How to get a backlink from OpenAlternative?
OpenAlternative is useful when you have a legitimate open-source product that belongs in a directory of alternatives to proprietary software. The practical backlink is the public project page’s website or repository button, not a comment, profile, or paid ad placement.
Recommended method: submit a real open-source alternative
- Confirm that your project is open source and can be positioned as an alternative to a known proprietary product. The directory is organized around tools, alternatives, categories, tech stacks, and self-hosted software.
- Open the OpenAlternative submit page. During this run, the submit route redirected to the sign-in page, so create or sign in to an account before expecting the submission form.
- Prepare a concise project name, tagline, canonical website URL, public repository URL, license, screenshot or favicon, and the proprietary product or category it competes with.
- Submit the project for review. Keep the description factual and focused on the open-source alternative angle rather than generic marketing copy.
- After publication, open the public listing and verify the live buttons. The sampled Hermes Agent listing linked to the website and repository with
rel="noopener nofollow", so record the listing as referral/discovery value rather than dofollow link equity.
The screenshot below shows a public OpenAlternative listing with the visible Visit Hermes Agent button and repository card. It proves the directory can expose a project website and repository from an accepted listing, while the rendered DOM inspection showed those outbound links as nofollow.
What to avoid
Do not submit a closed-source product, a thin landing page, or a product that has no clear alternative target. OpenAlternative is closer to an editorial software directory than an open link farm; the listing can be valuable for qualified visitors, but the inspected outbound links were nofollow and should not be sold internally as direct PageRank acquisition.
Backlink signals
Editorial estimates for comparing this provider.
Nofollow Free
- Dofollow links Usually nofollow We set this after checking whether the recommended backlink method on this provider typically outputs a dofollow link in the page HTML. If attributes vary by page type, we use the realistic default for that path and explain the nuance in the guide.
- No . We set this after checking whether the recommended backlink method on this provider typically outputs a dofollow link in the page HTML. If attributes vary by page type, we use the realistic default for that path and explain the nuance in the guide.
- Authority rating Editorial estimate We score the actual backlink surface—not the provider homepage—using Domain Authority when available, otherwise a conservative Backlink Badger editorial estimate. This approximate comparison number may not match third-party tools or the live page's real strength.
- 18/100 . We score the actual backlink surface—not the provider homepage—using Domain Authority when available, otherwise a conservative Backlink Badger editorial estimate. This approximate comparison number may not match third-party tools or the live page's real strength.
- Spam rating Lower is better We use spam score when we have a defensible value for the relevant domain or surface, otherwise a conservative Backlink Badger editorial estimate from platform quality and spam patterns. Treat it as an approximate comparison guide, not a guarantee of how search engines evaluate the site.
- 1/100 . We use spam score when we have a defensible value for the relevant domain or surface, otherwise a conservative Backlink Badger editorial estimate from platform quality and spam patterns. Treat it as an approximate comparison guide, not a guarantee of how search engines evaluate the site.
- Acquisition difficulty Lower is easier Backlink Badger assigns this 0–100 score from editorial review of signup friction, content requirements, approval gates, and account trust for the recommended path. It is an approximate comparison estimate, not a measured difficulty metric.
- 35/100 . Backlink Badger assigns this 0–100 score from editorial review of signup friction, content requirements, approval gates, and account trust for the recommended path. It is an approximate comparison estimate, not a measured difficulty metric.
- Time estimate Typical setup We estimate the minimum minutes a prepared user needs to sign up, set up, and publish or submit the backlink, including obvious waiting steps we can reasonably predict. This Backlink Badger estimate is approximate—your first attempt or extra verification may take longer.
- ~25 min . We estimate the minimum minutes a prepared user needs to sign up, set up, and publish or submit the backlink, including obvious waiting steps we can reasonably predict. This Backlink Badger estimate is approximate—your first attempt or extra verification may take longer.
- Free option No required spend We mark Yes when the recommended backlink path can be completed without paying the provider for access, placement, or a required plan. If only paid tiers unlock the link, or payment is commonly required in practice, we mark No.
- Yes . We mark Yes when the recommended backlink path can be completed without paying the provider for access, placement, or a required plan. If only paid tiers unlock the link, or payment is commonly required in practice, we mark No.
Provider overview
OpenAlternative is a curated directory of open-source alternatives to popular proprietary software. Accepted project pages can link to a product website and repository, but inspected public links currently include `rel="nofollow"`, so treat it as a referral and discovery citation rather than a dofollow SEO shortcut.
Minimum requirements to get a backlink from OpenAlternative
- OpenAlternative account
- Open-source product
- Website URL
- Repository URL
- Short product description
- Category or alternative target
Key challenges to get a backlink from OpenAlternative
- Open-source fit: The product should be a real open-source alternative to an existing proprietary tool, not a generic SaaS listing.
- Account gate: The Submit route redirects to sign-in, so submission requires an OpenAlternative account before the dashboard flow is available.
- Nofollow links: Inspected website and repository buttons on a public listing used
rel="noopener nofollow". - Editorial quality: Thin or irrelevant submissions can be ignored because the directory is curated for open-source tools.
Ready to get this backlink?
Submission page
Open submission page at OpenAlternative openalternative.co Where you place the link — have your URL and a short description ready Example backlink
Open example at OpenAlternative openalternative.co A live example — inspect its rel attribute to verify the nofollow/dofollow claim