Find the right workflow
The Best Backlink Analysis Tools
Everything here comes down to the crawler behind it. Index size and refresh rate decide whether you see a link this week or next month — features are secondary.
What you are really deciding: Whose index actually finds the links pointing at my site and my competitors'?
Whose index actually finds the links pointing at my site and my competitors'?
Ahrefs is the strongest choice for link-led work — outreach, digital PR and competitive link analysis — because its own crawler and link index are the core of the product. Semrush is the better buy if you also need link gap analysis inside a suite with PPC and research tools, accepting a link index our review calls respectable but not the largest. Moz Pro fits teams that report on Domain Authority, but its link index is materially smaller. Mangools adds backlink exploration from $37.70/month, capped at 100k to 1.2M backlinks a month by plan, so it suits smaller link checks rather than large-scale link research.
Index depth
The main difference between these tools. Ahrefs is built around its own index; both other reviews describe theirs as smaller or not the largest.
Link analysis features
Ahrefs offers Site Explorer with historical link and traffic data; Semrush offers backlink analytics and link gap analysis; Moz offers Link Explorer and Domain Authority.
Reporting metrics
Domain Authority remains a common client-reporting metric and comes from Moz. If a client asks for it by name, Moz solves that directly.
What else you need
Semrush bundles PPC and research; Ahrefs deliberately does not. Pay for breadth only if you will use it.
- 01Pays us $0
The strongest backlink index, wrapped in the cleanest interface.
- Best for
- Anyone whose work is link-led — outreach, digital PR, or competitive link analysis — and agencies managing many verified domains.
- Not for
- Teams who need PPC and social data in the same subscription, or who want a usable free tier for unverified sites.
- 02Affiliate link
The broadest all-in-one SEO and marketing platform.
- Best for
- Teams who need SEO, PPC and competitor research from one subscription and will genuinely use more than the SEO toolkit.
- Not for
- Solo operators who only need keywords and rankings — you will pay for a marketing suite and use a keyword tool.
- 03Terms unverified
The originator of Domain Authority, now the smallest of the majors.
- Best for
- Teams who report on Domain Authority to clients or stakeholders, and beginners who want a gentler on-ramp.
- Not for
- Anyone doing serious competitive link analysis, where the index gap is decisive.
Visit official site — Moz ProTerms unverifiedCompare: Moz Pro vs Semrush, Ahrefs vs Moz Pro, Moz Pro vs SE Ranking, Mangools vs Moz Pro, Moz Pro vs Ranktracker - 04Affiliate link
A lower-cost keyword research, SERP and rank tracking bundle.
- Best for
- Freelancers and small teams who want keyword research and rank tracking for a modest keyword set without a four-figure software budget.
- Not for
- Agencies tracking thousands of keywords, or anyone doing competitive link research where index size decides the work.
