Side-by-side comparison
Swap Backlinks vs HARO
Free email of journalist requests; if a reporter quotes you, you may get a link.
Swap Backlinks
- Cost
- Free to use; Pro is optional
- Model
- One link out, one in
- Where
- Inside your coding agent, over MCP
HARO
- Model
- Reporters post requests and experts pitch.
- Price
- Free for sources, historically ad-funded.
- Screening
- Aimed at trusted sources and reporters, not at vetting your website.
Compiled from public descriptions. Check their site for current details.
At a glance
- Model
- Reporters post requests and experts pitch.
- Price
- Free for sources, historically ad-funded.
- Screening
- Aimed at trusted sources and reporters, not at vetting your website.
- Link checks
- None; it ends when you send the pitch.
- Typical user
- Founders, PR people, consultants and experts.
How HARO works
- A journalist posts a request with a deadline.
- Registered sources get digests on weekdays.
- You pick requests and email a pitch.
- If used, you are credited, often with a link.
Where HARO does well
Stated plainly. If one of these matters more to you than anything that follows, use them rather than us.
- An editorial mention in a real publication beats a swapped link by a wide margin.
- It reaches outlets no exchange can.
- Free, with nothing owed in return.
How we differ
| HARO | Swap Backlinks | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Pitch and hope; not an exchange. | Swap a link for a link with a committed peer. |
| Certainty | None; many pitches go unanswered. | A pairing either becomes a swap or it does not. |
| Link quality | Potentially excellent. | Relevant but weaker than a good press mention. |
| Effort | Ongoing reading and writing. | One instruction to your agent. |
Which should you choose
Choose HARO when:
- You write well on your field and can spend time on pitches daily.
- You want the highest quality links and accept low hit rates.
- You want press coverage more than links.
Choose Swap Backlinks when:
- You want a predictable outcome.
- You have no time for daily pitching.
- You want links verified rather than hoping to spot a mention.
The exchange is free to use and runs entirely from your coding agent. Read the MCP docs or submit a site on the web. If anything on this page is out of date, let us know and we will fix it.