Alternatives · Updated
HARO alternatives for founders who want backlinks
HARO is back under Featured.com and still free, but anyone who's used it knows the trade: you answer queries within hours, compete with hundreds of other experts, and most answers never get used. It's great for press credibility, unpredictable for backlinks.
There are two kinds of alternatives: other journalist-request platforms, and a different approach that targets blog posts already ranking in your niche.
The short list
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01
Free (2 pitches/mo), Pro $149/mo
Qwoted Expert-source marketplace
Choose it if you want verified reporter requests and can pay $149/mo for Pro.
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02
Free, Lite $29/mo (annual)
Featured AI PR assistant
Choose it if you want a cheap assistant that watches media requests for you.
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03
$147/mo, or $98/mo billed annually
JustReachOut PR outreach software
Choose it if you pitch journalists and podcasts proactively.
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04
Free report, then $99/mo
BacklinkGenie AI outreach agent
Choose it if you want links from lists, comparison pages, resource pages and guides in your niche, not just press quotes.
HARO and its alternatives, side by side
Same questions for every option: what you're paying for, who does the work, and whose mailbox takes the risk.
| HARO | Qwoted | Featured | JustReachOut | BacklinkGenie | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you're buying | Free query feed; you pitch journalists | Journalist request marketplace | PR assistant for media opportunities | PR outreach software | Software with the sending setup included |
| Entry price (checked October 16, 2026) | Free | Free (2 pitches/mo), Pro $149/mo | Free, Lite $29/mo (annual) | $147/mo, or $98/mo billed annually | Free report, then $99/mo |
| Who does the outreach | You reply to each query | You pitch inside the platform | You, with drafting help | You, through the tool | The agent, after you approve (or on autopilot) |
| Sending mailbox & domain | Your own email | Platform messaging | Your own | Your own | Dedicated domain + Google Workspace mailbox, set up and ramped for you |
| How targets are found | Journalists post the requests | Reporters post requests | Media requests and feeds | Journalist and podcast search | Agent searches your niche, plus any post URLs you paste |
| Who writes each pitch | You write every answer, fast | You write each pitch | AI-assisted drafts you edit | AI-assisted pitches | Agent writes one pitch per post; you can edit |
| Control before anything is sent | Journalist decides whether to use you | Reporter chooses sources | You submit | You send | Every pitch waits for approval unless you switch on autopilot |
| Checks that links stay live | None | None | None | None for links | Weekly re-check of every won link, alert if it's removed or nofollowed |
| Best fit | Founders with expertise and time to answer daily | Experts chasing press quotes rather than blog links | Founders doing their own PR on a small budget | Founders pitching journalists and podcasts | Founders and small teams who want earned links without running the process |
Press quotes vs. blog inclusions
Journalist platforms get you quoted in articles about a topic you're expert in. Blog outreach gets your product added to posts that already rank for the searches your buyers make, like 'best tools for X'. For most SaaS products, the second is closer to revenue: the post already gets traffic from people comparing options.
Time cost
HARO and Qwoted reward speed: the first good answers win. If you can't check queries several times a day, you'll mostly miss. An outreach agent works on your schedule: you review pitches when it suits you.
A fair look at HARO
HARO
Journalist query newsletter
Where it's strong
- Free, and the links are on news and media sites when you're quoted.
- Builds authority as a quoted expert, not only a backlink.
Where it falls short
- Response rates are low and competition per query is heavy.
- You need to answer within hours, every day, for it to work.
- You can't choose which sites you appear on.
HARO pricing
Checked October 16, 2026- Sources Free Answer journalist queries from the daily digests.
Featured.com acquired HARO and relaunched it in April 2025 (reported by multiple industry sources).
Source: HARO relaunch coverage
Current pricing for each alternative
Qwoted pricing
Checked October 16, 2026- Basic Free 2 pitches a month, with a 2-hour delay on new requests.
- Pro $149/mo 35 pitches a month, no delay.
- Teams Custom Unlimited pitches.
Source: Qwoted pricing
Featured pricing
Checked October 16, 2026- Free $0 A small daily allowance to explore opportunities.
- Lite $29/mo billed annually For solo practitioners.
- Pro $79/mo billed annually Higher limits for weekly pitching.
Source: Featured pricing
JustReachOut pricing
Checked October 16, 2026- Starter Outreach $147/mo ($98/mo billed annually) 100 email sends a month, 1 member, 1 brand.
- Advanced Outreach $247/mo ($165/mo billed annually) 300 sends a month, 2 members, 5 brands.
- Ultimate Outreach $497/mo ($331/mo billed annually) 1,000 sends a month, 5 members, 10 brands.
7-day free trial on monthly plans.
Source: JustReachOut pricing
BacklinkGenie pricing
Checked October 16, 2026- Free $0 Prospect report: qualified posts with DR and a verified contact. No card.
- Starter $99/mo 1 site, 1 managed mailbox, up to 1,000 outreach emails a month (pitches and follow-ups).
- Growth $249/mo Up to 3 sites and 3 mailboxes. Adds MCP access.
- Agency $499/mo Up to 8 sites and 8 mailboxes, priority support.
Source: BacklinkGenie pricing
Before you decide
Read next: BacklinkGenie vs HARO, compared head to head. Also weighing up Qwoted alternatives or Muck Rack alternatives? For more options, browse every head-to-head comparison.
Press quotes build credibility, but buyers shortlisting software mostly read "best X" posts, not news coverage. If that's the gap, read the step-by-step guide to best-of lists, and how those lists shape what AI search answers name.
BacklinkGenie is built for SaaS teams: see how the agent finds posts and sends pitches, or check plans and pricing.
Questions people ask
Is HARO still free?
Yes. Featured.com relaunched HARO in 2025 and it remains free for sources, according to multiple industry reports.
What replaced Connectively?
Cision closed Connectively in late 2024. HARO was relaunched by Featured.com in April 2025.
Do HARO links help SEO?
When you're quoted with a followed link on a reputable site, yes. Many outlets link with nofollow or don't link at all, so treat press quotes as authority first, links second.
Can I use HARO and an outreach tool together?
Yes, and many founders do: HARO-style platforms for press, and blog outreach for steady inclusion in niche roundups.