HARO vs SourceBottle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick HARO: it is third in our ranking of link building tools, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
HARO grades higher on value for money and the free plan. SourceBottle grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SourceBottle
Media call outs and expert profiles for people seeking press
Free plan · from $65/mo
Which one is for you
Pick HARO if
- Fits if you're a founder or expert who wants to pitch reporters without paying anything
- Works for journalists and podcast hosts who need an expert source on deadline
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to search or filter requests, as that's in Connectively, a separate platform
- Too light for PR teams that need to track pitches and replies, as HARO is only an email digest
- Watch out: one spam strike gets an account banned, and requests can't offer guest posts, link swaps or payment
- Watch out: every edition carries paid ads, and there are no weekend editions
- Not for you if you're counting on links, as the journalist picks whom to quote and whether to credit or link back
Pick SourceBottle if
- Fits if you want to be quoted in the press and pay nothing to start
- Works for Australian and New Zealand businesses after local coverage
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, with a basic directory listing, 10 keywords and no helpdesk
- Watch out: fees are non-refundable, even for unused time, except where Australian Consumer Law says otherwise, and plans renew automatically
- Not for you if you budget in US dollars, as fees are in Australian dollars though the page shows a plain $ sign
- Pricey if you manage more than 5 experts, as the A$130 Agency plan covers 5 profiles
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAHAROGood | 2.4GPASourceBottleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for sources and journalists, with no paid plan at all. The ads in each edition pay for it, so the cost lands on advertisers rather than on you. | CUnlimited Pitches is A$65 a month (A$650 a year), around the middle of what this category charges once converted. There's also a pay-per-pitch option at A$25 a pitch, up to 3 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AEverything is free: all three weekday editions and every request, with no paid tier holding anything back. | BFree gets you a profile, 10 keywords and unlimited replies to the call outs it emails you, so one person can really live on it. What you don't get is SourceBottle's team pitching you, or helpdesk support. |
| Features | DOne narrow function: an email of staff-checked requests three times a weekday, answered by email, plus podcast guest requests and journalist profiles. Search, filters and response tracking sit in Connectively, a separate platform from the same owner. | CEmailed call outs, an expert profile in a directory journalists search, and on paid plans a human team that puts you forward for matching call outs. It does the job fully, but it's a small one. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: sign up, the requests land in your inbox and you reply by email. | BNo rating on record, but there's little to set up: call outs arrive by email and you reply straight to the journalist. A profile with your keywords is the only setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | CEmail only, with no app, integrations or API on record. | CWeb and email only, with no apps, integrations or API on record. |
| Best for | free journalist requests in your inbox | free media call outs by email |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: HARO and SourceBottle. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonFree planWebLink outreachJournalist requests
At a glance
| HARO | SourceBottle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | A$65 per month, billed monthly (Australian dollars) |
| Free plan | Free for sources and journalists: three weekday editions of journalist requests and pitching by email, with no charge to receive the newsletter or pitch. | Free Expert Profile with a basic directory listing and 10 keywords, plus media call outs by email that you can answer without limit. SourceBottle's team does not pitch you. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Featured.com | TheSourceBottle Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | blog.helpareporter.com | sourcebottle.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
HARO
- HARO is an email digest; filtering, search and response tracking are in Connectively, a separate platform from the same owner.
- Each edition carries paid ads, which is how the free service is funded.
- Requests may not ask for guest posts, link swaps or payment, and HARO bans accounts for spam under a one-strike policy.
- Staff review and schedule requests 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST on weekdays, and there are no weekend editions.
SourceBottle
- Its terms say fees are generally in Australian dollars; the pricing page shows them with a plain $ sign.
- A No Pitch, No Pay option charges A$25 per pitch, up to 3 pitches a month, with no subscription.
- Fees are non-refundable, including for unused time, except where Australian Consumer Law requires; plans renew automatically.
- The free plan gets no pitching, a basic listing and no helpdesk support; helpdesk access starts at Unlimited Pitches.
Key features
HARO
- Three editions every weekday
- Requests arrive in a Morning (5:35 a.m. ET), Afternoon (12:35 p.m. ET) and Evening (5:35 p.m. ET) email, Monday to Friday.
- Pitching by email
- Sources reply to a request by email. Journalists' real addresses are hidden behind masked ones so they cannot be scraped into pitch lists.
- Reviewed requests
- Staff check each request: outlets need a Domain Authority of 20 or 10,000 monthly visitors, and HARO says it turns down about 32% of requests.
- AI detection on pitches
- Every pitch gets a score from Pangram for how likely it is to be AI-written, and journalists can filter out the ones flagged.
- Journalist profiles
- Reporters can claim a free profile; each request links to it so sources can check who is asking, and verified reporters' requests are listed first.
- Podcast guest requests
- A Podcasts category lets hosts and producers ask for guests, so sources can pitch shows as well as articles.
SourceBottle
- Emailed media call outs
- Journalists and bloggers post requests for sources, which go out by email alert; every plan, including the free one, can reply to as many as you like.
- Expert Profile and directory
- A free profile listed in an Expert Directory the media can search, found by keywords: 10 free, 20 on pay per pitch and unlimited on paid plans.
- Human pitching service
- SourceBottle's pitching team searches the directory and puts your profile forward for call outs that match your expertise, uncapped on paid plans.
- Agency plan for PR firms
- One Agency plan covers up to 5 client Expert Profiles, each with unlimited pitching and keywords.
- Priority listing and promotion
- Paid plans get a priority place in the directory and can be featured on SourceBottle's home page and social accounts.
- Free for journalists
- Journalists and bloggers post call outs and search the expert directory at no cost, across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, Ireland and North America.
Plans
HARO
Free$0
Every edition and every request, for both sources and journalists. The service is paid for by ads placed in the newsletter.
SourceBottle
FREEA$0
Expert Profile, basic Expert Directory listing, up to 10 keywords and unlimited replies to emailed call outs.
Unlimited PitchesA$65
per month, billed monthly (A$650 billed yearly)
Unlimited pitching of your profile by SourceBottle's team, unlimited keywords, priority listing, helpdesk support and possible home page features.
AgencyA$130
per month, billed monthly (A$1,300 billed yearly)
Everything in Unlimited Pitches for up to 5 client Expert Profiles, for PR professionals managing several experts.
Ways to pay less
HARO
No public discounts listed.
SourceBottle
- Annual discount
Two months free with yearly billing
SourceBottle's pricing page says yearly plans get 2 months free: Unlimited Pitches is A$650 a year instead of A$65 a month, and Agency A$1,300.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, HARO or SourceBottle?
As of Oct 23, 2026, HARO is free, and SourceBottle starts at A$65 per month, billed monthly (Australian dollars).
Which has a free plan, HARO or SourceBottle?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both HARO and SourceBottle have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.