Backrefs vs Majestic and Moz Link Explorer: Index, Metrics and Value

Majestic, Moz Link Explorer and Backrefs all answer the same basic question: who links to this site? They differ in how they crawl, what they report, and which scores they put on top. Those differences matter less than whether the tool surfaces the links you need for your sites. This page shows how to test that yourself instead of trusting anyone's index-size claims, including ours.

The short version

• Majestic is known for its link-graph focus and its own metrics, Trust Flow and Citation Flow, plus separate fresh and historic views of its index.
• Moz Link Explorer is known for Domain Authority, Page Authority and Spam Score. These are handy shorthand for clients and colleagues, but they are Moz's predictions, not Google's numbers.
• Backrefs is the option to evaluate if you want a backlink-focused tool and care about cost against what you actually use. Confirm its current index details, limits and features on the official site before deciding.

No third-party tool sees the whole web, and none of them show what Google has actually counted. Treat every number as an estimate.

What each tool's metrics really tell you

Scores are not rankings

Trust Flow, Citation Flow, Domain Authority and similar scores are proprietary. A site with a high score is not guaranteed to rank, and a link from a low-score site is not automatically worthless. Use scores to sort a long list quickly, then judge the top candidates by hand: relevance, real traffic, editorial context.

Counts are not comparable across tools

One tool's "referring domains" figure can differ a lot from another's for the same site. The cause can be crawl coverage, how often pages are recrawled, how deleted links are handled, or how a domain is defined. Comparing a count from Tool A with one from Tool B tells you almost nothing. Compare tools by what they find on sites you already understand.

A quick comparison framework

Plans and limits change often, so I have not listed prices. For a cost view, see Backlink Tool Pricing Compared: Backrefs vs Top Competitors by Cost per Feature, and verify everything on each vendor's pricing page.

How to test the index yourself

1. Pick 5–10 domains. Include at least two you own or manage, since you can verify those against reality, plus a couple of competitors and one small, obscure site.
2. Pull the same report from each tool. Use referring domains, not total backlinks, because total backlinks are inflated by sitewide links.
3. Export and dedupe. Put the referring domains in a spreadsheet, one column per tool, and flag which domains appear in one tool only.
4. Check your own sites against Google Search Console. See which tool found links that Search Console also lists. Our guide on whether Google Search Console is enough instead of a backlink tool explains where it falls short, mainly for competitor research.
5. Spot-check freshness. Open 15–20 links from each export. How many still exist? How many are live and followed as reported?
6. Note unique finds. If one tool surfaces a handful of good links the others missed, that is useful. Several tools often complement each other, but paying for all of them rarely makes sense.

Recommended for youBest Backrefs Alternatives: Top Backlink Tools Compared

Where each tends to fit

Majestic

It suits link-graph analysis, such as digging into a competitor's backlink profile or comparing fresh and historic data. The interface and metric names take some learning. The trade-off is that its scores will not match what clients know from other tools.

Moz Link Explorer

Domain Authority is widely recognised, which helps when you report to people who ask for "the DA." The trade-off is that a familiar number invites over-reliance. A site's DA can look healthy while its links are irrelevant or weak.

Backrefs

Consider it if you mostly need backlink checking and do not want to pay for a full suite you will not use. The trade-off is the usual one for focused tools: confirm that it covers what your workflow needs. For a detailed look, see the best Backrefs alternatives and the broader Backrefs alternatives and comparisons hub.

Choosing by situation

• Solo site or blog: start with free options and Search Console, and only pay if you hit a real limit. See best backlink tools for small sites and bloggers and free alternatives to Backrefs.
• Tight budget: the cheapest Backrefs alternative compares the low-cost options.
• Client work: reporting, seats and exports matter more than index quirks. Read best backlink tools for freelancers and agencies and which alternatives offer white-label reports.
• Weighing the big suites: see Backrefs vs Ahrefs, Backrefs vs Semrush, or the three-way which backlink tool to buy comparison.

Honest limitations

• A bigger index is not automatically better. Extra links are often junk, and what matters is finding the useful ones.
• Your test covers a small sample. Run it again on different sites before committing long term.
• Features, limits and prices change. Check each vendor's official site before you buy.
• Backlink data informs decisions but does not guarantee rankings or traffic. Many other factors are involved.

A sensible default

Run the test above on a free tier or trial before you pay. Make the choice based on the links each tool found for your own sites, how fresh they were, and whether the cost makes sense for how often you will use it. That beats any scoreboard, including this page.

Keep reading

Backrefs vs Ahrefs: Head-to-Head ComparisonIf you're choosing between Backrefs and Ahrefs, the decision is rarely about which tool is "better"…Backrefs vs Semrush: Which Backlink Toolkit Fits Your WorkflowChoosing between Backrefs and Semrush is mostly a question of scope. Do you need a tool built aroun…Best Backlink Tools for Freelancers and AgenciesThere is no single best backlink tool for every freelancer or agency. The right pick depends on how…