15 Connectively (HARO) Alternatives for 2025

What can we do after the recent closure of HARO (Help a Reporter Out)–a long-standing favorite among PR professionals for connecting with journalists?

If you're seeking better ways to gain media exposure and build backlinks, you're not alone. With HARO no longer in service, PR teams and businesses are now exploring alternative platforms to maintain and grow their media outreach efforts.

In this article, we will delve into several promising HARO alternatives, so you can make an informed choice. Find your answer to the question of which platforms would be best for connecting with journalists directly blow.

What is Connectively (HARO)?

Connectively (a Cision product), known as HARO (Help A Reporter Out), was a platform designed to connect experts with journalists seeking insights for their stories. It helped experts get their ideas out there and connect with people who want to learn from them and helping journalists add weight to their works.

Who was it best for?

Journalists, small businesses, content creators, and subject matter experts.

What happened to HARO?

HARO (later: Connectively) started as an easy to use platform connecting journalists with their story sources. Connectively expanded on this by providing a more comprehensive suite of communication tools. Beyond simple connections, this platform offered a suite of tools to support various aspects of media relations.

• 2008 – Peter Shankman creates HARO (Help a Reporter Out) as a simple email-based service to connect journalists with expert sources
• June 2010 – Vocus, Inc. acquires HARO
• 2014 – Vocus merges with Cision Ltd., making HARO one of Cision's brands
• 2023 – Cision rebrands HARO as Connectively
• December 9, 2024 – Cision permanently discontinues Connectively (formerly HARO) platform

After many years as a go-to platform for connecting journalists with expert sources, HARO (Help a Reporter Out) has officially shut down its services.

This closure leaves a significant gap for PR professionals, marketers, and thought leaders who relied on HARO to build media relationships and secure valuable press opportunities.

While HARO may no longer be an option, the good news is that there are several robust alternatives available to help you achieve your media outreach goals. Whether you’re seeking a tool for streamlined journalist connections or advanced PR campaign management, the options below can effectively fill the void HARO left behind.

If you're looking for an advanced tool to take care of your media relations strategy, you can also try Prowly for 7 days free.

Top HARO alternatives

#1 Connectively (HARO) alternative: Prowly

• 💸 Pricing: starts from $258/month
• All-in-one PR tool: yes
• Free trial: yes, 7 days 

Comparison overview

Both Prowly and Connectively serve as PR tools to connect journalists with sources, but Prowly emphasizes AI assistant, visual storytelling, content creation, and offers comprehensive digital & traditional media monitoring, while Connectively focuses on facilitating direct media inquiries.

Connectively vs. Prowly: feature comparison

Connectively

• Algorithms for connecting journalists with relevant sources.
• Real-time communication tools for efficient media interactions.
• Custom alerts and notifications per specific topics or keywords.
• Relationship management features to improve relationship building.
• Analytics and reporting tools to measure outreach effectiveness.

Prowly

• Media Database offers extensive journalist and media outlet contacts.
• AI Assistant trained on PR writing best practices - the first AI tool for ideation in PR.
• Press release creation and distribution tools.
• Online Newsroom dedicated to showcasing press materials.
• PR analytics to track media coverage, performance, and ROI.
• CRM-like features for managing and nurturing media relationships.
• Comprehensive media monitoring – social media, digital landscape, as well as broadcast & print monitoring.

Who is it best for? 

👉🏼 Connectively aims for a broad audience of journalists, PR professionals, and individual experts. It's popular among smaller businesses and freelance-professionals.

The platform offers a straightforward and user-friendly interface, designed to facilitate quick connections between journalists and sources. It emphasizes ease of use and is suitable for users who may not need a full-scale PR platform but want effective media outreach tools.Editing:

👉🏼 Prowly targets PR professionals, agencies, and larger organizations. It is a great choice for those who require more control over media outreach, press release distribution, and newsroom management.

This tool offers a more comprehensive and feature-rich interface. The platform focuses on managing complex PR campaigns. Moreover, it aims for users who need in-depth tools for content creation, distribution, and analytics. 

Comprehensive PR management

👉🏼 Connectively focuses on connecting journalists with sources and managing those relationships.

So it’s a perfect match for those who mostly need a media outreach tool.

👉🏼 Prowly delivers a comprehensive PR management solution.

From media database to press release distribution and newsroom creation. Ideal for those who need an all-in-one platform to manage their full PR efforts.

#2 Connectively (HARO) alternative: Featured/Terkel

• 💸 Pricing: flexible, discussed individually 
• All-in-one PR tool: yes
• Free trial: yes

What is Featured?

Featured, previously known as Terkel, is a digital PR tool designed to streamline public relations efforts by providing a comprehensive suite of features. 

What features does it offer?

Usually, sites like HARO offer similar feature portfolios. With Featured you can: 

• Track brand mentions and media coverage across various platforms to stay informed about public perception.
• Easily distribute press releases to a wide network of journalists and media outlets, enhancing brand visibility.
• Connect with relevant influencers to amplify your PR campaigns and reach targeted audiences.
• Measure the impact of PR efforts through detailed analytics, helping to refine strategies and improve outcomes.

Who is it best for?

Small business owners, PR agencies, in-house marketers, and SEO agencies.

✅ Pros

• Customizable outreach
• Collaboration features 
• Performance tracking 
• Customer support 
• Free trial

🔻Cons

• Limited customization 
• Long learning curve 
• 3rd parties dependencies 
• With a large media database, Featured may attract users who send out mass and irrelevant pitches cluttering your mailbox 

#3 Connectively (HARO) alternative: Qwoted

• 💸 Pricing: free plan, paid starts from $99/month
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: No

What is Qwoted?

It is a platform that connects journalists with expert sources for media opportunities.

What features does it offer?

• Unlimited pitches for the Pro and Teams plans.
• Real-time alerts for new opportunities.
• Daily opportunities email.
• Pitch Intelligence to identify less competitive requests.
• Events & Awards database.
• Media Moves database.
• Profile view alerts.
• Team functionality for the Pro and Teams plans.

Who is it best for?

PR professionals and experts looking for solid and relevant media exposure.

✅ Pros

• Free Basic plan available
• Unlimited pitches for paid plans
• Real-time alerts and daily opportunities email
• Pitch Intelligence to optimize outreach
• Aggregated databases of events, awards, and media moves

🔻Cons

• The free plan is limited to 2 pitches per month
• Paid plans are more expensive than some alternatives
• Smaller media database compared to some competitors
• Approval required to join, limiting pool of experts

#4 Connectively (HARO) alternative: SourceBottle

• 💸 Pricing: Free plan available, paid starts from $5.95 monthly
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: No

What is SourceBottle?

SourceBottle is an online platform that connects journalists, bloggers, and content creators with expert sources and PR professionals looking to gain media exposure.

What features does it offer?

• Call Outs – journalists can issue requests for sources, which are emailed to subscribers.
• Global reach.
• Publicity Opportunities.
• Email Alerts based on Call Outs.
• Giveaways and Case Studies – opportunities for businesses to showcase products or insights for media pitches.

Who is it best for?

Journalists, bloggers, experts and PR Pros.

✅ Pros

• Free plan is available
• User-friendly interface that simplifies the process of connecting with journalists
• Filtering queries in order to receive only relevant call outs
• Potential for significant media exposure and backlinks

🔻 Cons 

• Limited pitch opportunities
• The lack of qualifying criteria may lead to less targeted opportunities
• Smaller User Base (Compared to HARO/Connectivetely)
• Some useful features are only available through paid plans

#5 Connectively (HARO) alternative: ProfNet

• 💸 Pricing: Free, for Experts - $1,650 annually for a single industry
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: No

What is ProfNet?

ProfNet is another former Help A Reporter Out alternative. It connects experts and journalists to deliver value to readers. 

What features does it offer?

• Journalists can submit queries detailing the expertise they seek, which are sent to subscribed experts.
• The tool allows journalists to filter queries by institution type and geographic location for more relevant responses.
• Email notifications.
• Interactive community to connect interested parties.

Who is it best for?

Journalists, media professionals, PR agencies and industry pros.

✅ Pros

• Established position, since 1992
• Free access
• Wide network
• Filtering feature to find the most suitable experts

🔻 Cons 

• Paid for experts (and no free option for them)
• Self-selected input from journalists can lead to incomplete queries
• Challenging navigation

#6 Connectively (HARO) alternative: JournoRequests

• 💸 Pricing: free
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial:  No

What is JournoRequests?

Experts and PR pros now use the hashtags “journorequest” and “PRrequest” to get some insights. They send the request tweets and people respond via DM or email. Easy, isn’t it? It's like a free HARO.

What features does it offer?

• Global reach.
• Easy access.
• Free.
• Wide range of topics.

Who is it best for?

Journalists, freelancers, PR pros, and agencies. 

✅ Pros

• Free
• Easy excess, all you need is an X account
• Always up-to-date
• Connect directly with the journalists and experts

🔻 Cons

• Hashtags on X are not organized into categories, so it takes time to find relevant inquires 

#7 Connectively (HARO) alternative: responsesource

• 💸 Pricing: Starts from £85
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: Yes, one week

What is Responsesource?

Responsesource is one of the top Connectively alternatives. It used be known as JournoRequest. 

What features does it offer?

• Access to a comprehensive Media Database.
• Press Release Wire.
• Journalist Enquiry Service – to post requests for sources.
• Email alerts.
• Customizable categories
• Daily Digest.

Who is it best for?

PR professionals, businesses, brands, and journalists. 

✅ Pros

• Comprehensive database with access to journalist contacts across various sectors
• Real-time engagement
• Customizable alerts
• A well-known platform with an established reputation

🔻 Cons

• Limited global reach (primarily focused on the UK market)
• Potentially high costs for extensive use
• Long learning curve

#8 Connectively (HARO) alternative: JustReachOut

• 💸 Pricing: From $147/month 
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: Yes, 7 days

What is JustReachOut?

It’s an AI-based tool that helps PR pros find relevant pitches.

You can learn more about it's pricing, features and alternatives from this article.

What features does it offer?

• AI-Powered Pitch Engine.
• Journalist Search & Pitch Engine.
• Ability to respond to journalist queries from various platforms.
• Podcast Outreach.
• Email templates to improve open and response rates.
• Human Verified Email Addresses.
• Pitch Analytics.
• PR Academy.

Who is it best for?

Solopreneurs and startups, small to mid-sized businesses, and PR pros.

✅ Pros

• Affordable pricing
• User-friendly interface
• Comprehensive features
• Real-time Engagement
• Proven success as many users report successful media placements and increased visibility

🔻 Cons

• Limited email sends
• Focuses primarily on outreach rather than broader PR management
• New users may need some time to understand and utilize all features
• Some advanced functionalities are only available in higher-tier plans

#9 Connectively (HARO) alternative: ExpertFile 

• 💸 Pricing: Starts from $399/month (up to 10 profiles, paid annually)
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: No

What is ExpertFile?

An easy-to-use platform that helps find subject matter experts. 

What features does it offer?

• Access to thousands of experts in > 50,000 topics.
• Search and filter experts by keywords, industry, and location.
• Curated profiles with complete information about expert backgrounds and expertise.
• Notifications for journalists when specific topics or experts are inquired after.
• Spotlight Builder: Create branded expert microsites to showcase an organization's thought leaders.

Who is it best for?

Journalists, subject matter experts,  media outlets, and PR pros.

✅ Pros

• Free searches
• Access to a large pool of experts across a wide range of industries
• Detailed expert profiles
• The tool allows organizations to showcase their experts effectively

🔻 Cons

• Focus solely on expert sourcing and does not provide broader PR functionalities
• Experts must pay to receive inquiries and submit their profiles
• The free search is limited to basic functionality

#10 Connectively (HARO) alternative: Help a B2B Writer

• 💸 Pricing: Free, Premium Membership: $99/month
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: No

What is ExpertFile?

Help a B2B Writer is a place where writers can find relevant job opportunities. 

What features does it offer?

• Job Board – a list of writing opportunities.
• Weekly newsletter.
• Resource library.
• Community support.

Who is it best for?

B2B Writers and freelancers, content creators, and marketing professionals.

✅ Pros

• Free access
• Focus specifically on B2B writing opportunities
• Support of other writers
• The weekly newsletter keeps users informed about new gigs

🔻 Cons

• The free version may lack some advanced features
• Focus on writing opportunities
• Highly competitive environment
• Some features require a paid subscription

#11 Connectively alternative: PitchRate

• 💸 Pricing: Free, paid start from $49/month 
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: No

What features does it offer?

• Access to a wide range of experts across various industries.
• Journalists can post requests for sources which experts can respond to.
• Email notifications.
• Detailed profile creation.
• Journalists can search for experts based on specific criteria and topics.

Who is it best for?

Journalists, PR professionals, and subject matter experts.

✅ Pros

• Free access
• Targeted Expert Connections
• Email alerts
• User-Friendly interface

🔻 Cons

• Limited features for free users
• Focus solely on expert sourcing
• High competition
• Paid membership for experts

#12 Connectively alternative: NinjaOutreach

• 💸 Pricing: starts from $49/month 
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: Yes, 7 days

What is NinjaOutreach?

NinjaOutreach helps users find their influencer match. 

What features does it offer?

• Access to over 120 million influencer profiles. 
• Email outreach automation.
• Email Templates.
• Tracking and analytics.
• Integrations with popular CRMs and email marketing platforms.

Who is it best for?

Digital marketers, small business owners, and PR pros.

✅ Pros

• Extensive influencer database from various industries
• Automation and efficiency
• Detailed analytics
• Affordable pricing

🔻 Cons

• Focus solely on influencer marketing and outreach
• Limited free trial
• Without decent targeting, users may end up contacting unrelated influencers
• It takes some time to learn how to use all the features

#13 Connectively alternative: X (Twitter)

• 💸 Pricing: Free, $8/month for additional features 
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: No

What is X (Twitter)?

X, formerly know as Twitter, is a social media platform that connects people from around the world. 

What features does it offer?

• Real-time communication.
• Ability to track trending topics and use hashtags for wider reach.
• Direct messaging.
• Tweet analytics.

Who is it best for?

PR Professionals, businesses, content creators, and influencers.

✅ Pros

• Free Access
• Wide reach
• Real-time engagement
• Networking opportunities

🔻 Cons

• High Competition
• Potential for SPAM
• Time-Consuming
• Changing Algorithms

#14 Connectively alternative: PitchResponse

• 💸 Pricing: Free, paid start from $49/month 
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: No

What is PitchResponse?

PitchResponse is a platform that aims to connect journalists with credible experts seeking media coverage.

What features does it offer?

• Access to a wide range of experts from across various countries and industries.
• Journalists can post requests for sources and experts can respond.
• Email notifications.
• Detailed profile creation process.
• Detailed search feature. 

Who is it best for?

Journalists, media, PR pros, and subject matter experts. 

✅ Pros

• Free access
• Targeted expert connections
• Email alerts
• User-friendly UI

🔻 Cons

• Limited features for free
• Focuses solely on expert sourcing
• High competition
• Paid membership for experts

#15 Connectively alternative: OnePitch

• 💸 Pricing: $50/month 
• All-in-one PR tool: No
• Free trial: Yes, 30 days

What is OnePitch?

OnePitch is a media relations platform. It helps PR professionals streamline their outreach and stay in touch with relevant journalists.

What features does it offer?

• Journalist Recommendations – automated suggestions for journalists based on the pitch.
• Custom Media Lists.
• Pitch Checker – it analyses pitches to ensure they meet journalist expectations.
• Email Tracking.
• Follow-Up Reminders.
• Email Reports.

Who is it best for?

PR and Marketing Professionals, agencies, freelancers, and small businesses.

✅ Pros

• Affordable pricing: At $50/month, it offers a cost-effective solution for media outreach
• Time-saving features like automating the process of generating media lists and tracking pitches
• User-friendly UI

🔻 Cons

• Focus mostly on media outreach
• Limited advanced features
• Dependence on user input

Choose the solution that suits you best

Which platforms are best for connecting with journalists? Hopefully, you will find them on the list above. 

By using these alternatives to HARO, journalists can find relevant sources and experts can find a place to share their input. So start searching and benefit from sharing knowledge today.