Link Building Pricing: What Links Cost in 2026
What backlinks cost across the market, what drives the price, and exactly what ours cost, so you can set a budget before you talk to anyone. Every price below is published, with no minimum order on single links.
How much does link building cost in 2026?
Published prices for a single backlink run from about $60 to $460, depending on the site’s authority and traffic; premium editorial links cost $375 and up; managed monthly plans run from about $250 to $5,000+ a month; and digital PR campaigns start at about $2,000. Our guest posts start at $85, niche edits at $69 and managed plans at $499 a month.
Which type of link do you need?
Start from what you’re trying to do; the right link type, and its price, follows.
A new page needs authority
from $85Guest posts: a new article on a real, traffic-checked site, with your link in context.
A page is stuck on page 2–3
from $69Niche edits: your link added to an existing, indexed article on your topic. Fastest to go live.
You want it done every month
from $499/moManaged link building: a gap analysis, a monthly plan and live links before every invoice.
You need top-tier publications
from $449Premium editorial links on DR 70–90 sites with real readership.
You want to show up in AI answers
from $279Brand mentions in relevant listicles and reviews, the pages AI tools often cite.
You’re a local business
Free auditA free citation audit, then 50 listings on the directories that matter for local search for $89.
What do our links cost?
Every product, its starting price and how long it takes. Tap a product for its full tiers. Launch prices apply to orders placed by 31 December 2026.
| Product | From | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Guest posts | $85 per link | 14–28 days |
| Niche edits | $69 per link | 10–14 days |
| Managed link building | $499 per month | Monthly |
| Premium editorial links | $449 per link | 21–30 days |
| Brand mentions & listicles | $279 per placement | 14–21 days |
| Digital PR | $1,990 per campaign | 60–90 days |
| Press release distribution | $99 per release | 7 days |
| Local citations | Free audit; 50 for $89 | 7–14 days |
| Tier-2 links | $69 per package | 7–10 days |
| AI visibility (GEO) | $990 per month | Monthly |
What are the full prices for each service?
Open a service to see every tier. Guest posts, niche edits and managed plans have their own pages with full details.
Brand mentions & listiclesfrom $279Your brand in a relevant listicle or review on a DR 30+ site.
- Your brand in a relevant listicle or review
- DR 30+ site
- Live URL report
Launch offer: prices above apply to orders placed by 31 December 2026. After that, the regular (struck-through) prices apply.
Not sure this is right for you? Book a free strategy call.
Digital PRfrom $1,990Data-led campaigns with a guaranteed number of media links.
Launch offer: prices above apply to orders placed by 31 December 2026. After that, the regular (struck-through) prices apply.
Not sure this is right for you? Book a free strategy call. Read more about digital PR.
Press release distributionfrom $99Your news distributed to news sites, from 100+ to major outlets.
Launch offer: prices above apply to orders placed by 31 December 2026. After that, the regular (struck-through) prices apply.
Not sure this is right for you? Book a free strategy call.
Local citationsfree audit, 50 for $89A free audit, then consistent listings on the directories that matter.
Launch offer: prices above apply to orders placed by 31 December 2026. After that, the regular (struck-through) prices apply.
Not sure this is right for you? Book a free strategy call. Read more about citation building.
Tier-2 linksfrom $69Links that strengthen the pages already linking to you.
Launch offer: prices above apply to orders placed by 31 December 2026. After that, the regular (struck-through) prices apply.
Not sure this is right for you? Book a free strategy call. Read more about tier-2 links.
AI visibility (GEO)from $990Brand mentions plus tracking of how AI tools describe and cite you.
Launch offer: prices above apply to orders placed by 31 December 2026. After that, the regular (struck-through) prices apply.
Not sure this is right for you? Book a free strategy call.
What drives the price of a backlink?
Mostly the authority and real traffic of the site the link sits on, then the type of placement.
Domain Rating and traffic
Higher-DR sites with more organic visitors cost more to place on. We price by DR tier, and every tier carries a guaranteed traffic minimum.
Link type
Niche edits cost less than guest posts because no new article is written. Digital PR costs most because a campaign has to earn the coverage.
Content
Our guest post prices include a 750+ word article. Some marketplaces charge for writing separately, so compare like for like.
Relevance
A link from a site that genuinely covers your topic is worth more, and takes more outreach to secure, than one from a general site.
Management
Strategy, anchor planning and reporting are built into managed plans; with single links, you do that part yourself.
How do our prices compare with the market?
Our prices sit at or below most well-known providers’ published prices, with a traffic minimum on every tier. All competitor prices are from their own sites, checked in October 2026.
| Link type | BadAss Backlinks | Market (published prices) |
|---|---|---|
| Guest post, entry tier | $85 | Rhino Rank $75 (DA 10+), FATJOE $96 (DR 20+), The HOTH $150 (DR 20+), Authority Builders $160, Loganix $200 |
| Niche edit, entry tier | $69 | Rhino Rank $60, FATJOE $72 (DR 10+), Loganix $200, The HOTH $200 (DR 20+) |
| Premium editorial link | $449 (DR 70–90) | Editorial.Link $375 (DR 60+) |
| Managed monthly | $499/month (4 links) | Rhino Rank from $250, FATJOE $540 per package, Authority Builders $1,000, Stellar SEO $2,500, LinkBuilder.io $2,999 |
| Digital PR | $1,990 per campaign | Siege Media from about $12,000 a month |
Some providers are cheaper at the entry tier, but often with a traffic range that starts at zero. Compare the traffic minimum, what’s included and the guarantee, not just the price. See our best link building agencies and best guest posting services for full comparisons.
What can you get for your budget?
Start with the gap between your page and the pages that rank above it, then match a budget to how fast you want to close it. Count the websites linking to the top-ranking pages for your keyword and compare with your own; the difference is roughly how many links you need.
Testing: under $500
A handful of single guest posts or niche edits at DR 20–30 to one important page. Good for seeing how your site responds.
Steady growth: about $499–$1,000 a month
A managed plan with 4 to 8 links a month, planned around your gap and anchors.
Competitive markets: $2,000+ a month
A larger managed plan with 16 links a month, plus premium links or digital PR for authority that outreach alone can’t reach.
Want the gap worked out for you? Book a free strategy call and we’ll compare your target pages with the pages outranking them, then suggest a budget.
What’s included with every link we place?
Specs guarantee
Each site meets the DR tier, traffic minimum and niche you ordered on the day we deliver, or we replace or refund that link.
6-month replacement
Links removed or made nofollow within 6 months are replaced free.
Live URL report
Every live link with the site’s DR, traffic and the anchor used. Managed plans show it before you’re invoiced.
First-order money-back
Not happy with your first order? Full refund within 14 days of delivery, up to $250.
These apply to guest posts, niche edits, premium links and managed plans; full terms, including other services, are in our refund policy. Buying for clients? We offer white-label link building with unbranded reports; ask about agency pricing.
When is a cheap backlink a bad deal?
No traffic data
A high DR with no real organic traffic is a common sign of a site that sells links to anyone.
Bulk bundles
Dozens of links for a few hundred dollars almost always means link farms or private blog networks.
No live URLs
If a seller won’t show you placements, assume you wouldn’t want them.
Ranking guarantees
Nobody controls Google’s results. A promise of positions is a sales tactic.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a single backlink cost?
Published prices for a single link from established providers run from about $60 to $460, depending on the site’s authority and traffic. Ours start at $69 for a niche edit and $85 for a guest post, both with a guaranteed traffic minimum.
How much should I spend on link building each month?
It depends on the gap between your pages and the pages ranking above them. Many small businesses start with 4 to 8 links a month, which is about $499 to $1,000 with our managed plans; competitive markets usually need more.
Why do higher-DR links cost more?
Sites with higher Domain Rating and more organic traffic are harder to place on and pass more authority. Price rises with both, which is why we price by DR tier and guarantee a traffic minimum at each one.
Are cheap backlinks worth it?
Only if the site has real organic traffic and covers your topic. Very cheap links usually come from sites that sell to anyone, which rarely help and can carry risk.
Is there a minimum order?
No. You can order a single guest post or niche edit. Managed plans are monthly, with no lock-in contract.
Do you offer agency or volume pricing?
Agencies can resell our links under their own brand with unbranded reports. Ask us about agency pricing for regular volume.
When do the launch prices end?
Launch prices apply to orders placed by 31 December 2026. After that, the regular prices shown struck through apply.
What happens if a link is removed?
If a link is removed or made nofollow within 6 months of delivery, we replace it free with a placement of the same tier or higher, or refund it if we can’t.
Sources: competitors’ own pricing pages, checked October 2026: Rhino Rank, FATJOE, The HOTH, Authority Builders, Loganix, Editorial.Link, Stellar SEO, LinkBuilder.io, Siege Media.