Skip to content
ToolGPA

HARO review (2026): is it any good?

Free email digest of journalist requests for expert sources

FreeLink BuildingChecked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
Visit helpareporter.comFree guide

Our verdict

Third of our top three link building tools

For: Anyone who wants to pay nothing

HARO emails journalist requests for expert sources three times each weekday, and answering them costs nothing. Staff check each request, outlets need a Domain Authority of 20 or 10,000 monthly visitors, and reporters' addresses are masked. It is third because it is an email and nothing more: search, filters and reply tracking are in Connectively, a separate platform; every edition carries ads, there are no weekend editions, one spam strike bans an account, and the journalist decides whether to quote you or link back.

See all three and how we rank

HARO report card

2.8GPA

Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 23, 2026

Best for free journalist requests in your inbox

HARO emails journalist requests for expert sources three times every weekday, and answering them costs nothing. But it's an email and nothing more: search, filters and reply tracking live in Connectively, a separate platform, every edition carries ads, and whether you get quoted or linked is the journalist's call.

Who HARO is for

  • 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

Who HARO is not for

  • 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
See the alternatives

Why HARO gets a 2.8

Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.

  • AValue for moneyFree 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.
  • AFree plan and trialEverything is free: all three weekday editions and every request, with no paid tier holding anything back.
  • DFeaturesOne 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.
  • BEase of useNo rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: sign up, the requests land in your inbox and you reply by email.
  • CPlatforms and integrationsEmail only, with no app, integrations or API on record.

What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HARO's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.

Make HARO? Put this grade on your site
HARO: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA

Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges

<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/haro#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/haro.svg" alt="HARO: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>

Where HARO stands among link building tools

HARO's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 45 of the 50 other link building tools we grade, and level with 4.

It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 47 of 50) and worst on features (D, above 0).

HARO has no paid plan.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 51 link building tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. HARO’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 40 of 50, level with 10
  • AFree plan and trialAbove 47 of 50, level with 3
  • DFeaturesAbove 0 of 50, level with 3
  • BEase of useAbove 44 of 50, level with 6
  • CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 50, level with 27

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 45 link building tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessHARO

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart, and the best link building tools at every price

Keep HARO, or make your own?

Keep it

HARO is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 45 of the 50 other link building tools we grade.

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. HARO’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.

What is HARO?

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a free service that emails journalist requests for expert sources three times each weekday. Sources answer the ones that fit by email, and the journalist picks whom to quote, often with a credit or link back. It has run since 2008 and was bought by Featured.com in 2025, which pays for it with ads in the newsletter.

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Key features

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.

HARO pricing

As of Oct 23, 2026, HARO is free to use.

Starts at
Free
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 trial
None listed
Free$0Every edition and every request, for both sources and journalists. The service is paid for by ads placed in the newsletter.

Read from blog.helpareporter.com on Oct 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with HARO before you buy.

Pricing in detail

HARO alternatives

All HARO alternatives comparedAll link building tools

Common questions

Does HARO have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. HARO is listed for Web.

Does HARO have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. HARO is listed for Web.

Is HARO open source?

HARO is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 23, 2026.