artifact. | 2026-08-03 | Open Terraform Registry submit page (new tab)Terraform Registry details |
| 13 | 86 | WorkflowHub | 45 | Link type unknown | workflowhub.eu | Developer registries | Free | Quick | High | Verified live | Package a reproducible your tool privacy or redaction workflow, join or create a team, and register it with rich metadata and source links. | Requires a real executable workflow file, team membership, accurate authorship/licence metadata, and a maintained public entry. | 2026-08-05 — https://about.workflowhub.eu/docs/registering_workflows/registering-a-workflow/ | Open WorkflowHub submit page (new tab)WorkflowHub details |
| 14 | 68 | API Tracker | 45 | Sometimes dofollow | apitracker.io | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Needs checking | Submit your public API with docs link, SDKs and authentication details. | Only products with public APIs fit. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open API Tracker submit page (new tab)API Tracker details |
| 15 | 68 | Awesome Privacy | 30 | Link type unknown | awesome-privacy.xyz | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Needs checking | Submit only after public privacy policy and client-side privacy proof. | Human-written PR; no AI-generated PR text. | 2026-07-30 | Open Awesome Privacy submit page (new tab)Awesome Privacy details |
| 16 | 68 | Best of JS | 55 | Sometimes dofollow | bestofjs.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Needs checking | Suggest your JavaScript or TypeScript project through their GitHub issue process. | Projects need some traction and must be JS ecosystem tools. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open Best of JS submit page (new tab)Best of JS details |
| 17 | 68 | Chef Supermarket | 75 | Link type unknown | chef.io | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Not submitted | Create a tested Chef cookbook for supported your tool deployment or hardening, add complete metadata and source, then share it to Supermarket. | Only publish functional maintained cookbooks with appropriate licensing and metadata; package pages are not guaranteed promotional or dofollow placements. | 2026-08-03 | Open Chef Supermarket submit page (new tab)Chef Supermarket details |
| 18 | 68 | Clojars | 60 | Link type unknown | clojars.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Release a genuine Clojure or JVM client library with a POM, description, homepage and source metadata. | Requires an account and deploy credentials; use a unique group or verified domain and maintain releases. | Official Clojars publishing interface checked 2026-07-30 | Open Clojars submit page (new tab)Clojars details |
| 19 | 68 | Cloudsmith | 60 | Link type unknown | cloudsmith.com | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Create a public your tool package repository for genuine releases and complete its namespace, description, licence and source/homepage metadata. | Only host real maintained artifacts; the open-source plan requires public licensed software and public distribution can incur usage limits. | 2026-08-05 official Cloudsmith repository docs and pricing | Open Cloudsmith submit page (new tab)Cloudsmith details |
| 20 | 68 | CocoaPods | 75 | Link type unknown | cocoapods.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Publish a genuine iOS or macOS your tool SDK and set homepage/source URLs in its podspec. | Requires a valid podspec and Trunk registration; package must be an actual reusable Apple-platform library. | https://guides.cocoapods.org/making/getting-setup-with-trunk.html | Open CocoaPods submit page (new tab)CocoaPods details |
| 21 | 68 | CPAN / PAUSE | 80 | Link type unknown | cpan.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Publish a genuine Perl module or CLI through PAUSE with project URLs and clear distribution documentation. | Requires a PAUSE account, unique namespace and ongoing maintenance; first uploader controls the namespace. | Official CPAN PAUSE docs checked 2026-07-30 | Open CPAN / PAUSE submit page (new tab)CPAN / PAUSE details |
| 22 | 68 | Django Packages | 60 | Link type unknown | djangopackages.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | After releasing a genuinely Django-relevant open-source component, sign in and add its GitHub or GitLab repository and accurate project links. | Package must be useful to Django developers and hosted on a supported public repository; listings are community-maintained and not DSF endorsement. | 2026-08-05 official Django Packages FAQ, documentation and live directory | Open Django Packages submit page (new tab)Django Packages details |
| 23 | 68 | ESP Component Registry | 65 | Link type unknown | components.espressif.com | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Build an ESP-IDF privacy, credential-safety, secure-logging, or local-processing component, add manifest, license, docs, examples, and publish it through the registry workflow. | Must be an actual ESP-IDF component; namespace, semantic versioning, linting, licensing, dependency, documentation, and upload rules apply. | Official ESP Component Registry publishing documentation checked 2026-08-05 | Open ESP Component Registry submit page (new tab)ESP Component Registry details |
| 24 | 68 | FlakeHub | 45 | Link type unknown | flakehub.com | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Publish a genuine versioned your tool Nix flake under the correct GitHub owner and maintain its README and project links. | Published versions are archived permanently; ownership, licence and repository association must be accurate and squatting is inappropriate. | 2026-08-05 official FlakeHub homepage, usage policy and pricing | Open FlakeHub submit page (new tab)FlakeHub details |
| 25 | 68 | freshcode.club | 40 | Link type unknown | freshcode.club | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Submit a real maintained your tool open-source release with accurate categories and project metadata. | Use only for an actual open-source project and keep releases maintained. | 2026-08-05 | Open freshcode.club submit page (new tab)freshcode.club details |
| 26 | 68 | getfolio.dev | — | Link type unknown | getfolio.dev | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Create a founder/developer portfolio, pin your tool repository/project and add the official website link. | Use a real GitHub identity and maintained projects; avoid a profile created only for SEO. | 2026-08-03 | Open getfolio.dev submit page (new tab)getfolio.dev details |
| 27 | 68 | Hackage | 75 | Link type unknown | hackage.haskell.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Release a useful Haskell library or command-line client with homepage, source and bug-report metadata. | Hackage requires open-source, meaningful packages; uploaded versions cannot simply be replaced. | Official Hackage upload page checked 2026-07-30 | Open Hackage submit page (new tab)Hackage details |
| 28 | 68 | Haxelib | 55 | Link type unknown | lib.haxe.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Release a useful Haxe SDK or privacy utility and set haxelib.json's URL to the relevant your tool documentation page. | Requires reusable code, semantic versions and accurate metadata; promotional-only packages are not appropriate. | 2026-08-05 official Haxelib package guide | Open Haxelib submit page (new tab)Haxelib details |
| 29 | 68 | Knowledge Commons / CORE | 70 | Nofollow | hcommons.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Create a truthful scholarly profile and deposit an original privacy, accessibility, or digital-humanities paper or teaching resource with its related your tool URL. | Work must genuinely serve scholarship or pedagogy; upload only rights-cleared material, not sales copy. | 2026-08-05 — https://registry.hcommons.org/registry/co_petitions/start/coef%3A158 | Open Knowledge Commons / CORE submit page (new tab)Knowledge Commons / CORE details |
| 30 | 68 | LuaRocks | 55 | Link type unknown | luarocks.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Create a useful Lua client or helper, publish its rockspec and include homepage, license and source links. | Only publish a working Lua module with correct dependencies and versioned source archives. | Official LuaRocks page checked 2026-07-30 | Open LuaRocks submit page (new tab)LuaRocks details |
| 31 | 68 | OpenTofu Public Registry | 50 | Link type unknown | registry.opentofu.org | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Release a reusable your tool-related security or privacy module from a correctly named public GitHub repository. | Requires standard module structure, terraform-NAME-TARGETSYSTEM naming and semantic Git tags; confirm external homepage display before investing. | 2026-08-05 official OpenTofu module publishing guide | Open OpenTofu Public Registry submit page (new tab)OpenTofu Public Registry details |
| 32 | 68 | Repoz | — | Link type unknown | repoz.io | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Submit a maintained your tool open-source component for community review. | Requires a genuine public open-source project; do not submit an empty promotional repository. | 2026-08-05 | Open Repoz submit page (new tab)Repoz details |
| 33 | 68 | Scoop | 55 | Link type unknown | scoop.sh | Developer registries | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Publish and maintain a tested Scoop manifest for an actual portable your tool Windows CLI or app. | Requires a real release, immutable URLs and hashes, silent install behavior, updates and bucket-specific acceptance. | 2026-08-04 | Open Scoop submit page (new tab)Scoop 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.