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 | 68 | itch.io | 90 | Nofollow | itch.io | Other opportunities | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Publish a genuine browser or desktop your tool utility with screenshots, documentation and an official-site link. | Content must be an actual downloadable or browser-run project and follow itch.io quality/content rules; not a generic directory listing. | https://itch.io/developers | Open itch.io submit page (new tab)itch.io details |
| 2 | 68 | Participedia | 50 | Link type unknown | participedia.net | Other opportunities | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Document a real participatory public-decision deployment as a Case, Method or Organization entry with evaluations and project URL. | Community knowledge base, not a product directory; cite credible sources and show genuine participation outcomes. | 2026-08-05 — https://participedia.net/getting-started | Open Participedia submit page (new tab)Participedia details |
| 3 | 68 | ProcessWire Modules Directory | 65 | Link type unknown | processwire.com | Other opportunities | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Build a ProcessWire admin module for external URL, metadata, accessibility or security audits, register as a module author and submit it to the official directory. | Author login required; avoid duplicating existing SEO modules and provide a specific external-audit workflow with maintained source, documentation and support. | 2026-08-05 | Open ProcessWire Modules Directory submit page (new tab)ProcessWire Modules Directory details |
| 4 | 68 | PublicAPIs.io | 40 | Link type unknown | publicapis.io | Other opportunities | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | List a legitimate documented your tool API in the relevant developer category using the normal or Pro review queue. | API must be real and documented; paid placement should be disclosed and does not guarantee organic ranking value. | 2026-08-05 | Open PublicAPIs.io submit page (new tab)PublicAPIs.io details |
| 5 | 68 | SciCrunch RRID Resource Portal | 60 | Link type unknown | scicrunch.org | Other opportunities | Free | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Register a stable, genuinely research-used your tool software, service, or database with accurate maintainer and version metadata. | Must be a persistent research resource; acceptance or identifier assignment is curated and not intended for promotional listings. | 2026-08-05 — https://scicrunch.org/resources/about/resource?form=Resource&rel=26 | Open SciCrunch RRID Resource Portal submit page (new tab)SciCrunch RRID Resource Portal details |
| 6 | 66 | ArtStation | 85 | Nofollow | artstation.com | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Publish an original UI/UX visual case study showing your tool interaction design, accessibility states, and design process, with a contextual project URL. | Use ArtStation only if there is substantial original visual/design work, complete project metadata, and rights-cleared assets; it is not a generic SaaS listing. Disclose the creator's relationship to AltFTool. Projects and links are UGC, subject to platform moderation, and neither discovery nor followed-link status is guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open ArtStation submit page (new tab)ArtStation details |
| 7 | 66 | balenaHub | 65 | Link type unknown | hub.balena.io | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Build a deployable edge privacy utility or reusable block, add balena.yml metadata, public source, configuration and multi-device tests, then publish it on balenaHub. | Must be a real balena app or block, link a GitHub repository, avoid embedded secrets, support claimed architectures, and maintain deployability. | Official balena apps, blocks, and balenaHub publishing docs checked 2026-08-05 | Open balenaHub submit page (new tab)balenaHub details |
| 8 | 66 | Charmhub | 60 | Link type unknown | charmhub.io | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Package a maintained self-hosted your tool deployment as a Juju charm with canonical documentation, source, and support links. | Register the charm name, upload and release a tested charm; formal community review is required for search visibility. | Official Charmcraft charm management documentation checked 2026-08-07 | Open Charmhub submit page (new tab)Charmhub details |
| 9 | 66 | CK-12 FlexBooks | 80 | Link type unknown | ck12.org | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create an age-appropriate digital-citizenship or privacy FlexBook chapter with practical your tool exercises. | Must be substantive K-12 educational content with correct authorship; do not create a product-only page. | 2026-08-05 — https://help.ck12.org/hc/en-us/articles/200448244-How-to-Customize-a-FlexBook-Textbook-or-Read-Modality | Open CK-12 FlexBooks submit page (new tab)CK-12 FlexBooks details |
| 10 | 66 | Coolify One-Click Services | 60 | Link type unknown | coolify.io | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create and fully test an your tool Docker Compose service template, add metadata, logo, and documentation, then submit it to Coolify's next branch. | The upstream Git repository currently needs at least 1,000 stars; template, secrets, storage, port, docs, and review rules apply. | Official Coolify service-contribution guide checked 2026-08-05 | Open Coolify One-Click Services submit page (new tab)Coolify One-Click Services details |
| 11 | 66 | ELIXIR TeSS | 45 | Link type unknown | tess.elixir-europe.org | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Register a substantive life-science privacy, medical-data de-identification, or research-data training resource hosted by your tool. | Content must be relevant to life sciences or an adjacent field; account and accurate metadata required, while harvested providers need admin approval. | 2026-08-05 — https://tess.elixir-europe.org/about/registering | Open ELIXIR TeSS submit page (new tab)ELIXIR TeSS details |
| 12 | 66 | FAIRsharing | 60 | Link type unknown | fairsharing.org | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Submit a genuine your tool-maintained database, reusable reporting standard, or data policy with complete stewardship metadata. | Generic software and individual datasets are out of scope; record type must match FAIRsharing scope and is curated. | 2026-08-05 — https://fairsharing.org/new/ | Open FAIRsharing submit page (new tab)FAIRsharing details |
| 13 | 66 | GovStack | 45 | Link type unknown | govstack.global | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Join a working group and contribute a substantive building-block specification, use case, reference implementation or new proposal. | Needs sustained expert contribution; Apache-2.0/IP terms apply; link must be directly relevant to the implementation. | 2026-08-05 — https://specs.govstack.global/overview/25q2-1/contributing | Open GovStack submit page (new tab)GovStack details |
| 14 | 66 | Homebrew | 75 | Link type unknown | brew.sh | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | After releasing a real your tool CLI or native app, submit a tested formula or cask with its canonical homepage. | Formula must meet open-source, stability, build and test rules; casks need a supported upstream binary and notability may affect acceptance. | 2026-08-05 official Homebrew Adding Software and Acceptable Formulae guides | Open Homebrew submit page (new tab)Homebrew details |
| 15 | 66 | Humanitarian Data Exchange | 80 | Link type unknown | data.humdata.org | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Join an approved organization and publish a documented humanitarian privacy/safety dataset with licence and responsible-access settings. | OCHA reviews organization identity and scope; data must be humanitarian, and sensitive data needs responsible handling; a PDF alone is not a dataset. | 2026-08-05 — https://centre.humdata.org/ufaqs/how-do-i-share-data-on-hdx/ | Open Humanitarian Data Exchange submit page (new tab)Humanitarian Data Exchange details |
| 16 | 66 | JSON Schema Store | 55 | Link type unknown | schemastore.org | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | After your tool has a stable, commonly used JSON or YAML configuration format, contribute its accurate schema and test fixtures so editors can provide validation, completion, and tooltips. | SchemaStore is for known file formats, not marketing pages. The schema must be valid, match real files, include the required catalog metadata and tests, pass CI, and stay synchronized with product changes; submit through the community repository review process. | 2026-08-03 | Open JSON Schema Store submit page (new tab)JSON Schema Store details |
| 17 | 66 | NLnet Foundation | 65 | Link type unknown | nlnet.nl | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Apply with a concrete your tool privacy, security or user-autonomy FOSS work package, milestones, budget and public repository. | Highly selective; active-call fit and fully FOSS/open results required. Only accepted projects receive a linked public page. | 2026-08-04 | Open NLnet Foundation submit page (new tab)NLnet Foundation details |
| 18 | 66 | Octopus | 40 | Link type unknown | octopus.ac | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Use ORCID to publish genuine research stages—problem, method, data or analysis—with contextual your tool code/data links. | Research record only, not marketing; stages must connect accurately and follow licensing, authorship and research-ethics rules. | 2026-08-05 — https://www.octopus.ac/ | Open Octopus submit page (new tab)Octopus details |
| 19 | 66 | Omeka S Modules | 65 | Link type unknown | omeka.org | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a maintained Omeka S module for collection metadata privacy, accessibility or link auditing, package it correctly and register the add-on with project and author links. | Must be a functional Omeka module with compatible releases, clear documentation and support; directory review does not constitute a security endorsement. | 2026-08-05 | Open Omeka S Modules submit page (new tab)Omeka S Modules details |
| 20 | 66 | Open Research Knowledge Graph | 45 | Link type unknown | orkg.org | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a rigorous structured comparison of published privacy, redaction, or accessibility studies and include your tool only when supported by research. | Model at least two scholarly contributions accurately, cite sources, avoid self-serving comparisons, and accept permanent versioning. | 2026-08-05 — https://academy.orkg.org/courses/comparison-course.html | Open Open Research Knowledge Graph submit page (new tab)Open Research Knowledge Graph details |
| 21 | 66 | OSF | 85 | Nofollow | osf.io | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a public reproducibility project for your tool research, datasets, test methods, or privacy benchmarks and link the genuine project/site. | Best for real research workflows. Projects start private; review files and metadata before making them public. | https://help.osf.io/article/285-control-your-privacy-settings | Open OSF submit page (new tab)OSF details |
| 22 | 66 | portfolio.dev | — | Link type unknown | portfolio.dev | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a public case-study portfolio and add your tool with screenshots, live demo and build rationale. | Publish a genuine project case study rather than a thin promotional card. | 2026-08-03 | Open portfolio.dev submit page (new tab)portfolio.dev details |
| 23 | 66 | ReliefWeb | 85 | Link type unknown | reliefweb.int | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | After your tool has eligible ReliefWeb content, request publishing access and submit humanitarian reports or training from verified owned URLs. | Only listed organizations with existing reports/jobs/trainings may use publishing access; trusted source URLs, taxonomy and editor review apply. | 2026-08-05 — https://apidoc.reliefweb.int/publishing | Open ReliefWeb submit page (new tab)ReliefWeb details |
| 24 | 66 | RenkuLab | 40 | Link type unknown | renkulab.io | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a reproducible your tool evaluation project with code, data connectors, environment, narrative, and a public session launcher. | Publish a genuine research project, protect credentials and sensitive data, document reproducibility, and set visibility to Public. | 2026-08-05 — https://docs.renkulab.io/en/2.19.0/docs/users/use-cases/showcase-your-project-on-renku/ | Open RenkuLab submit page (new tab)RenkuLab details |
| 25 | 66 | Whole Tale | 40 | Link type unknown | wholetale.org | Other opportunities | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a reproducible Tale containing an your tool evaluation's data, code, environment, outputs, and narrative, then publish through a supported repository. | Intended for computational research, not marketing; institutional sign-in may be needed and the Tale must contain sufficient metadata and rights-cleared data. | 2026-08-05 — https://wholetale.readthedocs.io/en/latest/users_guide/scenarios.html | Open Whole Tale submit page (new tab)Whole Tale details |
| 26 | 64 | Bugcrowd Public Programs | 80 | Nofollow | bugcrowd.com | Other opportunities | Not stated | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Launch a properly scoped your tool vulnerability disclosure or public bug-bounty program. | Launch only after security hardening, legal safe-harbor rules, response SLAs, triage ownership, and budget are ready. | Official Bugcrowd program FAQ checked 2026-08-07 | Open Bugcrowd Public Programs submit page (new tab)Bugcrowd Public Programs details |
| 27 | 64 | YesWeHack Public Programs | 60 | Link type unknown | yeswehack.com | Other opportunities | Not stated | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Launch a defensive your tool vulnerability disclosure or public bug-bounty program with managed researcher access. | Requires security maturity, authorized scope, safe-harbor rules, triage ownership, and sufficient remediation capacity. | Official YesWeHack bug-bounty program page checked 2026-08-07 | Open YesWeHack Public Programs submit page (new tab)YesWeHack Public Programs details |
| 28 | 63 | BCcampus Open Collection | 70 | Link type unknown | bccampus.ca | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Publish a Canadian-ready, openly licensed privacy or digital-citizenship textbook and use Contribute → Suggest a Textbook. | Needs textbook-style objectives and activities, editable open licence/source files, accessible formats and Canadian relevance. | 2026-08-05 — https://collection.bccampus.ca/about/ | Open BCcampus Open Collection submit page (new tab)BCcampus Open Collection details |
| 29 | 63 | Buzzsprout | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | buzzsprout.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Launch a real your tool educational podcast, complete its public site, and cite relevant tools and sources in useful show notes. | Choose one primary host; publish original episodes and do not duplicate feeds solely to manufacture links. | 2026-08-05 | Open Buzzsprout submit page (new tab)Buzzsprout details |
| 30 | 63 | Calaméo | 85 | Nofollow | calameo.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Publish a polished original guide, research brief, or accessibility zine as a public document, with useful references and a relevant your tool link inside the editorial content. | Public publications are searchable and reusable through platform features; upload only lawful content AltFTool owns or licenses. BASIC includes limited features/advertising, and abusive SEO, spam, or promotional document dumping is explicitly prohibited. | 2026-08-03 | Open Calaméo submit page (new tab)Calaméo details |
| 31 | 63 | Cargo | 75 | Sometimes dofollow | cargo.site | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Create an authentic your tool or founder design portfolio with substantive case studies and contextual links to shipped tools. | Use only real design/product work; public pages may be indexed, but do not create a thin backlink microsite. | 2026-08-04 | Open Cargo submit page (new tab)Cargo details |
| 32 | 63 | Crevado | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | crevado.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Create a complete your tool product case study and add the canonical URL naturally within project text or a linked image. | Keep the portfolio public and substantive; custom-domain and other advanced features may require Premium. | 2026-08-03 | Open Crevado submit page (new tab)Crevado details |
| 33 | 63 | DSCI Threat Intelligence & Research | 50 | Link type unknown | dsci.in | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Pitch an original evidence-backed privacy, scam, or cyber advisory based on genuine your tool research. | Requires real technical expertise, non-promotional research and editorial approval; a contribution is not DSCI endorsement. | 2026-08-05 official DSCI TIR page | Open DSCI Threat Intelligence & Research submit page (new tab)DSCI Threat Intelligence & Research details |
| 34 | 63 | Interoperable Europe / Joinup Solutions | 95 | Link type unknown | interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Publish a mature open-source interoperability or public-administration solution with documentation, releases, licence, and owner metadata. | Only appropriate for genuine reusable digital-government value; account, eligibility, and editorial review apply. | 2026-08-05 — https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/portal-support/news/joinup-solutions-hub | Open Interoperable Europe / Joinup Solutions submit page (new tab)Interoperable Europe / Joinup Solutions details |
| 35 | 63 | Journo Portfolio | 50 | Sometimes dofollow | journoportfolio.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Create a founder portfolio with original your tool launch notes or product case studies and use an external-link page for the canonical website. | The free plan is limited to a home page and ten items; publish meaningful original work, not a backlink-only shell. | 2026-08-03 | Open Journo Portfolio submit page (new tab)Journo Portfolio details |
| 36 | 63 | Milkshake | 50 | Link type unknown | milkshake.app | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Build a free mobile your tool mini-site with brand story, key collections, demos and contact links. | App-based setup; publish substantive cards instead of a bare backlink page. | 2026-08-04 | Open Milkshake submit page (new tab)Milkshake details |
| 37 | 63 | PaperCall | 55 | Link type unknown | papercall.io | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Live, conditional | Submit useful your tool-related talks to relevant CFPs or run a genuine community CFP with a public event page. | Follow each event's submission rules; no generic pitches, fake events or irrelevant promotional talks. | 2026-08-05 | Open PaperCall submit page (new tab)PaperCall details |
| 38 | 63 | Podcast Movement | 60 | Link type unknown | podcastmovement.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Submit an educational, non-sales session on privacy-safe tooling or accessible creator workflows when the next CFP opens. | The June 2026 CFP is closed; monitor future calls and never turn a talk into a product pitch. | 2026-08-05 | Open Podcast Movement submit page (new tab)Podcast Movement details |
| 39 | 63 | Portship | — | Link type unknown | portship.app | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Claim a builder profile and add your tool as a shipped project using its live public URL. | Best for genuinely AI-assisted builds; keep project status and ownership accurate. | 2026-08-03 | Open Portship submit page (new tab)Portship details |
| 40 | 63 | pretalx | 55 | Link type unknown | pretalx.com | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Use pretalx for a genuine your tool community conference or submit relevant talks to events that use the platform. | Public pages require a real conference and accepted content; trial-only pages are not a backlink strategy. | 2026-08-05 | Open pretalx submit page (new tab)pretalx details |
| 41 | 63 | ReactJS Example | 50 | Dofollow | reactjsexample.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Live, conditional | Submit a reusable open-source React component extracted from your tool with repository, demo, setup docs and screenshots. | Do not submit the commercial landing page or a thin wrapper; project must be genuinely reusable and open source. | 2026-08-04 | Open ReactJS Example submit page (new tab)ReactJS Example details |
| 42 | 63 | Research Data Alliance Adoption Stories | 65 | Link type unknown | rd-alliance.org | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Document a real your tool implementation of a named RDA recommendation with challenge, measurable outcome, lessons, and supporting resources. | Requires genuine adoption evidence; generic product profiles and promotional case studies are not eligible, and acceptance is editorial. | 2026-08-05 — https://www.rd-alliance.org/submit-an-adoption-story/ | Open Research Data Alliance Adoption Stories submit page (new tab)Research Data Alliance Adoption Stories details |
| 43 | 63 | The Hacker News | 85 | Sometimes dofollow | thehackernews.com | Other opportunities | Free | Involved | Medium | Verified live | Pitch original your tool security research, a defensible dataset or timely threat analysis. | Generic product launches are insufficient; credible evidence and disclosure are required. | 2026-08-05 | Open The Hacker News submit page (new tab)The Hacker News details |
| 44 | 63 | Zotero Groups | 80 | Nofollow | zotero.org | Other opportunities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create a public privacy-tool research library with credible standards, papers, and references, including only genuinely relevant your tool documentation. | Curate a real scholarly collection rather than a promotional list; public-open groups cannot share files, and visibility depends on settings. | Official Zotero Groups documentation checked 2026-08-07 | Open Zotero Groups submit page (new tab)Zotero Groups details |
| 45 | 62 | IBM Cloud Catalog | 95 | Nofollow | ibm.com | Other opportunities | Not stated | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Package a deployable self-hosted your tool architecture for IBM Cloud, complete Partner Center onboarding, and request public catalog approval. | A working deployable architecture, complete onboarding checklist, testing, approval, ongoing maintenance, and deprecation management are required. | Official IBM Cloud catalog publishing documentation checked 2026-08-07 | Open IBM Cloud Catalog submit page (new tab)IBM Cloud Catalog details |
| 46 | 62 | Red Hat Ecosystem Catalog | 95 | Link type unknown | redhat.com | Other opportunities | Not stated | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Package a supported self-hosted your tool edition or integration for RHEL or OpenShift and complete Red Hat Partner Validation for a catalog page. | Must genuinely run on and support RHEL or OpenShift; partner statements, documentation, validation, and Red Hat review are required. | Official Red Hat Partner Validation Guide for 2026 checked 2026-08-07 | Open Red Hat Ecosystem Catalog submit page (new tab)Red Hat Ecosystem Catalog details |
| 47 | 58 | Intigriti Public Programs | 65 | Nofollow | intigriti.com | Other opportunities | Paid | Quick | Medium | Verified live | Start privately, mature the process, then publish an your tool program indexed in Intigriti's public directory. | Define exact scope, rewards, exclusions, researcher rules, triage capacity, and remediation SLAs. | Official Intigriti bug-bounty program documentation checked 2026-08-07 | Open Intigriti Public Programs submit page (new tab)Intigriti Public Programs details |
| 48 | 56 | Digital Public Goods Alliance | 55 | Link type unknown | digitalpublicgoods.net | Other opportunities | Paid | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | After your tool has a genuinely open-source, well-documented public-interest component, complete the eligibility assessment and nominate that specific component. | High bar: open licensing, ownership, documentation, platform independence, standards, privacy, security, non-PII handling, lawful content, and Sustainable Development Goal relevance must all be evidenced. Nomination is not guaranteed recognition. | 2026-08-03 | Open Digital Public Goods Alliance submit page (new tab)Digital Public Goods Alliance details |
| 49 | 56 | Dunked | 50 | Link type unknown | dunked.com | Other opportunities | Paid | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Create a portfolio for genuine your tool product/design work and use each project's external URL field for the matching live page. | Only showcase work actually produced; complete project descriptions and avoid duplicate promotional pages. | 2026-08-04 | Open Dunked submit page (new tab)Dunked details |
| 50 | 56 | Format | 75 | Sometimes dofollow | format.com | Other opportunities | Paid | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Create a founder or product-design portfolio with an original your tool case study and add the canonical site as an external menu link. | This is a paid portfolio platform; the case study should demonstrate real work and should not exist only to manufacture a link. | 2026-08-03 | Open Format submit page (new tab)Format details |
| 51 | 56 | Lemon Squeezy | 70 | Nofollow | lemonsqueezy.com | Other opportunities | Paid | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Create a legitimate free or paid your tool resource or software product and publish it on a branded hosted storefront. | Store activation requires identity and business review; never create a dummy product only for a link. | 2026-08-05 | Open Lemon Squeezy submit page (new tab)Lemon Squeezy details |
| 52 | 56 | Open Technology Fund | 65 | Link type unknown | opentech.fund | Other opportunities | Paid | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Apply only with a validated open-source privacy or anti-surveillance project that directly helps users facing repressive censorship or surveillance. | OTF requires concrete internet-freedom impact and identifiable beneficiary communities in repressive environments; a generic privacy-tool catalogue or claim that it helps everyone will not qualify. | 2026-08-03 | Open Open Technology Fund submit page (new tab)Open Technology Fund details |
| 53 | 56 | OpenSSF | 70 | Link type unknown | openssf.org | Other opportunities | Paid | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Apply as a General Member only if your tool will meaningfully contribute engineering or resources to open-source security. | Not worthwhile for a backlink alone; free Associate tier is restricted to qualifying nonprofits, academia or government. | 2026-08-04 | Open OpenSSF submit page (new tab)OpenSSF details |
| 54 | 56 | Principles for Digital Development | 55 | Link type unknown | digitalprinciples.org | Other opportunities | Paid | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Obtain senior approval, submit the signed endorsement materials, implement the Principles and share a real case study. | This is a public operational commitment; organization must apply the Principles in policy/process and participate in the community. | 2026-08-05 — https://digitalprinciples.org/endorsers/ | Open Principles for Digital Development submit page (new tab)Principles for Digital Development 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.