Best Domain Authority Checker: 10 Free DA & DR Tools (2026)

The best domain authority checker depends on which score you need. If someone asked for a site's DA, that is Moz's metric and the free Moz Domain Authority checker is the source. If they asked for DR, that is Ahrefs' metric, and the free Ahrefs Website Authority Checker returns it. Semrush has a third score, Authority Score, with its own free checker. Most other "DA checkers" are front ends that pull one of those three numbers.

Below are 10 checkers we verified on each vendor's own page in October 2026: which metric each one shows, what the free version gives you, and whether you need an account. Free limits change often, so treat them as a snapshot.

DA vs DR vs Authority Score: what each checker measures

"Domain authority" is used loosely, but there are three different vendor scores behind it. They use different link indexes and different formulas, so the same site will get different numbers from each.

• Domain Authority (DA), Moz: a 1 to 100 score that predicts how likely a site is to rank compared with competitors. Moz calculates it with a machine learning model built mainly on backlink data, including the number and quality of linking root domains. Moz's Domain Authority guide says it is a relative metric, that it is not a Google ranking factor, and that it is easier to go from 20 to 30 than from 70 to 80.
• Domain Rating (DR), Ahrefs: a 0 to 100 score on a logarithmic scale that shows the relative strength of a site's backlink profile. Ahrefs' guide to Domain Rating describes it as purely link-based: it does not consider a site's traffic, and it does not filter out link spam.
• Authority Score (AS), Semrush: a 1 to 100 compound score. Semrush's Authority Score documentation lists three inputs: link power (follow referring domains and their authority), estimated organic traffic, and spam factors that flag manipulated link profiles.

The practical rule: pick the metric your team, client or link vendor uses, check every site in that same tool, and never compare a DR from one site against a DA from another. We go deeper on the two most common scores in DR vs DA explained.

The 10 domain authority checkers compared

1. Ahrefs Website Authority Checker: best free DR checker

If you searched "dr checker" or "ahrefs domain authority checker," this is the tool you want. The Ahrefs Website Authority Checker takes a domain and shows its Domain Rating, straight from Ahrefs' own index. The page explains how DR is calculated: Ahrefs looks at how many unique domains link to a site, how strong those linking domains are, and how many sites each of them links to, then plots the result on a 100-point scale.

One point of confusion worth clearing up: Ahrefs does not show Moz's DA. When people search "domain authority checker ahrefs," the number they will get is DR. Ahrefs also offers a free Domain Rating API, linked from the same page, if you need DR for many domains or want to build it into your own sheet or tool.

2. Moz Domain Analysis: best free DA checker

When the number you are held to is Moz DA, go to Moz. Moz Domain Analysis is Moz's free Domain Authority checker: it shows Domain Authority, Page Authority, top-ranking keywords and top search competitors for a domain, with no login required and three free reports per day. Because the score comes from Moz's own index, it is the reference number other "Moz DA checkers" are trying to reproduce.

3. Semrush Website Authority Checker: authority plus traffic

Semrush does not report DA either. Its free Website Authority Checker shows Authority Score from 1 to 100, plus total backlinks and referring domains, estimated monthly organic traffic, top pages by backlinks, top competitors, and backlink and referring domain growth over the last 12 months. The page states that no login or account is required. Choose it when you want one number that already accounts for whether a site gets search traffic, not only whether it has links.

4. Moz Link Explorer: DA history and link detail

Moz Link Explorer goes further than the quick checker. With a free Moz Community account (email verification required), you get 10 queries per month covering Domain Authority, Page Authority, Spam Score, linking domain counts, anchor text and lost or new linking domains. It also graphs Domain Authority, Page Authority and linking domains over time, which makes it the closest free answer to a "domain authority history checker."

5. MozBar: DA as you browse

For anyone searching for a domain authority checker extension or add-on, MozBar is Moz's free toolbar for Chrome and Firefox. It shows Domain Authority, Page Authority and link counts for the page you are on, and its SERP overlay adds DA and PA next to each Google result so you can compare a whole results page at a glance. Spam Score, Brand Authority and ranking keywords inside MozBar are premium features that need Moz Pro.

6. Ahrefs SEO Toolbar: DR as you browse

The Ahrefs equivalent is the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar, a free extension for Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Sign in with a free Ahrefs account and it shows Domain Rating and URL Rating for any site. Backlink counts, referring domains and traffic estimates in the toolbar need a paid Ahrefs plan.

7. Small SEO Tools DA Checker: quick bulk DA

The Small SEO Tools Domain Authority Checker says it uses the Moz API and returns DA and PA along with referring domains and link counts. The free version checks up to five sites at once and does not require registration. It is handy for screening a short list of guest post targets, but for a number you will put in a report, confirm it in Moz itself.

8. The HOTH Domain Authority Checker: compare up to 10 sites

The HOTH's Domain Authority Checker is powered by Moz and reports Moz DA, Moz PA and external link counts. You paste up to 10 URLs on separate lines and compare them side by side. The form asks only for URLs, though The HOTH suggests a free account to reach its full set of free tools.

9. LinkScore.io: vetting link prospects in bulk

LinkScore.io is built for a narrower job: deciding whether a site is worth a backlink. It reports a Trust Score, a Spam Score and DA, drawing on data from Majestic, Semrush and its own crawlers, and it accepts a list of URLs or an uploaded file for bulk checks. It also shows whether a domain is listed on link marketplaces. New users start with a 3-day trial (you need an account), after which the account moves to a free version; LinkScore's pricing page has the current plan details.

10. Indexed Domain Rating Checker: DR with an emailed copy

Disclosure: this one is ours. The Indexed Domain Rating Checker shows a site's Ahrefs DR on a 0 to 100 gauge using live Ahrefs data, without an Ahrefs account. Unlike Ahrefs' own checker, it asks for your email and phone number and emails you a copy of the result, and it offers an optional paid report with referring domains, top backlinks, a 12-month DR trend and a competitor comparison. If you only want the DR number, Ahrefs' free checker is quicker; ours fits when you also want that backlink breakdown in one report.

How to choose the right checker

• Someone asked for DR: use the Ahrefs Website Authority Checker, or the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar if you check sites all day.
• Someone asked for DA: use Moz Domain Analysis for quick checks and Moz Link Explorer when you need linking domains or DA over time.
• You want authority weighted by traffic: use Semrush's Website Authority Checker.
• You have a list of domains: Small SEO Tools (5 at a time) or The HOTH (10 at a time) for Moz DA, or LinkScore.io for larger link prospect lists.
• You want both DA and DR: no single vendor tool shows both, so run the domain through Moz and Ahrefs separately and record each number under its own name.

Once you have a score, the next question is usually whether it is any good. Our guide to what counts as a good Domain Rating covers benchmarks, and if a Moz number looks off, see why your Domain Authority is low.

What authority scores don't tell you

All three scores are third-party estimates. Google does not use Moz DA, Ahrefs DR or Semrush Authority Score, and Google's own guide to its ranking systems describes link analysis as one of many systems without mentioning any domain-level authority score. Ahrefs' checker page makes the same point from the other side: Google representatives have denied using "domain authority" as a ranking factor, and Ahrefs presents DR as a correlation, not a cause.

Use these numbers to compare sites against each other and to track your own link building over time. For vetting a link prospect, also look at the linking page itself, its topical fit, and whether the site gets real search traffic. Our website authority guide explains how to read all of this together.

FAQ

What is the best domain authority checker?

It depends on the metric. For Moz DA, use Moz Domain Analysis (free, no login, three reports a day). For Ahrefs DR, use the Ahrefs Website Authority Checker. For Semrush Authority Score, use Semrush's free Website Authority Checker. Each shows the original score from the company that created it.

Can I check domain authority in Ahrefs?

Ahrefs doesn't show Moz's Domain Authority. It shows its own metric, Domain Rating (DR), which you can check free with the Ahrefs Website Authority Checker or the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar. Searches for "da checker ahrefs" or "ahrefs domain authority checker" are really looking for DR.

Does Semrush show domain authority?

No. Semrush reports Authority Score, a 1 to 100 score that combines link power, estimated organic traffic and spam factors. Its free Website Authority Checker shows it without an account.

Is there a Google domain authority checker?

No. Google does not publish a domain authority, PageRank or site authority score for any website, and it does not use Moz DA or Ahrefs DR. Tools labeled "Google domain authority checker" or "PageRank checker" show a third-party score, usually Moz DA.

Is there a domain authority checker extension?

Yes. MozBar is a free Chrome and Firefox extension that shows Moz DA and PA for any page and on Google results. The Ahrefs SEO Toolbar shows Ahrefs DR and URL Rating in Chrome, Firefox and Safari once you sign in with a free Ahrefs account.

How do I check domain authority history?

Moz Link Explorer graphs Domain Authority, Page Authority and linking domains over time, and it is free with a Moz Community account (10 queries a month). Semrush's free checker shows 12 months of backlink and referring domain growth, which is a good proxy for how a site's authority has moved.

What is the difference between DR and DA?

DR is Ahrefs' 0 to 100 logarithmic score based only on a site's backlink profile. DA is Moz's 1 to 100 machine learning score that predicts ranking ability, built mainly on backlink data. They come from different link indexes, so the same site rarely gets the same number.

Are free domain authority checkers accurate?

Free checkers from Moz, Ahrefs and Semrush show the same score as the paid products, since it is their own metric. Third-party tools that pull Moz data through the API are usually close, but confirm any number you plan to report in the original vendor's tool.

Related reading

• DR vs DA: Domain Rating and Domain Authority Explained
• Website Authority: What It Is and How to Check It
• What Is a Good Domain Rating? DR Benchmarks Explained
• How to Improve Moz Domain Authority
• 150+ High Domain Authority Sites for Backlinks (Free List)