The Majestic Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Majestic in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Majestic
The Insider’s Guide
Backlink index with Trust Flow, Citation Flow and link history
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among link building tools, read from Majestic’s own pages.
Made by Majestic-12 Ltd · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Majestic’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Majestic’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 26 of the 50 other link building tools we grade
Majestic is a backlink research tool that runs its own web crawler and sells access to the link index it builds. Site Explorer shows who links to any domain or URL, scored with Majestic's Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics, and Pro adds a historic index back to 2006 plus tools for comparing sites and finding pages that link to rivals.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Majestic, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Looking up a site is simple, but analysis units, report units, two indexes and its own scores take a while to make sense of.
- 1
Best for a dedicated backlink index with link history
Majestic runs its own crawler and shows who links to any site, scored with its Trust Flow and Citation Flow.
- 2
Paid plans start at $41.67 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $41.67 per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free account: a few Site Explorer clicks a day through the free backlink checker, a weekly showcase site with near-Lite access, the Majestic Million list and basic metrics in the browser extension.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Site Explorer
Backlinks, referring domains, anchor text, new and lost links and the text around each link for any domain or URL.
- 6
Trust Flow and Citation Flow
Scores from 0 to 100 for the quality and the quantity of links, with Topical Trust Flow placing a site in over 800 topic categories.
- 7
Fresh and Historic indexes
The Fresh Index covers links seen in the last 120 days. Pro adds the Historic Index, whose records start in 2006.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 26 of 50
That is against the other link building tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Majestic you would be making an index of the links between billions of web pages. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Majestic at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $41.67 per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- Majestic-12 Ltd, since 2004
- Category
- Backlinks & Link Building
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a dedicated backlink index with link history
Majestic runs its own crawler and shows who links to any site, scored with its Trust Flow and Citation Flow. Lite at $41.67 a month on yearly billing only sees links from the last 120 days, history and competitor tools wait on Pro at $83.33, and there's no trial, only a 7-day money-back guarantee.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Lite is $41.67 a month billed yearly ($49.99 monthly), close to this category's middle of $49. Link history and competitor comparisons sit on Pro at $83.33, and the API plan is $399.99 a month ($333.33 yearly). |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free account gets a few Site Explorer lookups a day, a weekly showcase site and basic scores in the browser extension. That's enough for a look, not for real work. There's no trial, just a 7-day money-back guarantee on your first plan. |
| Features | C | Backlinks, referring domains, anchor text, new and lost links and Trust Flow across 800+ topics, for any site. It does link research fully, but that's one part of link building: no outreach, no link alerts, and Lite only sees 120 days. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. Looking up a site is simple, but analysis units, report units, two indexes and its own scores take a while to make sense of. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, plus a free Chrome and Firefox extension, Google Sheets and Search Console. The API comes only with the API plan. No desktop or phone app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Majestic is for
- Fits if you want to check a site's links before buying the domain or pitching it
- Works for developers who need raw link data and can pay for the API plan
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay on Lite, which only sees links from the last 120 days
- Pricey if you need the API or a second user, as both start on the API plan at $399.99 a month
- Not for you if you want a proper look first: the free account gets a few lookups a day and there's no trial
- Watch out: the homepage dates the Historic Index to March 2024, so newer links sit only in the Fresh Index
- Skip it if you want outreach or alerts for lost links, as it only does research, and prices exclude VAT
Good to know
Good for
- SEOs who want a dedicated backlink index rather than a full suite
- Judging the link quality of a domain before buying it or pitching it
- Developers building their own tools on top of link data
Worth knowing
- Lite searches only the Fresh Index of the last 120 days; history and the comparison tools need Pro.
- API access, extra users and creating OpenApps start with the API plan at $399.99 a month billed monthly.
- There is no free trial; Lite and Pro have a 7-day money-back guarantee for first-time customers, and prices exclude VAT.
- The homepage gives the Historic Index a date range ending in March 2024; newer links sit in the Fresh Index.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$41.67
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Majestic has a free plan. Paid plans start at $41.67 per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly).
A free account gets a few Site Explorer lookups a day, a weekly showcase site and basic scores in the browser extension.
Free
$0
A few Site Explorer clicks each day, plus the free browser extension, for trying the data.
Lite
$41.67
per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly)
1 user, Fresh Index only, 1 million analysis units and 60 report units a month, 5,000 rows per search.
Pro
$83.33
per month, billed annually ($99.99 billed monthly)
1 user, Historic Index, comparison tools, raw exports, Author Explorer, 20 million analysis units and 300 report units.
API
$333.33
per month for 100 million units, billed annually ($399.99 monthly)
5 users and the full API. 300 million units cost $799.99 a month and 1,000 million $1,599.99, billed monthly.
The free plan
Free account: a few Site Explorer clicks a day through the free backlink checker, a weekly showcase site with near-Lite access, the Majestic Million list and basic metrics in the browser extension.
Read from majestic.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
About 17% off with annual billing
Majestic's pricing page sells Lite at $499.99 for 12 months against $49.99 a month, and Pro at $999.99 against $99.99 a month.
Stated on majestic.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
Backlink index with Trust Flow, Citation Flow and link history. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, reports, backlink analysis.
Web, plus a free Chrome and Firefox extension, Google Sheets and Search Console.
- Site Explorer
- Backlinks, referring domains, anchor text, new and lost links and the text around each link for any domain or URL.
- Trust Flow and Citation Flow
- Scores from 0 to 100 for the quality and the quantity of links, with Topical Trust Flow placing a site in over 800 topic categories.
- Fresh and Historic indexes
- The Fresh Index covers links seen in the last 120 days. Pro adds the Historic Index, whose records start in 2006.
- Competitor link prospecting
- Pro tools such as Compare, Clique Hunter and Link Profile Fight show sites that link to competitors but not to you.
- Author Explorer
- A beta tool on Pro that looks up web authors: what they have written, its backlinks and a timeline of their X posts.
- Browser extension and Google Sheets
- A Chrome and Firefox extension shows link counts and flow scores for any page for free; subscribers can also pull data into Google Sheets.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Google Sheets
- Google Search Console
- Chrome
- Firefox
Majestic is made by Majestic-12 Ltd, and has been around since 2004.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
26/50
Other link building tools it is graded above
Majestic's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 26 of the 50 other link building tools we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 28 of 50) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $41.67 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 18 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 51 link building tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Majestic’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 8 of 50
- CFree plan and trialAbove 20 of 50
- CFeaturesAbove 4 of 50
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 50
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 50
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 link building tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Majestic is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Majestic you would be making an index of the links between billions of web pages. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $500.04 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An index of the links between billions of web pages.
- It plugs into other products, Google Sheets, Google Search Console and Chrome among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Majestic’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz Pro, LinkResearchTools and SE Ranking
The 5 tools Majestic is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Ahrefs
Free plan · from $29/mo
SEO toolset for backlinks, keyword research, audits and rank tracking.
- Majestic also covers reports.
- Ahrefs also covers keyword research, rank tracking and site audit.
- 2.2GPA
Semrush
Free plan · from $117.33/mo
SEO suite for keyword research, rank tracking and AI search visibility.
- Only Majestic lists a browser extension.
- Semrush also covers keyword research, rank tracking and site audit.
- 1.8GPA
Moz Pro
Free plan · from $49/mo
SEO toolkit for keyword and link research, site crawls and rankings.
- Majestic also covers reports.
- Moz Pro also covers keyword research, rank tracking and site audit.
- 1.8GPA
LinkResearchTools
From $599/mo
Backlink audits, disavow files and link risk checks from 25+ sources.
- Majestic has a free plan. LinkResearchTools does not.
- 2.2GPA
SE Ranking
Free trial · from $103.20/mo
SEO platform for rank tracking, audits, research and AI visibility.
- Majestic has a free plan. SE Ranking does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Majestic lists a browser extension.
- SE Ranking also covers keyword research, rank tracking and site audit.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Majestic free?
Majestic has a free plan. Free account: a few Site Explorer clicks a day through the free backlink checker, a weekly showcase site with near-Lite access, the Majestic Million list and basic metrics in the browser extension.
How much does Majestic cost?
Majestic lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Majestic work on?
Majestic is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Majestic offer any discounts?
Majestic publicly lists the following: About 17% off with annual billing.
Does Majestic have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Majestic is listed for Web.
Does Majestic have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Majestic is listed for Web.
Is Majestic open source?
Majestic is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does Majestic have an API?
Yes. Majestic offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Majestic integrate with?
Majestic's listing names Google Sheets, Google Search Console, Chrome and Firefox.
Who makes Majestic?
Majestic is made by Majestic-12 Ltd. It dates from 2004.
What are the alternatives to Majestic?
The closest alternatives to Majestic in our directory are Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz Pro, LinkResearchTools and SE Ranking.
How does Majestic compare with other link building tools?
Majestic's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 26 of the 50 other link building tools we grade, and level with 10.
Is Majestic good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Majestic C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $41.67 a month, against a middle price of $49 for the category: 18 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Majestic?
To replace Majestic you would be making an index of the links between billions of web pages.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Majestic’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Majestic's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Majestic-12 Ltd. Prices change, so check majestic.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Majestic, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/majestic
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Majestic: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/majestic
Know someone choosing between link building tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/majestic/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded link building tools after Majestic, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Backlinks & Link Building Insider's GuideEvery one of the 51 link building tools we grade, compared
- LinkCheck Insider's GuideFree backlink monitor for up to 5,000 links you import3.0 GPA
- HARO Insider's GuideFree email digest of journalist requests for expert sources2.8 GPA
- Internal Link Juicer Insider's GuideWordPress plugin that builds internal links from your keywords2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Majestic’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Majestic is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Majestic-12 Ltd. Prices and plans change: check majestic.com before you buy.