★★★★★Trustpilot · December 2025
Says the company did nothing about their issue.
We tested Majestic for 30 days on three websites we control, where we already knew of 100 backlinks. The question was simple: how many of those links would Majestic find, and how quickly would it notice new ones? It scored 2 out of 5 overall and came fourth of the five backlink checkers we put through the same test.
Majestic found 56 of the 100 links and missed 44. When we checked the links it reported, we could confirm only 32 of those 56 were live. New links took about 52 hours to show up. That makes it a fair way behind the tool that won our test.
Majestic suits link builders and analysts who want a link-focused index, its own quality scores and access to old link data. If you need a full picture of your backlinks for a small budget, we think there are better options.
How we scored it
Majestic scored 2 out of 5 on four parts and 2.5 on features, so no part lifted it far. Missing almost half of our known links held back everything else.
Data accuracy2.0
Coverage2.0
Ease of use2.0
Features2.5
Value for money2.0
Overall score: 2 / 5, the average of the five parts, rounded to the nearest half point.
- Data accuracy (2/5): Of the 56 links it reported, we could confirm only 32 were live, so a good share of what it shows needs checking.
- Coverage (2/5): It found 56 of the 100 backlinks we knew existed, which means 44 real links never appeared.
- Ease of use (2/5): Making sense of the results means learning Majestic's own Trust Flow and Citation Flow scores and a monthly system of analysis units.
- Features (2.5/5): It has useful extras such as the Historic Index, site comparison and an API, which earned it a slightly higher 2.5.
- Value for money (2/5): At $49.99 a month for Lite, it costs more than Ahrefs' cheapest plan, and Ahrefs scored far higher in our test.
Best of 2026
See the ranking →
The best backlink checkers
Before you pick Majestic, see how all 5 tools ranked in the same test.
Majestic in plain terms
Majestic is a backlink research tool. It crawls the web, records which sites link to which, and lets you look up the links pointing at any website. It does links and nothing else, so don't expect keyword research or rank tracking.
Its best-known features are two scores of its own. Trust Flow rates the quality of the links pointing at a site, and Citation Flow rates how many links it has without judging quality. Link builders often use these to decide which sites are worth asking for a link.
Majestic keeps two sets of data: a Fresh Index of links seen in the last 120 days and a Historic Index going back to 2006. The company, Majestic-12 Ltd, was set up in 2004 and won the Queen's Award for Enterprise for innovation in 2017. It sits in our wider SEO tools group.
What happens after you sign up
You don't install anything: Majestic runs in your browser, and most jobs follow the same four steps.
1. Enter a site. Type a website into Site Explorer, or into the free backlink checker if you haven't paid yet.
2. Read the scores. Majestic shows the site's backlinks along with Trust Flow, Citation Flow and the topics its links come from.
3. Compare sites. On Pro and up, you can put sites side by side, run bulk checks and build custom reports.
4. Export or connect. Download reports, pull data into Google Sheets with the add-on, or use the API on the top plan.
What you get
Most of what matters sits behind the paid plans. Here's what each part does for you.
Site Explorer and Fresh Index
Shows the backlinks Majestic has seen pointing at a site in the last 120 days. It comes with Lite and every plan above it.
Historic Index
Lets you look at links going back to 2006, which helps when you're checking a site's past. It needs Pro or above.
Trust Flow and Citation Flow
Two scores that give a quick sense of a site's link quality and link quantity, handy for sorting outreach targets.
Compare Sites and Custom Reports
Put several sites side by side and build your own reports. Pro and above include these, along with Author Explorer.
API and free tools
The API plan gives developers direct access to the data. Anyone can use free tools such as the backlink checker, browser plugins and a Google Sheets add-on.
Who gets the most out of Majestic
Majestic is built for people who care about links above all else and are happy to learn its own scoring. If you want a general SEO tool, or simply the most complete list of your backlinks, it's a weaker fit.
A good fit for
- Link builders sorting through outreach prospects
- Analysts who want old link data on the Pro plan
- Developers who need link data through an API
- People already comfortable with Trust Flow scores
Not a good fit for
- Anyone who also wants keyword research or rank tracking
- Buyers who want a free trial before paying
- Small budgets that need the most links per dollar
- Teams that rely on fast, visible support
Majestic vs Ahrefs, LinkResearchTools and Search Console
In our test, Ahrefs came first with 4.5 out of 5 and starts at $29 a month, against Majestic's $49.99. Ahrefs is a full SEO suite, while Majestic sticks to links. LinkResearchTools also beat Majestic, but at $599 a month it's priced for agencies.
Google Search Console is free and shows some of your links, but only for your own sites. Majestic lets you look up any site, which matters if you research competitors or vet sites before asking them for a link.
| Option | Price | How it compares |
|---|---|---|
| Majestic | $49.99 a month | A link-only index with its own Trust Flow and Citation Flow scores. |
| Ahrefs | $29 a month | A full SEO suite with a backlink index, keyword data and site audits. |
| LinkResearchTools | $599 a month | A premium link audit suite built around rating risky links. |
| Google Search Console | Free | Shows a sample of links to sites you own, with no competitor data. |
Our 30-day Majestic test
We tested Majestic from September 28 to October 27, 2026, 30 days in all. We used three websites we control, and between them we knew of 100 backlinks. Because we knew exactly which links existed, we could see what Majestic found and what it missed. Every backlink checker in our lineup ran the same test, as set out in how we test.
Majestic found 56 of the 100 known links. The other 44 never showed up. If those were your links, you'd be making decisions with almost half of the picture missing.
Next we checked the links it did report. We could confirm only 32 of the 56 as live. So even the list you get needs checking before you rely on it, for example before you report links to a client.
We also watched how quickly new links appeared. Majestic took about 52 hours to reflect updates. That's slow enough that a fresh link from outreach may not show for a couple of days.
Our standard SEO test also covers keyword data and a crawl for planted technical problems. Those parts don't apply to a backlink checker, so we didn't run them here.
| What we measured | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword volume and ranking data compared with Google Search Console | N/A: backlink discovery test | This part is for keyword tools, so we didn't run it on Majestic. |
| Backlinks found out of 100 links we know exist | Known backlinks found 56/100 | Majestic missed 44 real links, so you'd see only just over half of a site's links. |
| Planted technical issues found out of 40 | N/A: no technical crawl in this brief | Majestic doesn't crawl sites for technical problems, so this didn't apply. |
| How fast new links appear | 52 h to reflect updates | A new link may take more than two days to show, so you can't check outreach wins the same day. |
Majestic gave us a partial view of our backlinks. It found 56 of 100 known links, we could confirm only 32 of those as live, and new links took about 52 hours to appear. Its scores and history tools are useful for research, but the core job of finding your links is where it fell short.
Tested September 28, 2026 to October 27, 2026.
The good and the bad from our test
It found more than half of our links
Majestic found 56 of our 100 known backlinks. That's enough to spot a site's main links and patterns, even if it isn't the full list.
Link scores help with outreach
Trust Flow and Citation Flow give a fast first read on a site's links. When you're sorting a long list of sites to contact, that saves time.
History back to 2006
The Historic Index on Pro shows links back to 2006. That's useful when you need to know what a site's link profile looked like in the past.
Missed 44 of 100 known links
Almost half of the links we knew about never appeared. If you're auditing your own site or reporting to a client, that's a big gap.
Many reported links weren't confirmed live
We could confirm only 32 of the 56 links it found. You'll need to check its lists before trusting them.
No free trial
There's no trial of the paid plans. Instead you get a 7-day money-back guarantee on your first Lite or Pro plan, so you pay first and ask for a refund if it doesn't suit.
Pros
- Found 56 of our 100 known backlinks
- Own Trust Flow and Citation Flow scores
- Historic link data back to 2006 on Pro
- Free backlink checker and free tools
- 7-day money-back guarantee for first-time buyers
Cons
- Missed 44 of 100 links we knew existed
- Only 32 of 56 reported links confirmed live
- About 52 hours for new links to appear
- No free trial of paid plans
- Links only: no keyword research or rank tracking
How much Majestic costs
Majestic has a free account with some free tools, plus three paid plans. Lite costs $49.99 a month, Pro $99.99 a month and API $399.99 a month, all billed monthly and before VAT. Paying yearly is about 17% cheaper: $41.67, $83.33 and $333.33 a month, billed yearly.
Most small businesses would start with Lite, which covers one user and the Fresh Index. Pro is worth it only if you need the Historic Index or comparison tools, and the API plan is for developers. Prices were checked on November 3, 2026.
Lite
$49.99
a month
- 1 user
- 1M analysis units
- Site Explorer and Fresh Index
Pro
$99.99
a month
- 20M analysis units
- Historic Index
- Compare Sites and Custom Reports
API
$399.99
a month
- API access
- 5 users
- 100M analysis units
There's a free sign-up with free tools, including the backlink checker. There's no free trial of the paid plans.
New customers get a 7-day money-back guarantee on their first Lite or Pro plan, requested through support. The refund terms don't mention the API plan.
If you pay by card, you cancel a monthly plan under My Subscriptions by choosing to cancel future billing. If you pay with PayPal, you cancel in PayPal. The pricing page doesn't explain how to cancel a yearly plan.
Bigger reseller or custom plans are available on request.
Prices checked November 3, 2026. Prices can change, so check before you buy.
Is Majestic safe to use?
Majestic is a research tool, so it doesn't post anything or act on your behalf. Using it carries little risk to your own website. Its own crawler, MJ12bot, did draw one complaint on Trustpilot from a small site owner who said it used a lot of bandwidth.
We didn't find details on how Majestic handles your account data or which security standards it meets. If that matters to your business, ask the company before you sign up.
The bigger risk is to your wallet. There's no trial, so the 7-day refund window on your first Lite or Pro plan is your safety net.
Start with Lite on monthly billing and use the 7-day money-back window if it doesn't fit.
What Majestic users say
There isn't much user feedback to go on. On Trustpilot, checked November 3, 2026, Majestic has 1.9 out of 5 from just 16 reviews, labelled Poor, with only one in the last 12 months. The profile hasn't been claimed by the company.
The complaints mention unresponsive support and the crawler using heavy bandwidth on a small site. Some reviews are off topic and seem to be about a different company. The praise on Majestic's own homepage is chosen by the company, so it isn't independent.
What users praise
- Homepage testimonials praise data quality (vendor-selected, not independent)
What users complain about
- Aggressive crawler on small sites
- Unresponsive support
Recent user reviews, in short
Summarised in our own words, not quoted. Reviewer names are left out.
★★★★★Trustpilot · September 2025
Abusive complaint with no product detail.
★★★★★Trustpilot · August 2025
Says the MJ12bot crawler used nearly 1 GB of bandwidth on a small site.
★★★★★Trustpilot · July 2025
Complaint about a streaming device that likely refers to a different company.
With so few reviews, user ratings don't tell us much about the backlink data itself. Our test is the clearer signal: Majestic found just over half of the links we knew about.
Ratings checked November 3, 2026.
Majestic alternatives worth a look
Three of the four other tools in our test scored higher than Majestic, and SEO SpyGlass scored the same. Here's how they compared.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs won our test with 4.5 out of 5 and scored higher than Majestic on every part. It suits SEO specialists and agencies, and its Starter plan costs $29 a month.
LinkResearchTools
LinkResearchTools ranked second with 2.5 out of 5, helped by better scores for ease of use and value. At $599 a month, it's for agencies doing link audits and penalty clean-ups.
Monitor Backlinks
Monitor Backlinks scored 2.5 out of 5, slightly ahead of Majestic on accuracy and coverage. It suits small sites that want alerts when links are gained or lost.
SEO SpyGlass
SEO SpyGlass scored 2 out of 5, the same as Majestic, and came last. It's a desktop app with a free version, aimed at freelancers on a tight budget.
2/5
Should you use Majestic?
For most small businesses, we wouldn't pick Majestic as the main backlink tool. It found 56 of our 100 known links, we could confirm only 32 of those as live, and new links took about 52 hours to appear. That's why it scored 2 out of 5 and came fourth of five.
To be fair, Majestic does what it's known for. Trust Flow is a quick way to judge a site, and the Historic Index is rare. If you vet link prospects for a living, Lite at $49.99 a month may still earn its place. If you want the fullest list of your links, start with a higher-scoring tool on our best backlink checkers list.
Majestic suits link builders who value Trust Flow and link history; anyone who needs complete backlink data should look elsewhere.
Still deciding?
Compare backlink checkers →
See how Majestic compares
Every tool in our backlink checkers test got the same jobs. Our ranking puts the results side by side.
Disagree with our review?
Make your case
If you use Majestic, or work there, and think we got something wrong, email us. Tell us what you saw and attach screenshots if you have them. We'll take another look and update the review if it changes our findings.
review.now.team@gmail.com
or open your email app
Frequently asked questions
How much does Majestic cost?
Majestic has three paid plans. Lite costs $49.99 a month, Pro $99.99 a month and API $399.99 a month, billed monthly and before VAT. Billed yearly, they work out at $41.67, $83.33 and $333.33 a month, about 17% less. There's also a free sign-up with free tools. We checked these prices on November 3, 2026.
How did you test Majestic?
We used three websites we control, with 100 backlinks we knew existed. Over 30 days, from September 28 to October 27, 2026, we counted how many of those links Majestic found, checked whether the links it reported were live, and timed how long new links took to appear. Every backlink checker in our lineup ran the same test.
Is Majestic free?
Partly. You can sign up for free and use free tools such as the backlink checker, the Majestic Million list, browser plugins and a Google Sheets add-on. For full use you need a paid plan. There's no free trial of the paid plans, but first-time Lite and Pro buyers get a 7-day money-back guarantee.
What are Trust Flow and Citation Flow?
They are Majestic's own link scores. Trust Flow rates the quality of the backlinks pointing at a site. Citation Flow rates how many links a site has, without judging their quality. Looking at both together gives a quick sense of whether a site's links come from trusted places or are simply numerous.
How fresh is Majestic's data?
The Fresh Index covers links seen in the last 120 days, and the Historic Index goes back to 2006, with its range shown as ending in March 2024. In our test, Majestic took about 52 hours to reflect new links, so expect a short wait before fresh links show.
Can I get a refund from Majestic?
Yes, within limits. New customers can ask support for a refund within 7 days of their first Lite or Pro subscription. The policy doesn't mention the API plan. If you pay monthly by card, you can stop future billing under My Subscriptions, and PayPal users cancel in PayPal.
Written by
Grace Sullivan
I've always been interested in how people connect and build communities online. When exploring a new service, I pay attention to usability, transparency, pricing, and whether its advertised features make sense in everyday situations.