The best Moz alternative depends on what you actually use Moz for. If you need backlink data and keyword research, Semrush or Ahrefs are the strongest all-in-one replacements. If you need programmatic technical and on-page auditing — audits as an API, CI/CD gates, and white-label reports — SEO Score API is the best fit. For deep on-demand crawls, Screaming Frog leads.
Moz built its reputation on Domain Authority, backlink metrics, keyword research, and rank tracking. But "companies like Moz" isn't one category — it's several. Below we break the alternatives down by use case so you can pick the right one instead of overpaying for features you'll never touch.
Why teams look for a Moz alternative
People search for an alternative to Moz for a few honest reasons:
- Backlink index depth. Moz's link index is respectable, but Ahrefs and Semrush crawl more aggressively, and teams that live in backlink data often want the biggest index.
- Price and seat limits. Suite pricing adds up fast, especially when only one person needs the dashboard.
- Developer access. Moz has an API, but many teams want auditing they can call from code, wire into CI/CD, and automate — not a dashboard someone has to remember to open.
- Technical audit depth. For exhaustive crawls of large sites, dedicated crawlers go deeper than a general suite.
The right replacement hinges on which of these matters to you. Let's map the options.
Moz alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Backlinks? | Keyword research? | Technical audit? | API? | Free tier? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush | All-in-one marketing suite | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (paid) | Limited |
| Ahrefs | Backlinks + keyword depth | ✅ (best) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (paid) | Webmaster Tools |
| Screaming Frog | Deep on-demand crawls | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ (best) | ❌ | ✅ (500 URLs) |
| Sitebulb | Visual audits + reports | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | Trial |
| Lighthouse | Free performance/tech checks | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ (perf) | ✅ (CLI) | ✅ (free) |
| SEO Score API | API-first auditing + scoring | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ (core) | ✅ (no card) |
No single tool wins every column — which is exactly why "best Moz alternative" is the wrong question. "Best Moz alternative for what" is the right one.
Best all-in-one Moz alternatives (backlinks + keywords)
If you use Moz mainly for Domain Authority-style metrics, backlink analysis, keyword research, and rank tracking, you want another full suite. These are the closest like-for-like replacements.
Semrush
Semrush is the broadest all-in-one platform and the most common Moz replacement for marketing teams. It covers keyword research, rank tracking, backlink analysis, competitor research, site audit, and content tools in one dashboard. If you want a single subscription that does most of what Moz does and then some, Semrush is the safe default.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is the go-to when backlinks and keyword data are the priority. Its link index is widely considered the deepest, and its keyword explorer is excellent. If you moved to Moz for its link metrics but wished the index were bigger, Ahrefs is the upgrade. (We cover this cluster in detail in Ahrefs alternatives.)
For backlinks and keyword research specifically, be honest with yourself: Ahrefs and Semrush lead this category. SEO Score API does not compete here and doesn't pretend to — it's not a backlink index or a rank tracker.
Best technical SEO & site-audit Moz alternatives
Moz includes a site crawler, but plenty of teams switch to it for that feature and find dedicated tools go deeper. If your Moz use is mostly the "crawl my site and tell me what's broken" job, these win.
Screaming Frog
The industry-standard desktop crawler. Point it at a domain and it crawls every URL, surfacing broken links, redirect chains, duplicate titles, missing meta, and more. The free tier handles up to 500 URLs. Screaming Frog has no backlink or keyword data — it's a pure technical audit tool, and one of the best.
Sitebulb
Sitebulb takes crawl data and layers prioritized, visual reporting on top. If Screaming Frog's spreadsheet output feels raw, Sitebulb explains why an issue matters and what to fix first — great for producing audits clients can actually read.
Google Lighthouse
Free, open-source, and built into Chrome DevTools. Lighthouse scores performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO for a single page, and runs from the CLI so you can script it. It's page-by-page and doesn't crawl a whole site or track anything over time, but for a free technical baseline it's hard to beat.
Try the API-first alternative free. Grab a free SEO Score API key — no credit card required — and audit your first URL in about two seconds. See plans and pricing when you're ready to scale.
Best API-first Moz alternative: SEO Score API
Here's the use case the suites handle poorly and where SEO Score API is the strongest alternative to Moz: auditing and scoring as a REST API.
SEO Score API is an API-first technical and on-page auditing tool. Send it a URL and it runs 54 automated checks across 5 categories — meta, technical, performance, social, and accessibility — and returns a 0–100 composite score plus letter grades as clean JSON. On top of the core audit it offers:
- Batch audits — score hundreds of URLs in one call
- Score monitoring over time with webhook and Slack alerts when a page regresses
- Shareable white-label HTML reports and SVG score badges for READMEs and status pages
- CI/CD quality gates — fail a build when SEO drops below a threshold
- SDKs for Python, Node, and n8n, plus an MCP server for AI agents
- GEO/AEO/AIO and AI-readability scoring for the generative-search era
Be clear about the trade-off: SEO Score API is not a backlink index and not a rank tracker. For Domain Authority-style metrics, link building, and keyword research, keep using Moz, Ahrefs, or Semrush. But for the auditing, scoring, monitoring, white-label reporting, and automation use case — especially if you're a developer or agency that wants programmatic access — nothing in the Moz world is built for it the way SEO Score API is.
See the full breakdown on our Moz comparison page and the head-to-head at SEO Score API vs Moz. Want to understand what the number means first? Read what is a good SEO score.
Best MozBar alternative
MozBar is the free browser extension that shows Domain Authority and Page Authority as you browse. If that's what you're replacing:
- For DA-style metrics in-browser: the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar and Semrush's extension are the closest equivalents, surfacing authority and traffic estimates on any page.
- For on-page technical checks in-browser: Detailed SEO Extension and SEO Minion show titles, meta, headings, and structured data without a paid account.
- For scriptable, on-demand scoring instead of an extension: call SEO Score API with the page URL and get a full graded audit back as JSON — no toolbar, no manual clicking, works in automation.
There's no exact free clone of MozBar's DA number, because Domain Authority is Moz's proprietary metric. The Ahrefs and Semrush toolbars give you the nearest in-browser equivalent.
Moz API alternatives (for developers)
Searching for "moz api" or "moz api free" usually means you want SEO data you can call from code. Moz's API exposes link metrics and DA/PA, but it's metered and priced around that data.
If what you actually need is on-page and technical auditing via API, SEO Score API is purpose-built for it. One authenticated GET returns a full graded audit:
curl "https://seoscoreapi.com/audit?url=https://yoursite.com" -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key"
You get a JSON response with the composite score, per-category letter grades, and every individual check — ready to drop into a CI pipeline, a monitoring cron job, an n8n flow, or an AI agent. There's a free tier with no credit card required, so you can test integration before committing; see plans to scale up.
If instead you need backlink or keyword data from an API, the Moz API, Ahrefs API, or Semrush API remain the right tools — that's their data to sell. For a wider survey of programmatic options, see best SEO APIs and our detailed SEO API comparison. Full endpoint reference lives in the docs.
How to choose
- Replacing Moz's backlinks/keywords? → Ahrefs or Semrush.
- Replacing Moz's site crawl? → Screaming Frog or Sitebulb.
- Want a free technical baseline? → Lighthouse.
- Want auditing and scoring as an API, in CI/CD, or white-label reports? → SEO Score API.
Most serious teams end up running two tools: a suite for backlinks and keywords, and an API for automated auditing. They don't compete for the same budget because they don't do the same job.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Moz alternative?
It depends on your use case. For backlinks and keyword research, Semrush and Ahrefs are the best all-in-one Moz alternatives. For deep technical crawls, Screaming Frog leads. For programmatic auditing, scoring, and white-label reports via API, SEO Score API is the strongest fit — especially for developers and agencies.
What is the best free Moz alternative?
For free technical checks, Google Lighthouse (built into Chrome) scores performance, accessibility, and SEO per page at no cost. Screaming Frog crawls up to 500 URLs free. SEO Score API offers a free tier with no credit card required, giving you full graded audits via API. There's no free tool that replicates Moz's Domain Authority metric exactly.
Is there a Moz API alternative?
Yes. If you need on-page and technical auditing via API, SEO Score API returns a full 0–100 graded audit as JSON from a single authenticated request, with SDKs and a free tier. If you specifically need backlink or keyword data from an API, the Ahrefs API and Semrush API are the closest alternatives to Moz's API.
What is the cheapest Moz alternative?
Free options like Google Lighthouse and the 500-URL tier of Screaming Frog cost nothing for technical checks. Among API-based tools, SEO Score API has a free tier with no credit card required and low-cost paid plans; see pricing. The full backlink-and-keyword suites (Semrush, Ahrefs) tend to be the most expensive category.
What is the best MozBar alternative?
For Domain Authority-style metrics in your browser, the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar and Semrush's extension are the closest MozBar alternatives. For on-page checks, the Detailed SEO Extension and SEO Minion are strong free options. For scriptable, automated scoring instead of a toolbar, use SEO Score API.
Is SEO Score API a replacement for Moz's backlink data?
No, and we won't pretend otherwise. SEO Score API is a technical and on-page auditing tool — it is not a backlink index or a rank tracker. For Domain Authority, link building, and keyword research, keep using Moz, Ahrefs, or Semrush. SEO Score API replaces Moz for the auditing, scoring, monitoring, and reporting use case.
Which Moz alternative is best for agencies?
Agencies usually need two tools: a suite (Semrush or Ahrefs) for keyword and backlink work, and an API (SEO Score API) for automated audits, score monitoring, and white-label client reports at scale. The API handles the repetitive per-client auditing that's painful to do by hand in a dashboard.
Get started free
You don't have to commit to a full suite to replace the part of Moz you actually use. If that part is auditing and scoring, grab a free SEO Score API key — no credit card required — and run your first audit in about two seconds. Compare the details on our Moz comparison page, or read the SEO API comparison to see where it fits.