Free backlinks: 30 places to get them for your website, app or startup
30 free backlink sources for a new website, app or startup: profiles, launch sites, directories, PR requests and content, and which links are dofollow.
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Short answer: you can get free backlinks from four places: profiles and listings you fill in yourself (GitHub, LinkedIn, Crunchbase, launch sites and directories), content you publish elsewhere (guest posts, cross-posts, podcasts), journalist requests you answer (Qwoted, Featured) and links you earn because you made something worth linking to (a free tool, data, a good guide). The first group is quick but mostly gives nofollow links; the last two take more work and give the links that actually move rankings. Skip anything promising "1,000 free backlinks": Google treats that as link spam.
This guide is published by TrueLaunch, which is one of the free launch sites below. Our listing links are nofollow, and we say so.
What is a free backlink, and are free backlinks worth it?
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. A free backlink is one you get without paying the site, by listing your product, writing something or being mentioned.
They're worth it when the link comes from a real site that real people read, in a place that makes sense for your product. A link from a developer community about your developer tool helps; a link from a page of 500 random links doesn't. If you're new to the topic, start with how to get backlinks for a new app, which explains dofollow, nofollow and why quality beats count.
Dofollow or nofollow: which free backlinks count?
- Dofollow (followed) links pass ranking signals and count toward scores like Domain Rating.
- Nofollow, ugc and sponsored links are hints Google may ignore, and they don't count toward Domain Rating. They still bring visitors, get your brand known and help Google find your pages.
How to check if a link is dofollow: right-click the link, choose Inspect, and look at the <a> tag. If it has rel="nofollow", rel="ugc" or rel="sponsored", it's not followed. No rel, or one without those words, means followed. Check yourself: sites change this often, so any public list of "free dofollow backlinks" is out of date within months.
A healthy new site has both kinds. Don't skip a nofollow listing that sends real visitors.
Profiles and listings (fill in once, today)
These take minutes each. Most are nofollow, but they build your brand's presence and some send steady traffic.
| # | Where | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GitHub profile and repository README | Link from your profile and project pages |
| 2 | LinkedIn company page | Website link on your company profile |
| 3 | Crunchbase company profile | Website link, often shown to investors and journalists |
| 4 | X, Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon profiles | Link in your bio |
| 5 | YouTube channel and video descriptions | Links under every demo video |
| 6 | Google Business Profile | Only if you have a real local business |
| 7 | Your own app store listings | Website link on Google Play and the App Store |
| 8 | Founder profiles on Indie Hackers and dev.to | Links from your profile and posts |
Launch sites and directories (one launch day)
Launch boards bring a spike of visitors and a permanent listing page. Most links are nofollow. Pick the ones that match what you built:
| # | Where | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | TrueLaunch | Apps and games, free listing, honest feedback (nofollow) |
| 10 | Product Hunt | Most products; a big launch day takes preparation |
| 11 | Hacker News "Show HN" | Developer tools and technical products |
| 12 | BetaList | Startups before or around launch |
| 13 | Indie Hackers products | Indie and bootstrapped products |
| 14 | AlternativeTo | Anything that replaces a known product |
| 15 | SaaSHub | SaaS and software alternatives |
| 16 | DevHunt | Developer tools |
| 17 | Uneed and Microlaunch | Indie launches with a weekly ranking |
| 18 | There's An AI For That | AI products only |
| 19 | F-Droid | Open-source Android apps |
| 20 | itch.io | Games and game tools |
For more, see our lists of free app directories, app review sites and the best platforms to launch an indie game. Submit to a handful of good fits, not 200 directories at once.
Content you publish elsewhere
These give followed links more often, because the link sits inside an article a person wrote.
| # | Where | How |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Guest posts on blogs in your niche | Pitch one specific, useful article, not "a post about anything" |
| 22 | dev.to, Hashnode and Medium | Cross-post your guides with a canonical link back to the original |
| 23 | Podcasts and YouTube interviews | Show notes almost always link to the guest's product |
| 24 | Newsletters in your niche | Many feature new tools for free if the pitch is short and relevant |
Journalist and writer requests
| # | Where | How |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Qwoted | Answer journalists' requests for expert quotes |
| 26 | Featured | Answer questions that get published on partner sites |
Reply fast, answer the exact question in a few sentences, and include one fact only you know. Most answers won't be used; the ones that are often come with a followed link from a strong site.
Links you earn (the ones that matter most)
| # | Tactic | Why people link |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | A free tool | Calculators, generators and checkers get linked from guides and forums. Our free ASO tools are an example |
| 28 | Original data | A small survey or numbers from your own product get quoted |
| 29 | Unlinked mentions | Set a Google Alert for your product's name; when someone mentions you without a link, a short polite email often gets one |
| 30 | Testimonials and integrations | Tools you use and integrate with often list customers and partners with a link |
Which free backlinks should I avoid?
Google's spam policies treat these as link spam, and at best they're ignored:
- "Free backlink generator" sites and automated submissions to hundreds of directories.
- Comment and forum signatures with keyword links.
- Large-scale link swaps ("link to me and I'll link to you").
- Private blog networks and anything sold as "DR 70 links for free" with a catch.
None of these will get you penalized from one mistake, but they waste time you could spend on the earned links above.
How do I see if my free backlinks are working?
Track them in Google Search Console (Links report) and the free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, and watch your domain rating for free. Links take a few weeks to be found. Judge them by visitors from referring sites and by whether your pages rank higher for their searches, not by the score alone.
Next steps
This week: fill in the profiles (1 to 8), list your app or game on TrueLaunch and pick two or three launch sites that fit. This month: answer journalist requests a few times a week and publish one guide or free tool worth linking to. Then check which links bring visitors and do more of what works.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get free backlinks?
Fill in profiles and listings (GitHub, LinkedIn, Crunchbase, launch sites and directories), publish content elsewhere (guest posts, cross-posts, podcasts), answer journalist requests on sites like Qwoted and Featured, and make something worth linking to, such as a free tool or original data.
Are free backlinks safe?
Yes, when they come from real sites where your product fits. Automated backlink generators, mass directory submissions and link swaps count as link spam under Google's policies and are usually ignored.
Where can I get free dofollow backlinks?
Mostly from earned links: guest posts, podcast show notes, journalist quotes, partner and integration pages, and people linking to a free tool or guide you made. Most profiles, launch sites and directories use nofollow links.
How do I check if a backlink is dofollow?
Right-click the link, choose Inspect and look at the a tag. rel="nofollow", rel="ugc" or rel="sponsored" means it isn't followed; no rel attribute means it is.
Does TrueLaunch give a dofollow backlink?
No. Links from TrueLaunch listings are nofollow. A free listing gives you a page that can rank for your product's name, visitors and honest feedback, not a boost to your domain rating.
