HARO Free vs Premium: Which Travel Brands Actually Need the Paid Plans?
HARO Premium costs £15-120 monthly. Should you upgrade? Or does free work fine? Here's the honest breakdown based on which travel brands actually benefit from paid plans.
The Problem: HARO's free plan limits you to 10 pitches monthly. You're hitting this limit and wondering if upgrading to £15-120/month unlocks better results. Or maybe you're on free and wondering if you're missing opportunities.
The Solution: Most travel brands succeed perfectly well on free. But specific situations benefit from upgrading. Here's exactly when paid plans make financial sense.
This decision framework shows which plan matches your goals.
HARO Plan Breakdown
| Plan | Cost | Monthly Pitches | Early Access | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | £0 | 10 pitches | Solo bloggers, startups, testing HARO | |
| Lite | £15/month | 25 pitches | Active travel businesses getting results | |
| Standard | £49/month | 75 pitches | Agencies, multi-brand operators | |
| Premium | £120/month | 150 pitches | Large agencies, aggressive link building |
The Decision Framework
Answer these questions to determine your right plan:
Stay on Free If...
You're Sending Under 10 Pitches Monthly
Most travel brands shouldn't pitch more than 3-4 queries weekly anyway. That's 12-16 monthly. Free's 10-pitch limit forces quality over quantity.
You're Still Learning HARO
First 2-3 months, focus on pitch quality. Master the basics on free before investing in volume.
Your Success Rate is Under 20%
If you're not getting 2+ placements from 10 pitches, you don't need more volume. You need better pitches. Fix quality first.
You're a Solo Operator or Blogger
Individual travel bloggers rarely benefit from 25+ pitches monthly. Free works perfectly.
Upgrade to Lite (£15/month) If...
You're Consistently Hitting the 10-Pitch Limit
Three consecutive months maxing out? You've proven HARO works. Lite gives you 25 pitches for £15/month.
Your Success Rate is 25%+
You're getting 3+ placements from 10 pitches. More volume = more backlinks. Worth £15 to triple your opportunities.
Early Access Matters for Your Niche
Competitive topics (luxury travel, sustainable tourism) get 100+ responses. 1-2 hour head start significantly improves placement odds.
You Can Pitch Multiple Categories
Travel AND hospitality AND food queries? Lite lets you target broader categories without hitting limits.
Real ROI Analysis: Is Paid Worth It?
Let's calculate whether upgrading makes financial sense:
Free Plan Scenario
Cost: £0
Pitches: 10 monthly
Success Rate: 25%
Placements: 2-3 monthly
Backlink Value: £600-900
Net Value: £600-900
Lite Plan Scenario
Cost: £15/month
Pitches: 25 monthly
Success Rate: 25%
Placements: 6-7 monthly
Backlink Value: £1,800-2,100
Net Value: £1,785-2,085
If you're getting 25%+ success rates, Lite pays for itself 100x over. £15 investment returns £1,800+ in backlink value monthly.
When Standard/Premium Makes Sense (Rare)
Most travel brands never need Standard (£49/month) or Premium (£120/month). These only make sense for:
Marketing Agencies Serving Multiple Clients
You're pitching HARO for 5-10 travel clients monthly. Need 50-100 pitches to cover all clients effectively.
Multi-Brand Travel Operators
You run 3-4 different travel brands (luxury tours, budget backpacking, adventure travel, etc.). Each brand needs separate pitches from different expertise angles.
Aggressive Link Building Campaigns
You're specifically targeting 50+ backlinks monthly as primary growth strategy. This is rare and usually means you should hire an agency instead.
Honest recommendation: If you think you need Standard/Premium, you probably need to outsource HARO entirely. At that volume, hiring experts costs less than your time investment.
Skip Paid Plans—Get Expert Help Instead
If you need 25+ monthly backlinks, our link building service handles HARO pitching, tracking, and reporting for less than you'd spend on Premium + your time. We hit 30%+ success rates consistently.
Free vs Premium Questions
The Honest Recommendation
90% of travel brands should stay on free. Perfect your pitch quality. Get to 25-30% success rates. Ten good pitches monthly beats 50 mediocre ones.
Upgrade to Lite (£15/month) only if: You're hitting the free limit consistently AND getting good results. This usually happens after 3-6 months on free.
Skip Standard/Premium entirely. If you need that volume, hire experts to handle HARO for you. Your time is worth more than the cost difference.
Start with our free HARO guide to master the basics. Upgrade when data proves it's worth it, not because you think you should.