LinkAcquire started as a free website where you paste a list of domains and compare guest post and link insertion prices across marketplaces. Some users asked for something different: a tool they could run themselves, with their own API keys, inside their own scripts. So we released an open source backlink price checker as a small command-line tool on GitHub.
This post explains what the open-source tool does, who it is for, how it differs from the hosted site and how you can add a marketplace to it.
Two tools, one goal
There are now two ways to check backlink prices with LinkAcquire, and they are separate products:
- The hosted website at linkacquire.com is a free service. You sign in with an email code, paste your domains and see prices from partner marketplaces. You do not need any API keys. The website itself is not open source.
- The command-line tool is open source under the MIT license, written in Python and published on GitHub. You run it on your own computer with your own marketplace API keys.
Both have the same aim: show you what a placement on a specific site costs on each marketplace, so you do not pay more than you need to. If you just want answers, the free backlink price checker on our site is the quicker option.
Why build an open source backlink price checker?
We had a few practical reasons.
Some people need to run it themselves
Agencies and developers often already have API access to one or more guest post marketplaces. They want to check prices from cron jobs, internal dashboards or spreadsheets, not from a browser. A command-line tool fits that work much better.
API keys should stay with their owners
Many people are not comfortable pasting marketplace credentials into a third-party website. With the open-source tool, your key is read from an environment variable on your machine and sent only to that marketplace’s own API over HTTPS. It is never stored or sent anywhere else.
You can see exactly what it does
Price data affects real spending decisions. With open code, you can read every line, check how prices are calculated and confirm that nothing unexpected happens with your data.
Adding marketplaces is easier as a community
There are many guest post marketplaces. An open project lets anyone with API access write an adapter for the marketplace they use, instead of waiting for us.
What the open-source tool does
The command-line tool is deliberately small. It does a few things well:
- Bulk checks: pass domains on the command line or from a text file, one per line. How many you can check depends on your API plan with each marketplace.
- Price comparison: it lists guest post and link insertion offers for each domain, with the best price first.
- Quoted price comparison: if a publisher or reseller has quoted you a price, add it after the domain (for example, a domain followed by a colon and 250). The output shows the best listed price next to your quote and how much you would save.
- Export: output as a table in your terminal, or as CSV for Excel and Google Sheets, or JSON for scripts.
- No extra dependencies: it needs Python 3.9 or newer and nothing else, so it runs anywhere Python runs.
The quoted price feature is useful when an outreach reply or a reseller gives you a number and you want a quick sanity check. Our guide on how to spot inflated guest post prices explains what to look for.
Open source CLI vs hosted checker
| Open-source CLI | LinkAcquire hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (MIT license) | Free |
| Marketplace API keys | Bring your own | Not needed |
| Setup | Python and a terminal | Browser and email sign-in |
| Marketplaces | Those with an adapter and your key | Partner marketplaces with live prices, plus quick links to others |
| Export | CSV and JSON | View in the browser |
| Best for | Developers, scripts, agencies with API access | Anyone who wants an answer in seconds |
For a walkthrough of the hosted version, read our backlink price checker guide.
Who the open-source version is for
The CLI makes sense if you:
- Already have an API key from a guest post marketplace.
- Want to run price checks from scripts, scheduled jobs or your own tools.
- Need results as CSV or JSON for reporting.
- Prefer to keep your keys on your own machine.
- Want to add support for a marketplace you use.
If none of that applies, the hosted site will save you time. You do not need keys, there is nothing to install and you get live prices from several partner marketplaces in one search. You can create a free account with just an email code.
How to add a marketplace adapter
Each marketplace in the CLI is one small adapter file. The adapter takes a domain, calls the marketplace’s API and returns the offers in a shared format, so the rest of the tool can sort, compare and export them.
- Check the marketplace has an official API that returns per-site prices. The project only uses official, documented APIs. No scraping.
- Read the contributing guide in the GitHub repository, which explains the adapter format.
- Write the adapter so it reads its key from an environment variable and returns prices, formats and link types in the shared shape.
- Add tests with saved sample responses, so the adapter can be checked without a live key.
- Open a pull request.
If you run a marketplace and want to be listed on the hosted site too, see how to list your marketplace on LinkAcquire. More details on the CLI, including install steps, are on our open source page.
What the tool does not do
The CLI does not buy links, place orders or contact publishers. It only reads listed prices. You still buy on the marketplace itself, under that marketplace’s terms.
It also does not judge whether a site is worth buying. Prices are one part of the decision, and quality checks still matter. Keep in mind that paid links should use rel=”sponsored” or nofollow under Google’s guidance, and many SEOs still buy placements and accept the risk.
FAQ
Is the LinkAcquire website open source?
No. The open-source part is the command-line tool on GitHub. The hosted website is a separate free service.
Do I need to pay to use the open source backlink price checker?
No. The code is free under the MIT license. You only need an API key from each marketplace you want to query, under that marketplace’s own terms.
Can I use the CLI without any API keys?
Not really, since it reads prices directly from marketplace APIs. Without keys, use the hosted checker instead, which needs none.
Whether you prefer the terminal or the browser, the goal is the same: see the real price before you pay. Pick the open-source CLI if you have keys, or use LinkAcquire’s hosted checker if you do not.