The honest Moz alternative
A straight comparison — including the parts where Mozis simply better. If you mainly need domain authority and backlink data, you probably don't need to pay $49/mo a month for it.
| Capability | Seoluma | Moz |
|---|---|---|
| Domain authority score | Free, unlimited | Limited free, then paid |
| Referring domains list | Free, unlimited | Paid plan |
| Link intersect (competitor gap) | Free | Paid plan |
| The exact 'Moz DA' number | No (our own score) | Yes |
| Index size | 118M domains, 7.1B links | Proprietary |
| Keyword research | Paid plan | Yes |
| Rank tracking | Paid plan | Yes |
| Site crawl / audit | Paid plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $0 | from $49/mo |
The data behind the free tools is real
Our authority and backlink numbers are computed from an independent index of 117,963,409 domains and 7.1 billion links — the open Common Crawl web graph, not a marketing estimate. You can read the full authority distribution of the entire web and verify any number yourself.
A free domain authority score, without the lookup limits
Moz's free DA check is capped at a handful of lookups before it asks you to subscribe. Seoluma's authority checker is free with no daily limit, over an independent 118M-domain index. Both express the same thing — how strong a site's link profile is on a 0–100 scale — so for gauging a domain quickly, you don't need to hit Moz's paywall.
When you specifically need the Moz DA number
There is one case where only Moz will do: when a client, brief or report asks for 'Moz DA' by name. It is an industry-standard label, and Seoluma's score — though it comes from the same harmonic-centrality family — is not that exact proprietary figure. If the deliverable literally says Moz DA, use Moz for that number.
The pricing reality
Moz Pro starts at $49/mo and bundles keyword and rank tools with Link Explorer. If you want that whole toolkit cheaply, it is fair value. If you only need to check authority and backlinks, Seoluma removes the subscription entirely for that job — the paid plan only enters for monitoring and audits.
Domain Authority is a model, not an official number
It's worth being clear about what Moz's famous metric actually is: Domain Authority is one company's model of a site's link strength on a 0–100 scale, trained to predict ranking. It isn't an official, web-wide score — any large link graph can compute a comparable authority number, which is exactly what Seoluma does, free, for any domain. The one time you genuinely need Moz is when a brief, client or report asks for 'Moz DA' by that exact name; for everything else, a free authority score does the same job.
Which one should you choose?
- A brief or client asks for the Moz DA number by name
- You want keyword + rank tools bundled cheaply
- You are standardised on the DA metric across a team
- You want a free authority score with no lookup cap
- You need referring domains and link gaps free
- You want to check the data source yourself
Moz is the company that popularised Domain Authority as a metric, from $49/mo. If you run search marketing full time and need its full breadth, it earns its price. If you mainly need to check domain authority, referring domains and link gaps — the things most people open Moz for — Seoluma does those free, with no account and no trial countdown. Use the free tools first; reach for a paid suite when you actually hit their edge.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Moz DA?
Yes. Seoluma gives a free domain authority score with no lookup limit, from the same mathematical family as DA (harmonic centrality), over 118 million domains. Moz's own free check is capped before it asks you to pay.
Is Seoluma's score the same as Moz DA?
No. Moz DA is a proprietary number on Moz's crawl. Seoluma's authority is computed from the open Common Crawl graph. They measure the same thing and track together, but the exact figures differ — so if you specifically need 'Moz DA', use Moz.
Why is Seoluma free when Moz charges after a few checks?
Moz runs a proprietary crawl, so each lookup has a cost and gets metered. Seoluma builds on open data, so a lookup costs almost nothing — which is why there is no daily cap on the free checker.
Can Seoluma replace Moz Pro?
For authority and backlink checks, yes, free. For Moz's bundled keyword research and rank tracking, or the exact DA label, keep Moz and use Seoluma free for the link side.
Related comparisons
Deciding between the paid tools themselves? These independent head-to-heads go deeper: