What Is the Best HARO Alternative in 2026? (Ranked by Price & Results)

HARO was the go-to tool for getting press coverage for nearly 15 years. Then one day in 2023, the emails stopped. If you’ve been searching for what replaced it — and whether the alternatives are actually worth paying for — this guide covers every option available in 2026 with real pricing and honest verdicts.

What Happened to HARO?

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) was acquired by Cision in 2014. For years it ran as a free service, sending three daily emails with journalist source requests. In 2023, Cision rebranded HARO as Connectively, introducing a new interface and paid subscription tiers. The free plan was significantly restricted and later removed entirely. In 2024, Connectively was folded further into Cision’s enterprise platform, making it largely inaccessible to small businesses and solo founders.

The search term “help a reporter out” still gets 1,900 searches per month in the US — people looking for the original tool that no longer exists in its original form. That gap is exactly why alternatives have emerged.

Is Connectively (the New HARO) Worth It?

Connectively starts at $19/month for basic access. At this tier, you get access to requests but with limited filters and a slower refresh rate than paid tiers. The $149/month plan unlocks real-time alerts and advanced filters.

For most small business owners and solo PRs, Connectively at $149/month is hard to justify when cheaper alternatives deliver similar or better results. The platform’s shift to an enterprise focus means the UX and support are geared toward PR agencies, not founders or small teams.

The 6 Best HARO Alternatives in 2026

1. JournoRequest — Best for UK Businesses (£7.99/month)

JournoRequest aggregates real journalist source requests from across the UK media landscape — BBC, The Guardian, The Times, trade publications, and specialist outlets. Requests are pulled together in one place so you don’t have to monitor multiple journalist Twitter/X threads or individual newsroom tip lines.

Price: £7.99/month (or ~£79/year)
Free plan: No, but low-cost entry
Best for: UK-based businesses, coaches, consultants, PR freelancers
Key features: Real-time aggregation, keyword filtering, daily digest emails
Limitations: UK-focused (not ideal if you only want US publications)

At £7.99/month, JournoRequest is the most affordable paid option on the market. One successful quote placement in a national publication delivers backlinks worth hundreds of pounds in SEO value alone — the ROI calculation is straightforward.

2. Qwoted — Best Free Option (Free–$299/month)

Qwoted is a two-sided marketplace where journalists post requests and sources respond. The free plan includes limited monthly responses; paid plans unlock unlimited pitching, priority visibility, and analytics.

Price: Free (limited) / $99/month / $299/month
Best for: US-focused businesses, PR professionals
Key features: Journalist profiles, response tracking, deadline alerts
Limitations: US-heavy journalist database, slower UK coverage

3. Featured.com — Best for Expert Quotes ($49–$99/month)

Formerly called Kelp, Featured.com focuses specifically on expert quotes for articles. Journalists post questions; sources submit answers. Accepted responses get published with a link back to your site.

Price: $49/month (Starter) / $99/month (Growth)
Best for: Thought leaders, consultants, executives wanting expert positioning
Key features: Question-format requests, instant notifications, link tracking
Limitations: Less news/feature coverage, more listicle and how-to content

4. Source.co — Best for PR Agencies ($79–$199+/month)

Source.co (not to be confused with Sourceful) is a premium journalist-source matching platform integrated into major US newsrooms. It’s designed for PR professionals managing multiple clients.

Price: $79/month (Solo) / $199/month (Team)
Best for: PR agencies, communications professionals, mid-market brands
Key features: Journalist relationship data, pitch tracking, editorial calendar integration
Limitations: Expensive for individuals, primarily US-focused

5. JournoLink — UK Alternative for SMEs (£25–£99/month)

JournoLink is a UK-based press release distribution and journalist matching service. It has a database of UK journalists and allows you to both send press releases and respond to journalist requests.

Price: £25/month (Starter) / £99/month (Pro)
Best for: UK small businesses wanting press release distribution plus request monitoring
Key features: Press release distribution, journalist database, request alerts
Limitations: More expensive than JournoRequest for request-only access, mixed results on coverage quality

6. Sourceful — Emerging Platform (Free–$49/month)

Sourceful is a newer entrant to the space, offering journalist-source matching with a focus on diversity in sourcing. It’s growing its journalist base but hasn’t yet reached the scale of more established platforms.

Price: Free (limited) / $49/month
Best for: Brands wanting to trial a low-cost option
Key features: Journalist requests, source profiles, diversity sourcing
Limitations: Smaller journalist base than competitors, less established

Comparison Table: HARO Alternatives 2026

How to Choose the Right HARO Alternative

You’re a UK business owner or freelancer: JournoRequest at £7.99/month is the obvious starting point. The price is lower than any comparable platform, and the UK-focused aggregation means requests are relevant to your market.

You want a free option to test the model: Qwoted’s free plan lets you submit a limited number of responses per month. It’s US-heavy but gives you a feel for how journalist request platforms work before paying.

You run a PR agency with multiple clients: Source.co or Qwoted’s higher tiers give you the management features and multiple-user accounts you need.

You want expert quote placements for SEO/thought leadership: Featured.com is purpose-built for this use case.

What Makes a Good HARO Alternative Response?

Regardless of which platform you use, the quality of your response determines whether you get coverage. Journalists receive dozens of submissions per request. The ones that get used:

• Answer the specific question asked. Don’t pitch your business; answer what the journalist asked.
• Lead with your most interesting point. Journalists skim. Your first sentence needs to earn the second.
• Include your credentials in one line. “I’m [name], [title] at [company], I’ve [relevant experience].” That’s it.
• Be specific with numbers. “We saw a 43% increase” beats “we saw significant growth.”
• Respond within 2 hours. Most journalist deadlines are same-day. Early responses have the best chance.

Does JournoRequest Replace HARO?

For UK users: yes, more effectively than Connectively does. HARO in its original form was US-centric — the majority of requests came from American journalists. JournoRequest focuses specifically on the UK media landscape, which makes it more useful for businesses that want coverage in British publications.

For US users: JournoRequest is still worth monitoring for UK publication placements, but you’ll want to pair it with Qwoted or Featured.com for US-focused coverage.

The Bottom Line on HARO Alternatives

HARO shutting down was genuinely disruptive for thousands of small businesses and PR professionals who relied on it for affordable media outreach. The good news is the alternatives are better than they were in 2023.

For UK businesses, JournoRequest at £7.99/month is the straightforward answer. It costs less than a coffee per week, covers the UK national press, and puts you in front of journalists actively looking for sources. Start there, respond consistently to relevant requests, and you’ll see coverage within a few weeks.

Start your JournoRequest trial today and get access to live journalist requests from 200+ UK publications.

Written by: John Isaacson, SEO & Marketing Consultant
Last Updated: March 2026