SourceBottle is one of the oldest HARO-style services still running — free daily journalist callouts with up to 10 keyword subscriptions, with the strongest reach in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK among free options. It's been going since 2009.
People look for alternatives because they need more US coverage, higher-authority outlets, or they want to proactively pitch journalists instead of waiting for callouts. Here are the five best options.
We make Medialyst and ranked it first — but Medialyst is not a source-request service. We cover both proactive tools and real query-feed alternatives. Pricing is from public pages as of June 2026.
Tool
Best for
Standout
Starting price
Free option
1Medialyst
PR teams and experts who'd rather proactively pitch the right journalists than wait for callouts. Not a source-request service — a complementary outreach tool.
AI reads each journalist's recent coverage and scores fit for your story
From $97/mo (annual) · $149/mo monthly
Free first list · no credit card
2HARO
Anyone who wants the broadest free query feed — larger volume and more US coverage than SourceBottle.
Free, 1M+ sources, three emails/day
Free
Free
3Source of Sources (SOS)
Anyone who wants a free, general-purpose query feed from HARO's original creator.
Built by Peter Shankman — free, email-first
Free
Free
4Help a B2B Writer
B2B experts in SaaS, marketing, and tech who want B2B-only queries with far less noise.
Free, B2B-only, ruthlessly anti-spam
Free
Free
5Qwoted
Experts who want the highest-authority outlets and are willing to pay for quality.
Highest share of DR 80+ requests, anti-spam vetting
$99/mo (annual) or $149/mo monthly
Free tier (2 pitches/mo)
All query tools are reactive. Medialyst is the proactive option. Free feeds (HARO, SOS, Help a B2B Writer, SourceBottle) cost nothing; Qwoted is the paid quality upgrade.
The ranked list
The 5 best SourceBottle alternatives.
1
MedialystOur pick5.0/5 on G2
AI-native journalist discovery — story-in, verified list out
Best for: PR teams and experts who'd rather proactively pitch the right journalists than wait for callouts. Not a source-request service — a complementary outreach tool.
Pricing: From $97/mo (annual) · $149/mo monthly
Free option: Free first list · no credit card
Medialyst is the AI-native media list builder. Instead of handing you a giant static database to filter and verify yourself, it reads hundreds of articles relevant to your specific announcement, surfaces the journalists who actually cover it, scores them 0–100 by fit with reasoning grounded in their recent work, and verifies every email in real time before it reaches you. It runs from a chat box — paste a release, a URL, or a one-line description — and from inside Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor via a public REST API and a hosted remote MCP server. Pricing is public, monthly, and contract-free; your first list is free with no credit card.
Pros
Story-specific relevance scoring grounded in journalists' actual recent articles, not keyword filters
Every email verified in real time before delivery — built to kill the bounce-rate problem of static databases
Public, monthly, contract-free pricing with a free first list
Agent-native: public REST API + hosted remote MCP, usable inside Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor
Upload any competitor CSV and the agent re-verifies and re-scores every contact
Cons
Newer than the legacy incumbents — not the choice if a recognizable enterprise brand name is itself the requirement
Focused on discovery, pitching, and verification rather than broad social-listening or share-of-voice dashboards
Best for: Anyone who wants the broadest free query feed — larger volume and more US coverage than SourceBottle.
Pricing: Free
Free option: Free
The revived HARO (run by Featured.com) is the broadest free alternative — three daily emails covering every topic, 1M+ sources, and better US volume than SourceBottle. It added AI-spam detection in 2025. Noisier than SourceBottle's keyword-filtered model, but more total opportunities.
Best for: Anyone who wants a free, general-purpose query feed from HARO's original creator.
Pricing: Free
Free option: Free
Source of Sources, built by HARO's original founder Peter Shankman, is a free email digest of journalist queries covering all topics. It's broader and simpler than SourceBottle — no keyword subscriptions to configure — but has less international depth and no AU/NZ specialty.
Best for: B2B experts in SaaS, marketing, and tech who want B2B-only queries with far less noise.
Pricing: Free
Free option: Free
Help a B2B Writer (MentionMatch) is a free source-request service carrying only B2B queries. If your expertise is B2B, the signal-to-noise ratio is higher than SourceBottle or HARO. The trade-off: query volume is lower, and it's US-centric — no AU/NZ/UK coverage.
Best for: Experts who want the highest-authority outlets and are willing to pay for quality.
Pricing: $99/mo (annual) or $149/mo monthly
Free option: Free tier (2 pitches/mo)
Qwoted is the quality-over-volume upgrade from SourceBottle — the highest share of high-authority outlet requests with aggressive anti-spam. It's not free (Pro $99/mo annually) but the outlet tier is meaningfully higher than any free feed.
Paste a story. Get your journalist list in minutes.
Drop in a press release, your website URL, or a one-line description of your news. Medialyst reads what's relevant, finds reporters who actually cover it, scores them by fit, and verifies every email — your first list is free, no credit card.
First list free · No credit card
FAQ
SourceBottle alternatives — common questions.
What is the best SourceBottle alternative?
For US coverage: HARO. For B2B-only: Help a B2B Writer. For the highest outlet quality: Qwoted. For proactive outreach: Medialyst.
Is SourceBottle free?
SourceBottle's free tier includes 10 keyword alerts and daily callout emails. A premium upgrade (~$65/mo) adds visibility features.
Does SourceBottle work in the US?
Yes, but volume is smaller and outlets skew lower-authority than in its strongest markets (Australia, New Zealand, UK).
Product names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only for purposes of comparison. Medialyst is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of the tools listed. Pricing and feature claims are based on public documentation and customer reviews as of June 2026; please verify with each vendor.
