Operating from 2008 to 2024 Help a Reporter Out (HARO) was a platform that connected journalists with subject experts. The whole idea behind the platform was to help reporters find reliable sources, and allow the subject experts to grow their own brand and authority.
After a year of rebranding and introduction of the new features, Cision announced that HARO (or Connectively) is getting completely discontinued in December 2024.
If you are interested in finding out what HARO alternatives are out there, then you’ve landed on the right resource.
Today, I will share the top HARO alternatives that let you connect with the journalists and earn authority-building backlinks. Each of these alternatives has its own set of features.
Some are completely free, while others offer premium features and are available with a paid subscription. Below, we take a look at their features, prices, pros and cons.
Let’s dive in!
| Platform | Key Feature | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Source of Sources | Email newsletter format | Free |
| Help a B2B Writer | Targeted queries based on selected expertise | Free |
| Featured | Interface with SEO data | Starter Package (free); Pro package ($29); Business package ($59) |
| Qwoted | Access to top-tier publications | Basic (Free), Pro ($99/month), and Teams (custom pricing) |
| SourceBottle | A lot of Australian publications | Free Plan, No Pitch, No Pay! Plan ($25 per pitch), Unlimited Pitches ($65/month), and Agency ($130/month) |
| JustReachOut | Find and pitch relevant journalists | Starter Outreach ($147/month), Advanced Outreach ($247/month), Ultimate Outreach ($497/month), and White Glove ($1,997/month) |
| PitchRate | Receive daily newletters with requests or just login to see the stack of active requests | Free |
1. Source of Sources (by the Founder of HARO)
It’s main features include:
- Email newsletter format so familiar to HARO users
- AM and PM email newsletters with media queries (from Monday to Friday)
- Completely free
- Queries separated into categories
- 20,000+ journalists
Just like HARO, SOS sends two daily emails with queries, one in the morning, one in the evening. To start receiving the newsletters, you just have to sign up at sourceofsources.com. If you have anything productive to say on the topic, you just reply directly to the source. The platform has strict guidelines to prevent spam. Users who send irrelevant pitches risk being removed from the platform.
All the queries are separated into top categories:
- Business and Finance
- Healthcare and Pharma
- Lifestyle and Entertainment
- General
- Travel
- Technology
Pros:
- It’s completely free
- Simple newsletter format, all you have to do is reply to the journalist
- Peter Shankman created this “HARO 2.0” taking into account all the years of experience in spam management techniques
Cons:
- The platform still has less available queries
Source of Sources Pricing
SOS is completely free to use, both for the journalists and for the subject experts. Which in itself is incredible in this day and age.
2. Help a B2B Writer
These are the main features:
- It’s free, both for writers and for sources
- Anyone can register as a source, as long as you have expertise in one of the 18 areas
- There’s an API option for instant access to requests
- Queries include basic SEO information like domain authority
- Focuses on opportunities in marketing, sales, and technology
Unlike SOS, Help a B2B Writer focuses on a more targeted approach to delivering requests. First, you register as a source, and specify all the areas that you’re expert in. After that, the writers create a query request and tick all the required areas of expertise needed for the job. This way, only the sources that have expertise in these target areas get the newsletter with queries.
Quote requests include writer’s contact information, so all you have to do is get in touch to submit a quote.
Pros:
- Free to use
- Targeted queries, which saves time spent sorting them
- Information about platforms, including SEO data
- You can be both a write and a source
Cons:
- Limited number of opportunities if you’re outside of marketing, sales, or tech
Help a B2B Writer Pricing
The platform is completely free both for subject experts and writers.
3. Featured
These are platform’s main features:
- Nice interface that includes SEO data
- Free and Paid plans
- Built-in grammar checks
- Experts receive email when the answer has been selected
This visibility platform is another great HARO alternative, and targets different segments: experts, publishers, and media. Experts service is ideal for small business owners, PR agencies, in-house marketers and SEO agencies.
The platform also allows experts to write and feature articles in top publications (bylined articles), and take part in interviews.
Pros:
- SEO information: premium plans include Domain Rating (DR) and link type details (DoFollow or NoFollow)
- Keyword alerts (for both free and paid plans)
- 1,000 active publishers and growing fast
- High inclusion rate
Cons:
- You’ll have to pay extra for quality opportunities
Featured Pricing
Depending on the level of service that you need, Featured allows industry experts to choose a Starter, Pro, or a Business package.
The Starter Package is free, and allows you to submit three answers per month. Pro package is perfect for the small businesses who wish to build their brand online. It allows submitting unlimited answers for just 29 USD / month. Business package costs 59 USD / month and is suitable for agencies who are building visibility for their clients. According to Featured, Pro users get featured 5x more, so it might be worth the investment.
4. Qwoted
Main platform features include:
- Qwoted offers three types of services: media solutions, PR solutions, and solutions for experts.
- Access to elite publications
- Free for members of the media, offering free and paid plans for experts
Qwoted positions itself as a more high-end network connecting experts, brands and media. They strictly prohibit the use of AI-powered tools of ChatGPT. This helps to keep the high quality of submissions. Qwoted has also recently launched a new tool that allows podcasters to find guests.
To join the platform, all you have to do is register, and create a profile, highlighting your areas of expertise. Qwoted sends you customised opportunities based on your profile and selected interests, connecting you with media professionals looking for experts like you.
Pros:
- Opportunity to get featured into some top-tier publications
- Serious vetting process, accepting only high-quality contributions
- Have a free plan, which includes 2 pitches per month
Cons:
- The platform uses a “Network score” of sources, which is only visible to journalists. Some accounts get flagged for presumed use of AI
- High price
- High entry barrier
Qwoted Pricing
Qwoted offer three plans for PR/marketing professionals: Basic (Free), Pro ($99/month), and Teams (custom pricing).
With the Basic plan, users can send just 2 pitches/month, and there is a 2 hour response delay. With Pro and Teams packages, you can send an unlimited number of pitches, and there is no response delay.
5. SourceBottle
These are the key features:
- 4 pricing plans
- Human-driven pitching service
- Journalists can source for different projects: find experts, find giveaways, find a podcast guest, find case studies, find a speaker, or even find a guest article contributor
- Free inclusion into an expert directory
SourceBottle is undoubtedly one of the HARO alternatives worthy of your attention. While it started in Australia in 2009, SourceBottle now connects journalists and experts worldwide, increasing query opportunities across different regions.
Subscribers receive two Drink Up! email alerts each weekday at approximately 10 AM and 2 PM AEST.
The fact that it has a free plan makes it a great tool for emerging experts and small business owners. You can test it and see if it’s worth upgrading to one of the paid plans.
Pros:
- Free plan available
- SourceBottle isn’t limited to traditional journalism—it includes opportunities from bloggers, podcasters, and content creators
- Easy-to-use interface
Cons:
- Many queries are related to the Australian market
SourceBottle Pricing
SourceBottle has a few pitching plans: a Free Plan, No Pitch, No Pay! Plan ($25 per pitch), Unlimited Pitches ($65/month), and Agency ($130/month).
6. JustReachOut
Main features include:
- Database of 700k+ journalists
- Platform to build relationships with journalists
- A selection of tools: journalist outreach, pitch requests, podcast outreach, broken link building, guest post outreach
- Plans start at $147/month
JustReachOut is a PR and outreach platform created to help experts and businesses connect with journalists, bloggers, and podcasters. Whether you’re looking to secure a podcast interview, pitch an article for publication, or even suggest your content as a replacement for broken backlinks, JustReachOut provides direct access to journalists who may be interested in what you have to say.
The platform provides real-time tracking, allowing you to see whether a journalist has opened your pitch. Additionally, the platform offers tools for discovering relevant media contacts, writing personalized pitches, and managing your outreach strategy.
Pros:
- Free 7 day trial
- Can see if the journalist read the request
- Large selection of tools, including broken link building, guest post, podcast outreach
- Automatic follow ups
- AI for PR integration
Cons:
- High pricing compared to other tools
JustReachOut Pricing
JustReachOut offers four pricing plans: Starter Outreach ($147/month), Advanced Outreach ($247/month), Ultimate Outreach ($497/month), and White Glove ($1,997/month).
There is also a 7-day free trial on monthly plans.
7. PitchRate
These are the main platform features:
- 7,902 experts, 2,979 journalists, 2,657 publicists
PitchRate is another platform similar to the HARO model. You sign up as an expert, and when a relevant request pops up, send your pitch. Your response goes straight to the journalist, giving you a direct shot at media coverage.
You can also opt to stop receiving emails, and instead log in and see the list of active requests.
Pros:
- Simple interface
- Completely free to use
- You can opt out of email newsletters
- You can see the history of pitches that you submitted
Cons:
- Low number of requests as of lately
PitchRate Pricing
PitchRate is completely free for everyone – sources and journalists.
The Verdict: What Is the Best Go-To HARO Alternative?
Should you choose just one platform and stick to it? Probably not. If you are serious about building authority links and growing your authority, you should aim at sending as many pitches as you can. Each of the above platforms has a limited amount of source requests, so there will be days when none of the media queries will be in your area of expertise.
Keep an eye out for different opportunities so there’s more chance to spot a topic where you have something productive to add.
Good luck on your authority-building journey!
