Best Backlink Checker of 2026: 9 Tools Tested & Ranked

Backlinks are one of Google’s top ranking factors—provided they’re high-quality. A good backlink checker lets you analyze your link profile, spot potentially harmful links, and see how you stack up against the competition.

We put nine of the most popular backlink tools to the test and picked the five best.

In our roundup of the best SEO tools, we tested nine platforms in depth. All of them offer powerful backlink analysis tools, but they differ a lot in features, data quality, ease of use, support, and cost (more on how we rated them later).

These five stood out for their backlink features:

Semrush is one of the most comprehensive SEO platforms out there. On top of backlink analysis, it offers tools for keyword research, technical website audits, content marketing, and social media.

In our backlink checker test, Semrush earned the top score of 1.0. What set it apart was its large backlink index, plus features like the built-in Toxicity Score, Backlink Gap tool, link-building assistant, anchor text analysis, and advanced filtering options.

Enter a domain, and Semrush instantly delivers a detailed overview of key metrics: the number of referring domains and backlinks, the Authority Score, estimated monthly visitors, and how the link profile has changed over time.

The backlink index updates continuously and accurately detects technical elements such as redirects, canonical tags, and JavaScript-generated links. A network diagram maps out the connections between websites and filters for link type, link placement, traffic from linking sites, and dofollow or nofollow links, letting you narrow down your analysis precisely.

One standout feature is the Toxicity Score, which automatically flags potentially toxic backlinks. The built-in link-building tool helps too, suggesting potential link sources that fit your needs.

The biggest drawback is its complexity. With so many features, the interface can feel overwhelming for beginners.

Cost is another hurdle. The higher-tier plans rank among the most expensive in our test, making them difficult to justify for smaller teams.

During testing, we also noticed occasional delays in the backlink audit. Although Semrush scored highly for its backlink index, it ranked third out of nine tools for the number of referring domains identified. Moz Pro and Ubersuggest returned slightly more domains in our test.

Ahrefs is one of the most expensive SEO tools on the market. Originally launched as a specialized backlink tool, Ahrefs now also covers keyword research, technical website audits, and competitor analysis, among other features.

In our backlink checker test, Ahrefs earned a score of 1.2. Its high data quality and especially up-to-date backlink index were key factors. Ahrefs claims to update its index every 15 to 30 minutes and quickly removes deleted links.

The clean, modern design makes data easy to understand and makes it easy to find your way around the platform. Performance is another strong point: even when analyzing large domains, Ahrefs remains fast and responsive, with no noticeable lag.

The “Backlink Profile” module breaks down links in detail. Ahrefs reliably detects redirects and JavaScript links and provides key metrics like Domain Rating and estimated traffic from referring pages. Powerful filters (link type, traffic from the linking page, or dofollow vs. nofollow) let you zero in on specific parts of your link profile.

One particularly useful feature is the analysis of referring IP addresses. For experte.com, Ahrefs identified 849 referring IPs and provided details on countries, internet providers, domain rating, and new or lost links.

Ahrefs also analyzes internal linking. In the Site Explorer, the “Internal Links” section shows how pages on your website connect. For experte.com, Ahrefs found 5,523 link groups, making it easy to spot which content is well-connected and where there’s room for improvement.

In our test, Ahrefs found an average of 5,627 referring domains, a solid result, though some competitors performed even better.

Ahrefs is a premium tool with a correspondingly high price tag. In many cases, it’s one of the most expensive options available. There’s no free trial and no money-back guarantee.

Ahrefs doesn’t offer an automatic toxicity score. Instead, you’ll need to assess link quality manually using the data provided. That takes more experience and time than tools with built-in spam detection.

Beginners may also find the interface confusing. Some sections appear multiple times or under very similar names. The Academy, blog, and most support resources are available only in English.

Moz Pro is one of the oldest SEO platforms on the market. For years, it shaped search engine optimization with metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA). Today, Moz Pro offers tools for backlink analysis, keyword research, site audits, and rank tracking.

In our backlink checker test, Moz Pro earned an A (1.3), largely because it has the largest backlink index of any tool we compared. Outside of backlink analysis, though, Moz Pro struggles to keep up. In our overall comparison, it landed in last place with a barely passing grade (2.4).

Backlink analysis is one of Moz Pro’s six core features. After you enter a domain (we used experte.com in our test), the tool instantly shows key metrics: domain authority, the number of referring domains and backlinks, and ranking keywords.

In our test, Moz Pro found an average of 12,100 referring domains per test domain. That puts it in first place, tied with Ubersuggest:

Moz Pro also tracks how your link profile changes over time, showing when you gained or lost backlinks. In our example, there was a net gain of 34 links. To evaluate links, Moz Pro relies on its own metrics like Domain Authority and Spam Score. These don’t come from Google, but they still provide a useful indication of backlink quality.

We noticed some gaps in the data during testing, with certain sections occasionally showing no results at all. Moz Pro also offers fewer filtering options than some competitors. For example, it lacks filters for link position and the traffic of the linking page. Its ability to detect JavaScript-generated links is also limited.

The dashboard looks modern, but the menu navigation feels layered and isn’t always intuitive.

Moz Pro sits in the mid-price range. For backlink analysis alone, you’ll find cheaper options. And if you want a full SEO suite, competitors often pack in more features at similar prices.

Mangools takes a different approach from most SEO suites. Instead of one central platform, it offers five separate tools, each covering a specific area. This makes Mangools easy to understand and navigate, although switching between tools can feel somewhat clunky.

In our backlink checker review, Mangools scored a 1.7, earning praise for its robust toolset and intuitive interface. The one drawback? The split across five separate tools can slow down your workflow.

Mangools handles backlink analysis through its LinkMiner module. After entering experte.com as a test domain, the tool displays a concise overview with key metrics like Citation Flow, Trust Flow, referring IPs, referring domains, and active backlinks. Mangools pulls this data from Majestic’s backlink index.

One of the most useful features is the built-in live preview. Click on any backlink, and the linking page appears in the right-hand panel. The anchor text is highlighted, so you can check the link’s position, type, and context without leaving the tool.

In our test, Mangools identified an average of 5,200 referring domains, placing it in the middle of the pack:

The platform splits its features across five separate tools, which slows down your workflow. You can’t jump straight from keyword research in KWFinder to backlink analysis in LinkMiner, for example. Instead, you have to transfer domains and keywords manually, which costs time in daily use.

The analysis features also have some gaps. There are no filters for link age or the traffic of the linking page, and Mangools doesn’t provide an automatic toxicity score. Since it relies on Majestic’s backlink index, its JavaScript detection is less reliable than tools with their own crawlers.

Ubersuggest was founded by marketing expert Neil Patel. Over the years, it has grown from a basic keyword tool into a full SEO suite. It targets beginners and small businesses looking for an affordable, easy-to-use alternative to the major SEO platforms.

In our backlink checker test, Ubersuggest scored a 1.8, thanks in part to its large backlink index. But it lacks some key features for advanced analysis, so it doesn’t quite match the top performers.

In Ubersuggest, you’ll find backlink analysis under the Link Building module. After you enter a domain, the tool provides a quick overview of key metrics like domain authority, referring domains, and backlinks. A trend graph also shows how the link profile has evolved over the past few years.

Ubersuggest also highlights which backlinks and referring domains are new or lost. Another handy feature is the direct integration with AnswerThePublic: you can run trend analyses and find keyword ideas without leaving Ubersuggest.

The size of the backlink index is impressive, too. In our test, Ubersuggest found an average of 12,100 referring domains, tying it for first place with Moz Pro.

Ubersuggest doesn’t have its own web crawler. Instead, it relies on external data sources for backlink analysis, so the quality of the results therefore depends heavily on those external sources.

Its ability to detect JavaScript-generated links is also limited. Redirects and canonical tags are only considered during site audits, not in the backlink analysis itself.

Filtering is another weak spot. You can’t filter by link position, traffic of the linking page, or IP addresses, which makes deeper link profile analysis harder. There’s also no live chat support.

Didn’t find the right backlink tool in our top 5? Take a look at the other providers. Here’s the full ranking of all nine SEO platforms from our comparison, with links to the detailed reviews:

We put nine SEO platforms through a hands-on test, evaluating every key area of a modern SEO suite: keyword research, technical website audits, backlink analysis, user interface, support, and cost.

For backlink analysis, we focused on four criteria:

A good backlink checker does more than count links. To truly understand your link profile, you need deeper analysis tools.

We examined what each tool can do, from analyzing anchor text and spotting toxic links to comparing your backlinks against competitors. The more features a tool offers, the easier it is to find opportunities and fix weak spots in your link profile.

Filters let you dig deeper into your backlinks. Sort by link type, placement, traffic, or authority to find patterns and focus on what matters most.

The more filters a tool offers, the faster you can analyze your backlinks and spot issues in your link profile.

The accuracy of a backlink analysis depends largely on the size of the tool’s index. If a tool captures only a fraction of the actual links, you get an incomplete picture of your link profile, which can lead to wrong conclusions.

That’s why we looked at how many referring domains each tool identified per test URL. A larger backlink index can provide a more complete picture of a site’s link profile, provided the underlying data is accurate and up to date.

A large index doesn’t help much if the data is outdated, incomplete, or unreliable. So we checked how current the data is and whether the tools correctly identify technical details like redirects, canonical tags, and JavaScript-generated links.

We also looked at how well the tools identify potentially problematic backlinks. Features like an automatic toxicity score or spam detection make it easier to spot problematic links fast.

Here’s how each tool performed in our four test categories:

The right backlink checker depends on what you need. All five of our top picks analyze backlinks reliably, but each has its own focus. The biggest differences come down to features, data quality, and the depth of analysis.

Looking for a powerful SEO platform that does more than backlink analysis? We put nine popular tools to the test in our best SEO tools comparison, comparing them across all key SEO areas to help you find the right fit.