Best backlink tools for apps and startups in 2027, plus a free link for your product
The free and paid backlink tools that help an app or startup find, check and earn links, and how to get a free listing and link for your product on TrueLaunch.
· 5 menit baca
Short answer: the best backlink tools for a new app or startup are free: Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools show who links to you, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools adds a fuller backlink and site report for sites you own, and Google Alerts finds mentions you can turn into links. Pay for Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz or Majestic only when you research competitors' links every week. To get your product its first link and page for free, list it on TrueLaunch: you get a permanent listing that links to your store pages and website, plus a launch day on the TrueLaunch home page.
This guide is published by TrueLaunch. Links from TrueLaunch listings are nofollow, so they won't raise your domain rating directly. What they give you is a page that can rank for your product's name, visitors, and a place where writers and other developers discover new apps.
What do backlink tools do?
Backlink tools help with four jobs:
| Job | What it answers | Free option |
|---|---|---|
| Check your links | Who links to my site, and to which pages? | Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools |
| Research competitors | Who links to similar products, and why? | Limited free checks in Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz |
| Find link chances | Who mentions my product without linking? | Google Alerts |
| Get listed | Where can I add my product myself? | TrueLaunch and other free directories |
No tool sees every link on the web. Each crawls its own index, so numbers differ between tools. Compare trends inside one tool rather than numbers across tools.
Which free backlink tools are best?
- Google Search Console: the Links report lists the sites that link to you and your most linked pages, from Google's own data. Every site should have it.
- Bing Webmaster Tools: a free backlinks report for your site, and a second search engine's view of it. It also feeds Bing-powered search and assistants.
- Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: free for sites you verify. It shows your backlinks and referring domains, and runs a site audit for technical problems.
- Google Alerts: set alerts for your product's name. When a blog or news site mentions you without a link, a short, friendly email often gets one added.
- Free checker pages: Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz each let you look up a limited number of links for any domain for free, which is enough to peek at a competitor now and then.
Free plans and limits change, so check each tool's current terms.
Which paid backlink tools are worth it?
| Tool | Best for |
|---|---|
| Ahrefs | Large link index, competitor backlinks, link gap ("who links to them but not me") |
| Semrush | All-in-one SEO with backlink audits and outreach tracking |
| Moz Pro | Link research and the Domain Authority score many people quote |
| Majestic | Link-focused data, with its own trust and citation scores |
For a solo developer, paid tools are rarely worth it before launch. They start to pay off when you publish content every week and want to know which pages earn links, or when you run outreach to many sites. Use a trial on a real task, such as listing the 20 sites that link to your three closest competitors.
How do I get a free link for my product on TrueLaunch?
TrueLaunch is a free community where developers list apps and games and get honest feedback. Listing is free, there's no approval queue and no badge required:
- Open the TrueLaunch home page and choose Submit, or go straight to submit your app.
- Paste your Google Play or App Store link. The name, icon, screenshots and description are filled in for you; edit the text to describe your product in your own words.
- Add your website, so the listing links to it as well as to your store pages.
- Publish. Your listing goes live straight away on its own page, and it appears in the new apps on the home page and on the launches board on launch day.
- Fill in your developer profile with your website and GitHub links, so people who like one of your apps can find the rest of your work.
What you get, honestly:
- A page that can rank for your product's name and its category, which helps people searching for you land somewhere useful.
- Visitors and feedback from people who browse new apps, including other developers, bloggers and testers.
- Links that are nofollow. They help people find you, not your domain rating. The followed links that move rankings come from sites that choose to write about you, and a launch is often where they first hear of you.
How do I turn a launch into real backlinks?
- Pitch people who cover your niche. Find blogs, newsletters and "best apps for X" lists with the competitor research above, and send a short, personal note with what's new.
- Publish something worth linking to. A free tool, a useful guide or real data from your app earns links that a product page alone rarely does.
- Ask for the link on mentions. Use Google Alerts to catch mentions and politely ask for a link to your site or store page.
- List on a few directories with real visitors, not hundreds with none (free app directories).
Never buy links or join link exchanges. Search engines can ignore or penalize them, and they never bring the readers that make a link worth having. For the full method, read how to get backlinks for a new app.
Next steps
Set up Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools today, so you can see your first links arrive. Then list your product on TrueLaunch for free to get a page, a launch day on the home page and your first visitors. If your product is an app, the free ASO tools help you get found inside the stores too.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free backlink tool?
Google Search Console, because it shows links from Google's own data for free. Add Bing Webmaster Tools and Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, which is free for sites you verify, for a fuller picture.
Can I get a free backlink from TrueLaunch?
Yes, you can list your app or game for free and the listing links to your store pages and website. The links are nofollow, so they won't raise your domain rating directly, but the listing can rank for your product's name and bring visitors who may write about you.
Do I need a paid backlink tool for a new startup?
Usually not before launch. Free tools show your own links. Paid tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz and Majestic help once you research competitors' links or run outreach regularly.
Why do backlink tools show different numbers?
Each tool crawls the web with its own crawler and keeps its own index, so none of them sees every link. Compare changes over time inside one tool rather than numbers between tools.