What does link building really cost?
Pick your monthly volume and quality tier. Compare a year of buying links, hiring an agency, or earning them in a verified network.
Market rates are averages from public per-link pricing studies and marketplace listings. Meeeters figures use the Pro plan; the Free plan starts at $0 with one lead per day.
Start free on Meeeters →Where the numbers come from
Marketplace rates are averages from public per-link pricing studies and live listings. Agency figures use typical retainer floors. For the full breakdown of every option, read our honest comparison of where people buy backlinks or see what link building costs in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions people ask most about this topic.
Public pricing studies put the average paid placement between $150 and $700 depending on the site's authority and traffic, with premium niches going higher. Agencies bundle links into monthly retainers starting around $2,500.
Paid placements violate Google's link spam policies when they pass PageRank. If detected, the links are devalued or the site is penalized, which turns the spend into a loss.
You do not buy links. You place one link for another member, a different member links to you, and the subscription only pays for matching, verification and metrics. The plan costs a flat monthly fee instead of a per-link price.