Backlink Analysis Tools
See who links to you and your competitors. The backbone of off-page SEO research.
Ahrefs
Largest backlink index. Fastest crawler. Most accurate data. If you're serious about link analysis, Ahrefs is the standard. Everything else is a compromise.
The Backlink Reality
Every backlink tool is crawling the web and building their own index. None of them see everything. Ahrefs and Majestic have the largest indexes. Moz's is smaller but still useful.
Don't obsess over the exact numbers. Use these tools for competitive analysis and finding link opportunities, not for counting your exact backlink count.
All Tools in This Category
Ahrefs Site Explorer
USE ITThe gold standard. Largest index, fastest updates, best interface. Shows referring domains, anchor text, new/lost links.
Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker
USE ITFree tool showing top 100 backlinks. Great for quick checks without paying.
Majestic
SITUATIONALSecond largest index. Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics. Historic index goes back years.
Moz Link Explorer
SITUATIONALSmaller index but decent for basics. Domain Authority metric is widely cited (though overrated).
Link Research Tools
SITUATIONALAggregates data from multiple sources. Good for link audits and toxic link detection.
Open Link Profiler
SITUATIONALFree backlink checker. Limited but useful for quick checks when you don't want to pay.
Monitor Backlinks
SITUATIONALAlerts when you gain or lose backlinks. Good for ongoing monitoring.
SEO SpyGlass
SITUATIONALDesktop backlink tool from SEO PowerSuite. Budget alternative with decent features.
LinkMiner
SITUATIONALChrome extension for link analysis. Part of Mangools suite.
Linkody
SITUATIONALBacklink monitoring and alerts. Track new and lost links automatically.