Domain Rating vs Domain Authority
Two of the most-cited SEO metrics, side by side. Here's what each one actually measures, when to trust them, and how to check them without paying for a subscription.
The short answer
Domain Rating (DR) is Ahrefs' score for the strength of a website's backlink profile, from 0 to 100. Domain Authority (DA) is Moz's score that predicts how likely a website is to rank in Google, also from 0 to 100. They look similar, but they come from different companies, different link indexes, and different math — so the numbers rarely match.
Side-by-side comparison
| Domain Rating (DR) | Domain Authority (DA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Ahrefs | Moz |
| Range | 0 – 100 (logarithmic) | 0 – 100 (logarithmic) |
| What it measures | Strength of the backlink profile only | Predicted ranking ability (link-based ML model) |
| Underlying index | Ahrefs' backlink crawler | Moz Link Explorer |
| Refresh cadence | Continuous | Roughly monthly |
| Used by Google? | No | No |
| Free checker | DR Studio | Moz Link Explorer (limited) |
How Domain Rating is calculated
DR looks at the number of unique domains linking to a site and the DR of each of those linking domains, then squashes the result onto a logarithmic 0–100 scale. Climbing from DR 20 to DR 30 is much easier than climbing from DR 70 to DR 80 — the curve gets steeper at the top because the web's strongest sites set the ceiling.
How Domain Authority is calculated
DA is a machine-learning score trained to predict how a site ranks against actual Google SERPs. It uses dozens of link-based signals from Moz's index — total links, linking root domains, link quality — and outputs a 0–100 score that's also logarithmic. Because the model is recalibrated periodically, a site's DA can move even if nothing about its links has changed.
When to use which
- Use DR when you're vetting a link-building target, comparing competitors' backlink profiles, or tracking the impact of outreach over time. The Ahrefs index is one of the largest and freshest in the industry.
- Use DA when you're already working inside Moz tooling, or when a client or partner specifically asks for a "DA score". Many guest-post and PR briefs are still written in DA.
- Use both for a sanity check. If DR and DA disagree wildly on a domain, take a closer look — one index is usually missing something the other caught.
Common myths
- "Google uses DA / DR." It doesn't. Both scores are third-party estimates built from publicly observable links.
- "Higher is always better." A DR 80 site with spammy links is a worse partner than a DR 40 site with editorial links from your niche. Quality and topical relevance still win.
- "DR and DA should match." They almost never do. Different crawlers see different parts of the web.
Free domain authority checker (and DR checker)
If you want a free way to monitor a site's Domain Rating every day, that's exactly what DR Studio does. Enter any domain on the homepage to get the current DR plus a history of past checks — no signup, no credit card.
For Domain Authority specifically, Moz's free Link Explorer offers a limited number of free lookups per month. For ongoing DA tracking you'll need a Moz Pro subscription.
FAQ
Is Domain Rating the same as Domain Authority?
No. They're built by different companies (Ahrefs and Moz) using different link indexes and different formulas. The scores often disagree by 10–20 points on the same site.
Which is better, DR or DA?
Neither is objectively better. DR tends to update faster and is widely trusted for backlink analysis. DA is familiar to marketers who already use Moz. Both are estimates — Google uses neither.
How do I check Domain Rating for free?
Use DR Studio. Enter the domain, get the score, and watch how it changes over time — all without a paid account.
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