Claire FountainWhile I do love HARO (I promise I do), I have to admit it’s just not that easy to navigate.
In my occasional bouts of frustration, I’ve done some research into HARO alternatives that might prove to be less of a headache, and, honestly, I’m impressed with what I’ve found.
Here are my favorite HARO alternatives.
We offer this website completely free to our visitors. To help pay the bills, we’ll often (but not always) set up affiliate relationships with the top providers after selecting our favorites. However, we do our best not to let this impact our choices. There are plenty of high-paying companies we’ve turned down because we didn’t like their product.
An added benefit of our relationships is that we always try to negotiate exclusive discounts for our visitors.
HARO has been rebranded as Connectively as of late 2023
Key Takeaways
- The best overall HARO alternative is Qwoted
- We recommend JustReachOut for small businesses and Meltwater for large businesses
- Whether it’s a community-based site or one with a built-in CRM, there may be a HARO alternative better suited to your specific needs
Our Favorite HARO Alternatives
We looked at price, user interface, responsiveness of journalists, and quality of media connections to bring you this comprehensive list of the best alternatives to HARO on the market.
- Qwoted (5/5) – Best overall
- Source Bottle (5/5) – Best free option
- JustReachOut (4.5/5) – Best budget option for small businesses
- Muck Rack (4.5/5) – Best customer support
- Meltwater (4/5) – Best for large businesses
- ProfNet (4/5) – Best for PR professionals
- NinjaOutreach (4/5) – Best for influencer connections
- Terkel (4/5) – Best community-based alternative
- Twitter (3.5/5) – Best social media site
1. Qwoted
Best overall alternative to HARO – 5.0/5 Rating
Qwoted is our favorite HARO alternative. At a price point directly comparable to HARO’s services, Qwoted’s services are similar but simpler to use.
One of the biggest issues with HARO is that it can be tricky to navigate. Qwoted offers a color-coding system that makes information and requests easier to look through.
This site is trusted by top media outlets, brands, and agencies like AP, The New York Times, Forbes, and more.
They also offer a free plan which is great for smaller businesses looking to try reporter outreach without the investment.
Key Features:
- User-friendly
- Get notified when a reporter reads a pitch
- Trusted by AP, The New York Times, Forbes, and more
- Receive tailored media requests relevant to your business in real-time
Pricing:
- Basic plan (free): two pitches per month, two-hour delay to pitch new requests, daily “roundup” email of new requests
- Pro ($149.99 per month): unlimited media opportunities, real-time alerts for opportunities that match your expertise, daily “roundup” email of new requests, expert profile view notifications, onboarding call with training and support, access to events & awards database and media moves database, expert profiles appear in Reporters' Expert Database
- Teams (custom pricing): everything in pro plus white labeling, team functionality, tips and templates library, premium support, and more
Pros
- User-Friendly Interface
- Real-Time Notifications
- Trusted by Major Outlets
- Tailored Media Requests
- Free Basic Plan
Cons
- Limited Pitches in Free Plan
- Two-Hour Delay for New Requests on Free Plan
- Premium Plans Can Be Pricey
2. SourceBottle
Best free option – 5.0/5 Rating
A basic profile at SourceBottle is free, and who doesn’t love free?
We love that this service has no minimum requirements for businesses to create a profile, so anyone can join and gain exposure by providing expert quotes to journalists.
One of the more unique features that SourceBottle offers to paying subscribers is opportunities for giveaways like samples, goody bags, and free products to review.
- Free option and only $25 for a pro membership
- Best serves reporters vs businesses
- No minimum criteria to create a business profile
- Offers giveaways and case studies
- Free for a basic profile
- Expert profile ($25 per month): Includes pitching services where their experts pitch on your behalf
Pros
- Free Basic Profile
- No Minimum Criteria for Profile
- Giveaways and Case Studies
- Affordable Expert Profile
- Easy to Use
Cons
- Limited Features in Free Version
- Expert Pitching Only in Paid Version
- Less Comprehensive than Competitors
3. JustReachOut
Best budget option for small businesses – 4.5/5 Rating
With plans starting at just $79 per month, JustReachOut is a great HARO alternative for small businesses and start-ups.
This particular site is described as more of a PR tool than an outreach resource, so you should know your way around PR and outreach yourself if you want to use JustReachOut.
Still, they do offer expert support for pitch writing and editing, which is helpful for solopreneurs who just need some guidance.
Key Features:
- A team of editors offers feedback on pitches
- Can pitch full blog posts
- Reporters look for podcast guests as well
- You can track pitches to see if reporters have opened them
Pricing:
- Starter outreach ($79 per month): one team member, five campaigns, 250 email sends per month, basic pitch writing help, press opportunities, podcast outreach, journalist search, and pitch engine
- Advanced outreach ($149 per month): everything included in the starter plan plus three team members, 25 campaigns, and 500 email sends per month
- Ultimate outreach ($299 per month): everything included in the advanced plan plus 10 team members, 100 campaigns, 1,000 email sends per month, and hands-on pitch writing help
Pros
- Budget-Friendly
- Pitch Feedback from Editors
- Podcast Guest Opportunities
- Pitch Tracking
- Extensive Email Limits
Cons
- Limited Campaigns in Starter Plan
- Basic Pitch Writing Help Only in Starter Plan
- Higher Plans Required for More Features
4. Muck Rack
Best customer support – 4.5/5 Rating
With a fresh approach to offering PR to businesses, MuckRack offers regular updates on hot news stories and tending industry-specific beats.
The folks at MuckRack provide great customer service even before businesses sign up for their paid services, setting up 1-on-1 calls to help new customers understand how to use the software.
In addition to gaining access to a huge database of reporters, businesses can build and receive custom reports based on industries, topics, and specific news outlets or reporters.
- Users are kept up-to-date with the news to brainstorm relevant topics
- Their team checks in on prospective customers with 1-on-1 calls to see how things are going to encourage them to sign up
- Receive updates when any reporters write about your industry or niche
- Fast interface
Pros
- Updated News for Topic Brainstorming
- Proactive Customer Engagement
- Industry-Specific Updates
- Fast Interface
- Custom Reports
Cons
- High Annual Cost
- Overwhelming for Small Businesses
- Requires Time to Navigate
5. Meltwater
Best for large businesses – 4.0/5 Rating
With over 20 years in business, Meltwater has become a trusted resource for companies to monitor their overall brand awareness.
Their services are comprehensive, offering companies the option to view reporters’ and influencers’ contact information to do more direct outreach and use relevant keywords to search for publications.
The extensive list of PR monitoring features and higher price points makes it best suited for large companies that need a more comprehensive approach.
- Media intelligence site that lets you monitor overall brand awareness
- Allows customers to monitor social media presence
- Search through influencers’ and reporters’ profiles with their contact info
- Extensive database of journalists
Pros
- Media Intelligence for Brand Awareness
- Social Media Monitoring
- Extensive Journalist Database
- Comprehensive PR Monitoring
- Global Availability
Cons
- High Starting Price
- More Suited for Large Businesses
- Complex for Small Scale Use
6. ProfNet
Best for PR professionals – 4.0/5 Rating
Owned by Cision, the same company that owns HARO, ProfNet offers very similar services with a few differences.
The site, mainly intended for use by PR professionals, offers businesses the option to select how frequently they want to receive email updates (with HARO, everyone gets a standard 3 per day.)
This site also offers experts opportunities to speak at live events like tradeshows and conferences.
- Owned by the same company as HARO so very similar service
- Opportunities for sources to be a speaker at tradeshows and conferences
- Mainly a resource for PR professionals
- Users can select a frequency with which they want to receive email updates
Pros
- Owned by Cision (HARO Owner)
- Speaking Opportunities at Events
- Customizable Email Update Frequency
- Tailored for PR Professionals
- Large Network of Journalists
Cons
- Annual Subscription Model
- Similar to HARO
- Best Suited for Established PR Pros
7. NinjaOutreach
Best for influencer connections – 4.0/5 Rating
With a focus on building influencer connections rather than just journalists, NinjaOutreach is a little different than other alternatives on this list.
This software is a complete CRM that allows businesses to search for influencers in their niche, contact them, and then automate and manage influencer marketing campaigns.
- Focused on offering businesses connections to influencers and journalists
- Type in keywords to find the contact info of relevant influencers and reach out
- Built-in CRM allows users to manage marketing campaigns
- Automate tasks like follow-up emails
- Flex: $155 per month
- Silver: $255 per month
- Silver Plus: $459 per month
Pros
- Influencer Connection Focus
- Comprehensive CRM
- Automated Campaign Management
- Extensive Influencer Database
- Keyword-Based Influencer Search
Cons
- Higher Price Point
- More Suited for Influencer Campaigns
- Complex for Basic Outreach Needs
8. Terkel
Best community-based alternative – 4.0/5 Rating
Terkel has a unique approach to creating content; they write their own articles.
This community-based site collects multiple responses from experts and compiles that insight into a full-fledged article, sending the content to partners and contributors for oversight before publishing.
With a free version and premium plans, businesses can take advantage of the resource for no charge, or invest to give multiple users access to share insight.
- Free version gives users five answers per month
- Community-based approach allows multiple experts to weigh in on topics
- Terkel then compiles that collective information and creates the articles
- Businesses get oversight of articles before they are published
- Free plan: allows users five answers per month
- Premium ($99 per month): unlimited answers per month
- Team ($199 per month + $30 per seat): unlimited answers per month plus multiple accounts
Pros
- Free Version Available
- Community-Based Approach
- Article Compilation from Responses
- Oversight Before Publishing
- Unlimited Answers in Premium
Cons
- Limited Answers in Free Plan
- Premium Plan for Full Access
- Less Direct than Other Platforms
9. Twitter
Best social media site – 3.5/5 Rating
Yep, that’s right, Twitter.
When you think about it, you can find trending stories and the latest hot topics easily through the popular social media platform. Many reporters post commentary directly on their profile via tweets.
Twitter is a great, free resource to gain exposure and build a network with different reporters and industry professionals.
- Completely free social media site
- Follow hashtags like #journorequests, #PRrequests, and #RadioGuestList to find reporters looking for expert input
- Easily build a network with reporters and influencers
- Respond to tweets with insight, send a DM, or reach out via contact info if they put it in their bio
Pros
- Completely Free
- Access to Real-Time Trends
- Direct Reporter Engagement
- Wide Network Building
- Easy to Use
Cons
- Less Formal than Dedicated Platforms
- Requires Active Monitoring
- Can Be Time-Consuming
Evaluation Criteria: How We Picked Our Favorites
We looked at a few factors to compile this list of alternatives, but we focused on four primarily.
Quality of Media Connections
Reaching out to media publications is useless if those publications get no traffic or have a history of being untrustworthy. All of the alternatives on this list have high-quality media connections to reputable publications.
Response/Success Rate
Response rates from journalists and success rates are another key factor we looked at when putting together this list of alternatives.
User Interface/Experience
Ease of use is another factor we looked at when deciding which of these alternatives were comparable (or even better than!) to HARO.
Price
An important factor in any service or product we tell you about on here is price. We’ve included viable HARO alternatives for every budget.
Tips for Picking the Best HARO Alternative
Though HARO has long been a trusted, go-to source for connecting businesses to reporters, many new competitors offer similar (and maybe even better) services.
If you own a small business that doesn’t have the money to spend on large reporter databases, it’s easy to try a free trial or an entirely free service to still have that opportunity for exposure.
If you want a more customizable and comprehensive service, try one of these alternatives that offer full CRM software to stay up-to-date on the latest industry-specific news.
If you want to focus more on influencer marketing, there’s a site for that.
Consider what features are necessary for your business, and don’t spend extra if you don’t have it. The wide variety of outreach services available today makes it easy to choose a platform that best suits your needs.
And always, always read the reviews.
FAQs
What is HARO?
HARO, or Help A Reporter Out, is a platform that allows reporters to get expert quotes and insight from industry professionals.
What is similar to HARO?
Qwoted, ProfNet, and JustReachOut are just a few examples of similar services to HARO.
How much do agencies typically charge for link building?
Agencies typically charge anywhere from $100 to $20,000 per month for link-building services.
Why consider these HARO alternatives and competitors?
You should consider these HARO alternatives and competitors because they could offer solutions and services for your business that HARO doesn’t, like hands-on PR marketing and CRM software to manage influencer campaigns.
What is the success rate of HARO?
The success rate of HARO is between 5-10% on average.
Is SourceBottle free?
Yes, SourceBottle does have a free option.
Is HARO free to use?
Yes, HARO does have a free version, though they also have a paid subscription option.
What is the Australian equivalent of HARO?
SourceBottle is considered the Australian equivalent of HARO.
Geoff Cudd
Stefan Schulz
