HARO Alternatives: A Complete Guide

If your website or brand is looking for opportunities to get featured on websites or in the news media, you’ve likely heard of Help a Reporter Out. 

HARO is a popular resource for writers and journalists looking for expert sources for articles. It’s also popular with brands and experts who want to elevate their profiles through media mentions and backlinks.

HARO is so popular, though, that it has also become extremely competitive.Writers can find it time-consuming to sort through dozens of HARO responses.  In a recent Searcheye HARO survey, writers reported getting as many as 100–150 responses to a single query. Frustration with off-topic and low-quality responses is common.

Brands and sources also find it hard to stand out and get quoted. They may spend significant time crafting unsuccessful pitches. 

It’s worth noting that Cision Inc., the owner of HARO, announced at the end of 2023 that it is rebranding HARO as Connectively, though that migration appears to still be underway.

Here are 12 HARO alternatives, listed alphabetically, along with tips for deciding which one may be best for your business needs.

1. Searcheye

Searcheye offers a dynamic marketplace that brings together brands, creators and publishers. Rather than focusing on PR generally, it helps brands and experts build traffic and links. It also offers writers and publishers opportunities to monetize their work.

Benefits

Writers/Publishers:

If you’re a writer, journalist or publisher, Searcheye offers the ability to post queries and get expert content for your articles. Unlike other platforms, writers and publishers can choose compensation for links they publish, credit for media mentions of their own, or no compensation. 

Bloggers and publishers can also request full SEO-optimized guest posts.

Brands/Sources:

Find highly targeted opportunities to get quoted, along with link opportunities. Opportunities include domain rating and traffic, and you can screen them using custom filters. Searcheye’s AI Product Recommendation Engine helps you respond faster and with highly targeted responses.

Best for:

Writers and publishers looking for sources with the option to monetize links, and brands/publishers looking to earn links with top sites.  

Cost:

Searcheye is free to writers and journalists, and offers the unique opportunity for compensation. Brands and sources can choose from four different pricing plans, including Free, Plus ($79.month), Pro ($499/month), and Agency ($999 a month). The cost of a link is clearly displayed with the opportunity. 

 

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2. Featured (formerly Terkel) 

Featured is a platform that allows experts to answer questions. Sources can use it to get media mentions and links, while content creators can use it to get quotes or complete articles. 

Benefits

Writers/Publishers:

Ask a question and get quotes from vetted sources to include in your article. Or you can request a complete “question and answer” article for free. 

Brands/Sources:

Fill out a profile with your name, title, company name, URL and LinkedIn profile. Set alerts by listing up to ten keywords indicating your area of expertise, and up to 25 publications in which you’d like to target. 

You’ll then see a list of questions you may want to answer. The dashboard lists questions with the source (publication), domain rating, attribution (do follow link, no follow link or no link), and deadline. Domain rating and attribution are only visible on a paid plan. 

Featured chooses the best answers to forward to the writer. You can track your answers and results. 

Best for:

Sources with expertise who can provide writers with unique insights. Featured says it judges content quality using Google’s standards for EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust).

Cost:

There are three pricing plans for experts; Starter, Pro, Team. The Starter plan is free. It allows you to answer up to 3 questions per month. The Pro plan is $99 a month and allows for unlimited answers per month along with more details about queries. The Team plan for PR pros and agencies is $199 a month plus $30 a seat. 

Publishers and writers pay nothing to request contributions from experts, and are not obligated to publish the quotes or articles they get. They also have control over the types of links they will include (if any).  

 

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3. Help a B2B Writer

Help a B2B Writer connects writers with expert sources for articles about B2B. Started by a freelance writer, it is now run by Superpath. 

Benefits

Writers/Publishers:

Sign up and submit requests for quotes for an article. Publishers may submit up to three requests per week. There is no similar limit for writers. 

Brands/Sources:

You can register as an expert and choose your specified area(s) of expertise. You’ll then get emails with related queries, and you can respond directly to the writer. 

Writers and publishers are encouraged to include links when they quote sources, but there is no guarantee or requirement they do so.  

Best for:

This service is for B2B writers and sources in specific areas such as advertising, ecommerce, SaaS, or social media. (Areas of expertise are listed on the home page of the site, and in the drop down menu when you sign up as a source.) It takes a hands off approach; writers and sources will need to sort through opportunities and responses to choose the right ones. 

Cost:

HelpAB2BWriter is free for both experts and publishers. There are no fees or caps on the number of requests and/or responses for experts or writers, except that publishers may submit up to three requests per week to avoid too many requests from a single publication. 

 

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4. Just Reach Out

Just Reach Out bills itself as “AI powered PR software.” It offers brands and expert sources tools for journalist outreach, podcast outreach, guest post outreach, pitch requests and broken link outreach.

Benefits 

Writers/Publishers:

Journalists do not sign up for Just Reach Out. 

Brands/Sources:

Just Reach Out aggregates pitch requests from HARO, Qwoted, Featured, Twitter (now X), ProfNet, and Source Bottle. You can view, sort and reply to queries from its dashboard. It also offers a database of journalists. Use it to find and pitch journalists. You can choose AI-generated pitches for your campaign. It offers a similar service for podcast pitching, and broken link building. 

If you are newer to PR and looking for a long term strategy, Just Reach Out offers a PR academy, and it provides software that helps with podcast outreach, email pitch templates, AI email pitch templates, and a database of journalists. 

PR takes time and effort, so brands and sources should be willing to dedicate time and effort to using the tools offered. 

Best for:

Sources with a budget for PR but who don’t want to hire more expensive PR firms. The software helps brands and publishers with various types of PR, such as sending emails, creating PR pitches, and finding qualified journalists. 

Cost:

There are three plans available on Just Reach Out for PR professionals: Starter Outreach ($147/month), Advanced Outreach ($247/month), and Ultimate Outreach ($497/month). Each plan offers a 20% discount for annual plans. There is  a 7-day free trial.

 

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5. Muck Rack 

Muck Rack is an established and higher end PR platform. It helps brands and PR pros find journalists, build media lists, create press releases, pitch journalists and track coverage. While it does include pitching tools, it is more comparable to Cision, the company that owns HARO. 

Benefits

Writers/Journalists:

MuckRack allows journalists to create a profile to showcase their work, find new outlets, gain insights into different media outlets, see how many times an article was shared and by who, and more. 

Brands/Sources:

For those on the PR side of the business, it provides an extensive database of media contacts, assists in sending personalized emails, helps track industries, companies and competitors, and campaign reporting.

Best for:

Brands and PR pros who need a comprehensive PR software tool and have the budget to pay for it.  

Cost:

Muck Rack doesn’t publish their pricing for PR professionals. Instead must set up a demo and get a quote. It is free for journalists. Customers who share their link can $25 for referrals who schedule a demo and $100 if they become a customer.

 

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6. Meltwater Media Intelligence

Meltwater Media Intelligence is a SaaS company offering a suite of products designed for PR, marketing, and sales. 

Benefits

Writers/Journalists:

Meltwater has an extensive database of journalists, but writers do not sign up with Meltwater. 

Brands/Sources:

Companies sign up for Meltwater for a variety of services, including media monitoring, building relationships with media outlets, custom reporting and managing brand reputation, among others. 

Best for:

Companies that want deeper data insights into their brand, along with advanced media monitoring tools. 

Cost:

Meltwater Media Intelligence offers four different plans; Essentials, Advanced, Suite, and Enterprise. Pricing isn’t listed on the website; you’ll need to reach out for a quote. 

 

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7. OnePitch

PR software OnePitch provides tools designed to make finding and pitching journalists easier and more effective. 

Benefits

Writers/Journalists:

This service is not designed for writers or journalists. 

Brands/Sources:

Brands and PR pros can upload a pitch, press release byline, and a company boilerplate to get a list of targeted journalists to pitch, and then track outreach. Submit a pitch and you’ll get a list of up to 50 journalists with data points. You can also get feedback on your pitch. One Pitch also offers resources such as pitch templates and a PR 101 eBook.

Best for:

Brands and PR pros that need an affordable and straightforward PR solution with support. 

Cost:

OnePitch costs $50 per month or $510 for the year. There is a 14-day free trial. 

 

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8. PitchResponse

PitchResponse is designed to help writers and publishers find expert sources. It helps brands and experts get media mentions and find linking opportunities. It includes a variety of tools designed to make pitching more efficient.

Benefits

Writers/Journalists:

Create a profile and request sources for articles. Provide general information about the outlet and article. You can also include the type of link you can offer (do follow, no follow or no link), domain rating, and traffic. You’ll then be able to track responses on the platform. 

Brands/Sources:

Set up your account or client account with relevant keywords and filter through the responses. You can also create custom alerts, including email or Slack. Opportunities include a PitchResponse Score based on SEO metrics, and a proprietary Difficulty Score. Review data to track outreach efforts. It also offers pitch tutorials and a pitch optimizer.

Best for:

Writers that want a more robust HARO alternative. Companies that want better tools for targeted pitching. 

Cost:

Free to journalists, PitchResponse offers brands/sources three different plans; Starter ($29 a month), Pro ($99 a month), and Agency ($199 a month).

 

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9. Profnet / PRNJ

Also a service of PR Newswire (and owned by Cision), Profnet connects journalists and sources. 

Benefits

Writers/Journalists:

Journalists sign up for PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) for free. Submit queries detailing the type of expertise you’re seeking,  deadline, geographic location, and more. PR Newswire is a global company with international reach.  Relevant experts with subscriptions will then receive the queries and can respond. Both sides can also sign up to receive newsletter updates as well. 

Brands/Sources:

As an expert, brand or PR pro, you can sign up to get emails with queries from journalists and others looking for expert commentary. You can also view requests for speakers for conferences and tradeshows, as well as product reviews. Pitch stories and story ideas to journalists as well. 

Best for:

Journalists looking for a HARO alternative platform. Brands and PR pros looking for more comprehensive PR tools. 

Cost:

Profnet is free for journalists. Otherwise, request a pricing quote, which Profnet bases on “the type of institution and the number of subscribers.” 

 

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10. Prowly 

Prowly offers a PR CRM for PR agencies, in-house PR professionals, and small businesses. It offers a media database and media pitching tool, press release creator, media monitoring and PR reporting tools.

Benefits 

Writers/Journalists:

This service is not designed for journalists or writers seeking sources. 

Brands/Sources:

Prowly positions itself as a more affordable alternative to Muck Rack, Meltwater and PR Newswire. It lists side-by-side price comparisons that show it is less expensive than those alternatives. But it may be more expensive than some of the other services listed here. 

Best for:

PR pros and brands with budget for PR, looking for a comprehensive and more affordable PR software. 

Cost:

Prowly offers a Basic subscription ($369/month) and Pro subscription ($589/month) Annual subscriptions get 30% off the monthly price. There is also a 7 day free trial. 

 

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11. Qwoted

Qwoted connects writers and journalists with expert sources and PR professionals representing them. 

Benefits

Writers/Journalists:

Sign up for a free account to post queries for articles. Responses come into the Qwoted dashboard where you can manage communications. You can also search the database for experts and reach out directly. Qwoted also offers a global job board. 

Brands/Sources:

As a source, you can build a profile on the platform and receive real-time media requests you can choose to respond to. If you are a PR pro, you can also build profiles and respond on behalf of clients. Either way, you’ll see when writers review your response. Qwoted also maintains information about industry events and awards to save time. 

Best for:

Writers looking for more vetted sources, and brands/PR pros looking for other opportunities.

Cost:

Qwoted is free to writers/journalists. It also encourages writers and PR pros to sign up for free. The Basic plan for sources is free. It offers two pitches a month along with other benefits such as a listing in the expert database. A Pro account is $99 a month, and Teams pricing is by inquiry only. 

 

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12. SourceBottle

SourceBottle bills itself as a free service that connects writers and sources, including global sources in Australia, Canada, the UK and Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States. 

Benefits

Writers/Journalists:

If you are a journalist, blogger or writer, you can sign up for free, then fill out a survey describing your query. You can post a call out (query), give away or case study. It spells out guidelines, including no requests for payment or reciprocal backlinks. SourceBottle identifies potential experts. It sends emails twice a day to those who have signed up for the service. 

Brands/Sources:

Sign up for free as a source and get emails tailored to your interests. Respond to the ones that interest you. 

Best for:

Those who want a basic global platform as an alternative to HARO.

Cost:

Sign up as a journalist or source for free. For $25, SourceBottle will pitch your profile for you. 

 

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HARO Alternatives: Summary

Help a Reporter Out is an affordable and popular platform that brings together journalists and brands. It can also be time-consuming, both for writers and sources. Brands may find it difficult to get media mentions due to the sheer volume of responses.

Whether you’re a writer looking for high quality expert sources for articles, or a brand or blogger trying to increase traffic or backlinks, HARO alternatives are worth exploring. These services may help you save time, and even monetize your efforts in new and creative ways. 

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