Key Takeaways
- Domain Rating is Ahrefs' 0-100 logarithmic score for the strength of a website's backlink profile.
- Domain Authority is Moz's 0-100 logarithmic score predicting how likely a domain is to rank in Google.
- A site can show DR 55 and DA 40 at the same time; the two are measuring overlapping but distinct things, and neither feeds Google's algorithm.
- Because both scales are logarithmic, moving from DR 20 to DR 30 is far easier than moving from DR 70 to DR 80.
DR vs DA in one line: Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' 0 to 100 score for the strength of a site's backlink profile, calculated directly from links, while Domain Authority (DA) is Moz's 1 to 100 machine-learning score that predicts how likely a site is to rank compared with competitors. Semrush's Authority Score is a third option that also blends in organic traffic and spam checks. None of the three is used by Google. They are third-party estimates for comparing sites and tracking link building, and they rarely match because each company uses its own link index and formula.
You can check where your own site stands with Indexed's domain rating checker.
If you have seen "DR 62" in one tool and "DA 48" in another for the same site, nothing is broken. Below is what each vendor says its metric measures, where the scores diverge, and which one to report.
What Is DR in Ahrefs?
Ahrefs defines Domain Rating as a metric that shows the relative strength of a website's backlink profile, on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. Per Ahrefs' own explanation of DR, the calculation works roughly like PageRank applied to websites instead of pages:
- Ahrefs finds every domain with at least one followed link to the target site.
- Each linking domain contributes roughly its own DR divided by the number of unique domains it links out to, so a link from a site that links to thousands of others passes less.
- Only the first link from a given domain counts; more links from the same site add nothing.
- Nofollow links do not raise DR.
- DR is purely link-based. It ignores search traffic, domain age and brand popularity, and it does not filter out link spam.
Because the scale is logarithmic, moving from 70 to 71 takes far more link growth than moving from 20 to 21. Ahrefs also points out that Google ranks pages rather than websites, and advises focusing on content and quality links rather than on DR itself.
Ahrefs UR vs DR
URL Rating is the page-level version. Ahrefs' URL Rating definition describes it as the strength of a single page's backlink profile, also on a 0 to 100 logarithmic scale. Unlike DR, UR counts both internal and external links, weighted differently, and only dofollow links pass UR. A site can have a high DR while a specific page has a low UR, which is one reason a strong domain does not guarantee every page ranks.
What Is Moz Domain Authority?
Moz's Domain Authority guide defines DA as a search engine ranking score that predicts how likely a website is to rank on results pages compared to competitors. Key points from Moz's own definition:
- The scale runs from 1 to 100, and new websites start at 1.
- It is calculated with a machine-learning algorithm that weighs the number of linking root domains, the quality of those links and other signals that correlate with rankings across thousands of search results.
- It is relative: if a giant site gained a huge number of new links, other sites' DA could fall without anything changing on their side.
- Scores can move with changes to your links, changes to competitors' scores, or updates to the DA calculation model.
- Moz states plainly that DA is not a Google ranking factor and has no effect on the results pages.
Moz recommends using DA as a comparative metric. It notes that it is easier to grow from 20 to 30 than from 70 to 80, and that a "good" score depends on the scores of the sites you compete with.
Where Semrush Authority Score Fits
Semrush's Authority Score documentation calls it a compound metric that grades the overall quality of a website or webpage on a scale of 1 to 100. It is built from three facets: Link Power, Organic Traffic, and Spam Factors (a natural-profile check for suspicious SEO behavior). Semrush says scores for all domains update every two weeks and that the metric is best used for comparing domains rather than judging a site good or bad in absolute terms. That traffic and spam component is the main difference from DR, which looks at links alone. We compare the two in more depth in Ahrefs DR vs Semrush Authority Score.
DR vs DA vs Authority Score Side by Side
| Dimension | Ahrefs DR | Moz DA | Semrush Authority Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | 0 to 100, logarithmic | 1 to 100 | 1 to 100 |
| What it measures | Strength of the backlink profile | Predicted ability to rank versus competitors | Overall domain quality |
| Inputs | Followed links from unique referring domains | Linking root domains, link quality and other ranking-correlated signals | Link Power, Organic Traffic, Spam Factors |
| Method | Direct link calculation, similar to PageRank | Machine-learning model | Compound score |
| Filters spam? | No; Ahrefs says DR does not filter out link spam | Not stated in the definition | Yes, via the natural-profile check |
| Used by Google? | No | No | No |
Check your Domain Rating free
Enter a domain, your email and phone number to see its DR from Ahrefs data with our free Domain Rating Checker.
Check your DR free →Why DR and DA Never Match
- Different link indexes. Ahrefs and Moz crawl the web separately and find different sets of links, so the raw input differs before any math happens.
- Different formulas. DR is a direct link calculation; DA is a predictive model. Even with identical link data, the outputs would differ.
- Different update behavior. Moz says DA can shift when its model is updated, even if your links did not change. Semrush refreshes Authority Score every two weeks.
- Different scales at the bottom. DR starts at 0 and DA at 1, so even brand-new sites will not line up.
A DR of 55 and a DA of 40 for the same domain is normal. The mistake is comparing your DR with a competitor's DA. Compare like with like: DR to DR, DA to DA, Authority Score to Authority Score.
Moz DA vs Ahrefs DR: Which Should You Track?
For link-building work we track Domain Rating, for one practical reason: it measures one thing. When DR moves, it is because the link profile changed, yours or the sites linking to you. DA's model updates and relative scoring make a single movement harder to explain to a client. As an example of what that looks like in reporting, our fintech SaaS case study shows DR rising from 15 to 30 over 12 months alongside more than 300 new referring domains.
That said, DA is the right number if your clients, outreach partners or reporting already run on Moz. Consistency matters more than the choice. Pick one metric, track it monthly, and benchmark only against competitors measured in the same tool. For realistic targets, see what counts as a good Domain Rating, and for how these scores relate to rankings, read whether domain authority affects rankings.
How to Check DR and DA for Free
- Indexed's Domain Rating Checker: our free DR checker shows a domain's DR from Ahrefs data. It asks for your email and phone number before showing the result.
- Ahrefs: the Ahrefs Website Authority Checker shows a site's DR, and Ahrefs' browser extension shows DR and UR with a free Ahrefs account.
- Moz: Moz says you can check DA in Link Explorer with a free Moz Community account, or in the free MozBar browser extension, which also shows linking root domains.
For a wider comparison of free tools, including extensions, see our guide to the best domain authority checkers.
FAQ
What is the difference between domain rating and domain authority?
Domain Rating is Ahrefs' 0 to 100 score for the strength of a site's backlink profile, calculated directly from followed links from unique domains. Domain Authority is Moz's 1 to 100 machine-learning score predicting how likely a site is to rank against competitors. Different companies, indexes and formulas produce different numbers.
What is DR in SEO?
In SEO, DR almost always means Ahrefs Domain Rating: a 0 to 100 logarithmic score of how strong a website's backlink profile is compared with other sites in Ahrefs' index. It is a third-party metric, not something Google publishes or uses.
Is DR or DA more accurate?
Neither is more accurate, because they answer different questions. DR is easier to interpret for link-building progress since it reflects links alone. DA tries to predict ranking ability, so it can move when Moz updates its model. Choose the one your reporting already uses and stay consistent.
What is the difference between Ahrefs UR and DR?
DR scores a whole domain's backlink profile; UR scores a single page's. UR also counts internal links, weighted differently from external ones, while DR is built from links coming from other domains.
Is there a Google domain authority checker?
No. Google does not publish a domain authority score, and tools that call themselves Google domain authority checkers report third-party metrics such as Moz DA or Ahrefs DR. Moz states that DA is not a Google ranking factor.
Why is my DR higher than my DA?
Ahrefs and Moz use separate crawlers, link indexes and formulas, and DA is relative to other sites in Moz's index. A gap between the two is expected and does not mean either tool is wrong.
What counts as a high domain authority website?
There is no fixed cutoff. Both Moz and Semrush say their scores are best used comparatively, so "high" means high relative to the sites you compete with. If you are looking for strong sites to earn links from, our list of high domain authority sites for backlinks is a starting point.
Can I check my DR for free?
Yes. Indexed's free Domain Rating Checker shows any domain's DR from Ahrefs data after you enter your email and phone number. Ahrefs' own Website Authority Checker also shows DR.
Related Reading
Written by
Anjan LuthraManaging Partner, Indexed
Anjan Luthra is Managing Partner at Indexed. He has spent over a decade inside high-growth companies building organic search into their primary acquisition channel, and writes about SEO strategy, AI search, and revenue attribution.
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