Short answer
SE Ranking is the best backlink checker for most people because backlink research is unlimited on its $129 Core plan and it comes with rank tracking and audits too. Ahrefs is the tool link builders trust most, but Lite caps you at 1,000 credits a month and there's no trial. Majestic is the cheapest dedicated link tool at $49.99/mo. If you only care about your own site, start with the free options.
Top picks
Prices checked November 2026
- Best overall
SE Ranking
Best overall: unlimited link research plus a full SEO suite
Starts at $129/mo ($103.20 annually)
Try free for 14 days - Best for link building
Ahrefs
Heavy link building and outreach
Starts at $129/mo (Lite)
Ahrefs pricing - Cheapest dedicated
Majestic
Dedicated link data on a budget
Starts at $49.99/mo (Lite)
Majestic pricing
On this page
Backlink checkers compared
Monthly list prices from each vendor's pricing page, checked November 2026.
| Tool | Entry price | Link research limit at entry | Index claim (vendor) | Trial or free option | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our pickSE Ranking | $129 ($103.20 annual) | Unlimited on Core | 2.9T backlinks, 411M referring domains | 14 days, no card; 5 free checks a day | Try SE Ranking |
| Ahrefs | $129 (Lite) | 1,000 credits per user | Not quoted here | Ahrefs Free for your own sites | Ahrefs |
| Semrush | $139 ($117.33 annual) | Plan report limits | Not quoted here | 7 days; free plan | Semrush |
| Majestic | $49.99 (Lite) | 1M analysis units | Fresh Index on Lite | 7-day money-back | Majestic |
| Moz Pro | $99 ($79 billed yearly, Standard) | Plan-based | Over 44T links | Free trial (see vendor) | Moz |
| Ahrefs Free | Free | Your verified sites | Ahrefs index | Free | Ahrefs Free |
| Search Console | Free | Your own sites | Google's own data | Free | Search Console |
What a link audit of 5 competitors costs
An illustrative price calculation, not a test: say you want to check the backlink profiles of 5 competitors every month and keep tracking your own rankings.
- SE Ranking Core: $103.20/mo billed annually. Link research is unlimited, and 2,000 daily tracked keywords are included.
- Ahrefs Lite: $129/mo. Fine for 5 domains, but every report draws on the 1,000 monthly credits, and deep dives into individual links use more.
- Majestic Lite: $49.99/mo for link data only. You'd still need a rank tracker and keyword tool.
- Semrush SEO: $117.33/mo billed annually, with backlink analytics inside a wider marketing toolkit.
If links are the only thing you check, Majestic is the cheapest. Once you add tracking and research, a suite works out cheaper than two separate tools.
SE Ranking: best backlink checker for most people
SE Ranking's backlink tools sit inside its full SEO suite, so the same login covers tracking, research and audits.
The SE Ranking backlink checker reports an index of 2.9 trillion backlinks and 411 million referring domains, and says 58% of backlinks are refreshed every 90 days. You get Domain Trust and Page Trust scores, a toxicity score to flag bad links, anchor text, new and lost links and referring domain history. You can run 5 checks a day free without an account. On the pricing page, Core costs $129/mo ($103.20 annually) with unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research. Growth is $279/mo ($223.20 annually) with 3 seats.
How it stacks up against the big link tool: SE Ranking vs Ahrefs.
Pros
- Unlimited backlink research on the first paid plan
- Toxicity score and backlink monitoring included
- Rank tracking, keyword research and audits in the same price
- 14-day trial with no card
Cons
- Smaller index than the biggest specialists, by most accounts
- One manager seat on Core
- Payments generally aren't refunded
Ahrefs: best for heavy link building
Ahrefs Site Explorer is the tool most link builders learned on, and its metrics are what many clients ask about.
On the Ahrefs pricing page Lite is $129/mo with 1,000 credits per user, Standard $249/mo and Advanced $449/mo, both with unlimited credits per user. Annual billing saves up to 17%. There's no free trial, but Ahrefs Free covers sites you verify.
Pros
- The reference tool for link research
- Unlimited credits from Standard
- Ahrefs Free for owned sites
Cons
- No trial
- Credits on Lite run out with heavy research
- Extra users cost $40 to $80/mo each
Semrush: best if you also run ads
Semrush includes backlink analytics, a backlink audit and link-building tools inside its SEO toolkit.
The Semrush pricing page lists the SEO plan at $139/mo ($117.33 billed annually). There's a 7-day trial and a free plan with 10 reports a day. Its link data is good enough for most audits; specialists still tend to compare it with Ahrefs. Our Semrush vs Ahrefs comparison goes deeper.
Pros
- Backlink audit and link-building workflow included
- Free plan and trial
- Wide marketing toolkit
Cons
- Report limits by plan
- Pricier than SE Ranking for the same tracking volume
Majestic: cheapest dedicated link tool
Majestic does one thing: links. Its Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics have been around for years and plenty of link sellers still quote them.
The Majestic pricing page lists Lite at $49.99/mo (1 user, 1 million analysis units, Fresh Index), Pro at $99.99/mo (20 million units, Historic Index) and API at $399.99/mo. First-time Lite and Pro buyers get a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Cheapest paid link tool here
- Fresh and Historic indexes
- Trust Flow is widely recognised
Cons
- No rank tracking or keyword research
- Historic Index needs Pro
Moz Pro: best for well-known link metrics
Moz created Domain Authority, and many people still judge sites by it. Link Explorer is part of Moz Pro.
Moz says its link index holds over 44 trillion links. On the Moz Pro pricing page Starter is $49/mo and Standard is $99/mo ($79/mo billed yearly), Medium is $179/mo ($143 yearly) and Large $299/mo ($239 yearly).
Thinking of leaving Moz? See our Moz alternatives.
Pros
- Domain Authority is a familiar metric
- Easy to learn
- Low starting price
Cons
- Smaller limits than the big suites
- Fewer tools overall
Ahrefs Free: best free checker for your own site
Ahrefs renamed Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to Ahrefs Free. Once you verify a site, you get Site Explorer with limited backlink data and Site Audit with 170+ checks, for as many verified sites as you like.
Pros
- Free, with Ahrefs' link data for your own sites
- Site Audit included
Cons
- Only sites you can verify
- Limited backlink reports
Google Search Console: free and straight from Google
The Links report shows top linking sites, top linked pages and anchor text, using Google's own data.
Pros
- Free, data from Google
- Shows links Google actually knows about
Cons
- Your own sites only
- No metrics, no toxicity score, no competitor data
How to choose a backlink checker
- Decide whose links you check. Only your own site? Search Console and Ahrefs Free may be enough. Competitors too? You need a paid tool.
- Count how often. A monthly look suits any tool. Daily outreach work burns credits on Lite plans fast.
- Check what else you need. If you also track rankings and research keywords, a suite like SE Ranking beats paying for two tools. See our cheap SEO tools guide for budget setups.
- Look for a toxicity or audit report if you clean up bad links, not only a link list.
- Stick to one tool for trends. Numbers differ between tools, so compare a site with itself over time.
Backlink audits vs technical audits
A backlink audit looks at who links to you. A technical audit looks at your own pages: broken links, redirects, speed and indexing. You'll want both. For the second kind, see our SEO audit tools guide.
How we compared these backlink checkers
In November 2026 we opened each vendor's official pricing and product pages and recorded prices, research limits, index claims, trials and refund terms. The 5-competitor scenario is our own price calculation from list prices.
We didn't run a side-by-side index test, so we don't rank these tools on link counts or freshness, and index sizes are quoted as the vendors' claims.
We earn a commission from SE Ranking links. Ahrefs, Semrush, Majestic and Moz links are plain links. See our affiliate disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best backlink checker?
For most people it's SE Ranking: unlimited backlink research on the $129/mo Core plan ($103.20 annually), an index of 2.9 trillion backlinks by its own count, and a 14-day trial with no card. Ahrefs is the specialist pick for heavy link building.
Is there a free backlink checker?
Yes. Google Search Console shows links to your own site for free, and Ahrefs Free covers sites you verify. SE Ranking allows 5 free backlink checks a day without an account, which is handy for a quick look at a competitor.
Which backlink checker has the biggest index?
Vendors count differently, so totals aren't directly comparable. Moz says its index has over 44 trillion links, SE Ranking reports 2.9 trillion backlinks, and Majestic splits its data into a Fresh and a Historic index. We didn't measure index size ourselves.
Why do backlink tools show different numbers?
Each tool runs its own crawler, visits different pages at different times and drops dead links on its own schedule. Expect different totals and use one tool consistently to watch trends.
How often should I check my backlinks?
Monthly is enough for most sites. Check weekly during an active link-building campaign or if you suspect a negative SEO attack.
The bottom line
Want link data plus everything else an SEO needs, without credit limits? Go with SE Ranking. Building links every day and need the most trusted index? Ahrefs. Just links, on a small budget? Majestic. And keep Search Console running for your own site whatever you pick.
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