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 | ACT Rules Community | 45 | Dofollow | act-rules.github.io | Communities and forums | Free | Quick | Do first | Verified live | Implement applicable ACT Rules, execute official test cases, publish the implementation report, join ACT-R CG, and propose your tool as an implementation. | Requires genuine rule implementation and reproducible results; inaccurate or partial claims will not qualify. | Official implementation instructions checked 2026-08-05 | Open ACT Rules Community submit page (new tab)ACT Rules Community details |
| 2 | 100 | AlternativeTo | 80 | Nofollow | alternativeto.net | Startup directories | Free | Quick | Do first | Not submitted | Create account, wait cooldown if new, submit your tool as platform alternative. | Avoid per-tool submissions for calculators/converters; no URLs in description. | 2026-07-30 | Open AlternativeTo submit page (new tab)AlternativeTo details |
| 3 | 100 | CB Insights | 90 | Nofollow | cbinsights.com | Profiles and entities | Free | Quick | Do first | Not submitted | Request an Analyst Briefing and complete the company survey with product, customer, growth, funding, and market evidence. | Submission does not guarantee profile or research inclusion; all metrics and claims must be supportable and current. | 2026-08-03 | Open CB Insights submit page (new tab)CB Insights details |
| 4 | 100 | Content Authenticity Initiative | 60 | Link type unknown | contentauthenticity.org | Publishing platforms | Free | Quick | Do first | Verified live | Apply as a company and accurately describe your tool C2PA or content-provenance tools and intended participation. | Open membership, but genuine participation is expected; directory may publish the organization name/logo and link. | 2026-08-04 | Open Content Authenticity Initiative submit page (new tab)Content Authenticity Initiative details |
| 5 | 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 |
| 6 | 100 | CycloneDX Tool Center | 55 | Link type unknown | cyclonedx.org | Software directories | Free | Quick | Do first | Verified live | Add standards-valid CycloneDX support, then submit the structured your tool entry through the official contribution workflow. | Must accurately state supported CycloneDX versions, functions and licensing; a listing is not product certification. | 2026-08-05 official CycloneDX Tool Center | Open CycloneDX Tool Center submit page (new tab)CycloneDX Tool Center details |
| 7 | 100 | FreeNoSignup | — | Link type unknown | freenosignup.com | Software directories | Free | Quick | Do first | Verified live | Submit one or more free your tool utilities that work without registration. | Tool must be active, useful, web-based, privacy-respecting and usable without signup. | 2026-08-05 | Open FreeNoSignup submit page (new tab)FreeNoSignup details |
| 8 | 100 | Glama MCP Directory | 50 | Link type unknown | glama.ai | Other opportunities | Free | Quick | Do first | Not submitted | Deploy a maintained your tool MCP server from GitHub, Docker, npm, or PyPI, verify maintainer ownership, and switch it public only after production testing. | Hosted servers are private by default; public listing requires a real working server, and ranking or backlink attributes remain platform-controlled. | 2026-08-03 | Open Glama MCP Directory submit page (new tab)Glama MCP Directory details |
| 9 | 100 | MERLOT | 70 | Link type unknown | merlot.org | Other opportunities | Free | Quick | Do first | Verified live | Publish a genuinely reusable privacy or accessibility lesson on your tool, give it a stable URL and open license, then add its educational metadata to MERLOT. | The resource must be an online OER with its own URL; subscription-only material is inappropriate. Supply discipline, audience, material type, description, author, license, cost, and accessibility metadata honestly. | 2026-08-03 | Open MERLOT submit page (new tab)MERLOT details |
| 10 | 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 |
| 11 | 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 |
| 12 | 100 | Product Hunt | 90 | Nofollow | producthunt.com | Launch platforms | Free | Quick | Do first | Not submitted | Launch your platform first; prepare maker comment and assets. | No upvote asks; personal accounts; schedule proper launch. | 2026-07-30 | Open Product Hunt submit page (new tab)Product Hunt details |
| 13 | 100 | RapidAPI Hub | 80 | Link type unknown | rapidapi.com | Marketplaces and app stores | Free | Quick | Do first | Verified live | List a stable your tool API with OpenAPI definitions, clear endpoints, health checks and its official website in the permitted listing field. | The API must be functional, accurately documented and securely operated; avoid listing browser-only tools as fake APIs. | 2026-08-03 | Open RapidAPI Hub submit page (new tab)RapidAPI Hub details |
| 14 | 100 | SaaSHub | 70 | Dofollow | saashub.com | Startup directories | Free | Quick | Do first | Not submitted | Submit platform, add competitor alternatives, verify domain email. | Add competitors; avoid paid multi-submit page confusion. | 2026-07-30 | Open SaaSHub submit page (new tab)SaaSHub details |
| 15 | 100 | SAYUJ by STPI | — | Link type unknown | sayuj.net | Startup directories | Free | Quick | Do first | Verified live | Register your tool as an Indian startup, complete its offering profile, and use Product Expo or Startup Connect when relevant. | Requires email and Indian mobile OTP; STPI ownership does not imply government endorsement of listed startups. | 2026-08-05 official registration and STPI About SAYUJ pages | Open SAYUJ by STPI submit page (new tab)SAYUJ by STPI details |
| 16 | 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 |
| 17 | 100 | StartupTN | 35 | Link type unknown | startuptn.in | Startup directories | Free | Quick | Do first | Live, conditional | Use the official Register flow and build a verified your tool company profile if Tamil Nadu startup rules are met. | Use the homepage registration flow because deep URLs change; public visibility and acceptance remain conditional. | 2026-08-04 | Open StartupTN submit page (new tab)StartupTN details |
| 18 | 100 | Tracxn | 75 | Nofollow | tracxn.com | Startup directories | Free | Quick | Do first | Not submitted | Submit the company website and concise product, market, founder, funding, and traction details for analyst review. | Analysts decide inclusion and may request documents; provide only verifiable company, funding, team, and traction data. | 2026-08-03 | Open Tracxn submit page (new tab)Tracxn 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.