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6 Best HARO Alternatives
(Expert Review)

Greg Heilers

Written by Greg Heilers

HARO Alternatives – Featured image

If you’ve ever done media outreach, chances are you’ve crossed paths with HARO (Help a Reporter Out).

For over a decade, it was the go-to platform for securing media placements and backlinks.

But in early 2024, HARO officially shut its doors.

And now, its successor Connectively has announced it will shut down in December 2024.

What now?

Fortunately, HARO’s closure doesn’t mean your outreach efforts have to take a hit.

There are several excellent HARO alternatives ready to help you land high-quality backlinks and media coverage.

Over the past five years, journalist outreach platforms have helped my team secure 22,000 placements for our clients.

All without paying for a single backlink.

Yes, you read that correctly.

While the majority of these 22,000+ wins were sourced from HARO and Featured, niche newsletters like Help A B2B Writer and ProfNet also helped us earn backlinks that boosted our clients’ authority.

Below, you’ll learn six HARO alternatives, along with pros, cons, and pricing, to help you score authority-building backlinks.

Ready to dive in? Let’s go!

HARO Alternatives at a Glance

Platform Standout Feature Pricing
ProfNet Less competition, higher quality opportunities Contact for pricing
Source of Sources Identical format to HARO Free
Featured Highest conversion rate, fastest turnaround Free plan available; paid plans start at $39.80–$79.20 per month, per seat
Help a B2B Writer High-quality marketing opportunities Free
Qwoted Access to top-tier media outlets Free plan available; paid plans start at $99 per month
Direct Contributions Direct access to journalists Free (time investment required)

1. ProfNet: Best for High-Quality Wins

ProfNet has provided marketers and business owners with PR and backlink opportunities since 1992.

PR Newswire – Homepage

But does age equal quality? Let’s find out.

How ProfNet Compares to HARO

ProfNet takes a different approach:

  • It’s behind a paywall, unlike HARO’s free model
  • It has fewer users, leading to less competition
  • The opportunities are among the highest in quality
CISION ProfiNet – Queries

Pros

  • Exclusive opportunities: Access to domains not available on other platforms
  • Better odds: With fewer users, your chances of getting picked are higher. Only about 14,000 PR pros use ProfNet (compared to HARO’s 1 million+).
  • Quality over quantity: Fewer opportunities, but they’re often with higher-tier publications
  • Conversion king: Our data shows ProfNet matches or beats most alternatives in placement quality

Based on our last 1,000 backlinks, ProfNet’s quality rivals Source of Sources. But, Profnet’s conversion ratio beats nearly every other platform. (Keep in mind our outreach required a minimum domain rating of 50+ and organic traffic of 1,000+.)

SEO Metrics by Source (minimum DR 50+ and organic traffic of 1,000+)
Domain Rating Organic Traffic
HARO 76 870,000
Connectively 78 3,304,000
Profnet 79 1,490,000
SOS / HERO 81 1,570,000
Featured 70 95,000
Help A B2B Writer 73 1,150,000
Direct Contributions 74 400,000

Cons

  • Old-school format: Still uses the clunky email newsletter format that HARO used in the past
  • No SEO data: You’ll need to do your own research on domain ratings and backlink policies
  • Pricey: The annual subscription is expensive

Pricing

Exact pricing isn’t publicly available, so you’ll need to contact ProfNet for a quote.

ProfNet’s annual subscription is in the low thousands. It’s worth the investment if you prioritize high-quality wins and reducing outreach effort.

Is ProfNet Right for You?

If you’re after quality placements and don’t mind investing some cash, ProfNet is a solid choice.

It’s especially good if you:

  • Have a decent budget for media outreach
  • Prioritize quality over quantity
  • Don’t mind doing some extra SEO research

But if you’re on a tight budget or need a high volume of opportunities, you might want to look elsewhere.

2. Source of Sources (SoS): Most Familiar to HARO Users

Remember HARO’s founder, Peter Shankman?

Well, he’s back with a vengeance!

Initially launching as HERO (Help Every Reporter Out), he quickly rebranded to Source of Sources (SOS) after some, ahem, legal considerations.

Source of Sources – Homepage

But is this blast from the past worth your time?

I reached out to Peter Shankman to learn more about his vision for Source of Sources:

“I want Source of Sources to be what my original platform was when I ran it: a safe, trusted space connecting journalists and sources, free of spam and off-topic pitches. A utility designed to make everyone’s work easier and help both sides do their jobs better.”

Peter Shankman, founder of Source of Sources

How Source of Sources Compares to HARO

SoS is basically HARO 2.0:

  • It uses the exact same email newsletter format
  • It’s completely free (just like HARO was)
  • It’s run by the original HARO founder
SOS queries categories

Pros

  • Familiar format: If you loved HARO, you’ll feel right at home with SoS
  • Budget-friendly: No subscription fees or per-pitch costs. You can’t beat free, especially when you’re just starting out.
  • Founder’s touch: Benefit from Peter Shankman’s years of experience and industry connections.
SOS Media Outlets

Cons

  • No SEO data: Just like HARO, you’ll need to do your own research on domain ratings and backlink policies
  • Lower conversion rates: Currently, SoS requires more pitches for a successful placement compared to some alternatives
  • Growing pains: As a new platform, it might take time to attract top-tier publications

Pricing

Source of Sources is completely free.

Is Source of Sources Right for You?

SoS is perfect if you:

  • Loved HARO and want a similar experience
  • Need to practice your journalist pitching skills
  • Don’t mind putting in extra work to research SEO metrics

If you’re just getting started or are already an old pro (and don’t mind putting in a little extra elbow grease for free opportunities), SOS is a great option.

This platform is still growing, but with the original HARO founder at the helm, it could become a major player in media outreach.

3. Featured: Best Conversion Rate and Fastest Turnaround

Want to supercharge your media outreach?

Meet Featured (formerly known as Terkel).

Featured – Homepage

I spoke with Featured’s founder, Brett Farmiloe, about the platform’s core mission:

“Building visibility online is hard. With Featured, you can answer questions to get featured in articles. Just by sharing your knowledge, you can effectively market your business online.”

Brett Farmiloe, founder and CEO of Featured

This platform is like HARO but supercharged. Is it worth the subscription fee?

Let’s break it down.

How Featured Compares to HARO

Featured takes a different approach:

  • It’s a paid platform with a sleek interface
  • It provides basic SEO metrics for each opportunity
  • Delivers a better conversion ratio
Featured – Questions

Pros

  • SEO insights: Paid plans come with Domain Rating (DR) and link type (DoFollow or NoFollow) info. You can also set keyword alerts on the free and paid plans.
  • High conversion rate: Our data shows Featured has the best conversion ratio of all platforms. And you don’t need to write more than four to five sentences to grab a win.
  • Stellar support: Brett is a true user’s founder. He’ll personally reply, and his support team is also lightning-fast.
  • Guaranteed inclusions: Featured’s model ensures your pitches get included more often, even with minimal input
Featured – How it works

Cons

  • Subscription model: Pricing is based on active seats, which can get pricey for lower-volume campaigns
  • Potential PBN concerns: Keep an eye out for private blog network (PBN) issues

Be aware of the potential risks of Featured’s emerging private blog network (PBN). Times have changed since the early 2000s, when that was an advisable link-building strategy.

Today, organically earned backlinks from a diverse range of entities is paramount. Featured has started linking some of its own subsites together, and once Google picks up on this, the value of these backlinks will decrease, and may even go negative.

Overall, Featured is a powerful tool in your media outreach arsenal—just use it responsibly.

LinkedIn post – Haley Spracale – Fatured

Pricing

Featured uses a dynamic billing model based on active seats.

On the free plan, you can submit up to three answers per month.

Paid plans range from $39.80 to $79.20 per month, per seat. If you need more seats, the monthly rate increases.

Featured – Pricing

You get what you pay for in subscribing to Featured—your pitches will convert better than anywhere else.

Our data also shows that Featured has the fastest average turnaround time at just 23 days, compared to the overall average of 35 days across all platforms.

Source Turnaround Time
HARO 37 days
Connectively 32 days
ProfNet 39 days
SOS/HERO 35 days
Featured 23 days
Help a B2B Writer 44 days
Direct Contributions 50 days

Is Featured Right for You?

Featured is an excellent choice if you:

  • Want the highest possible conversion rates
  • Need quick wins to kickstart your campaign
  • Don’t mind paying for quality opportunities

4. Help A B2B Writer: Best for Marketing Niches

Looking for a hidden gem in the world of media outreach?

Say hello to Help A B2B Writer (HaB2BW).

Help a B2B Writer – Homepage

Purchased by content marketing community Superpath in 2023, this niche platform flies under the radar but packs a punch for marketing, sales, and tech professionals.

To gain deeper insight into the value of Help a B2B Writer, I spoke with Jimmy Daly, the co-founder and CEO of Superpath.

Jimmy shared his perspective on how this platform addresses a critical need in people-first content creation:

“HaB2BW connects writers to subject matter experts—which is likely the single biggest challenge in creating great content. If you aren’t an expert yourself, you need to talk with one, and HaB2BW facilitates that.”

Let’s see if it’s the secret weapon your outreach strategy needs.

How Help A B2B Writer Compares to HARO

HaB2BW takes a focused approach:

  • Specializes in marketing, sales, and technology opportunities
  • Provides basic SEO metrics (unlike HARO)
  • Offers a great conversion rate
Help a B2B Writer – Focused approach

Pros

  • Best conversion ratio: Within its niche, HaB2BW outperforms all other platforms
  • SEO insights: Unlike other free newsletters, Help A B2B Writer lists basic SEO metrics and backlink policy information (as volunteered by the listing creator)
  • Free access: No subscription fees or per-pitch costs
  • Spam-free environment: High-quality opportunities without the clutter

Cons

  • Limited scope: Only useful if you’re in the marketing, tech, or business niches
  • Occasional glitches: Being a smaller platform, it sometimes experiences deliverability issues
  • Lower volume: Fewer opportunities compared to more general platforms

Pricing

Help a B2B Writer – Pricing

Help A B2B Writer is completely free.

Is Help A B2B Writer Right for You?

HaB2BW is perfect if you:

  • Work in marketing, sales, tech, or related B2B fields
  • Want high-quality opportunities without spending a dime
  • Don’t mind a lower volume of opportunities in exchange for better quality and conversion rates

Overall, Help A B2B Writer is a fantastic addition to your media outreach toolkit, especially if you’re in its target industries.

5. Qwoted: Superb Reputation for Quality

Want to rub shoulders with the crème de la crème of media outlets?

Enter: Qwoted.

Qwoted – Homepage

This platform has been giving HARO a run for its money for years, specializing in top-tier publications.

But is it worth the hefty price tag? Let’s find out.

How Qwoted Compares to HARO

Qwoted takes a premium approach:

  • Paid platform with a focus on quality over quantity
  • Offers access to elite publications
  • Rigorous vetting process for contributors
Qwoted – Sources – Premium approach

Pros

  • Higher conversion rates: Less spam means better chances of getting picked
  • Quality control: A strict vetting process, including interviews and IP tracking, ensures high-quality contributions
  • Prestige factor: Opportunities from top-tier media outlets. You won’t find a better tier of publications out there on the net, save personal networking.
  • PR-friendly: Great for building relationships with top journalists
Qwoted – Top 100 PR

With both a high price and individual vetting, Qwoted’s higher barrier to entry means a lot less spam, resulting in better conversion rates for everyone.

Cons

  • SEO-phobic: While Qwoted is friendly with PR agencies, it’s decidedly standoffish toward SEO agencies
  • Expensive for teams: Qwoted doesn’t advertise its pricing for team accounts, but online chatter says it’s on the pricier side
Trustpilot review – Qwoted

Pricing

Qwoted – Pricing

Qwoted offers a free plan with two pitches per month. Past that, you’ll pay $99 per month for unlimited pitches.

If you need a team account, contact their sales team for a custom quote.

Is Qwoted Right for You?

Qwoted is ideal if you:

  • Have a substantial PR budget
  • Prioritize getting quoted in prestigious publications
  • Have unique, high-level expertise to share

But it might not be the best fit if you:

  • Are primarily focused on SEO and link-building
  • Are just starting out in media outreach
  • Have a limited budget

Qwoted is the caviar of media outreach platforms. If you can afford it and meet their standards, it could elevate your brand to new heights.

6. Direct Contributions: High Success Rate, Limited Opportunities

Sometimes, the best way to get media coverage is to take matters into your own hands.

Let’s explore how you can make direct contributions work for you.

How Direct Contributions Compare to HARO

Direct contributions are exactly what they sound like—instead of using a platform to find media opportunities or experts for your articles, you connect with publications and individuals directly.

  • Reach out to journalists and marketers directly
  • Build long-term relationships
  • Enjoy more control over your pitches and topics

Pro tip: Many companies have submission forms on their websites. Try searching Google with phrases like “become a contributor + [your industry]” to find these hidden gems in your niche.

Databox – Become a contributor

Pros

  • High success rate: Once you establish a relationship, your chances of being quoted increase
  • Long-term benefits: Building relationships can lead to ongoing opportunities
  • Customization: Tailor your pitches to specific publications or writers

Cons

  • Time-intensive: Requires significant effort to research and reach out to the right people
  • Slower start: Takes time to build relationships and see results
  • Limited scale: Harder to reach a large number of opportunities quickly

Pro tip: Use an outreach tool like Apollo.io to streamline your search for PR and journalist leads. Filter by job titles like “journalist” or “reporter,” and industry-specific keywords. Leverage Apollo’s email finder to get direct contact information to increase your chances of successful outreach.

Pricing

Direct contributions are free in terms of platform costs (unless you pay for a premium plan on an outreach tool).

But remember, your time is valuable. Factor in the hours you’ll spend researching and reaching out.

Are Direct Contributions Right for You?

This approach works well if you:

  • Have a specific niche or expertise
  • Are willing to invest time in building relationships with journalists, writers, and marketers
  • Prefer quality over quantity in your media mentions

But it might not be ideal if you:

  • Need quick results
  • Don’t have much time for outreach
  • Are looking for a high volume of backlinks

Direct contributions can be a powerful addition to your media outreach strategy. Just be prepared to play the long game.

Choosing the Right HARO Alternative

HARO may be dead, but media outreach isn’t.

With these six alternatives, you’ve got plenty of options to keep your PR and link-building efforts going strong.

But which one should you choose?

This depends on your:

  • Budget
  • Time constraints
  • Niche
  • Goals (PR vs. SEO)

Try a mix of free and paid options. Test different platforms to see what works best for your specific needs.

No matter which service you choose, focus on providing value in your pitches. That’s how to earn high-quality backlinks that’ll be Google-algorithm safe for years to come.

Want to learn more about link-building fundamentals, email outreach, and advanced strategies? Read Link Building for SEO: The Definitive Guide.