SEO & Growth · Backlink Building Tools

Link Explorer (Moz tool)

Analyzes backlinks, SEO metrics, and domain authority for websites.

Our take: Link Explorer answers two questions: who links to a site, and how strong that site looks by Moz's own metrics.

Best forSEO specialists

ReviewedNov 2026Freemium

7.35 criteria · see breakdown

Try LinkFree (10 queries/mo); Moz Pro Standard $99/mo or $79/mo yearly

Moz Link Explorer is Moz's backlink checker, the tool that replaced Open Site Explorer in 2018. It is free with a Moz Community account: you get 10 queries a month, and each one shows a site's Domain Authority, Page Authority, Spam Score, linking domains, anchor text, followed vs nofollowed links and recently gained or lost linking domains. More queries come with Moz Pro: Standard includes 5,000 backlink queries a month for $99 ($79 a month paid yearly).

The bottom line

A useful free backlink checker for occasional checks; regular link research needs Moz Pro, from $99 a month or $79 a month paid yearly.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

Community ratings

Shown for context only. Our score is independent.

4.3

600+ reviews

Capterra

4.5

350+ reviews

Trustpilot

2.7

230+ reviews

4.0 / 5 aggregate · across 3 sources

Third-party ratings shown verbatim; aggregate weighted by review volume.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isMoz Link Explorer: Moz's backlink checker (formerly Open Site Explorer), free for 10 queries a month and part of every Moz Pro plan.

Our takeLink Explorer answers two questions: who links to a site, and how strong that site looks by Moz's own metrics.

Enter a domain or URL and it lists inbound links and linking domains with their Domain Authority, the anchor text people use, the site's top pages by links, and the linking domains it gained or lost recently. Link Intersect compares up to five competitors' profiles with yours to show sites that link to them but not to you. A free Moz Community account gets 10 queries a month; Moz Pro raises that to 5,000 (Standard), 20,000 (Medium) or 70,000 (Large) a month.

Why we rate itThe free tier is real: 10 queries a month cover Spam Score, anchor text, discovered and lost linking domains and Link Intersect, not just a teaser number.

The catchTen free queries go fast if you check more than a few sites, and Domain Authority, Page Authority and Spam Score are Moz's own scores, so they won't match Ahrefs Domain Rating or Semrush Authority Score.

Moz's pricing page doesn't list the backlink allowance of the $49 Starter plan; Standard is the first plan with a published figure (5,000 queries a month).

Best / not good for

Best for

SEO teams benchmarking Domain Authority across competitor portfolios
Link-building strategists identifying high-quality prospects and toxic links
Agencies running regular backlink audits for multiple client sites

Not good for

Checking dozens of sites a month on the free account (10 queries a month)
Teams that report authority with Ahrefs or Semrush metrics, since Moz's scores are on a different scale
Seeing metrics while you browse other sites: that is MozBar, Moz's browser extension

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
Fast: enter a URL, create a free Moz account and verify your email, and the first report loads.
Scale breakpoint
Query caps become a hard ceiling for agencies running audits across dozens of domains — Medium or Large plan required at scale.
Walled garden
Moderate: data exports are available on paid plans, but DA/PA are proprietary Moz metrics, creating dependency on their index.

Still a fit?

If none of these block you, start on the free plan.

Try Link

Link Explorer limits: free account vs Moz Pro

Access	Price (USD)	Backlink queries a month	Results per query
Free Moz Community account	$0	10	Not stated
Moz Pro Starter (one website)	$49/month	Not listed on the pricing page	Not listed
Moz Pro Standard	$99/month, or $79/month paid yearly	5,000	10,000
Moz Pro Medium	$179/month, or $143/month paid yearly	20,000	40,000
Moz Pro Large	$299/month, or $239/month paid yearly	70,000	50,000

From Moz's Link Explorer page and Moz Pro pricing page, checked 2 November 2026. Moz says yearly billing saves 20% and you can cancel or change plans at any time. Moz Pro plans also add Link Tracking Lists (30 on Medium, 60 on Large).

How to check backlinks in Moz Link Explorer

Enter a URL: Type the domain or page you want link data for on Moz's Link Explorer page.
Create a free Moz account: Sign up for a Moz Community account and verify your email. That unlocks 10 queries a month.
Read the overview: Domain Authority, Page Authority, Spam Score, linking domains and inbound links, with graphs of how they changed over time.
Dig into the links: The inbound links and linking domains lists show who links to the site; anchor text shows how they describe it; top pages shows which pages earn the most links.
Find gaps with Link Intersect: Add up to five competitors to see sites that link to them but not to you, a quick list of outreach prospects.

What happened to Open Site Explorer?

Open Site Explorer (OSE) was Moz's first backlink checker, launched in 2010. In 2018 Moz replaced it with Link Explorer, rebuilt on new link technology. If you're looking for Open Site Explorer today, Link Explorer is the tool to use: the same kind of backlink report, with Domain Authority, Page Authority and Spam Score.

There was never a separate Open Site Explorer extension. Moz's browser extension is MozBar, which shows Domain Authority and Page Authority on any page and on Google results.

Link Explorer or MozBar: which Moz tool do you need?

Use Link Explorer when you want the backlink list itself: who links to a site, with what anchor text, and which links it gained or lost. Use MozBar when you want Domain Authority and Page Authority at a glance while you browse or scan a Google results page.

Both are free with a Moz Community account. Spam Score is one difference: Link Explorer shows it on the free account, while MozBar shows it only with MozBar Premium (Moz Pro). Need data inside your own tools instead? Moz also sells the Moz API, from $20.

A look inside

Link Explorer (Moz tool) product screenshot

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Moz Link Explorer free?How many free queries does Link Explorer give you?Is Link Explorer the same as Open Site Explorer?Is there a Moz backlink checker Chrome extension?How much does Moz Link Explorer cost?Does Link Explorer have an API?

Is Moz Link Explorer free?

Yes, with limits. A free Moz Community account gets 10 Link Explorer queries a month, including Domain Authority, Page Authority, Spam Score, linking domains, anchor text and Link Intersect. More queries need Moz Pro (checked 2 November 2026).

How many free queries does Link Explorer give you?

10 a month on a free Moz Community account. Moz Pro Standard includes 5,000 backlink queries a month, Medium 20,000 and Large 70,000.

Is Link Explorer the same as Open Site Explorer?

Link Explorer is its replacement. Moz launched Open Site Explorer in 2010 and replaced it with the rebuilt Link Explorer in 2018.

Is there a Moz backlink checker Chrome extension?

Moz's extension is MozBar, for Chrome and Firefox. It shows Domain Authority, Page Authority and link counts on pages and Google results with a free Moz account; for full backlink lists, use Link Explorer.

How much does Moz Link Explorer cost?

The tool is included in Moz Pro. Starter is $49 a month for one website; Standard is $99 a month or $79 a month paid yearly, with 5,000 backlink queries a month.

Does Link Explorer have an API?

Moz sells the Moz API separately, from $20, with link metrics such as Domain Authority, Page Authority and Spam Score. Moz lets you try the API for free.