7 Best HARO Alternatives in 2026

HARO (Help A Reporter Out) shut down as Connectively on December 9, 2024, then came back. Featured.com acquired the brand and relaunched HARO as a free service on April 22, 2025. It's active again in 2026, but it's not the only game in town. If you want different query pools, proactive matching, or extras HARO doesn't offer, these 7 alternatives are worth knowing.

Quick comparison

Reactive platforms (you respond to journalist queries)

1. Qwoted

Best for: The closest HARO replacement with a free tier.

Qwoted matches experts with journalists based on expertise profiles. Journalists post queries, and the platform surfaces relevant opportunities to you. The free plan gives access to most queries; premium adds priority placement and more categories.

Pros: Free tier, growing journalist network, AI-powered matching, profile-based (journalists can find you proactively).

Cons: Smaller journalist pool than HARO at its peak, premium features locked behind paywall.

For details, see our Qwoted review, Qwoted pricing, and the Qwoted vs HARO head-to-head.

2. Featured.com

Best for: Higher-quality placements with less competition per query.

Featured.com curates journalist requests from top-tier publications and matches them with vetted sources. The platform is more selective than HARO was, which means fewer responses per query and better odds of placement.

Pros: High-quality publications, less competition per query, editorial review process.

Cons: Paid only, fewer queries than free platforms, selective acceptance.

3. SourceBottle

Best for: International media coverage (strong in Australia, UK, and US).

SourceBottle sends daily callout emails from journalists, bloggers, and podcasters. It predates HARO's various ownership changes and has a loyal journalist base, especially outside the US.

Pros: Free tier, international journalist base, includes podcast opportunities.

Cons: Interface feels dated, lower US-focused query volume than HARO had.

4. Help a B2B Writer

Best for: SaaS, marketing, and B2B-focused publications.

A niche alternative focused entirely on B2B content. If your expertise is in SaaS, marketing, sales, or technology, the queries here are more targeted than general platforms.

Pros: Free, highly relevant for B2B, less noise than general platforms.

Cons: Very niche (B2B only), lower volume, no consumer or mainstream media.

5. #JournoRequest on X/Twitter

Best for: Real-time, zero-cost journalist outreach.

Journalists regularly use #JournoRequest, #PRRequest, and #SourceRequest hashtags on X to find sources. Set up saved searches or alerts for these hashtags plus your industry keywords.

Pros: Free, real-time, direct access to the journalist, build ongoing relationships.

Cons: Requires constant monitoring, inconsistent volume, easy to miss requests.

6. Quoted

Best for: PR professionals managing multiple clients.

Quoted is a paid platform that aggregates journalist queries and lets PR teams manage pitches across multiple expert profiles. Good for agencies handling source outreach for clients.

Pros: Multi-client management, curated queries, response tracking.

Cons: Paid only, oriented toward PR agencies rather than individual experts.

Proactive approach (you create the opportunities)

7. MentionAgent

Best for: Earning editorial mentions without monitoring platforms or writing pitches.

MentionAgent flips the HARO model. Instead of waiting for journalists to ask for sources, it proactively identifies relevant blogs and publications in your niche, reaches out with personalized pitches, and earns editorial mentions with dofollow backlinks.

Why it’s different: HARO alternatives are still reactive, you wait for queries and compete with dozens of other sources. MentionAgent is proactive: it finds opportunities, pitches on your behalf, and delivers results without you monitoring platforms or crafting responses.

Pricing: Starts at $99/month.

Which approach should you use?

Tips for getting picked by journalists

Whether you use a reactive platform or proactive outreach, these principles apply:

1. Respond fast. On HARO, the first 30 minutes mattered most. The same applies to alternatives. Set up notifications and respond within the hour.
2. Lead with credentials. Journalists need to verify your expertise. Start with who you are and why you’re qualified.
3. Give a quotable answer. Write a concise, specific answer they can drop directly into their article. Avoid vague marketing speak.
4. Include data when possible. Numbers, stats, and specific examples make your response stand out from generic opinions.
5. Keep it short. 150–250 words max. Journalists are scanning dozens of responses.

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