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 | OpenSSF Best Practices Badge | 60 | Link type unknown | bestpractices.dev | Profiles and entities | Free | Quick | Do first | Live, conditional | Open-source a well-scoped your tool component, document its governance, tests, security process, and complete the passing-badge self-assessment. | Only genuine FLOSS projects qualify; claims are checked and must be backed by public evidence, including a public repository, license, contribution path, HTTPS, tests, and vulnerability-reporting process. | 2026-08-03 | Open OpenSSF Best Practices Badge submit page (new tab)OpenSSF Best Practices Badge details |
| 2 | 100 | Postman | 90 | Nofollow | postman.com | Profiles and entities | Free | Quick | Do first | Live, conditional | Create an your tool public workspace with sanitized API collections, examples, documentation, and a canonical homepage link on the publisher profile. | Never publish tokens, cookies, secrets, private endpoints, or user data; run the secret scan before making a workspace public. | https://learning.postman.com/v11/docs/collaborating-in-postman/using-workspaces/public-workspaces | Open Postman submit page (new tab)Postman details |
| 3 | 95 | FeaturedCustomers | 60 | Sometimes dofollow | featuredcustomers.com | Profiles and entities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Do first | Live, conditional | Add the company, verify ownership, and supply genuine customer references, case studies, and brand assets. | Designed for B2B software and services; customer references must be genuine and the vendor must pass verification. | 2026-08-03 | Open FeaturedCustomers submit page (new tab)FeaturedCustomers details |
| 4 | 86 | Sessionize | 70 | Link type unknown | sessionize.com | Profiles and entities | Free | Quick | High | Live, conditional | Create a founder expert profile and submit substantive talks about privacy-first tools, accessibility or web security. | Directory visibility should reflect real expertise and sessions; free event mode excludes promotional or commercial events. | 2026-08-05 | Open Sessionize submit page (new tab)Sessionize details |
| 5 | 84 | Open Collective | 85 | Nofollow | opencollective.com | Profiles and entities | Free | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Create a genuine your tool collective, complete its public profile, and add the official website plus repository/social links. | Use only for a real community or open-source project; keep team, purpose and financial details accurate. | 2026-08-05 | Open Open Collective submit page (new tab)Open Collective details |
| 6 | 84 | Podchaser | 75 | Nofollow | podchaser.com | Profiles and entities | Free | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Claim a genuine your tool show, verify ownership, and complete its official website and creator details. | Ownership verification by feed email or token is required; never create a fake podcast for links. | 2026-08-04 | Open Podchaser submit page (new tab)Podchaser details |
| 7 | 76 | ESC India | 40 | Link type unknown | escindia.in | Profiles and entities | Paid | Quick | High | Live, conditional | Apply as an eligible Indian software or ITeS exporter with company, GST, IEC/DGFT and RCMC evidence as requested. | Exporter eligibility and documentation apply; official member pages exist but an external website link is not guaranteed. | 2026-08-04 | Open ESC India submit page (new tab)ESC India details |
| 8 | 76 | Global Cyber Alliance | 60 | Link type unknown | globalcyberalliance.org | Profiles and entities | Paid | Quick | High | Live, conditional | Propose a concrete funded or in-kind your tool anti-scam, privacy or cyber-safety collaboration through Become a Partner. | A formal agreement and real contribution are required; partner-page publication is not self-serve or guaranteed. | 2026-08-04 | Open Global Cyber Alliance submit page (new tab)Global Cyber Alliance details |
| 9 | 74 | IDSA | 50 | Link type unknown | idsalliance.org | Profiles and entities | Paid | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Choose an appropriate corporate, partner or vendor tier and apply with your tool genuine identity-security work. | Identity/security relevance and approval required; the official benefit includes an IDSA website listing. | 2026-08-04 | Open IDSA submit page (new tab)IDSA details |
| 10 | 74 | Kantara Initiative | 55 | Link type unknown | kantarainitiative.org | Profiles and entities | Paid | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Use the organization signup path and participate in relevant identity, privacy or assurance working groups. | Community and standards participation are expected; membership should not be purchased solely for a backlink. | 2026-08-04 | Open Kantara Initiative submit page (new tab)Kantara Initiative details |
| 11 | 74 | Open Source Collective | 40 | Link type unknown | oscollective.org | Profiles and entities | Paid | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Apply for fiscal hosting only for a legitimate open-source your tool project or community with active development, public impact, and preferably two project administrators. | OSC reviews legitimacy, open-source alignment, and its hosting terms. It does not host an individual spanning unrelated projects; project finances become transparent and formal agreements require host approval. | 2026-08-03 | Open Open Source Collective submit page (new tab)Open Source Collective details |
| 12 | 74 | OpenID Foundation | 80 | Link type unknown | openid.net | Profiles and entities | Paid | Moderate | High | Live, conditional | Join as a small organization if your tool genuinely implements or contributes to OpenID, OAuth or related identity standards. | Standards participation and truthful brand use are expected; company name/logo visibility should not be the sole reason to join. | 2026-08-04 | Open OpenID Foundation submit page (new tab)OpenID Foundation details |
| 13 | 68 | Liberapay | 65 | Nofollow | liberapay.com | Profiles and entities | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Create an your tool project team, connect verified project accounts, and describe the official website and repository contextually. | Teams are for genuine shared projects; one-contributor projects are allowed, but a single-company shell is not the intended use. | 2026-08-05 | Open Liberapay submit page (new tab)Liberapay details |
| 14 | 68 | PitchBook | 85 | Link type unknown | pitchbook.com | Profiles and entities | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Search for your tool; submit an accurate profile update or request research coverage with authoritative company data and website. | Inclusion is not guaranteed and may require an account; do not exaggerate funding or company facts. | 2026-08-04 | Open PitchBook submit page (new tab)PitchBook details |
| 15 | 68 | ResearchGate | 95 | Nofollow | researchgate.net | Profiles and entities | Free | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | An eligible active researcher can publish genuine your tool studies, code or datasets and add the official website where appropriate. | Membership is for active researchers; upload only owned research and respect publisher copyright. | 2026-08-04 | Open ResearchGate submit page (new tab)ResearchGate details |
| 16 | 65 | Academia.edu | 90 | Nofollow | academia.edu | Profiles and entities | Free + paid tier | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | Publish genuine authored your tool research and add matching project or supporting-material URLs in the paper metadata. | Use authentic authored literature or research; external links must support the paper, not act as unrelated promotion. | 2026-08-04 | Open Academia.edu submit page (new tab)Academia.edu details |
| 17 | 63 | Podorax | — | Link type unknown | podorax.com | Profiles and entities | Free | Involved | Medium | Live, conditional | Create a truthful guest profile, add expertise and collaboration preferences, then respond to relevant interview requests. | Newer network; profile quality and real collaboration history matter more than link placement. | 2026-08-05 | Open Podorax submit page (new tab)Podorax details |
| 18 | 63 | Polar | 60 | Link type unknown | polar.sh | Profiles and entities | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Live, conditional | Create an your tool organization, set its official website, and publish a real free or paid digital product or subscription. | Use only when AltFTool has a legitimate digital product; business details, compliance and payout verification may be required. | 2026-08-05 | Open Polar submit page (new tab)Polar details |
| 19 | 58 | Cybersecurity Tech Accord | 55 | Link type unknown | cybertechaccord.org | Profiles and entities | Paid | Quick | Medium | Live, conditional | After publishing a mature security policy and VDP, contact the Secretariat to apply as a signatory to all four principles. | Acceptance is discretionary and requires genuine defensive-security, capacity-building and collective-action commitments; never treat it as a badge shortcut. | 2026-08-05 official commitments, signatory and contact pages | Open Cybersecurity Tech Accord submit page (new tab)Cybersecurity Tech Accord details |
| 20 | 48 | Twitch | 95 | Nofollow | twitch.tv | Profiles and entities | Free | Quick | Later | Live, conditional | Host real build sessions or tool demos and add your tool to the channel About/social links. | An inactive link-only channel has little value; follow Twitch content and promotion rules. | 2026-08-03 | Open Twitch submit page (new tab)Twitch details |
| 21 | 42 | Dailymotion | 95 | Nofollow | dailymotion.com | Profiles and entities | Not stated | Moderate | Later | Live, conditional | Publish genuine demo videos and add your tool to the approved creator profile website field. | Paid and approval-dependent; standard users cannot add website links. | 2026-08-03 | Open Dailymotion submit page (new tab)Dailymotion details |
| 22 | 38 | Accessibility.com Vendor Directory | 50 | Link type unknown | accessibility.com | Profiles and entities | Paid | Quick | Later | Live, conditional | Email the directory team to request an your tool profile for its genuine accessibility tools. | Only pursue with a clear accessibility product offering; ask for current pricing and terms first. | 2026-08-03 | Open Accessibility.com Vendor Directory submit page (new tab)Accessibility.com Vendor Directory details |
| 23 | 38 | OpenID Certified Implementations | 80 | Link type unknown | openid.net | Profiles and entities | Paid | Quick | Later | Live, conditional | If your tool ships an OpenID Provider or Relying Party, pass the suite, publish evidence, sign the declaration and submit the implementation. | Applicant must own or operate the implementation; separate fees apply and self-certification is not an independent security audit. | 2026-08-05 official OpenID certification guide, fees and implementation directory | Open OpenID Certified Implementations submit page (new tab)OpenID Certified Implementations 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.