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 | 66 | ADPList | 60 | Nofollow | adplist.org | Review platforms | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Apply only if the founder or team member has real design/engineering leadership experience and intends to provide genuine mentoring, then add an accurate personal website/profile reference. | Mentor approval criteria apply and a public profile must represent a real person, expertise, availability, and service—not a company backlink. Deliver actual mentorship and disclose AltFTool affiliation. Acceptance timing, profile discovery, external-link display, and rel/follow status are not guaranteed. | 2026-08-03 | Open ADPList submit page (new tab)ADPList details |
| 2 | 66 | MentorCruise | 55 | Link type unknown | mentorcruise.com | Review platforms | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Have a qualified founder or senior team member apply as a privacy, accessibility, product, or engineering mentor and add your tool only as truthful experience/personal-site evidence. | Applications are manually reviewed, typically within 14 days, and official help says fewer than 10% are accepted; a real headshot, bio, LinkedIn, and relevant expertise are required. The profile must support actual paid mentoring, not link placement. External links are profile UGC with no approval, traffic, or followed-link guarantee. | 2026-08-03 | Open MentorCruise submit page (new tab)MentorCruise details |
| 3 | 66 | Nmap NSE Documentation | 80 | Link type unknown | nmap.org | Review platforms | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Develop a safe, useful Nmap NSE script related to an your tool security check and include accurate author or homepage metadata. | Script must be original, valuable, documented, tested, properly licensed, and accepted into Nmap; never add intrusive behavior merely for exposure. | 2026-08-05 — https://nmap.org/book/nse-script-format.html | Open Nmap NSE Documentation submit page (new tab)Nmap NSE Documentation details |
| 4 | 66 | ProjectDiscovery Nuclei Templates | 60 | Link type unknown | projectdiscovery.io | Review platforms | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create high-confidence defensive templates for authorized checks of privacy leaks or misconfigurations, include safe matchers and test evidence, then submit them for review. | Authorized defensive use only; avoid intrusive actions, require reproducible evidence, minimize false positives, follow severity and metadata rules, and provide safe testing. | Official Nuclei template creation guide and contribution repository checked 2026-08-05 | Open ProjectDiscovery Nuclei Templates submit page (new tab)ProjectDiscovery Nuclei Templates details |
| 5 | 66 | SigmaHQ Rules | 45 | Link type unknown | sigmahq.io | Review platforms | Free | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Create generic defensive Sigma rules for privacy-leak, credential-exposure, or scam-related log patterns, validate them, cite legitimate references, and submit a PR. | Rules need unique IDs, accurate log sources, low false-positive logic, valid references, tests and conventions; no offensive payloads or unverified claims. | Official Sigma rule repository, contribution guide, and 2025 rule guide checked 2026-08-05 | Open SigmaHQ Rules submit page (new tab)SigmaHQ Rules details |
| 6 | 65 | REVIEWS.io | 75 | Sometimes dofollow | reviews.io | Review platforms | Free + paid tier | Quick | Medium | Needs checking | Claim your company page and invite real customers to leave reviews. | Incentivised or fake reviews are against policy. | Added 2026-11-01 | Open REVIEWS.io submit page (new tab)REVIEWS.io details |
| 7 | 63 | Trustpilot | 95 | Nofollow | trustpilot.com | Review platforms | Free + paid tier | Moderate | Medium | Not submitted | Claim business profile for your tool. | Review link value mostly brand/reputation. | 2026-07-30 | Open Trustpilot submit page (new tab)Trustpilot details |
| 8 | 62 | PoPETs / PETS | 60 | Link type unknown | petsymposium.org | Review platforms | Not stated | Moderate | Medium | Verified live | Submit novel privacy-technology research plus a reproducibility artifact that links to its public implementation. | Strict novelty, ethics, anonymization and AI policies; artifact link appears only after review and acceptance. | 2026-08-05 — https://petsymposium.org/cfp27.php | Open PoPETs / PETS submit page (new tab)PoPETs / PETS 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
One-shot launches where timing and preparation decide the outcome.
Publications that accept contributed articles. Slow and editorial, but the links are earned.
Fast-growing listings specifically for AI-powered tools.
Extension, plugin and integration stores. Real review processes, real distribution.
Startup listings, beta lists and founder media.
General tool and software catalogues with real search traffic.
B2B review sites. Slow to approve, strong once live.
Package, image and docs hosting that carries real authority.
Showcases judged on craft. A good screenshot matters more than copy.
Write once, link back. Editorial standards vary widely.
Get quoted or distribute a release. Slower, higher ceiling.
Company and local listings. Unglamorous, consistently indexed.
Owned pages you control: company, founder, knowledge-panel entities.
Answer real questions. Never drop a bare link.
Brand surface and referral traffic more than link equity.
Everything that does not fit the buckets above.