The Dot Star Media Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Dot Star Media in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Dot Star Media
The Insider’s Guide
Journalist request alerts from X, Bluesky and direct submissions
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among link building tools, read from Dot Star Media’s own pages.
Made by Dot Star Media Ltd · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Dot Star Media’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Dot Star Media’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 26 of the 50 other link building tools we grade
Dot Star Media is a UK journalist request service run by two former members of the ResponseSource team. It picks requests from verified journalists out of #journorequest posts on X and Bluesky, adds ones journalists submit directly, sorts them into 29 topics and emails them to subscribers, most within 30 seconds of posting. Subscribers reply to the journalist directly, and plans are priced by how many topics you follow.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Dot Star Media, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, but there's little to set up: pick your topics and requests arrive by email, ready to reply to.
- 1
Best for #journorequest alerts sorted by topic
Dot Star Media emails you journalist requests from #journorequest on X and Bluesky and from direct submissions, sorted into 29 topics and mostly within 30 seconds.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $52.88 a month
As its pricing page puts it: £40 per month for 5 topics, excluding VAT, billed monthly.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Filtered #journorequest feed
Requests posted on X and Bluesky are checked by automation and people, keeping verified journalists at established outlets and dropping most noise and influencer requests.
- 6
Fast alerts
The vendor says most alerts arrive within 30 seconds of the journalist posting, as individual emails or digests.
- 7
29 topics with keyword filters
Requests are sorted into 29 topics; plans cover 5, 10 or all 29, and topics can be changed whenever a campaign changes.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 26 of 50
That is against the other link building tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Dot Star Media you would be making a network of journalists who post requests for sources. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Dot Star Media at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from £40 per month for 5 topics, excluding VAT, billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Dot Star Media Ltd
- Category
- Backlinks & Link Building
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for #journorequest alerts sorted by topic
Dot Star Media emails you journalist requests from #journorequest on X and Bluesky and from direct submissions, sorted into 29 topics and mostly within 30 seconds. Prices are in pounds before VAT and rise with the number of topics, there's no yearly plan, and Slack or Teams delivery needs the £80 plan.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Bronze is £40 a month before VAT for 5 topics, around the middle of this category. Silver is £60 for 10 and Gold £80 for all 29, with no yearly plan to bring that down. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan, but a 14-day trial with no card. Qualifying charities can use it free. |
| Features | C | A filtered #journorequest feed from X and Bluesky plus direct submissions, alerts within about 30 seconds, 29 topics with keyword filters and journalist bios. It does request alerts fully, but that's a smaller job, and influencer requests are left out. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but there's little to set up: pick your topics and requests arrive by email, ready to reply to. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Email and web, with Microsoft Teams and Slack delivery only on Gold at £80 a month. No API on record. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Dot Star Media is for
- Fits if your digital PR coverage comes from #journorequest
- Works for companies with several staff on one email domain, as colleagues are included
Who it is not for
- Tight if you follow more than 5 topics, as 10 cost £60 a month and all 29 cost £80
- Watch out: prices are in pounds and exclude VAT, and plans are rolling monthly with a one-month minimum and no yearly option
- Not for you if you want alerts in Slack or Microsoft Teams without paying for Gold at £80 a month
- Skip it if you want requests from lifestyle bloggers and influencers, as they're mostly left out
Good to know
Good for
- Digital PR teams chasing coverage and links from #journorequest
- Companies with several staff on one email domain
- Charities, which can use the service free if they qualify
Worth knowing
- Prices are in pounds and exclude VAT; no dollar prices are published.
- Plans are rolling monthly with a one-month minimum; there is no yearly plan.
- Teams and Slack delivery need the Gold plan at £80 a month.
- Requests from lifestyle bloggers and other influencers are generally left out of the feeds.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$52.88
A month to start
Dot Star Media is a paid product with a free trial, starting at £40 per month for 5 topics, excluding VAT, billed monthly.
Bronze
£40
per month for 5 topics, excluding VAT, billed monthly
Individual request emails, keyword filtering, digests, and each journalist's name and bio. Colleagues on the same email domain are included.
Silver
£60
per month for 10 topics, excluding VAT, billed monthly
The same features as Bronze across any 10 topics.
Gold
£80
per month for all 29 topics, excluding VAT, billed monthly
Every topic, plus request alerts delivered to Microsoft Teams or Slack.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from dotstar.media on Oct 23, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Nonprofit
Free for qualifying charities
Dot Star Media's about page says its journalist enquiry service is free of charge to qualifying charities.
Stated on dotstar.media
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Journalist request alerts from X, Bluesky and direct submissions. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: link outreach, journalist requests.
It does request alerts fully, but that's a smaller job, and influencer requests are left out.
- Filtered #journorequest feed
- Requests posted on X and Bluesky are checked by automation and people, keeping verified journalists at established outlets and dropping most noise and influencer requests.
- Fast alerts
- The vendor says most alerts arrive within 30 seconds of the journalist posting, as individual emails or digests.
- 29 topics with keyword filters
- Requests are sorted into 29 topics; plans cover 5, 10 or all 29, and topics can be changed whenever a campaign changes.
- Full request details
- Each alert carries the whole request, the journalist's name and biography, and options for replying to them directly.
- Teams and Slack delivery
- The Gold plan can post requests into Microsoft Teams or Slack channels as well as email.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Microsoft Teams
- Slack
Dot Star Media is made by Dot Star Media Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
26/50
Other link building tools it is graded above
Dot Star Media's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 26 of the 50 other link building tools we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 44 of 50) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at about $52.88 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 23 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 51 link building tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Dot Star Media’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 8 of 50
- CFree plan and trialAbove 20 of 50
- CFeaturesAbove 4 of 50
- BEase of useAbove 44 of 50
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 50
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 link building tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Dot Star Media is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Dot Star Media you would be making a network of journalists who post requests for sources. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $634.58 a year.
What you could make
- Link outreach: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A network of journalists who post requests for sources.
What this rests on. Dot Star Media’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
ResponseSource, SourceBottle, Source of Sources, Editorielle and Qwoted
The 5 tools Dot Star Media is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
ResponseSource
Free trial · from £625/yr
UK journalist request service with a press release wire.
- Dot Star Media also covers link outreach.
- ResponseSource also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
SourceBottle
Free plan · from $65/mo
Media call outs and expert profiles for people seeking press.
- SourceBottle has a free plan. Dot Star Media does not, though it has a free trial.
- 2.8GPA
Source of Sources
Free
Free email list of journalist queries looking for expert sources.
- Source of Sources has a free plan. Dot Star Media does not, though it has a free trial.
- 2.0GPA
Editorielle
From £10/mo
UK newsletter of journalist requests for businesses and PR agencies.
- Dot Star Media also covers link outreach.
- 1.8GPA
Qwoted
Free plan · from $149/mo
Marketplace where reporters request expert sources and PRs pitch.
- Qwoted has a free plan. Dot Star Media does not, though it has a free trial.
- Dot Star Media also covers link outreach.
- Qwoted also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Dot Star Media free?
No, Dot Star Media is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Dot Star Media cost?
Dot Star Media lists 3 plans. Bronze: £40 per month for 5 topics, excluding VAT, billed monthly.
What platforms does Dot Star Media work on?
Dot Star Media is available on Web.
Does Dot Star Media offer any discounts?
Dot Star Media publicly lists the following: Free for qualifying charities.
Does Dot Star Media have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Dot Star Media is listed for Web.
Does Dot Star Media have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Dot Star Media is listed for Web.
Is Dot Star Media open source?
Dot Star Media is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
What does Dot Star Media integrate with?
Dot Star Media's listing names Microsoft Teams and Slack. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Dot Star Media?
Dot Star Media is made by Dot Star Media Ltd.
What are the alternatives to Dot Star Media?
The closest alternatives to Dot Star Media in our directory are ResponseSource, SourceBottle, Source of Sources, Editorielle and Qwoted.
How does Dot Star Media compare with other link building tools?
Dot Star Media's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 26 of the 50 other link building tools we grade, and level with 10.
Is Dot Star Media good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Dot Star Media C for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $52.88 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 23 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Dot Star Media?
To replace Dot Star Media you would be making a network of journalists who post requests for sources.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Dot Star Media’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Dot Star Media's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Dot Star Media Ltd. Prices change, so check dotstar.media before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Dot Star Media, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/dot-star-media
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Dot Star Media: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/dot-star-media
Know someone choosing between link building tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/dot-star-media/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded link building tools after Dot Star Media, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Backlinks & Link Building Insider's GuideEvery one of the 51 link building tools we grade, compared
- LinkCheck Insider's GuideFree backlink monitor for up to 5,000 links you import3.0 GPA
- HARO Insider's GuideFree email digest of journalist requests for expert sources2.8 GPA
- Internal Link Juicer Insider's GuideWordPress plugin that builds internal links from your keywords2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Dot Star Media’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Dot Star Media is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Dot Star Media Ltd. Prices and plans change: check dotstar.media before you buy.