Backlink Monitoring Tools I Recommend After 11 Years in SEO

Backlink monitoring is one of those search engine optimization (SEO) routines that’s easy to overlook, until it costs you rankings, traffic, and reputation. 

After spending 11 years building, tracking, and analyzing links for brands across different industries, I’ve learned that consistent monitoring is just as important as getting those high quality backlinks in the first place.

At Tanot Solutions, we also believe in keeping things simple. Instead of juggling too many dashboards, we rely on a lean set of powerful backlink monitoring tools that provide accurate insights without overwhelming the process. 

These tools help us safeguard the quality of the backlinks we build and ensure they continue to deliver value over time.

In this article, I’m sharing my honest, experience-backed reviews of the backlink monitoring tools that stand out. I’ll share what they do well, who they’re ideal for, and the specific functionalities that make them useful for modern SEO.

Why Backlink Monitoring Is Non-Negotiable in 2026

Between Google’s evolving spam detection systems, stricter ranking models, and highly competitive link landscapes, brands can’t afford to build backlinks and walk away. Continuous monitoring is the only way to protect your rankings and maintain long-term authority.

Here’s why backlink monitoring matters more than ever in 2026:

1. Google’s link spam updates

Since 2022, Google has rolled out multiple spam-related updates, including the expansion of SpamBrain, its AI-powered spam detection system. Every update since then has tightened its ability to devalue manipulative backlinks. 

In Google’s own words —

What this means for you:
Even one low-quality pattern in your link profile can cause:

• Link devaluation
• Ranking drops
• Loss of topical authority
• Manual review risks

Monitoring tools help identify suspicious links before Google does.

2. Disappearing links

Multiple SEO studies, including Ahrefs’ analysis of billions of links, show that a significant percentage of backlinks disappear within months due to site updates, migrations, content rewrites, or URL changes.

If you don’t monitor backlinks and a high authority link disappears, you lose the equity it once gave. This sometimes results in noticeable ranking drops.

3. Fake links from vendors

With AI-generated sites, low-quality guest post farms, and mass-produced PBN networks increasing, the risk of receiving poor backlinks is now much higher.

Monitoring tools can help detect patterns like:

• PBN footprints (identical IPs, hosting, layouts)
• Irrelevant placements on sites outside your industry
• Temporary links that vendors add and remove
• Suspicious link spikes that indicate automation

4. Competitor link velocity

Your competitors are constantly building links through digital PR, content partnerships, niche edits, or editorial placements.

A study from Ahrefs showed that pages in the top three positions often gain new backlinks at 2–5x the rate of pages ranking on page two.

With backlink monitoring tools, you can track:

• New referring domains competitors acquire
• Link growth spikes
• Content formats that attract links
• Lost backlinks you can reclaim

This helps you plan smarter link-building campaigns and avoid falling behind.

5. Maintaining link ROI long-term

A link is not a “set and forget” asset. Tracking helps you protect your investment by ensuring your links stay live, relevant, and high-quality.

At Tanot Solutions, we strongly believe that the value of a backlink comes from longevity. We build high-authority, contextual links, but we also monitor them continuously to safeguard long-term growth for our clients.

My 10 Recommended Backlink Monitoring Tools in 2026

Different tools excel at different aspects of backlink monitoring. Some are great for tracking new and lost links, some for evaluating link quality, and others for competitor research. 

Here are the backlink monitoring tools that consistently deliver reliable insights and help maintain a healthy link profile.

Tool	Ideal For	Key Functionalities	User Reviews	Pricing
Ahrefs	SEO agencies, professionals, large enterprises	Referring domains & link velocity tracking, new & lost backlinks, anchor text monitoring, competitor link tracking, full link profile analysis, content explorer	Largest commercial link index, trusted, fast & accurate; downside is cost	Lite: $129/mo Standard: $249/mo Advanced: $449/mo Enterprise: $1499/mo
Semrush	SEO teams needing link audits & competitor insights	Backlink audit with toxicity scoring, backlink gap analysis, real-time tracking, anchor text categorization, link-building workflows, disavow file generation	Praised for toxic link detection; toxicity scores not always perfect	Starter: $199/mo Pro+: $299/mo Advanced: $549/mo
Moz Pro	Beginners, in-house marketing teams	Link Explorer, DA & PA metrics, new & lost backlinks, anchor text analysis, Spam Score evaluation	Beginner-friendly, less overwhelming; smaller index, slower updates	Starter: $49/mo Standard: $99/mo Medium: $179/mo Large: $299/mo
Majestic	Link-building specialists	Trust Flow & Citation Flow, Historic & Fresh Index, link context reports, IP analysis, link graph visualization, PBN footprint detection	Excellent for deep link quality analysis; may be less accurate than Ahrefs	Lite: $49.99/mo Pro: $99.99/mo API: $399.99/mo
SE Ranking	Small agencies, freelancers, early-stage brands	Frequent backlink updates, new & lost links, anchor & attribute analysis, trust scoring, alerts, SEO audit & keyword tracking	Affordable & strong monitoring; smaller database	Essential: $65/mo Pro: $119/mo Business: $259/mo API: $149/mo
Serpstat	Startups, budget-conscious teams	Backlink dashboard, link tracking, anchor monitoring, competitor analysis, batch domain analysis	Solid for routine tracking; smaller index	Lite: $69/mo Team: $129/mo Agency: $499/mo
Linkody	Freelancers needing lightweight monitoring	Daily backlink monitoring, anchor analysis, link attribute checks, spam indicator, disavow tool, email alerts	Simple, clean, reliable alerts	Webmaster: $14.90/mo Advanced: $24.90/mo Pro: $49.90/mo Agency: $99.90/mo Agency XL: $153.90/mo
SEOptimer	Agencies with small clients	Backlink research, referring domains, domain strength, new & lost links, follow vs nofollow ratios, anchor insights, alerts	Lightweight & easy; not for deep historical analysis	DIY SEO: $29/mo White Label: $39/mo White Label + Embed: $59/mo
CognitiveSEO	SEO professionals needing deep audits	Unnatural link detection, penalty risk analysis, anchor distribution, historical growth, visual link graphs	Excellent toxic link detection; interface can feel complex	Starter: $129.99/mo Premium: $199/mo Elite: $499/mo
Google Search Console	Every website owner	Top linking sites & text, internal links, URL inspection, coverage reports, search performance & security insights	Foundational & trusted; lacks competitor data and real-time alerts	Free

1. Ahrefs (my most recommended all-in-one choice)

Ideal for: SEO agencies, professionals, and large enterprises 

Ahrefs is the industry leader in backlink data, with one of the largest and fastest crawlers after Google. 

Its backlink monitoring capabilities are consistently more accurate and timely than most other SEO backlink tools. This is the primary reason Tanot Solutions uses it for all client projects.

At Tanot Solutions, Ahrefs is the backbone of our link building monitoring: reliable, fast, and accurate. Beyond backlink tracking, it gives us everything we need in a single dashboard: keyword insights, technical audits, competitor analysis, content research, and link-building opportunities. 

This “all-in-one” capability is the reason it remains our top recommendation.

You can easily apply detailed filters, such as dofollow vs. nofollow, new vs. lost backlinks, anchor text types, and platform categories, to drill down into link health and quality.

Key functionalities 

• Track referring domains & link velocity
• Shows new and lost backlinks
• Anchor text monitoring
• Competitor link tracking
• Full link profile analysis
• Content explorer (find linkable content opportunities)

User reviews

Ahrefs has the largest commercial link index and remains the most trusted tool for monitoring competitor backlinks. A Reddit user rated Ahrefs’ backlink tracking capabilities nine out of 10, highlighting its speed and accuracy.

Source

The only downside is cost. Many users still recommend Ahrefs despite the price because of its unmatched accuracy and all-in-one value.

If your budget is tight, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT) is a great free alternative for basic backlink checks.

Pricing

Ahrefs offers four paid plans, with additional add-ons available:

• Lite: $129 per month
• Standard: $249 per month
• Advanced: $449 per month
• Enterprise: $1499 per month 

2. Semrush

Ideal for: SEO teams needing strong link auditing and competitor insights

Semrush is one of the most comprehensive SEO platforms on the market, offering backlink monitoring tools alongside keyword research, PPC insights, site audits, content optimization, and competitor tracking. 

While its backlink index isn’t as large as Ahrefs, it excels in link toxicity auditing, making it especially valuable for brands concerned about risky or low-quality backlinks.

Its Backlink Audit Dashboard provides a clear, actionable overview of link risks, toxic patterns, and suspicious domains. Here’s how the audit interface typically appears:

Semrush also offers one of the strongest backlink comparison workflows, allowing you to benchmark your link profile against top competitors and uncover new link-building opportunities. 

For teams managing ongoing SEO campaigns, its unified dashboard consolidates visibility, rankings, and backlink data in a single place.

Key functionalities

• Backlink audit with toxicity scoring
• Competitor backlink gap analysis
• Real-time link tracking
• Anchor text categorization
• Link-building workflow tools
• Disavow file generation

Users reviews

SEO professionals often praise Semrush’s backlink audit for its ability to identify toxic or suspicious links quickly. 

However, in community discussions, users frequently mention that toxicity scores aren’t always perfect, so it’s wise to conduct a manual review before removing or disavowing any backlinks based solely on the Semrush report.

Source

Pricing

Semrush offers three tiered pricing plans, all of which include backlink analytics:

• Starter: $199 per month
• Pro+: $299 per month
• Advanced: $549 per month

3. Moz Pro

Ideal for: Beginners and in-house marketing teams wanting simple, easy-to-understand backlink insights

Moz Pro is one of the most beginner-friendly SEO platforms, widely known for its Domain Authority (DA) and Link Explorer tools. 

What makes Moz Pro appealing is its clarity. The interface is clean, the reports are easy to interpret, and the metrics (DA, PA, Spam Score) remain some of the most recognized across the SEO industry. 

This makes it especially useful for teams that want straightforward backlink data without a steep learning curve.

Moz Pro is also helpful for identifying potentially harmful links through its Spam Score, which highlights domains that may pose a risk based on spam signals.

Key functionalities

• Link Explorer (an overview of your backlink profile)
• Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) metrics
• New and lost backlink tracking
• Anchor text analysis
• Spam Score evaluation

User reviews

Users find Moz Pro beginner-friendly far less overwhelming than Ahrefs or Semrush. 

Source

However, advanced SEOs frequently note that Moz’s backlink index is smaller and slower to update, which can be a problem for fast-moving businesses. 

Source

Pricing

Moz Pro offers four pricing tiers:

• Starter: $49 per month
• Standard: $99 per month
• Medium: $179 per month
• Large: $299 per month

4. Majestic

Ideal for: Link-building specialists needing deep link trust evaluation and historical link intelligence

Majestic is one of the oldest and most link-focused SEO tools on the market. 

Unlike all-in-one platforms, Majestic is built almost entirely around backlink analysis. Its strength lies in its proprietary metrics like Trust Flow (TF) and Citation Flow (CF), which help evaluate the quality and influence of a backlink profile more precisely than traditional authority scores.

For link builders, agencies, and anyone investigating link sources, Majestic’s granular data on link neighborhoods, historical link growth, and topical trust categories offers unmatched visibility. 

It’s especially useful for detecting PBNs, assessing whether a domain is trustworthy before placing a link, and identifying suspicious link patterns.

Key functionalities

• Trust Flow & Citation Flow scoring
• Historic Index (track links over long periods)
• Fresh Index (updated frequently for recent links)
• Link Context report (view surrounding link content)
• Referring domain and IP analysis
• Link graph visualization (“Link Graph”)
• PBN footprint detection

User reviews

Users praise Majestic for advanced link quality assessment, historical link trends, and trust metrics that go deeper than standard authority scores.

Source

However, some users point out that it might not always get the accurate data compared to tools like Ahrefs. 

Source

Pricing

Majestic offers three pricing tiers:

• Lite: $49.99 per month
• Pro: $99.99 per month
• API: $399.99 per month
  

5. SE Ranking

Ideal for: Small agencies, freelancers, and early-stage brands on a budget

SE Ranking has become one of the most popular SEO platforms for teams that want strong functionality at a fraction of the cost of Ahrefs or Semrush. 

SE Ranking offers surprisingly robust link monitoring features, making it an excellent choice for smaller brands or freelancers that need consistent tracking without enterprise-level pricing.

Its Backlink Checker and Backlink Monitoring modules provide a clear overview of link health, anchor usage, domain trust, and link dynamics over time. SE Ranking also allows you to add custom parameters and verification checks, which is useful when managing multiple clients or campaigns.

Key functionalities

• Frequent backlink status updates
• Track new and lost backlinks
• Anchor text and link attribute analysis
• Domain trust and page trust scoring
• Link monitoring alerts on your or your competitors’ website
• SEO audit and keyword tracking modules

User reviews

Users often highlight SE Ranking’s affordability and backlink monitoring capabilities as major advantages, especially for small teams. 

Source

The most common critique is that SE Ranking’s backlink database is smaller and slower to update compared to Ahrefs or SemRush, and has a clunky UI. However, the trade-off is its significantly lower cost.

Source

Pricing

SE Ranking offers multiple pricing plans depending on the frequency of rank checks and account limits. 

• Essential: $65 per month
• Pro: $119 per month
• Business: $259 per month
• Standalone API: $149 per month

6. Serpstat

Ideal for: Startups and teams who want a budget-friendly SEO suite with a decent backlink monitoring module

Serpstat is a great option for startups and cost-conscious SEO teams who want multiple SEO capabilities, including backlink monitoring, in one affordable platform. 

While it may not be the strongest tool for deep backlink intelligence, it provides everything you need for consistent tracking, competitor comparisons, and maintaining a healthy link profile on a budget.

One of Serpstat’s biggest advantages is that it allows you to analyze multiple domains at once, a feature particularly useful for agencies managing several client projects or competitive comparisons. 

Its backlink data is presented cleanly, making it easy to track referring domains, link types, and anchor text trends at a glance.

Key functionalities

• Backlink dashboard with domain and page authority metrics
• New and lost backlink tracking
• Link type distribution (text, image, form, etc.)
• Anchor text monitoring
• Competitor backlink analysis
• Batch domain analysis
  

User reviews

Users appreciate Serpstat for offering a solid all-in-one SEO suite at a much lower cost than competitors. Its backlink monitoring tools are considered accurate enough for routine tracking and competitor research.

Source

However, many note that the backlink index is not as comprehensive as Ahrefs or Semrush, making it a supplementary but reliable tool for teams prioritizing budget efficiency.

Pricing

Serpstat offers several pricing plans:

• Lite: $69 per month
• Team: $129 per month
• Agency: $499 per month

7. Linkody

Ideal for: Freelancers looking for a lightweight backlink monitoring tool 

Linkody is a lightweight and budget-friendly backlink monitoring tool designed for users who want clear, straightforward link tracking without the complexity of full SEO platforms. 

It focuses exclusively on backlink management, making it an excellent choice for smaller teams or individuals who simply want to monitor link status, changes, and link health over time.

Its biggest advantage is automation. Linkody checks your backlinks daily and sends email alerts whenever a link is gained, lost, or altered. For teams managing a few domains, this makes ongoing link tracking extremely easy and low maintenance.

Key functionalities

• Daily backlink monitoring and status updates
• Anchor text analysis
• Link attribute checks (dofollow/nofollow)
• Spam score indicator
• Competitor backlink monitoring
• Integrated disavow tool
• Custom email alerts

User reviews

Users appreciate Linkody for its simplicity, clean dashboard, and highly reliable email alerts. Many freelancers prefer it because it does exactly what they need without unnecessary features or steep learning curves.

Source

Pricing

Linkody offers several affordable plans:

• Webmaster: $14.90 per month
• Advanced: $24.90 per month
• Pro: $49.90 per month
• Agency: $99.90 per month
• Agency XL: $153.90 per month

8. SEOptimer

Ideal for: Agencies managing small clients who require basic backlink monitoring and automated alerts

SEOptimer started as a lightweight SEO audit platform but has expanded to include backlink research and monitoring features. 

Its Backlink Checker and Backlink Monitoring tools let you quickly see who links to a domain, track changes over time, and understand key backlink metrics at a glance — all without needing an enterprise SEO tool. 

Its Backlink Change Dashboard with regular email alerts helps you stay updated when links are added or lost and spot potential negative SEO issues quickly. 

Key functionalities

• Research backlink profiles for any domain or URL
• View total backlinks and referring domains
• See domain strength and linking IPs
• Track new and lost backlinks over time
• Monitor follow vs nofollow link ratios
• Anchor text insights and link detail breakdown
• Email alerts for backlink changes

User reviews

Users appreciate SEOptimer for its simplicity, especially when they need a lightweight backlink review tool alongside core SEO auditing. 

Source

Because its focus isn’t solely on advanced backlink intelligence, SEOptimer won’t replace tools like Ahrefs or Semrush for deep historical link analysis.

Pricing

SEOptimer offers affordable plans that bundle backlink research with wider SEO audit and reporting tools:

• DIY SEO: $29 per month
• White Label: $39 per month
• White Label & Embedding: $59 per month

9. CognitiveSEO

Ideal for: SEO professionals and brands needing deep link audits, penalty prevention, and detailed unnatural link detection

CognitiveSEO is a powerful backlink analysis and digital marketing tool known primarily for its advanced link auditing capabilities. 

Unlike many all-in-one SEO platforms, CognitiveSEO specializes in uncovering unnatural links, spam patterns, aggressive anchor text usage, and risky link-building footprints. This makes it ideal for websites that have experienced sudden ranking drops or want to proactively prevent penalties.

Its Unnatural Link Detection technology is one of the most advanced on the market. Using a mix of machine learning and large-scale crawling, CognitiveSEO categorizes backlinks into natural, suspect, and unnatural buckets. This allows SEO managers to quickly identify harmful links and prepare disavow files with confidence.

Key functionalities

• Unnatural link detection & penalty risk analysis
• Backlink profile categorization (natural vs suspect vs unnatural)
• Anchor text distribution and over-optimization signals
• Historical link growth trends
• Competitor link analysis
• Visual link graphs for pattern analysis

User reviews

Users frequently praise CognitiveSEO for its ability to uncover toxic or spammy backlinks that other tools often miss. SEOs who handle penalty recovery or forensic link audits consider it essential.

Source

Some note that the interface feels outdated compared to modern platforms, and the tool can be overwhelming for beginners due to the depth of data provided. 

Source

Pricing

CognitiveSEO offers tiered pricing, depending on the number of websites and campaigns monitored:

• Starter: $129.99 per month
• Premium: $199 per month
• Elite: $499 per month

10. Google Search Console (Free)

Ideal for: Every website owner who needs verified Google data

Google Search Console (GSC) isn’t a traditional backlink monitoring tool, but it remains one of the most important platforms for understanding how Google itself interprets your link profile. 

Since the data comes directly from Google’s index, GSC provides the most accurate, unquestionable view of which domains link to you, which pages receive those links, and how your site performs in organic search.

While it doesn’t offer advanced link intelligence like Ahrefs or Majestic, GSC is invaluable for establishing a baseline backlink profile, monitoring indexing issues, and identifying unexpected or low-quality domains linking to your site. Every SEO workflow, regardless of size, should begin here.

Key functionalities

• See domains linking to your site (“Top linking sites”)
• View which pages receive the most backlinks
• Anchor text overview (“Top linking text”)
• Internal link distribution
• URL inspection for indexing issues
• Coverage reports for site health
• Search performance insights (CTR, impressions, keywords)
• Security issues & manual actions monitoring

User reviews

SEO professionals universally treat GSC as a foundational tool. Its backlink reports are trusted because they come from Google itself, making it perfect for confirming or cross-checking link data from other tools.

However, users also recognize its limitations: no real-time alerts, no competitor data, no historical visuals, and no deep link analysis. It’s essential, but not sufficient on its own, for advanced backlink monitoring.

Source

Pricing

Completely free for all domains.

How We Track Backlinks at Tanot Solutions (Simple Process)

At Tanot Solutions, backlink quality matters just as much as backlink acquisition. We don’t overcomplicate the monitoring process. Instead, we use a lean, reliable workflow that ensures every link we build continues to deliver value over time.

Here’s how we monitor backlinks for our clients:

1. Monthly backlink monitoring

We conduct a comprehensive backlink review once every month. This cadence is enough to catch lost links, spammy additions, or anchor changes without getting bogged down in daily fluctuations.

2. Ahrefs’ new & lost backlink alerts

We use Ahrefs to set up automatic alerts for new and lost links, ensuring we can spot important changes between monthly reviews.

If a valuable backlink disappears, we can quickly verify the reason and take action when needed.

3. Manual verification of high-value backlinks

Even with tools, some parts of website backlink analysis require a human eye. We manually review:

• Whether the link is still live and dofollow
• The context of placement
• Page relevance
• Publisher domain quality
• Any sudden changes in the linking page

This manual evaluation ensures no automated tool misinterprets a link or flags it incorrectly.

Which Backlink Monitoring Tool Should You Choose?

The right backlink monitoring tool depends entirely on your business needs, budget, and the depth of analysis you require.

If you want the most complete, reliable backlink monitoring tool, Ahrefs is the clear winner. It offers the fastest link detection, the strongest link index, and the best all-in-one SEO ecosystem.

For beginners or freelancers, SE Ranking or Linkody are great, affordable options.

For deep link trust analysis, Majestic shines.

For penalty prevention or recovery, CognitiveSEO is unmatched. And regardless of your tech stack, Google Search Console is non-negotiable.

Backlink monitoring, as a whole, is the process of protecting your SEO investment and maintaining long-term visibility.

If you’re investing in high-quality backlinks and want a team that monitors them consistently for long-term growth, explore how we work at Tanot Solutions. We help build authority that lasts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)