If you want to get featured in online magazines, get credible backlinks, or become an expert in your area, you’ve probably seen the names HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and Featured a lot. Both are well-liked platforms that connect reporters with real experts. However, they work in different ways.
To help you decide with your strategy for getting media backlinks, in this blog, we’ll do a hot take on HARO vs Featured, and you be the judge on what platform to choose for media outreach.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Oh, and by the way, fun fact: Featured actually owns HARO.
First, Let’s Talk About What is HARO?
Image Source: HARO
HARO, short for Help a Reporter Out, is a platform that helps journalists find reliable sources for their articles. Reporters submit questions across topics like business, marketing, health, technology, and lifestyle. These requests are shared with professionals who can provide expert insights or real world experience.
When a response is selected, the source often receives a mention or backlink from a well known publication. HARO is commonly used to build brand authority, earn high quality backlinks, and improve search visibility. Success depends on sending clear, relevant responses quickly and matching the journalist’s request closely.
What Is Featured?
Image Source: Featured
Featured works more like a curated expert network than an open query feed. Instead of sending mass emails, it shows targeted questions inside a dashboard based on your profile and expertise. Contributors answer at their own pace, with less pressure to reply within minutes. Publishers use Featured to source thoughtful, experience based insights rather than quick quotes.
When your response is selected, it is usually credited with your name, role, and a link. Featured is often used for long term authority building, steady media exposure, and cleaner editorial placements rather than high volume pitching.
HARO vs Featured: Key Differences Explained
Let’s compare them side-by-side.
1. Query Style and Access
HARO delivers massive email digests packed with journalist requests across industries. You browse the list and submit replies to relevant queries, which can feel overwhelming if you’re just starting.
Featured works through a personalized dashboard that filters questions based on your expertise and profile. This targeted approach reduces irrelevant noise and helps you focus only on opportunities where your insights have the highest chance of being used.
2. Speed and Competition
HARO is highly time sensitive. Popular requests can receive hundreds of responses within a few hours, so speed often matters as much as the quality of your answer. Featured allows contributors more breathing room. Questions are fewer and competition is lower, giving thoughtful, well crafted responses a better chance to be noticed and selected.
3. Link Quality and Placement
HARO placements frequently appear on top media outlets and high authority news sites, which can deliver strong backlinks. Sometimes, links may be nofollow or simply mention your brand without a direct URL.
Featured tends to offer more consistent placements within expert roundups, guides, or niche publications, often including contextually placed links that support both visibility and credibility.
4. Effort and Learning Curve
HARO requires daily monitoring and rapid, concise responses. Beginners often feel challenged keeping up with the pace and formatting requirements. Featured provides a gentler learning curve since questions are pre matched, deadlines are longer, and you can take more time to craft quality answers. This makes it better suited for professionals who want steady results without constant urgency.
5. Best Use Case
HARO is ideal for aggressive link building, fast PR wins, and gaining visibility on major media platforms. Featured works better for long term authority building, steady thought leadership, and consistent media presence.
Using both together can create a balanced approach — HARO for quick, high impact exposure, and Featured for curated, reliable placements that reinforce credibility over time.
Pricing Comparison: Featured.com vs HARO
HARO offers free access to all journalist queries. You receive three email digests each day, covering hundreds of requests across multiple industries. This makes it easy for anyone — from small business owners to professionals — to browse opportunities and respond without paying.
On the other hand, Featured uses a tiered subscription model. You can see the plans in the below image.
Image Source: Featured
So here, HARO wins clearly. HARO is ideal for high volume, free access and fast responses to a broad set of queries, while Featured.com offers a more curated, structured experience with better targeting and tracking, suitable for consistent, long-term authority building.
Final Verdict: Which Is Right For You?
If you’re just getting started, want free access, or enjoy scanning a wide range of queries quickly, HARO is the better choice. It’s perfect for fast responses, occasional placements, and testing the waters without any cost.
If you want curated opportunities, more control over the types of queries you answer, and a platform that helps build long-term authority with bylined articles and targeted links, Featured.com is the better investment. Paid plans also give you tracking, alerts, and team features that make consistent PR and link building much easier.
For many professionals, using both together works best — HARO for volume and quick exposure, Featured for quality, curated placements, and steady credibility.
And if you don’t have time to use these platforms to get media links, just reach out here. We’ll help you get backlinks from top media publications.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is HARO and how does it help with backlinks?
HARO is a platform that connects journalists with experts. By responding to queries and getting featured on reputable publications, HARO helps earn high-quality backlinks, boosting website authority and improving search visibility.
2. How does Featured differ from HARO for link building?
Featured focuses on curated, targeted opportunities based on your expertise, while HARO delivers broad, high-volume journalist queries. Using Featured can result in more contextual, bylined links, making it ideal for long-term authority building alongside HARO’s fast backlink gains.
3. Which platform is better for SEO: HARO or Featured?
Both can improve SEO. HARO provides high-volume exposure and links from major publications, which can boost traffic quickly. Featured delivers more curated placements and contextual backlinks, which enhance credibility and long-term search performance.
4. Can beginners benefit from HARO for backlinks?
Yes, HARO is beginner-friendly because it offers free access to daily journalist queries. Responding to relevant questions allows beginners to earn backlinks from authoritative websites without upfront costs, though it requires consistent monitoring and fast replies.
5. Is it worth using both HARO and Featured together?
Yes, combining HARO and Featured provides a balanced backlink strategy. HARO helps gain quick, high-impact placements, while Featured ensures curated, credible links that support steady authority building and long-term SEO growth.
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