Domain Authority Checker Guide
Learn what Domain Authority is, how it's calculated, and how to check your DA score for free using the best available tools.
Quick Answer
Domain Authority (DA) is a 0-100 score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results. New sites typically score 1-10, established small businesses 20-40, and major brands like Wikipedia and Google score 90+. DA is logarithmic — improving from 20 to 30 is much easier than from 70 to 80. It is calculated based on backlink quantity, quality, and diversity, though it is not a metric used by Google directly.
What Is Domain Authority?
Domain Authority (DA) is a metric created by Mozthat predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results. It scores domains on a 0–100 scale, with higher scores indicating greater ranking potential. DA is calculated by evaluating linking root domains, total number of links, and other factors through a machine learning model.
DA is nota Google ranking factor — it's a third-party estimate. Google does not use DA in its algorithm. However, DA is widely used in the SEO industry as a quick way to compare the relative strength of websites and evaluate link-building opportunities.
DA vs. Other Authority Metrics
Several SEO tools have their own authority metrics. They all measure a similar concept — link-based site strength — but use different data and algorithms, so scores are not directly comparable across tools.
Moz Domain Authority (DA)
The original. 0–100 logarithmic scale based on Moz's link index. Most widely referenced in the industry.
Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR)
0–100 scale focused on the strength of a site's backlink profile. Ahrefs has one of the largest link indexes, so DR data tends to be very comprehensive.
Majestic Trust Flow (TF)
Measures the quality of links pointing to a site based on how trustworthy the linking sites are. Paired with Citation Flow (quantity of links) for a complete picture.
How to Check Your Domain Authority (Free)
Moz Free Domain Analysis
Moz's own free tool gives you the official DA score for any domain, plus top linking domains, top pages, and keyword rankings. No account required for basic checks.
Check DA on MozAhrefs Free Website Authority Checker
Ahrefs provides a free authority checker that shows Domain Rating (DR), backlink count, and referring domains for any site. No sign-up needed for basic queries.
Check DR on AhrefsSemrush Domain Overview (Free Limited)
Semrush shows Authority Score, organic traffic estimates, and top keywords for any domain. The free tier gives you a limited number of daily queries, which is enough for spot-checking your site and key competitors.
Check on SemrushWhat's a Good Domain Authority Score?
DA is a relative metric — what counts as “good” depends on your niche and competitors. The scale is logarithmic, meaning it gets exponentially harder to improve as your score increases. Here are general benchmarks:
Newly launched websites with few or no backlinks. Most sites start here.
Sites with some initial backlinks. Small blogs, local businesses, and new startups.
Small-to-medium businesses, niche blogs with consistent content and link building.
Well-established businesses, popular blogs, and regional publications with solid link profiles.
Major brands, large publications, well-known SaaS companies, and government agencies.
Global brands like Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, and major news outlets (NYT, BBC).
About This Guide
This guide explains Domain Authority (DA) and how to check it for free. Domain authority (also called domain rank or domain rating depending on the tool) is one of the most widely used metrics in SEO for comparing websites and evaluating competitive landscapes.
Understanding DA helps you set realistic ranking expectations. If your site has a DA of 25 and you're trying to rank for a keyword where the top results all have DA 60+, you may need to target less competitive keywords first or invest significantly in link building before you can compete.
Domain rank is calculated based on the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to a domain, along with other factors like the linking domains' own authority. It's a logarithmic scale, meaning it gets progressively harder to increase your score at higher levels. Moving from 10 to 20 is much easier than moving from 50 to 60, which requires significantly more high-quality backlinks.
The best approach is to compare your DA against direct competitors rather than chasing an absolute number. If your competitors average DA 30 and you're at DA 25, you're in a very competitive position. If they're at DA 70, you need a different strategy — likely targeting long-tail keywords where authority matters less.