HARO Alternatives in 2026: Where Journalists Find Sources Now

HARO is back. After Cision shut down its successor, Connectively, in 2024, Featured.com bought HARO and restarted the free email service in April 2025, then revived Connectively as well in 2026. So the real question is no longer “what replaced HARO” but which journalist request platforms deserve your time. This guide compares the main options, what each costs as of September 2026, and a simple routine for turning queries into actual coverage.

What Happened to HARO: A Short Timeline

Help a Reporter Out began in 2008 as a free email list started by publicist Peter Shankman. Reporters posted requests for expert sources, and the list sent them out in daily digests. For years it was the default way small businesses and founders earned quotes in major publications.

The service was later owned by Cision, the media software company. In 2024 the HARO brand was folded into a new platform called Connectively, and Connectively itself was discontinued later that year. For a few months there was no HARO at all, and dozens of alternatives rushed to fill the gap.

Then in April 2025, Featured.com acquired HARO. The official HARO blog announcement confirmed that emails would resume on April 22, 2025, and that the service would be free for journalists and sources, supported by newsletter sponsors. A year later, Featured revived Connectively too. According to a June 9, 2026 announcement, Connectively passed 100,000 users and serves 2,500 publishers, with Featured running HARO (email) and Connectively (in-platform pitching) as standalone products.

So in 2026 you have more choice than ever, which is its own problem. Signing up for everything leads to inbox overload and rushed, generic pitches. It is better to pick two or three sources that match your niche and respond to them well.

The Main HARO Alternatives Compared

Prices and plan limits below were checked on each company’s own site or announcement in September 2026. They change often, so confirm before you pay.

Platform	How it works	Cost for sources	Best for
HARO (by Featured)	Email digests of journalist queries	Free	Anyone who wants the classic format and a wide range of topics
Connectively (by Featured)	Browse, filter and pitch inside a platform	Free to join; see site for current terms	Sources who prefer filtering by topic and outlet
Featured	AI-assisted PR workspace: journalist requests, podcasts, bylines, awards	Free plan; Lite $29/month; Pro $79/month	Founders who want one dashboard for several kinds of opportunity
Qwoted	Marketplace where reporters post requests and experts pitch	Basic free (2 pitches/month, 2-hour delay); Pro $149/month (35 pitches); Teams custom	Finance, business and tech experts, PR agencies
Source of Sources (SOS)	Free email list run by HARO founder Peter Shankman	Free	Budget-conscious founders who like the original HARO feel
ProfNet	Cision’s expert request service; free for journalists	Paid subscription; pricing on request	Larger companies, universities and agencies
SourceBottle	Expert profiles and media call-outs	Free expert profile, optional paid upgrades	Businesses targeting Australian media
#JournoRequest on social media	Reporters post requests publicly on X, Bluesky and LinkedIn	Free	Anyone willing to monitor a hashtag

HARO and Connectively: The Free Starting Point

If you only sign up for one service, start here. HARO keeps the simple email format: queries arrive in your inbox, grouped by category, and you reply to the journalist through the address in the query. No dashboard, no login required to read.

Connectively is the platform version. You can filter opportunities by topic and outlet and submit pitches inside the site. Some people find that easier than scanning long emails; others prefer the inbox. Try both for two weeks and keep the one you actually open.

Two cautions. First, because HARO is free and popular, popular queries get a flood of replies. Your response has to stand out in the first two sentences. Second, the owners enforce rules against spam and AI-generated junk. The HARO blog has said openly that it bans accounts that break its guidelines, so read the submission rules before you pitch.

Featured: One Dashboard for Several Opportunity Types

Featured relaunched in June 2026 as an AI assistant for PR. Beyond journalist requests, it surfaces podcast guest spots, bylined article opportunities, speaking slots and awards. Its pricing page lists a free plan with a daily usage allowance, a Lite plan at $29 a month and a Pro plan at $79 a month, with discounts for annual billing. All plans share the same core features; paid plans raise the daily and weekly limits.

Who it suits: a founder or small marketing team that wants to see several kinds of exposure in one place. Who should skip it: someone who only wants journalist quotes and is happy with the HARO email.

Qwoted: Strong for Business and Finance Experts

Qwoted is a two-sided marketplace. Reporters post requests; experts and PR people pitch. It is free for media users. For sources, Qwoted’s pricing page lists three tiers:

• Basic, free: 2 pitches a month, with a 2-hour delay before you can see new requests.
• Pro, $149 a month: 35 pitches a month and no delay, plus research tools.
• Teams, custom pricing: unlimited pitches and agency features.

The free plan is useful for testing. Two pitches a month forces you to be selective, which is not a bad habit. If you are an accountant, financial planner, lawyer or B2B software founder, Qwoted is worth a serious trial because many of its requests come from business and personal finance writers.

Free Email Lists and Social Hashtags

Source of Sources

Peter Shankman, who started HARO, now runs a free list called Source of Sources. It keeps the old spirit: plain emails, no dashboard, no pitch limits. Volume is lower than HARO, and many queries come from smaller outlets and blogs. That is fine for a small business. A quote in a respected trade blog read by your exact customers can be worth more than a line in a national outlet nobody in your market reads.

#JournoRequest and #PRrequest

Many reporters skip platforms entirely and post on social media with hashtags like #JournoRequest. Save a search for the hashtag plus your industry keyword (“#journorequest small business”, “#journorequest restaurant”) and check it once or twice a day. Reply the way the reporter asks, usually by email or DM, never in a public reply with your pitch.

Industry newsletters and associations

Trade associations and niche newsletters sometimes run their own “experts wanted” sections. If you belong to a professional association, ask whether it has a media referral list. These are often the least crowded opportunities of all.

Paid Options: ProfNet and Media Databases

ProfNet, operated by Cision, connects journalists with expert sources. Journalists use it free; experts pay a subscription, and pricing is by quote. It is traditionally used by universities, hospitals, larger companies and agencies.

Media databases such as Muck Rack and Cision are a different tool. Instead of responding to requests, you search for reporters who cover your topic and pitch them directly. They are powerful but priced for agencies and in-house PR teams. For most small businesses, free request services plus a handful of well-researched direct pitches are enough.

A quick word on Help a B2B Writer, which many older lists recommend: when we checked in September 2026, its domain redirected to a service called MentionMatch that described itself as launching soon. Check its current status before relying on it.

How to Write a Response Journalists Actually Use

The platform matters less than the pitch. Reporters on deadline skim dozens of replies and pick the ones they can paste in with minimal editing. Use this structure.

1. Subject line: repeat the query topic plus your angle. “Re: holiday hiring tips – bakery owner, 3 stores”.
2. One-line credential: who you are and why you know this. “I’m the owner of an illustrative three-location bakery in Columbus and have hired 40 seasonal staff over five holiday seasons.”
3. The answer first: two to four short paragraphs that directly answer the question. Write them as quotable sentences.
4. One specific detail: a number from your own business, a concrete example, a mistake you made. This is what makes you quotable.
5. Attribution line: name, title, company, city, website, and a headshot link if requested.
6. Availability: “Happy to hop on a call before your deadline.”

Keep it under 250 words unless the reporter asks for more. Answer only the questions asked. Do not attach files unless invited, and do not ask for a link to your site. Many reporters ignore pitches that open with link requests.

Example response

“The biggest mistake small retailers make on Small Business Saturday is discounting everything. Pick three products people already love and bundle them. Last year our (illustrative) gift shop sold more bundles in one day than in the whole previous month, without cutting margins on the rest of the store.”

Short, specific, useful, and easy to quote. That is the whole game.

Avoid AI-written replies

Reporters and platform owners are on the lookout for generic, AI-generated responses, and many outlets now reject them. Use tools to fix typos if you like, but the substance, examples and numbers must be yours. The point of these services is real human expertise.

A Weekly Routine That Fits a Busy Founder

You do not need hours a day. Most founders who get consistent results follow something like this:

• Daily, 15 minutes: scan HARO or Connectively plus one other source. Star only queries where you have genuine, first-hand expertise.
• Same day: respond within a few hours. Early answers get read; late answers often do not.
• Weekly, 30 minutes: prepare a “quote bank” document with your bio, headshot link, three stories from your business, and a few numbers you are comfortable sharing. It cuts response time in half.
• Monthly: track pitches sent, replies, and published mentions in a simple spreadsheet. Drop the source that produces nothing after two months.

Expect a low hit rate at first. Getting used in a small percentage of pitches is normal. Improvement comes from choosing better queries, not sending more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HARO still free in 2026?

Yes. Since the April 2025 relaunch under Featured.com, HARO has been free for journalists and sources and is supported by sponsors. Check the official HARO site for any change to that model.

Is Connectively the same as HARO?

No. Both are owned by Featured, but they run as separate products. HARO is email-based; Connectively is a platform where you browse and pitch opportunities inside the site.

Which HARO alternative is best for a small business?

Start with the free options: HARO or Connectively plus Source of Sources or a #JournoRequest search. Add Qwoted’s free plan if you work in finance, legal or B2B, and consider paid plans only once you are landing placements regularly.

Can I get backlinks from journalist request platforms?

Sometimes, but it should not be the goal. Many outlets do not link to sources, and pitches that ask for links tend to be ignored. Treat any link as a bonus to the real value: credibility and exposure.

How quickly should I respond to a query?

As fast as you can while still giving a thoughtful answer, ideally within a few hours. Always respect the stated deadline.

Do I need a publicist to use these services?

No. They were built so experts could reply directly. A clear, specific answer from the owner of a business is often more useful to a reporter than a polished agency pitch.

Pick Two and Start This Week

Choose one email-based service and one other source, set a 15-minute daily slot, and build your quote bank before you send your first pitch. After eight weeks, look at your tracking sheet and keep what works. Plans, prices and ownership in this space have changed several times since 2024, so check each platform’s own site before paying for anything.