How to check domain authority for free
You do not need a paid Moz, Ahrefs or Semrush plan to check a domain's authority. Here's how to do it free in a few seconds, and — just as important — how to read the number correctly.
Updated 5 August 2026
The quick way
- Open the free domain authority checker.
- Type or paste the domain (for example example.com).
- Read the score, the list of referring domains, and where the site falls in the web-wide distribution.
No signup, no trial countdown, no credit card. It works for your own site or any competitor.
How to read the result
A score on its own means little — it only matters relative to your competition. Some reference points from our analysis of 118 million domains:
- Under 10: normal for a new or small site — 82.9% of the web is here.
- 20–30: a healthy, established site; ahead of ~97% of the web.
- 40+: strong — the top 0.06% of all domains.
- 70+: rarefied air; fewer than 300 sites on the entire web.
So don't panic at a “low” number. Compare it to the sites you actually compete with. The full distribution is in our domain authority study.
What to do with the number
The score is a starting point, not a to-do list. The useful move is to look at which domains refer to you and how strong they are, then find realistic new sources. Sites that already link to your competitors are the best targets — find them with the free link intersect tool.
Free vs paid tools
Paid suites like Moz, Ahrefs and Semrush add continuous crawling, keyword data and rank tracking. But for the core job — checking a domain's authority and backlinks — you do not need to pay. See how the free option compares in our Moz alternative and Ahrefs alternative breakdowns.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check domain authority for free?
Yes. Our domain authority checker is free and needs no account. Paste any domain and you get its authority score, referring domains and global rank instantly, drawn from an index of 118 million domains.
How often does domain authority update?
Our index updates with each Common Crawl release (roughly every few months). Authority changes slowly by nature — a link profile is not rebuilt overnight — so checking monthly is plenty for tracking progress.
Why is my domain authority different across tools?
Each tool runs its own crawl and its own formula, so Moz DA, Ahrefs DR and our score will not match exactly. What matters is the trend within one tool over time, and how you compare to your direct competitors in that same tool.