HARO Alternatives (2026): Where Journalists Find Sources
What happened to HARO, and which journalist-request services exist now: Qwoted, Source of Sources, SourceBottle, ProfNet and ResponseSource, each checked against its own site on November 12, 2026.
Written & reviewed byAnthony Will, Founder & CEOReputation Resolutions · 13+ year industry veteranUpdated November 2026 · 8 min readKey takeaways
- Cision discontinued its Connectively (HARO) platform on December 9, 2024, then announced on April 15, 2025 that it had sold HARO to Featured.com. A HARO site now runs on Featured.
- Services that connect reporters with sources include Qwoted, Source of Sources, SourceBottle, ProfNet and ResponseSource. Each fact here was checked against the vendor's own site on November 12, 2026.
- Several services show a free option, such as free daily emails, a free expert profile or a free plan with limits. We do not repeat prices because plans change.
- We make no claim about which service produces coverage, and the guide has no affiliate links. Answer only what you are qualified to answer and keep a log of what you send.
In this guide
HARO, short for Help a Reporter Out, was a service that emailed journalists' requests for sources to experts. Cision discontinued its version on December 9, 2024, then sold HARO to Featured.com in April 2025, and a HARO site now runs on Featured. Other services that connect reporters with sources include Qwoted, Source of Sources, SourceBottle, ProfNet and ResponseSource.
We checked every fact in this guide against the vendor's own website on November 12, 2026. Services change names, owners and plans often, and this category has done so more than once, so we wrote nothing from memory. We dropped any tool whose own page we could not verify. We make no claim about which tool will get you coverage, and we have no affiliate links on this page.
We are Reputation Resolutions, and we do this kind of outreach for clients, so we are not neutral about its value. We still think the honest approach is a plain list. If you want a partner for outreach, our PR services are scoped in writing, with no coverage promised. If you want to do it yourself, the table and notes below are enough to start.
What happened to HARO
Cision's own notice says that as of December 9, 2024, the Connectively (HARO) platform was permanently discontinued, and it points customers to its CisionOne product. On April 15, 2025, Cision announced it had sold the Help A Reporter Out platform to Featured.com, saying Featured was a well-aligned partner to take ownership of it. The release does not disclose terms or say whether HARO would stay free.
The current HARO site at helpareporter.com says HARO connects journalists with sources for stories, shows a “Powered by Featured” credit and offers a free subscription to daily media queries. Journalists use a “Submit a Query” link. Because ownership changed, treat any HARO tip you read from before 2025 as out of date.
The services we verified
The table lists only what each service's own site says. Pricing changes, so we state whether each service shows a free option, and we do not repeat prices. “Verified” means we read the vendor's page on November 12, 2026.
HARO (helpareporter.com)
- What its own site says it is
- Connects journalists with sources for stories. Credits Featured
- Who it is for
- Sources and journalists
- Free option shown on its site
- “Subscribe for free daily media queries”
Featured
- What its own site says it is
- “Your co-pilot for PR.” Search, save and respond to journalist requests, podcast invites and speaking gigs
- Who it is for
- Experts and PR professionals
- Free option shown on its site
- A “Free forever” plan is listed on its pricing page. Paid plans are also listed
Qwoted
- What its own site says it is
- Connects journalists with expert sources. Journalists can search experts and post requests
- Who it is for
- Experts, PR teams and journalists
- Free option shown on its site
- Free Basic plan for experts, with a monthly pitch limit. Paid plans are also listed
Source of Sources
- What its own site says it is
- Emails journalist queries up to three times a day. Run by Peter Shankman, who says he founded HARO
- Who it is for
- Experts and journalists
- Free option shown on its site
- The site says the list “doesn't cost a dime”
SourceBottle
- What its own site says it is
- A publicity platform matching journalists, bloggers and writers with expert sources
- Who it is for
- Experts and PR professionals, and journalists
- Free option shown on its site
- Free for journalists and a free expert profile. An optional paid pitching service is offered
ProfNet
- What its own site says it is
- Journalists submit queries and experts receive leads. The site labels it a Cision company
- Who it is for
- Experts and journalists
- Free option shown on its site
- Free sign-up for journalists. Experts must subscribe
ResponseSource
- What its own site says it is
- Journalist enquiry service that sends enquiries to PR professionals. UK focus. Part of Pulsar Group
- Who it is for
- Journalists and PR professionals
- Free option shown on its site
- Its site links to pricing and a free trial, but we did not verify what each includes
Notes on each service
Featured. Its home page describes finding journalist requests, podcast invites and speaking gigs, plus other features such as finding journalists. Its pricing page lists a free plan and several paid tiers. Check what the free plan includes before you rely on it. Featured also owns the HARO brand, so the two are now related.
Qwoted. Its site says it connects journalists with expert sources. It lists a free Basic plan for experts that includes appearing in the reporter expert database, a daily opportunities email and real-time alerts, with a small monthly limit on pitches. Paid plans for individuals and for agencies are also listed. The pricing page does not say whether journalists pay.
Source of Sources. Peter Shankman's site says he is the founder of Help a Reporter Out and now Source of Sources. Subscribers get an email of queries up to three times a day, and the site says off-topic or spammy replies lead to removal. Journalists submit through a reporter form.
SourceBottle. Its site describes a platform for journalists, bloggers and writers looking for sources. Journalists use it free, experts can create a free profile and there is an optional paid pitching service. The site calls itself a global publicity platform, but its media logos and featured experts are mostly Australian, so check that the outlets match your market.
ProfNet. The site says journalists sign up free and submit a query after logging in or registering, and that experts subscribe to receive leads that match their preferences. We did not find prices on the page.
ResponseSource. Its site describes a network connecting media with resources, with a Journalist Enquiry Service that sends journalist enquiries directly to PR professionals' inboxes. It has a UK focus. It is a better fit if your market is the UK.
A related tool that is not a request service
Muck Rack appears in many lists of alternatives. Its home page describes a PR and communications platform for monitoring, a journalist database and pitching and reporting. We did not see a journalist-request feature on the page, and the page shows requests for a demo and pricing rather than a free option. It is a different kind of tool, so we did not put it in the table.
How these services work
The shared pattern is simple. A journalist describes what they need, and the service routes the request to people who might fit. You reply with an answer, a short credential line and a way to reach you. Then the journalist decides what to use. None of that is guaranteed to produce a published quote, and we do not claim any service increases your chances over another.
A few habits help, whichever tool you pick:
- Answer only what you are qualified to answer. Off-topic replies waste a reporter's time, and at least one service says it removes people for them.
- Respond to the question asked. Give a direct answer first, then one supporting detail.
- Include your credentials and contact details in the reply. A journalist should not have to search for them.
- Respect the deadline. A late reply is usually a lost one.
- Keep a log. Note each request, what you sent and what happened, so you can see what works for you. Our guide to PR measurement explains how to turn that into a report.
- Do not pay for promises. Be cautious about any service that guarantees a number of quotes or links, because those depend on editors.
Beyond request services
Request services are one route. Many experts also build direct relationships with the reporters who cover their field. Our media pitch template covers writing that note and building a media list from outlets' own bylines. For the bigger picture of what earned coverage is and what you can control, see earned media.
If you want help with targeted outreach, our media relations services page explains how that work is scoped in writing, and why no one can promise coverage. Some businesses also want a featured article on a named outlet. That is a different product, paid only after it is published and labeled the way the outlet labels sponsored content. It is not earned media, and our page on guaranteed featured articles explains the difference.
Reputation Resolutions has worked on reputation problems since 2013, is A+ BBB accredited and a Google Partner, and has clients in 40+ countries. This list is accurate as of November 12, 2026. If you find an error, tell us and we will check it against the vendor's site.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to HARO?+
Cision's notice says the Connectively (HARO) platform was permanently discontinued as of December 9, 2024. On April 15, 2025, Cision announced it had sold the Help A Reporter Out platform to Featured.com. A HARO site now runs under Featured, which offers free daily media queries.
Is HARO still free?+
The HARO site at helpareporter.com says you can subscribe for free daily media queries. Ownership has changed, so check the site for current terms before you rely on it.
What are the best HARO alternatives?+
We do not rank them, because the right one depends on your field, market and budget. Services we verified include Featured, Qwoted, Source of Sources, SourceBottle, ProfNet and ResponseSource. We make no claim about which one produces coverage.
Are there free HARO alternatives?+
Several show a free option on their own sites: Source of Sources says its list does not cost anything, SourceBottle offers a free expert profile, Qwoted lists a free Basic plan with a pitch limit and Featured lists a free plan. Limits differ, so read each page.
Is Muck Rack a HARO alternative?+
It is related but different. Its home page describes monitoring, a journalist database, pitching and reporting, and we did not see a journalist-request feature there. It also shows requests for a demo and pricing rather than a free option.
Which service works best for UK media?+
ResponseSource describes a UK focus and a Journalist Enquiry Service that sends journalist enquiries to PR professionals. SourceBottle, by contrast, shows mostly Australian media on its site. Check each service's outlets against your market.
Do these services guarantee I will be quoted?+
No. A journalist posts a request, you reply and the journalist decides what to use. We know of no honest way to guarantee a quote, and we do not claim that any service improves your odds over another.
Do you earn commissions from these tools?+
No. This guide has no affiliate links. We checked each fact on the vendor's own site on November 12, 2026.
Sources & references
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