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If you want the best free backlink checker tool, SE Ranking is the best choice in this test because it shows more backlinks for free and the reliable data.
Some tools give you only a small sample of backlinks. Others show a lot more data, but still limit what you can do unless you upgrade. And when it comes to backlink analysis, data accuracy matters just as much as backlink count.
In my experience, tools like Semrush and the paid version of Ahrefs are often the benchmark for accuracy. In this article, I have tested 11 tools and picked the best backlink checker tool for competitor research or for analyzing your own backlink profile.
Testing Criteria
I only looked at the free version of each tool. I focused on:
- how many backlinks the tool shows
- how many referring domains it finds
- whether the data looks useful and reliable
- how accurate the backlink data seems compared with stronger tools
- what extra backlink information the dashboard provides
- whether the free version is actually helpful for real backlink analysis
Note: The numbering in this article does not represent the ranking of these tools. The tools are listed in the order I tested them, not from best to worst.
1. Semrush
I tested the free version of Semrush first. It shows useful overview data like authority score, total referring domains, backlinks, outbound domains, backlink health, found and lost links, domain rating, and last seen.
The free version is good for getting a quick overview of a backlink profile. But it only shows up to 9 backlinks, so you cannot really check the full backlink list. You can also only run a limited number of searches each day, which makes it less useful if you want to do a lot of backlink research.
From an accuracy point of view, Semrush is one of the tools I trust more. It may not show the biggest free backlink sample, but the data feels solid and dependable.
My take: Good for overview data and accuracy, but not strong enough if your main goal is to see many backlinks for free.
Tool: https://www.semrush.com/
2. SE Ranking (Best Free Backlink Checker Tool)
SE Ranking showed more than 166 backlinks in my test. Semrush found more backlinks overall, but SE Ranking still showed all 166 backlinks for free, which is a big advantage. The dashboard is strong and includes Overview, Backlinks, Referring Domains, Anchor Texts, Pages, and IPs.
The backlinks tab shows:
- Backlinks
- Domain traffic
- Page traffic
- Domain trust
- Page trust
- Keyword
- Anchor and target URL
- First seen
- Last seen
One of the best things about SE Ranking is the referring domains tab, it helps you see which domains are giving links and how many backlinks each domain provides.
The overview tab also gives useful information like domain trust, referring domains, backlinks, page trust, new and lost referring domains, new and lost backlinks, top backlink anchors, domains by domain trust, and countries. You can also check backlink toxicity for free. In my test, I found data accurate, which is important because backlink count alone is not enough. This is one of the best free backlink checker tools among the options I tested.
My take: Best overall free option in this test because it gives a lot of useful backlink data for free and the data quality looks strong.
3. Ahrefs
Ahrefs’ free backlink checker tool shows domain rating, backlinks, linking websites, anchor text, and target URLs. It also gives a breakdown of dofollow and nofollow backlinks.
In my test, the website showed up to 20 backlinks. That is better than Semrush in terms of visible backlink count, but it is still limited if you want a fuller backlink view.
Ahrefs is also known for strong backlink data, and even though this is the free version, the metrics still feel reliable and useful.
My take: A decent free option with clean and trustworthy-looking data, but still limited.
4. Ubersuggest
The free version of Ubersuggest showed 21 URLs in my test. Compared to tools like Semrush and Ahrefs, it showed fewer backlinks and fewer domains.
It does provide useful details like source page title and URL, target page, domain authority, page authority, spam score, anchor text, first seen, and last seen. But there is also a daily limit, and you can only search one website per day in the free version.
The data is useful, but compared to Semrush, Ahrefs, and SE Ranking, it does not feel as strong in accuracy or depth.
My take: Useful dashboard, but the free version is limited and not as strong on accuracy.
5. Moz Link Explorer
Moz shows metrics like:
- Follow links
- Linking domains
- Follow linking domains
- Top pages
- Discovered and lost
- Linking domains
- Metrics over time
- Follow vs nofollow
But in the free version, it showed only around 8 to 10 backlinks in my test. Compared to Semrush and some of the other tools above, that is quite low.
The data is useful, but the free version is too limited to rely on for a full backlink review.
My take: Useful metrics, but the free version is too limited for backlink research.
6. BacklinkTool.org
This tool shows total backlinks, referring domains, referring IP addresses, domain rating, and the percentage of nofollow and follow links. In my testing, it showed 52 backlinks, which is better than several other free tools.
That made it more useful for seeing a larger sample of backlinks. However, the real question is not only how many backlinks it shows, but also how accurate and clean the data is. It gives a broader view, it shows accurate and good backlink counts.
My take: One of the better free tools for showing more backlinks, and accurate data.
7. Seobility Backlink Checker
This tool shows up to 25 backlinks in the free version. It also shows link rating, link source, link anchor, and whether the link is follow or nofollow.
Compared to Semrush, it still shows fewer backlinks, but the interface is easy to use. It also shows total backlinks, referring domains, and domain rating.
The data is decent for a free tool, but I would still treat it as a basic snapshot rather than a highly accurate full backlink report.
My take: Simple and usable, but the free backlink count is limited to 25 unique links.
8. OpenLinkProfiler
This tool shows a lot of information. It includes:
- Total backlinks
- Broken backlinks
- Referring domains
- Referring pages
- Domain rank
- Crawled pages
- Backlink types
- Backlink attributes
- Backlink platform types
- Backlink TLD types
- Backlink semantic locations
It also shows up to 100 backlinks, which is a big plus. However, in my test, it seemed to count some links multiple times. It also does not give option to cluster those backlinks.
So if one website has many backlinks from the same source, the data can feel a bit messy. It gives volume, but the accuracy and organization are not as clean as the stronger tools.
My take: Strong backlink volume, but the way the links are displayed can be confusing.
9. RankWatch
RankWatch also ranked well in Google, so I decided to test it. The overview dashboard shows useful information such as:
- Total backlinks
- Referring domains
- Total IPs
- Total subnets
- Toxic backlinks
- Toxic domains
However, it did not find as many backlinks as Semrush. In my test, it showed only a few backlinks in the free view, even though the paid version appears to show more.
The dashboard is decent, but the free data does not feel as dependable or complete as Semrush, Ahrefs, or SE Ranking.
My take: Good-looking dashboard, but the free version is too limited for serious backlink checking.
10. Linkody
This tool claims to see upto 100 referring domains in free version but showed 43 backlinks in our test. And it also allowed data export. It provides useful metrics such as:
- Domain rating
- Backlinks
- Referring domains
- Unique IPs
- .edu links
- .gov links
The backlink count is decent, and for backlink checking alone, it gives a useful amount of data. Some of the other metrics do not look as strong or reliable, but the backlink report itself is helpful.
My take: A practical free option if you want a decent backlink sample and export feature.
Tool: https://www.linkody.com/en/seo-tools/free-backlink-checker/
11. WebCEO
I found this tool while searching for free backlink checkers. In the trial version, it showed up to 20 backlinks.
The dashboard gives a lot of information, including:
- Tool Summary
- Linking Domains
- Backlinks
- Backlinks History
- Lost Backlinks
- Link Texts
- My Most Linked Pages
- Toxic Pages
- Disavow List
It also lets you compare competitors and see a graph of backlinks gained over time. That is a nice feature. The downside is that the free access is limited, and after 14 days the trial expires.
The dashboard looks useful, but in my test the data did not as reliable as Semrush or Ahrefs paid data.
My take: Good dashboard and helpful features, but the free access is short-lived and the data is not my first choice for accuracy.
Which Free Backlink Checker Is Best?
After testing these tools, my view is simple:
- Best overall free backlink checker: SE Ranking
- Best for quick overview: Semrush
- Best for showing more backlinks for free: SE Ranking, OpenLinkProfiler and BacklinkTool.org
- Best if you want a strong dashboard: SE Ranking or Semrush
If your goal is to see as many backlinks as possible for free, SE Ranking stands out because it gives a large backlink sample, useful filters, and a good dashboard without immediately forcing you to upgrade. And just as important, the data also accurate to trust for real analysis.
Conclusion
Free backlink checkers are useful, but they all have limits. Some only show a small sample of backlinks. Others give more data, but the free version is still restricted.
If you just want a quick backlink overview, tools like Semrush and SE ranking can help. But if you want a free tool that gives more backlink data and a better overall experience, SE Ranking is the strongest option from this test. It show more backlinks and accurate data.
