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10 Best Backlink Checkers of 2026

This list is for SEOs who check backlinks for their own sites and study competitor link profiles to find prospects, spot lost links and clean up risky ones. We compared documented features and published prices for 10 tools, from index owners such as Ahrefs, Semrush, Majestic and Moz to suites, a desktop app and a premium audit platform. Scores weigh features at 40%, ease of use at 30% and value at 30%. Features cover index size and freshness, quality metrics, gap and prospecting reports, audit and disavow tools, and limits on the cheapest useful plan. Prices are the vendors' own US dollar figures where the page showed them; two vendors are marked pending because their pricing pages did not show USD when we checked.

By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 9, 2026 · 10 tools compared · Prices checked on vendor pages, latest November 9, 2026

Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com

Mojolin is self-funded How we score

Ahrefs Site Explorer is our top pick: it reports 35 trillion live backlinks, refreshes its index every 15 minutes and shows estimated traffic for each linking page, so you can tell useful links from noise. Semrush Backlink Analytics is a close second for teams that want Backlink Gap, Backlink Audit and outreach tools beside their keyword data. Majestic is the best value specialist, with Trust Flow and Topical Trust Flow from $49.99 a month. SE Ranking is an easy suite for agencies that track built links, and Moz Link Explorer is the free starting point with 10 queries a month and Domain Authority. SEO SpyGlass gives unlimited backlink analysis for $349 a year, Serpstat and Mangools LinkMiner suit small teams, Ubersuggest covers basics from US$29, and LinkResearchTools is the premium audit platform at $599 a month.

Top picks

Best overall

Ahrefs Site Explorer

8.6 / 10

SEOs who want the biggest documented link index, fresh updates and deep filters for their own and rival sites.

Read the review →

Runner-up

Semrush Backlink Analytics

8.4 / 10

Teams that want backlink research, toxic link audits and keyword data in one subscription.

Read the review →

Also great

Majestic

8.3 / 10

Link analysts who judge link quality by trust and topic rather than raw counts.

Read the review →

Comparison table

#ToolPricingScore
1Ahrefs Site ExplorerAhrefs Free for your own site; Starter $29 per month; Lite, the first plan with the full toolset, $129 per month8.6
2Semrush Backlink AnalyticsSEO plan $139 per month, or $117.33 per month billed annually; 7-day free trial8.4
3MajesticLite $49.99 per month, or $41.67 per month billed annually ($499.99 a year); Pro $99.99 per month; prices exclude VAT8.3
4SE RankingSee vendor pricing (USD check pending)8.2
5Moz Link ExplorerFree Moz Community account with 10 queries a month; Moz Pro entry plan $49 per month for one website; Standard $99 per month or $79 billed yearly8.1
6SEO SpyGlassFree version tracks up to 1,100 backlinks; Professional $29.10 per month billed yearly ($349 a year)8.0
7SerpstatIndividual from $50 per month billed annually; Team $100 per month billed annually; 7-day free trial7.9
8Mangools LinkMinerSee vendor pricing (USD check pending)7.8
9UbersuggestPaid plans listed at US$29 to US$99 per month; 7-day free trial on monthly plans; free account and lifetime plans available7.7
10LinkResearchToolsSuperhero Small $599 per month after a $17 seven-day trial; Superhero Standard $999 per month7.2

Scoring weights

Every tool gets three editorial scores out of 10, from vendor documentation, product pages and the published price. The overall score is the weighted average below, the same method on every list. Full method

Features40%
Ease of use30%
Value30%

The full ranking

  1. Rank 1 · Best overall

    Ahrefs Site Explorer

    The backlink and competitor research module of Ahrefs, built on its own web crawler and link index.

    ahrefs.com

    8.6

    out of 10

    Best for: SEOs who want the biggest documented link index, fresh updates and deep filters for their own and rival sites.

    Ahrefs Site Explorer is the reference tool for many link builders, and its published numbers explain why. Ahrefs reports 35 trillion live backlinks and says its index is refreshed every 15 minutes, which matters when you want to see a competitor's new links the week they appear. Every report carries Domain Rating and URL Rating, and the backlinks and referring domains reports add estimated organic traffic for each linking page, a quick way to separate links from visited pages and links from dead directories. The Best by links report, combined with a 404 filter, turns a rival's broken pages into outreach targets, and you can add spam links to a disavow file without leaving the report. The catch is the plan structure. Lite at $129 a month covers Site Explorer with 6 months of history, while broken backlinks, outgoing links and linking authors sit in Standard at $249. Ahrefs Free is useful for checking your own verified site before you pay.

    Standout feature

    Organic traffic estimates for every linking page show which backlinks sit on pages people actually visit.

    Use cases

    • Link builders

      Find a competitor's most linked pages that now return 404

      Outcome: A list of broken link outreach targets

    • In-house SEOs

      Watch new and lost referring domains after a campaign

      Outcome: Early warning when links drop

    • Consultants

      Filter a client's backlinks by traffic and Domain Rating

      Outcome: A short list of links worth replicating

    Key features

    • Backlink index Ahrefs says is updated with fresh data every 15 minutes
    • Domain Rating and URL Rating to judge link strength
    • Organic traffic estimates for each linking page and referring domain
    • Best by links report with a 404 filter for broken link building
    • Disavow file creation straight from the backlink reports

    Pros

    • Largest documented live index on this list, at 35 trillion live backlinks
    • Traffic estimates show which links come from pages people actually visit
    • Broken backlinks, outgoing links and linking authors on Standard and up

    Cons

    • Lite at $129 a month keeps only 6 months of historical data
    • Broken backlinks and linking authors reports need Standard at $249 a month
    • Extra users cost $40 to $80 a month each
  2. Rank 3 · Also great

    Majestic

    A backlink specialist since 2004, known for Trust Flow, Citation Flow and a historic index going back to 2006.

    majestic.com

    8.3

    out of 10

    Best for: Link analysts who judge link quality by trust and topic rather than raw counts.

    Majestic has done backlink analysis and nothing else since 2004, and it shows in the metrics. Trust Flow measures the quality of links to a URL, Citation Flow measures quantity, and the gap between the two is a quick test of whether a site is propped up by low quality links. Topical Trust Flow places a site against the best sites in more than 800 categories, which helps when relevance matters as much as authority. The Fresh Index covers links found in the past 120 days, and the Historic Index holds records back to 2006 for anyone researching how a domain earned its links. Lite costs $49.99 a month, or $41.67 a month billed annually, and includes Site Explorer, Link Context, Related Sites, the Bulk Backlink Checker and 1 million analysis units. Pro at $99.99 adds the Historic Index, raw data exports, Clique Hunter and email alerts. Majestic does not do keyword research or audits, so it works best as a second opinion beside a suite.

    Standout feature

    Topical Trust Flow rates link relevance across more than 800 categories.

    Use cases

    • Link analysts

      Compare Trust Flow and Citation Flow for a list of prospects

      Outcome: A filtered list of trustworthy sites

    • Niche site owners

      Check Topical Trust Flow of linking domains

      Outcome: Proof that links come from relevant topics

    • Domain buyers

      Review a domain's Historic Index on Pro

      Outcome: A record of how the domain built its links

    Key features

    • Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics for link quality and quantity
    • Topical Trust Flow across more than 800 categories
    • Fresh Index covering the past 120 days, refreshed several times a day
    • Historic Index with records back to 2006 on Pro
    • Link Context, Clique Hunter and Author Explorer for prospecting

    Pros

    • Lowest priced dedicated backlink plan from an established index provider
    • Topical Trust Flow shows whether links come from relevant sites
    • 7-day money-back guarantee on Lite and Pro for new customers

    Cons

    • Historic Index, raw exports and email alerts need Pro at $99.99
    • No keyword research or site audit, so most SEOs pair it with another suite
    • Interface packs many specialist reports and takes time to learn
  3. Rank 4

    SE Ranking

    An SEO platform with a backlink checker, backlink tracker and gap tool alongside rank tracking and audits.

    seranking.com

    8.2

    out of 10

    Best for: Agencies and freelancers who want backlink monitoring for many client sites in an easy suite.

    SE Ranking packages backlink research in a suite that is easy to roll out across clients. The Backlink Checker reports referring domains, backlinks, Domain and Page Trust, a toxicity score, new and lost referring domains and broken backlinks, drawing on 2.9 trillion backlinks and 428 million indexed domains. SE Ranking says 58% of its backlinks are updated every 90 days. Three overview charts show links gained and lost over 7 days to a year, and the Pages report ranks a site's URLs by backlinks so you can see what content attracts links in a niche. The separate Backlink Tracker watches the links you built and notifies you if they disappear, while the Backlink Gap Analyzer compares your profile with up to five competitors. Five free checks a day and a 14-day trial with no card make it easy to test. Its index is smaller than the biggest rivals, and we could not confirm USD prices from our location.

    Standout feature

    Backlink Tracker alerts you when a link you built goes missing.

    Use cases

    • Agencies

      Track built links for each client in Backlink Tracker

      Outcome: Alerts when a paid or earned link goes missing

    • Freelance SEOs

      Compare a client with five competitors in the gap tool

      Outcome: New referring domains to pitch

    • Site owners

      Review the toxicity score of their backlinks

      Outcome: A cleanup list before a disavow

    Key features

    • Backlink database of 2.9T backlinks and 428M indexed domains
    • Domain Trust and Page Trust scores
    • Toxicity score for harmful backlinks
    • Backlink Tracker that alerts you when monitored links go missing
    • Backlink Gap Analyzer against up to five competitors

    Pros

    • Five free backlink checks a day without signing up
    • 14-day free trial with no credit card required
    • Backlink tracking and gap analysis come with the same suite as rank tracking

    Cons

    • Smaller published index than Ahrefs, Semrush or Moz
    • USD pricing could not be confirmed from our location
    • Domain Trust is SE Ranking's own scale
  4. Rank 6

    SEO SpyGlass

    A desktop backlink checker that comes inside the SEO PowerSuite bundle with rank tracking and site audits.

    link-assistant.com

    8.0

    out of 10

    Best for: Budget-minded SEOs who want unlimited backlink analysis on a yearly licence.

    SEO SpyGlass is the backlink module of SEO PowerSuite, a desktop bundle that also includes Rank Tracker, WebSite Auditor and LinkAssistant. Its appeal is price: the Professional licence costs $349 a year, which the vendor lists as $29.10 a month, and it allows unlimited projects and unlimited backlink analysis against an index of 6.5 trillion backlinks. Each link comes with page info, link status, anchor text, InLink Rank and Domain InLink Rank, domain age, IP and country, and a Penalty Risk metric that weighs toxicity factors before you disavow. The Bulk Analysis module compares up to 200 domains in one click, and historical data shows when links were gained or lost. Connect analytics and it also reports referral sessions sent by backlinks over the past 30 days. The free version works for one unsaved project with up to 1,100 backlinks. Because it is desktop software, it suits a single analyst better than a team that shares dashboards.

    Standout feature

    Unlimited backlink analysis on a $349 yearly licence.

    Use cases

    • Freelance SEOs

      Audit client link profiles with the Penalty Risk metric

      Outcome: A disavow list backed by toxicity factors

    • Link builders

      Run Bulk Analysis on 200 prospect domains

      Outcome: A ranked prospect list in one pass

    • Small business owners

      Use the free version on their own site

      Outcome: A look at up to 1,100 backlinks at no cost

    Key features

    • Backlink index of 6.5T backlinks on paid plans
    • Penalty Risk metric based on link toxicity factors
    • Bulk Analysis of up to 200 domains at once
    • Historical data on acquired and lost backlinks
    • Backlink traffic from referral sessions over 30 days

    Pros

    • Unlimited backlink analysis from $349 a year
    • Free version handles up to 1,100 backlinks
    • Bundled with rank tracking, site audits and outreach tools

    Cons

    • Desktop software rather than a browser app
    • Free version cannot save projects
    • White-label reports and exports need Enterprise at $599 a year
  5. Rank 7

    Serpstat

    An all-in-one SEO platform whose backlink checker covers donors, anchors, link intersection and bulk domain checks.

    serpstat.com

    7.9

    out of 10

    Best for: Small teams that want backlink and keyword research at a mid-range price.

    Serpstat bundles backlink analysis with keyword research, rank tracking and site audits, and it includes all of them on the Individual plan at $50 a month billed annually. The backlink checker shows a full profile for any domain with Domain Rank for each donor, so you can sort prospects by authority, and an anchor text report helps keep branded, exact match and generic anchors in a natural mix. Link Intersection compares your domain with close competitors, or three competitor domains with each other, to surface link sources they share. For prospect lists, bulk analysis returns 18 metrics per domain, including Domain Rank, backlinks, referring domains and IPs, organic traffic and visibility. Serpstat offers a seven day trial with paid features and a freemium tier. It does not publish an index size on its backlink page, so we scored its data depth below the index specialists. Team at $100 a month adds share access, batch analysis and scheduled reports.

    Standout feature

    Bulk analysis returns 18 SEO metrics for a whole list of prospect domains.

    Use cases

    • Small marketing teams

      Check competitor donors and anchors

      Outcome: Outreach targets sorted by Domain Rank

    • Link builders

      Bulk check a list of prospect domains

      Outcome: 18 metrics per domain in one table

    • SEO freelancers

      Run Link Intersection on three rivals

      Outcome: Sites that link to the whole niche

    Key features

    • Backlink profiles with Domain Rank for every donor
    • Anchor text analysis for a natural looking profile
    • Link Intersection across three competitor domains
    • Bulk checks of 18 SEO metrics for lists of domains
    • Backlink Analysis included on the Individual plan

    Pros

    • Backlink analysis included from the Individual plan
    • Link Intersection finds shared donors of three rivals
    • 7-day trial with paid plan features, plus freemium access

    Cons

    • No published backlink index size on the backlink page
    • Lowest price requires annual billing
    • Team features such as shared access start on Team
  6. Rank 8

    Mangools LinkMiner

    The backlink tool in the Mangools suite, built on Majestic data with a simple prospecting workflow.

    mangools.com

    7.8

    out of 10

    Best for: Bloggers and small site owners who want easy competitor link prospecting alongside keyword research.

    LinkMiner is the backlink checker inside the Mangools suite, and it is built for finding links you can replicate rather than for forensic audits. It draws on a database of 9.5 trillion backlinks that includes Majestic's fresh and historic index, and rates each link with a Link Strength score based on Citation Flow, Trust Flow and other metrics. Enter a competitor's domain and filter by all, new or lost links, or one link per referring domain to cut duplicates. The standout is the website preview: LinkMiner opens the referring page inside the tool and highlights the anchor, so you can judge placement without opening browser tabs. Good finds go into favorite lists for later outreach. Every plan includes KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher and SiteProfiler, which makes it good value for bloggers. It lacks toxicity scoring and disavow tools, and we could not confirm USD prices from our location; Mangools offers a free account and a 48-hour money-back guarantee.

    Standout feature

    An in-tool preview highlights each link's anchor on the referring page.

    Use cases

    • Bloggers

      Mine a rival blog's links with one link per domain

      Outcome: A clean list of sites to pitch

    • Affiliate site owners

      Preview anchors on referring pages

      Outcome: Faster judgment on which links to copy

    • Solo marketers

      Save prospects into favorite lists

      Outcome: An outreach list ready for later

    Key features

    • Database of 9.5 trillion backlinks from Majestic's fresh and historic index
    • Link Strength metric based on Citation Flow, Trust Flow and others
    • Website preview with the anchor text highlighted
    • Favorite lists for saving link prospects
    • All, new, lost and one link per domain filters

    Pros

    • Anchor preview saves opening dozens of tabs
    • Comes with KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher and SiteProfiler
    • 48-hour money-back guarantee

    Cons

    • Relies on Majestic's index rather than its own crawler
    • Fewer audit and disavow features than full link tools
    • USD pricing could not be confirmed from our location
  7. Rank 9

    Ubersuggest

    A low-cost SEO suite with backlink reports, keyword research, rank tracking and site audits.

    neilpatel.com

    7.7

    out of 10

    Best for: Small business owners who want a basic backlink view in a cheap all-in-one tool.

    Ubersuggest is a budget SEO suite, and its backlink reports are sized accordingly. Paid plans range from US$29 to US$99 a month, and each plan shows a set number of backlink rows per report: 2,000, 5,000 or 10,000. Every tier includes 3 years of link history, new and lost links for the past 30 days, filtering and exports of the same row counts. That is enough to see a small site's main referring domains or skim a local competitor's strongest links, but it will not show the full profile of a large site. Ubersuggest bundles keyword research, rank tracking, competitor analysis and site audits, plus AI search visibility checks, so a small business gets a broad toolkit for one fee. There is a seven day trial on monthly plans, a free account and a one-time lifetime plan. Ubersuggest says it uses multiple data providers for its estimates and offers no API, so analysts who need raw data should look elsewhere.

    Standout feature

    Backlink history, keyword research and audits in one plan from US$29 a month.

    Use cases

    • Small business owners

      Check new and lost links each month

      Outcome: A simple record of link changes

    • Local marketers

      Skim a nearby competitor's top backlinks

      Outcome: A few local sites to approach

    • Bloggers

      Export up to 2,000 backlink rows

      Outcome: A spreadsheet of referring pages

    Key features

    • 2,000 to 10,000 backlink rows per report depending on plan
    • 3 years of link history
    • New and lost links for the past 30 days
    • Backlink filtering and exports
    • Bundled keyword research, rank tracking and site audits

    Pros

    • Entry price of US$29 a month is among the lowest here
    • One-time lifetime plan option
    • Plain reports that suit non-specialists

    Cons

    • Backlink rows capped at 2,000 per report on the lowest plan
    • Only 30 days of new and lost links
    • No API access
  8. Rank 10

    LinkResearchTools

    A premium link audit platform that combines 25+ link data sources and recrawls every link it reports.

    linkresearchtools.com

    7.2

    out of 10

    Best for: Agencies and brands handling penalty recovery, large link audits and negative SEO monitoring.

    LinkResearchTools is the specialist on this list for link audits and penalty recovery. Instead of relying on one index, it combines 25+ link data sources and recrawls the links reported as live, which it argues avoids working from data that is weeks or months old. Each link gets 150+ SEO metrics. Link Detox, Link Detox Smart and Link Detox Boost handle audits and disavow work, Link Monitoring and Link Alerts watch for negative SEO spikes, and the Link Simulator estimates the impact and risk of a link before you build it. Competitive research tools compare link growth speed and show where rivals' links come from, and LRT Classic adds 25 more tools. Every plan includes unlimited domains and users. The cost is high: Superhero Small is $599 a month after a $17 seven day trial, and the trial does not allow exports. For an in-house SEO checking one site, that is hard to justify, but agencies doing recovery work may find the depth worth it.

    Standout feature

    Every reported link is recrawled and scored on 150+ metrics.

    Use cases

    • Agencies

      Run Link Detox on a penalized client site

      Outcome: A reviewed disavow file

    • Enterprise SEO teams

      Monitor links for negative SEO spikes

      Outcome: Fast alerts on unnatural link growth

    • Link builders

      Test planned links in Link Simulator

      Outcome: A risk check before outreach

    Key features

    • 25+ link data sources combined and recrawled
    • 150+ SEO metrics for every link
    • Link Detox for backlink audits and disavow files
    • Link Monitoring and Link Alerts for negative SEO
    • Link Simulator to test a link's impact against risk before building it

    Pros

    • Recrawls reported links so audits reflect live status
    • Unlimited domains and users on every plan
    • Deepest audit tooling on this list

    Cons

    • Starts at $599 a month, by far the highest price here
    • Trial does not allow data exports
    • Interface and methods take real training to use well

Buying guide

How to choose

Compare index size and freshness

A backlink checker can only show links it has found. Ahrefs reports 35 trillion live backlinks with fresh data every 15 minutes, Semrush lists 43T+ backlinks, Moz cites 45.5 trillion links and SE Ranking 2.9T. Majestic splits a Fresh Index of the past 120 days from a Historic Index back to 2006. Check a few links you know exist to see which tool finds them.

Pick metrics you trust and stick with them

Each vendor scores links its own way: Domain Rating at Ahrefs, Authority Score at Semrush, Trust Flow and Citation Flow at Majestic, Domain Authority and Spam Score at Moz, Domain Trust at SE Ranking. The numbers do not convert between tools, so choose one for reporting and track it over time.

Look for gap and prospecting reports

Competitor research is where most link ideas come from. Semrush Backlink Gap, Moz Link Intersect, SE Ranking's gap tool and Serpstat Link Intersection list domains linking to rivals but not to you. Ahrefs' Best by links report with a 404 filter finds broken pages worth replacing.

Decide how much audit work you do

If you clean up links after penalties or negative SEO, look for toxicity scoring and disavow export. Semrush Backlink Audit, SE Ranking's toxicity score, SEO SpyGlass Penalty Risk and LinkResearchTools Link Detox all cover this; LinkResearchTools goes furthest but starts at $599 a month.

Test free tiers before you pay

Moz gives 10 free queries a month, SE Ranking allows five free checks a day and a 14-day trial, SEO SpyGlass's free version handles up to 1,100 backlinks, and Ahrefs Free covers your own verified site. Semrush and Serpstat offer seven day trials, and Majestic gives new Lite and Pro customers a 7-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

+What is the best backlink checker in 2026?

Ahrefs Site Explorer scores highest in our comparison, with 35 trillion live backlinks, an index refreshed every 15 minutes and traffic estimates for each linking page. Semrush Backlink Analytics is a close second, with Backlink Gap and Backlink Audit in its $139 a month SEO plan.

+Is there a free backlink checker?

Moz Link Explorer gives a free Moz Community account 10 queries a month, SE Ranking allows five free checks a day, and SEO SpyGlass has a free version for up to 1,100 backlinks. Ahrefs Free covers your own verified site, and Semrush and Ahrefs both offer limited free backlink checkers on their websites.

+What is the cheapest paid backlink checker?

SEO SpyGlass comes with SEO PowerSuite Professional at $349 a year, about $29.10 a month, with unlimited backlink analysis. Ubersuggest starts at US$29 a month with 2,000 backlink rows per report, and Majestic Lite costs $49.99 a month or $41.67 billed annually.

+Which backlink checker has the largest index?

Vendors measure differently. Moz cites 45.5 trillion links, Semrush 43T+ backlinks and Ahrefs 35 trillion live backlinks, while Mangools LinkMiner lists 9.5 trillion from Majestic's indexes and SE Ranking 2.9T. Freshness matters as much as size, so compare how often each index updates.

+Do I need a separate tool for toxic link audits?

Most suites include one: Semrush Backlink Audit, SE Ranking's toxicity score and SEO SpyGlass's Penalty Risk metric all help build a disavow file. LinkResearchTools is the specialist for large audits and penalty recovery, but it starts at $599 a month.

About this list

Updated November 9, 2026 by the Mojolin research desk. Mojolin is self-funded

Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com

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