Guest Post Prices in 2026: What a Guest Post Costs by Traffic and DR
Real guest post prices from 15,009 approved ReputePost listings: medians by monthly traffic, DR and niche, how prices are spread, what writing the article adds and how to tell if a price is fair.
Hamza Haroon
Nov 10, 2026 · 10 min read
A guest post on a site with DR 20+ and at least 1,000 monthly organic visitors costs $100 at the median in 2026, and half of these sites charge between $30 and $200. That figure comes from the prices site owners set on 5,757 such sites listed on ReputePost, out of 15,009 approved sites with a guest post price, read on 10 November 2026. Traffic moves the price far more than DR does: the median rises from $30 for sites under 1,000 visitors a month to $155 for sites with 100,000 or more.
Below you'll find guest post prices by traffic, by DR, by niche and by price band, what writing the article adds, and a quick way to tell whether the price you're quoted is fair.
The median guest post price for sites with DR 20+ and 1,000+ monthly organic visitors, from prices site owners set on ReputePost.
Guest post prices in 2026: the key numbers
$100 is the median price for a guest post on a site with DR 20+ and 1,000+ monthly organic visitors. The middle half of these sites charge $30 to $200.
$186 is the average for the same sites. It sits well above the median because a small group of premium sites charges $500 to $1,000 or more.
51% of these sites charge $100 or more, 29% charge $200 or more, 16% charge $300 or more and 8% charge $500 or more.
$40 is the median across all 15,009 approved sites with a price. It's lower because 58% of listed sites get fewer than 1,000 organic visitors a month.
$130 is the median extra charge when the site owner writes the article for you, on sites with DR 20+ and 1,000+ visitors.
$30 to $155 is how far the median moves with traffic. Across DR 20 to 79 it only moves between $90 and $119.
How we worked out these prices
On 10 November 2026 we read the guest post price on every approved ReputePost listing. A site's guest post price is what its owner charges to publish one article with your link. Site owners set these prices themselves, so they reflect what the market charges. Any marketplace or agency adds its own fee on top, so the total you pay through one will be higher than the figures here.
Sites counted: 15,812 approved listings, of which 15,009 have a guest post price.
Main group: 5,757 sites with DR 20 or higher and at least 1,000 monthly organic visitors. This is the group most buyers shop in, so most figures below use it.
Medians, not averages: a few very expensive sites pull averages up, so we report the median and the middle half of prices (the 25th to 75th percentile).
DR and traffic: taken from each listing, based on Ahrefs Domain Rating and monthly organic traffic estimates.
Guest post prices by monthly organic traffic
Organic traffic is the strongest signal of what a guest post costs. Buyers pay for a page that search engines already trust and send visitors to, and traffic shows that better than any single authority score.
Median guest post price by monthly organic traffic, sites with DR 20 to 79. Bars show the median; the range is the middle half of prices.
Median guest post price by monthly organic traffic (sites with DR 20 to 79; the middle half of prices is in brackets):
Under 1,000 visitors: $30 ($13 to $85), from 6,110 sites
1,000 to 4,999 visitors: $90 ($30 to $200), from 2,448 sites
5,000 to 19,999 visitors: $100 ($35 to $200), from 1,676 sites
20,000 to 99,999 visitors: $130 ($41 to $258), from 911 sites
100,000+ visitors: $155 ($41 to $395), from 323 sites
The biggest jump is from under 1,000 visitors to 1,000+, where the median triples. After that, prices climb steadily rather than sharply. A site with 50,000 visitors doesn't charge ten times more than a site with 5,000; it charges about 30% more. That makes mid-traffic sites in your niche the best value for most budgets.
Guest post prices by DR
Domain Rating (DR) is the score buyers filter on first, but it predicts price far less than traffic does. Once a site has real traffic, the median price stays close to $100 whatever its DR.
Median guest post price by DR, sites with 1,000+ monthly organic visitors.
Median guest post price by DR (sites with 1,000+ monthly organic visitors):
DR 20 to 29: $90 ($30 to $200)
DR 30 to 39: $100 ($30 to $200)
DR 40 to 49: $119 ($40 to $220)
DR 50 to 59: $100 ($35 to $200)
DR 60 to 69: $113 ($35 to $250)
DR 70 to 79: $110 ($34 to $300)
DR 80+: $45 ($15 to $200)
Two things stand out. First, the top of the range grows with DR: at DR 70 to 79 a quarter of sites charge $300 or more, against $200 at DR 20 to 39. Second, DR 80+ sites are cheaper than you'd expect. Many of them are large open platforms where anyone can publish under a contributor account, so the link sits on a user page that may get little traffic. When a very high DR site is cheap, check exactly where your article will appear.
DR is one of several link building metrics worth checking before you buy. Treat it as a filter for spam, and use traffic and relevance to decide what a site is worth.
How guest post prices are spread
Prices cover a wide range even inside the main group. One in three sites with DR 20+ and 1,000+ visitors charges under $50, and one in twelve charges $500 or more.
Share of sites with DR 20+ and 1,000+ monthly organic visitors in each price range.
Under $50: 34% of sites
$50 to $99: 15%
$100 to $199: 22%
$200 to $499: 21%
$500 to $999: 6%
$1,000 or more: 2%
A cheap price isn't a problem in itself. Plenty of honest small sites charge $30 to $50. The risk is a cheap price on a site whose traffic is falling, whose content is mostly sponsored posts, or whose topic has nothing to do with yours. Check those three things before you pay.
Guest post prices by niche
Site owners can tag their sites with one or more niches. 4,438 of the 5,757 sites in the main group have at least one, so these figures cover most of the group. Medians are for sites with DR 20+ and 1,000+ monthly organic visitors, in niches with at least 30 such sites.
Niches with the highest median guest post price:
Automobiles: $195
Animals and pets: $175
Sports: $160
Politics: $150
News: $145
Finance: $140
Food: $120
Real estate: $120
Common niches at or near the overall median: business, lifestyle, fashion, entertainment, e-commerce and art all sit at $100, marketing and advertising at $90.
Niches with lower median prices: health $80, technology $75, education $60 and web development $59.
Supply explains most of the gap. Technology, entertainment and lifestyle have thousands of listed sites competing for buyers, which keeps prices down. Niches with fewer sites and more advertisers, such as finance, sports and cars, cost more. If your niche is crowded, you can usually find good sites at or below the median.
What else changes the price of a guest post
Who writes the article. Most listed prices assume you send a finished article. If the site owner writes it, expect to pay extra: a median of $130 more on sites with DR 20+ and 1,000+ visitors, which brings the typical total to about $245.
A new article or a link in an existing one. Adding your link to an article that's already published, known as a niche edit, is a different product with its own pricing. ReputePost offers it as a separate niche edit service.
How the link is marked. Google asks for paid links to carry rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". Some sites charge the same either way, others price followed links higher. Here's how sponsored, nofollow and ugc tags differ.
Sensitive topics. Many site owners charge more for, or refuse, casino, CBD, crypto and adult content. Ask before you order.
Extras. More than one link, a homepage mention or a guarantee that the post stays live for a set time can all add to the price.
How to tell if a guest post price is fair
Compare it with the traffic band above. A site with 3,000 monthly visitors asking $400 is well above the market; one asking $90 is right in the middle.
Check that the traffic is real and steady. Look at the trend over the last 6 to 12 months. A site that lost half its traffic is worth less than its listing suggests.
Check relevance. A $60 post on a site in your topic usually does more than a $200 post on an unrelated one. This guide shows how to judge relevance.
Look at the site's other posts. If most recent articles are sponsored and cover every topic under the sun, the site is selling links more than serving readers.
Confirm what's included. Ask about writing, the number of links, how the link is marked and how long the post stays up.
If guest posting is new to you, start with how guest posting works before you set a budget.
Where to compare guest post prices
The fastest way to compare prices is to see many sites side by side with their DR, traffic, niche and price. On the ReputePost marketplace you can filter more than 15,000 sites by all four, see the full price before you order, and your payment is held until you approve the published post.
Ready to compare sites? Create a free account to see prices, filter by niche and traffic, and order your first guest post.
Own a website yourself? These prices also show what you could charge. Read how selling guest posts on your own site works.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a guest post cost in 2026?
On sites with DR 20+ and at least 1,000 monthly organic visitors, the median guest post price is $100, and half of these sites charge between $30 and $200. Across all listed sites, including small ones, the median is $40. These are prices site owners set on ReputePost as of 10 November 2026.
What affects the price of a guest post most?
Organic traffic. The median price rises from $30 for sites under 1,000 monthly visitors to $155 for sites with 100,000 or more, while it stays between $90 and $119 from DR 20 to DR 79. Niche, writing and extras such as more links come next.
Why are some high-DR sites so cheap?
Many sites with DR 80+ are large open platforms where anyone can publish under a contributor account. The domain is strong, but your article sits on a user page that may get little traffic. Check exactly where the post will appear before you buy.
Does the price include writing the article?
Usually not. Most listed prices assume you supply the article. When the site owner writes it, the median extra charge is $130 on sites with DR 20+ and 1,000+ visitors.
Are paid guest posts allowed by Google?
Google's spam policies treat links bought to manipulate rankings as link spam and ask for paid links to be marked rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". Buy on relevant sites with real readers, and follow the site's rules for marking the link.
Which niches have the most expensive guest posts?
Among sites with DR 20+ and 1,000+ visitors, automobiles ($195), animals and pets ($175), sports ($160), politics ($150), news ($145) and finance ($140) have the highest median prices. Technology ($75) and education ($60) are among the lowest, because so many sites compete in them.