20 Best Dofollow Backlink Sites for Startups (Free and Paid)

The best dofollow backlink sites for a new startup are relevant publishers with a clear listing policy, a public product page, and an audience that might use your product. Start with LaunchAF if a weekly launch suits you, then add a few curated directories whose free conditions you can maintain. All twenty options below publish a free followed-link route in their current policies, but approval and link status must be checked on the final listing.

We run LaunchAF, so weigh its number-one placement accordingly. It is newer and smaller than established discovery sites. Its free route requires a verified badge and review, and losing the badge can remove a new free listing. This is a researched policy shortlist, not a claim that we submitted a product to every site or independently measured every link.

Quick comparison

We rechecked the publishers' official pages linked below on October 9, 2026. “Reported DR” means a number the publisher displayed at the date shown, not a measurement from our own Ahrefs account; some older snapshots remain labelled with their September date where the current page does not show a score. We do not publish a fixed LaunchAF DR here: check its live homepage rating. Policies, queues, and scores change, so confirm the free route before submitting and inspect your finished listing.

The ranking is editorial, not a live DR sort. A score in this table does not tell you how relevant the individual product page will be to buyers. Domain Rating is a third-party metric and can change quickly. Where the current official page showed a different rating than the September review, this table uses the current publisher display and records the date.

How we picked these sites

We kept destinations with first-party evidence of a $0 route that includes a followed link after any stated conditions. A free signup or a paid-only dofollow upgrade was not enough. We excluded sites whose current policy did not establish the complete free path, and we did not treat a high score alone as a reason to recommend a site. That is why Product Hunt is not in this particular list: it can be useful for discovery, but its official launch guide does not promise a dofollow link.

Each entry has a fit and a downside. Some suit a launch event; others are straightforward directory profiles. Approval, availability, and policy changes vary by publisher. A free queue can take longer than your announcement window. If a site requires a reciprocal badge, keep it live for as long as the listing's followed status depends on it. The launch directories tracker can help after you submit a product on LaunchAF; until then, a spreadsheet works.

“Dofollow” here means the publisher states a normal, unqualified link on the eligible listing. We did not make authenticated submissions to all twenty sites and did not audit each eventual published HTML page. After approval, inspect your own outbound anchor for nofollow, sponsored, or ugc, plus the page's public availability. The first 100 backlinks guide explains how to track verified links separately from submitted forms.

1. LaunchAF

LaunchAF is a weekly founder launch board with a lasting public product profile. The Free Launch costs $0, but you must place a branded image linked directly to LaunchAF on a public page, verify it, and pass review. A new free listing keeps its followed website link only while the badge is verified; removing it can delist the product. Paid plans publish after successful payment and do not require the badge for that link. Reported DR: not fixed here; check the current homepage display. Best for: a founder who wants community feedback as well as a profile. Downside: the reviewed free route is not instant. Paid launches rank above free launches on the weekly leaderboard, with votes ordering products within each group.

2. Twelve Tools

Twelve Tools lists web tools and startups. Its official submission page checked October 9 states that the $0 plan includes one dofollow link after review when you add a reciprocal link on your homepage or footer. It also offers an optional paid plan without that requirement. Reported DR: 82 on the publisher's site in the September 23 policy review, not independently remeasured. Best for: a tool that fits a product category and can maintain the reciprocal link. Downside: the free route is not a no-strings-attached backlink, and a stated review window is not an acceptance guarantee.

3. Findly.tools

Findly.tools is a curated directory for indie products. Its official about page checked October 9 says a free listing has a followed link while the Findly badge remains on your site; its paid Premium route does not need the badge. Reported DR: 81 in the September 23 publisher snapshot. Best for: founders who want a detailed directory profile beyond launch day. Downside: sign-in, review, and an ongoing badge condition. Verify the final product-page link before adding it to your backlink count.

4. Startup Fame

Startup Fame groups startups by category and location. The free Verified route in the September policy review requires a badge on your homepage and editorial review; the publisher describes a followed listing link while the listing remains eligible. Its official site was checked again October 9. Reported DR: 80+ from the publisher on September 23. Best for: a startup with a clear category, identity, and website. Downside: acceptance and timing remain at the publisher's discretion, and the badge is not a temporary install for a screenshot.

5. Wired Business

Wired Business offers a $0 listing with a reciprocal badge or link, review, and a stated dofollow backlink. The official submit page was checked October 9; the advertised review time should be treated as an estimate. Reported DR: 77 in the September 23 publisher snapshot. Best for: a business or web product seeking a supplemental category page. Downside: the reciprocal requirement and review mean this is not an instant, independent editorial mention.

6. Nick Launches

Nick Launches runs a reviewed weekly product board. Its publisher has said free listings carry a permanent followed link, while its terms checked October 9 say a visible badge may be required and approval is not automatic. Reported DR: 75 in the September 23 publisher snapshot; its earlier August recap showed a different value. Best for: founders who value a moderated launch cohort. Downside: you must allow for review and confirm any badge request. The Nick Launches alternatives guide explains its fit against other weekly platforms.

7. Smol Launch

Smol Launch offers a Free Verified route for a first launch. Its pricing page checked October 9 describes a verified badge and a queue for an available week; relaunches are not part of the same free route. That pricing page displayed reported DR 75, up from 74 in the September snapshot. Best for: a patient founder who wants a weekly profile. Downside: a first-launch limit and a badge that the publisher rechecks. Confirm the available week rather than relying on an old queue date.

8. Product Watch

Product Watch publishes a free-forever route with a stated permanent dofollow link after a 30-day queue. Its pricing page was checked October 9; a badge is presented as an optional way to bypass the queue, not a required payment. Reported DR: 72 in the September 23 publisher snapshot. Best for: a founder who wants a lasting page and can wait. Downside: its free timetable may not match a launch campaign. Recheck whether the badge and queue options still work before planning around them.

9. Dofollow.Tools

Dofollow.Tools has a free listing that depends on a badge on your site. Its pricing policy checked October 9 describes a review queue and limited daily free availability. Removing the badge switches the link to nofollow under the reviewed terms. Reported DR: 70+ in the September 23 publisher snapshot. Best for: a founder willing to maintain a badge for a tool-directory listing. Downside: limited free slots and an ongoing link condition; a published page without the badge is not the followed outcome you signed up for.

10. Neeed Directory

Neeed Directory lists startup and software products. Its free route in the reviewed policy requires a verified badge before the listing's website link becomes dofollow. The official pricing page was checked October 9. Reported DR: 70+ from the publisher in the September 23 snapshot. Best for: a product that fits a clear directory category. Downside: a badge must remain in place for the free listing to retain its eligible status. Check the final page and any approval message, not just the form confirmation.

11. SaaSCity

SaaSCity offers a $0 route with a homepage badge and a stated dofollow link after verification. Its official pricing page checked October 9 displayed reported DR 67+ and an estimated free review queue of about 266 days, both higher than in the September policy snapshot. These are publisher claims, not our own measurement or a firm approval date. Best for: a SaaS founder who can wait. Downside: the long queue makes it a supporting profile, not a timely main launch. Paying for queue priority is optional, not required for the free backlink route.

12. KittyLaunch

KittyLaunch offers a free queue-based launch with a verified badge and three stated followed links. Paid options can skip the line without badge verification. Its pricing page displayed a publisher-reported Ahrefs DR of 65 when checked October 9, up from 61 in the September review; neither is our own measurement. Best for: founders who want a maker-oriented product page and can wait for the free slot. Downside: free timing depends on queue availability, and the badge is part of the free offer.

13. LaunchPanda

LaunchPanda offers a free product listing with a badge condition for its followed backlink. The publisher also sells separate multi-directory submission services; those are not necessary for the free listing described here. Its site was checked October 9. Reported DR: 61 on its October 9 publisher page. Best for: an extra software-directory profile after your main launch. Downside: this is less of a discussion-focused event than a weekly community board. Confirm that the badge and listing remain live after publication.

14. Better Launch

Better Launch has a free weekly launch route. The reviewed policy says its default free link becomes followed when the badge is installed, with a Monday chosen well in advance. Its official pricing page was checked October 9. Reported DR: 60+ in the September 23 publisher snapshot. Best for: a planned launch where a future Monday is acceptable. Downside: the lead time and badge condition can make it a poor fit for an urgent announcement. A paid queue skip is a convenience, not the only path to the link.

15. FirstLook.Tools

FirstLook.Tools is a tool directory with a free listing route that uses a verified badge. The reviewed policy says the badge is checked weekly and a missing badge switches the website link to nofollow. The official pricing page was checked October 9. Reported DR: 60+ in the September 23 publisher snapshot. Best for: a product with a stable public website and a relevant tool category. Downside: a review queue and ongoing badge maintenance. Record the badge URL so you can fix it if a redesign moves the image.

16. DailyPings

DailyPings offers a $0 badge-verified listing with a followed backlink while the badge remains live. Its pricing page checked October 9 displayed reported DR 62, up from 59 in the September snapshot. Best for: founders looking for a compact supporting directory profile. Downside: the badge is checked regularly, so this is not a one-time task you can forget. A paid, badge-free route may be available, but compare the current terms before buying it.

17. LaunchKiwi

LaunchKiwi lists products through a free badge-and-queue route. Its pricing page checked October 9 states a followed link for an eligible live listing and displayed reported DR 56, up from 53 in the September snapshot. Best for: founders who can wait for an open launch slot. Downside: the next available free week moves; a date copied from an older blog post is not a promise. Keep the badge visible after your listing is approved.

18. SaaSBison

SaaSBison offers a free listing after manual review with a badge requirement for its stated followed link. The submission page was checked October 9. Reported DR: 52 in the September 23 publisher snapshot. Best for: a SaaS product that can tolerate a slower editorial process. Downside: the review queue and reciprocal badge add work. Do not mistake the paid Premium checkout for a requirement of the $0 route.

19. Noonlaunch

Noonlaunch, often searched as Noon Launch, has a Standard $0 weekly queue. Its current pricing page checked October 9 says the high-authority backlink remains while its badge is live; paid Premium and Spotlight tiers do not need the badge. Reported DR: 52 displayed on that publisher's pricing page October 9, compared with 49 in its September 23 publisher snapshot. Best for: a founder who wants another weekly board and can take an assigned free Monday. Downside: the free queue and badge are continuing constraints. Read the Noon Launch alternatives if the schedule does not fit.

20. PitchWall

PitchWall offers a Free Launch route whose official submit page checked October 9 lists a dofollow backlink with a stated minimum waiting period. That page displayed publisher-reported DR 70. Best for: a founder who can wait and wants another public product profile without a badge requirement stated on the checked page. Downside: the wait is not an approval guarantee, and the exact timing should be checked on the live form. Inspect your eventual published link rather than treating a pricing card as proof of delivery.

What does a dofollow listing guarantee?

It guarantees nothing about Google rankings, referral traffic, or Domain Rating. At most, a publisher's policy tells you what kind of link it intends to place if your product qualifies, is approved, and remains eligible. Search engines evaluate links alongside many other signals. Relevance and readers matter. A followed link from an obscure page is not automatically more useful than a nofollow mention that buyers actually read.

Treat “permanent” as subject to the publisher's terms. Badge removal, an inaccessible product site, policy changes, or editorial moderation can affect a listing. If a publisher says free links are followed only after verification, check that condition on your live profile and record the date. If you do not want an ongoing badge on your site, choose a route without it or decide whether a paid upgrade makes sense for distribution, not as a ranking purchase.

A safe order of operations for a new site

Start with your own product page. Explain the category, buyer, problem, features, and price clearly. Then choose one primary launch community and two or three relevant directories, not twenty forms on the same afternoon. Write accurate, distinct descriptions for each audience. Submit, track review status, and answer real questions.

After publication, verify the public URL and outbound HTML. Record whether the link points to the correct domain, whether it carries nofollow, sponsored, or ugc, and whether a badge must stay live. Watch analytics for relevant visits. Only then decide which additional sites are worth the effort. The first-100-backlinks plan turns this into a slower, broader acquisition process, while the free launch platform guide focuses on the channel choice.

Avoid mass directory spam, link farms, reciprocal networks whose only purpose is ranking manipulation, and packages that promise a precise DR rise. Google's link-spam policy is a useful boundary. An honest product listing on a relevant platform is different from buying hundreds of keyword-stuffed links on pages nobody reads.

Frequently asked questions

Are these all free dofollow backlink sites?

Each listed publisher had a stated $0 route with a followed link under its documented conditions when checked October 9, 2026. Several also sell paid, faster, or badge-free options. Free does not mean automatic approval or zero maintenance.

Why is LaunchAF first?

LaunchAF publishes this guide and we placed it first because a weekly launch plus lasting profile may serve both community discovery and link goals. That is a conflict of interest, disclosed near the top. Compare its badge-and-review requirement with the other sites and choose based on your audience, not our ordering.

Can I trust the DR figures?

They are publisher-reported snapshots, not independently measured current Ahrefs data. Some have already changed between the September policy review and October check. Check a current rating with your preferred provider if it influences a purchase or prioritization decision.

Does a dofollow backlink guarantee higher Google rankings?

No. A relevant, reputable followed link can be one useful signal, but Google does not promise a specific ranking or DR result from any listing. Judge the listing by its audience, accuracy, and final public link as well as the attribute.

Do I need to keep a badge after approval?

For many free routes here, yes. Policies differ: losing a badge may switch a link to nofollow or remove a listing entirely. Read the publisher's current terms and keep a record of the page where you installed the badge.

The bottom line

Use this as a researched shortlist, not a claim that twenty links will appear as soon as you fill twenty forms. Pick a relevant platform, confirm its current free route, submit a useful profile, and inspect the final listing. If a weekly board fits your product, start with LaunchAF's submission flow; otherwise plan a smaller set of good-fit directory profiles.