Top 11 Free Backlink Checker Tools for Successful Link Building Campaigns in 2025

Backlinks are the backbone of SEO (search engine optimization). They prove your website’s credibility to search engines and boost its search rankings.

A free backlink checker tool helps SEO professionals analyze the websites linking to their domain—and even the competitors, without making a commitment. 

In this listicle, we’ll talk about the top free backlink checkers available in the market and their advantages. However, remember that these free tools have their usage limitations.

Let’s start from the basics.

What are Backlinks? 

If you are reading this, chances are you already know the answer. Backlinks are hyperlinks in one website that leads to another. 

Having backlinks tells search engines that you are popular in the industry and people use your website contents as references. This helps search engines determine which sites to rank higher in the search results. 

But not all backlinks are created equal. Backlinks from highly reputed websites mean you are well regarded in your niche while links from low quality, spammy websites damage your reputation. Plus, search engines only consider “follow” links for site authority evaluation. Backlinks labeled as “nofollow,” “sponsored,” or “UGC” (User-Generated Content) can drive traffic to your site but don’t directly impact keyword rankings. 

It’s clear that you need to be aware of the links that are actually adding value to your site, which ones are harming your reputation and which backlinks to remove immediately.

That’s where backlink analysis tools come in. 

These tools give you a clear picture of your linking domains and lets you managing them. 

1. SE Ranking Backlink Checker Tool

SE Ranking Offers a suite of SEO tools including a free link checker to analyze domain level metrics.

SE Ranking is a known SEO analysis tool that combines a range of tools in one place. 

The SE Ranking backlink checker is one of their standout features, designed to help website owners and digital marketers analyze backlink profiles and discover growth opportunities. 

With access to one of the largest backlink databases, SE Ranking provides accurate data on the quality and quantity of backlinks so you can,

• Evaluate link-building strategies
• Discover new opportunities using the Backlink Gap Analyzer
• Monitor progress over time

Key Features

• Track new and lost backlinks
• Assess links using Page and Domain Trust scores
• Identify dofollow/nofollow, text, or image links
• Check how anchor text is being used
• See when a link was first and last spotted
• Count authoritative government and educational links
• Analyze where links are coming from

Why Choose SE Ranking Backlink Checker Tool

• Ease of use
• Comprehensive insights
• Limited free usage without sign up  
• 14-day free trial and discounts

2. OpenLinkProfiler for Backlink Analysis

OpenLinkProfiler is a free backlink checker by SEOProfiler

OpenLinkProfiler is a free backlink checker tool developed by SEOProfiler, that provides actionable insights into backlink profiles. 

It allows you to monitor backlinks for individual web pages or entire websites, making it a valuable resource for both small and large-scale SEO campaigns.

Key Features

• Links are refreshed every five minutes
• Backlink database is updated every month
• Uses its own web crawlers instead of external data sources
• Each link is assigned a quality score
• Export up to 200,000 backlinks per domain
• Download up to 1,000 recent backlinks for free in CSV format

Why Choose OpenLinkProfiler?

• Intuitive interface 
• No need for a subscription—get essential backlink data without cost
• LIS scores allow distinguishing between high-impact and low-quality links

3. SEO SpyGlass

Use SEO SpyGlass free backlink checker for in-depth analytics

SEO SpyGlass is a powerful backlink research and management tool that offers in-depth analytics for your backlink profile and competitor backlink audit.

Unlike many other tools, it’s a desktop app and allows unlimited domains for backlink research, making it a flexible choice.

Key Features

• Connect with Google Search Console and Google Analytics  
• Identify new backlink opportunities 
• Discover shared backlink sources between multiple competitors
• Easily download your backlink data for free 
• Efficiently handles large datasets

Why Choose SEO SpyGlass for Link Building Strategies

• Equipped with robust tools to analyze link quality 
• The domain comparison feature offers an edge in identifying valuable opportunities
• Research backlinks for as many domains as you need

4. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free webmaster tool with backlink checking abilities

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool provided by Google that helps webmasters monitor and improve website performance. 

While its backlink analysis capabilities are limited compared to specialized tools, it provides accurate, raw data directly from Google’s index.

Key Features

• View up to 1,000 backlinks per verified site
• Analyze search queries, page rankings, and how on-site changes impact rankings
• Understand which keywords and queries drive traffic 
• Export backlink data to other tools

Why Choose Google Search Console?

• Backlink data comes directly from Google’s own index
• Offers valuable insights without any cost
• Use it alongside other backlink tools for rich analysis
• Monitor site optimization impacts

5. Seobility Backlink Profile Checker

Seobility offers a free, user-friendly backlink checking tool

Seobility’s Free Backlink Checker is a user-friendly tool designed to help analyze backlink profiles and develop effective SEO strategies. 

While it limits viewing 400 backlinks per search and three free daily checks, you can check the most impactful links.

Key Features

• Provides a summary of domain ratings, total backlinks, and the best-performing links
• Includes vital metrics like anchor text, do-follow/no-follow attributes, link types, and connected URLs 
• Compare competitor backlink strategies 
• Includes auditing tools for website optimization and content management 

Why Choose Seobility?

• Offers a no-cost way to perform detailed backlink inspections
• Focuses on displaying the most relevant backlinks, saving analysis time 
• Analyze both your site’s backlinks and those of competitors

6. Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker

Did you know Ahrefs has a free backlink checker?

Ahrefs Backlink Checker is a renowned tool offering comprehensive backlink analysis and key metrics on incoming links. It offers access to the 100 best backlinks for any domain or web page. 

Despite being primarily a paid platform, Ahrefs provides a free version for basic backlink insights, making it a powerful entry-level tool for SEO specialists. 

Key Features

• View the 100 highest-quality valuable backlinks
• Includes Domain Rating (DR), number of backlinks, referring domains, and anchor text analysis
• Distinguishes between link types 
• Tracks changes in backlink profiles
• Second-largest web crawler after Google
• Backlink index updated every 15 minutes

Why Choose Ahrefs?

• Provides highly reliable backlink data 
• Ideal for detecting spammy links and negative SEO issues
• Access key backlink metrics without paid plan
• Supports detailed analysis with over 35 trillion external backlinks and 24 trillion internal backlinks
• Ahrefs has its own website authority checker that helps understand how backlinks are impacting site authority
• Plus, you can check the broken outbound links for a target website or URL

7. SEO Review Tool’s Backlink Data Metrics

SEO Review Tool comes with many SEO tools including backlink checker

SEO Review Tool is a free and user-friendly platform designed to streamline the SEO process. 

It helps with a range of tools to enhance backlink strategy and overall SEO performance. 

Key Features

1. Evaluates key content elements, including headings and text-to-HTML ratio
2. Provides a detailed list of meta tags
3. Identifies all links on a website, categorized by anchors, URLs, and internal vs. external links 
4. Pinpoints slow-loading sections of web pages 
5. Highlights site weaknesses 
6. Delivers a comprehensive, free evaluation of health

Why Choose SEO Review Tool?

• Reduces the time spent on research by presenting all the data in one dashboard
• Caters to users from various backgrounds
• Combines backlink insights 
• Offers a free, effective tool for backlink and website SEO audits

8. Small SEO Tools Link Profile Checker

Small SEO Tools is a suite of free SEO tools, including a backlink checker

Just as the name suggests, Small SEO Tools is a suite of free SEO tools, including a free backlink checker .  

You can monitor and analyze backlinks for any website or web page. In our opinion, it’s a very useful platform for small and medium sized businesses.

Key Features

1. Identifies the backlink sources
2. Run thorough backlink profile audits 
3. Analyzes competitors’ backlink profiles
4. Highlights the content, keywords, and pages generating the most backlinks 
5. Assesses your top-performing content

Why Choose Small SEO Tools?

• Completely free to use
• Simple interface 
• A great way to uncover competitors’ strategies 
• Offers detailed backlink reports

9. SEMrush for Finding Quality Backlinks

SEMrush’s free plan includes basic backlink checking capabilities

SEMRush is one of the most comprehensive SEO platforms available and is often considered Ahrefs’ top alternative. 

It offers powerful backlink analysis tools in its free plan that are particularly useful for those who are new to SEO but need actionable insights.

Key Features

1. Identifies referring domains, top pages, total and top backlinks , link quality, and more
2. Pinpoints potential new link building opportunities
3. Provides lists of backlinks, backlink anchor texts, along with dofollow and nofollow links
4. Compares your backlink profile with competitors

Why Choose SEMrush?

• User-friendly dashboard
• Check target domain’s backlink popularity
• Provides detailed backlink and SEO metrics 
• Gain insights into industry trends and your competitors’ strategies
• Goes beyond backlinks with tools for keyword research, rank tracking, and technical SEO
• SEMrush boasts an extensive link database
• Similar to Ahrefs and MOZ, SEMRush has a domain authority checker that analyzes backlink’s impact on site authority
• Find and disavow toxic backlinks
• Use the tools for lost link recovery

10. Majestic SEO 

Majestic SEO is one of the earliest backlink checking tools

Majestic is one of the earliest independent backlink checker tools, launched in 2008. 

It focuses exclusively on backlinks, offering dedicated tools to analyze and understand your link profile. Majestic’s proprietary metrics, such as Flow Metrics, have become industry benchmarks.

Key Features

1. Focuses on backlink analysis
2. Evaluates the trustworthiness of backlinks 
3. Measures the quantity of backlinks pointing to a site
4. Highlights recently discovered backlinks vs expansive overview of all backlinks over time
5. Analyze referring domains, anchor texts, link types, and more 
6. Classifies backlinks by type, location, and quality 

Why Choose Majestic?

• Majestic’s exclusive focus on backlinks ensures detailed and actionable insights
• Proprietary tools like Flow Metrics provide reliable benchmarks
• Analyze recent and long-term backlink trends

11. Backlink-Tool.org

Backlink-Tool.org is a dedicated free backlink checker

Backlink-Tool.org is a straightforward and free backlink checker designed to help you analyze inbound links and explore competitors’ link profiles. 

While it lacks the advanced features of premium tools, its simplicity and accessibility make it ideal for beginners and small businesses.

Key Features

1. Quickly identify and analyze backlinks for any domain, including competitors
2. Evaluate anchor texts 
3. Track referring domains and monitor newly gained or lost backlinks weekly
4. Discover personalized link-building opportunities 

Why Choose Backlink-Tool.org?

• Offers comprehensive backlink analysis without requiring a subscription
• Explore competitors’ backlink profiles 
• Helps refine anchor text for a more natural and effective backlink profile

FAQs 

1. How many backlinks do I need to rank well?

The number of backlinks you need to rank higher depends on various factors such as keyword difficulty, topic, page authority etc. On average, you would need 10 backlinks to rank for a keyword with a difficulty score 10 . As the keyword difficulty rises, you would need more higher quality backlinks. 

2. What are white label backlinks?

White hat or white label backlinks are those that are created following Google’s guidelines to ensure ethical and spam-free link-building practices. A Black hat backlink on the other hand involves manipulative strategies and may risk penalties for violating Google’s rules.

3. What are Nofollow, Sponsored, and UGC Backlinks?

A Nofollow Backlink is one tagged with rel=”nofollow” and signals search engines to ignore them.  

A Sponsored Backlink indicates it is a paid, promotional link and is tagged as rel=”sponsored”. 

A UGC Backlink is tagged as rel=”ugc” and implies it comes from a user-generated content (e.g., blog comments).

While these backlinks do not pass any PageRank value and don’t directly improve rankings, they add diversity and drive referral traffic.

4. Why are backlinks so important in Website SEO?

Search engines like Google consider backlinks as endorsements, contributing to their E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) framework. Backlinks from authoritative websites signal to search engines that your site offers valuable and credible content. Clearly, more trustworthy contents get higher search result rankings. 

Apart from improving search rankings, they attract referral traffic from other websites, even if they’re nofollow or sponsored.

We hope these free tools will give you an edge in your next backlink analysis and link building campaigns. If you liked the article, please share it with your friends and network.

5. What is an Anchor text?

An Anchor text is the clickable text with a hyperlink to another page or website. It’s also known as link label or link title.

6. How long does it take to find a new backlink for a site?

The time varies from one search engine to another. On average, it takes about 10 weeks for a backlink to impact Google rankings. 

7. What is Considered a Good Backlink? What makes a high-quality backlink?

A good backlink is one that is naturally earned through ethical process, has relevant anchor texts and comes from competitive, reputable, high domain authority websites. 

8. What is a Backlink Checker?

A backlink checker is a specialized tool that helps you analyze your website’s current link profile, monitor competitor backlinks, find new backlinking opportunities to improve website domain authority. 

9. What information can I find with the Backlink Checker?

A backlink checker can give your valuable insight into your link profile such as:

• List of backlink 
• Domain authority score 
• Link quality
• Anchor texts 
• Referring domains 
• Target’s backlink popularity
• New link opportunities
• The ratio between indexed and non-indexed pages 

11. Can I perform bulk backlink checking?

Some free backlink checker tools allow bulk backlink checking however, it may have  some limitations. 

12. Are all backlinks equal?

Not really. A backlink’s value is measured by the linking domain’s own domain authority and its relevance to your niche. 

13. What makes Flow Metric scores different?

Majestic SEO’s Flow Metric score is a unique logarithmic scale that measures the quality and quantity of backlinks. The Trust Flow and Citation Flow scores represent different measures of the backlink’s impact.

14. What is the difference between a backlink checker and a Site Explorer?

A backlink checker tool analyzes the backlinks (incoming links) to a specific website or webpage and the backlink’s overall quality. A Site Explorer, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive tool that offers a broader analysis of a website’s online presence such as website’s organic search performance, backlink profile, referring domains, traffic estimates, keyword rankings. 

Imagine you’re investigating a crime scene. A backlink checker is similar to examining a single fingerprint at the scene, while a Site Explorer is like analyzing the entire crime scene, including fingerprints, witnesses, and evidence. 

15. What are domain level metrics in link profile?

Domain level metrics help measure a website’s overall authority and performance. Some examples of domain level metrics include: 

Domain Rating (DR): A proprietary metric by Ahrefs that measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile. DR is a score from 0 to 100. 

Domain Authority (DA): A metric developed by Moz that’s calculated based on total number of links and linking root domains, etc.

Citation Flow: A domain level metric from Majestic that predicts how influential a URL might be based on the number of sites linking to it.

16. How do I monitor backlinks of my competitors?

Using a backlink checker tool can provide comprehensive analysis of your competitor’s backlink profile. 

17. How to check your most linked pages?

All backlink profile checker tools such as Ahref, SEMRush, Majestic, SE Ranking or Google Search Console offer insights into the top linked pages of a website. Simply navigate to the respective platform’s backlink checking tools and check for the top performing pages report.