Best Website Rating Tools to Evaluate Site Quality

I remember the first time I tried to figure out the health of a website I’d just inherited.

I had no clue which metrics to check or which platform to trust.

There were a million tools out there, each claiming to be “the best.”

But the metrics that stood out were Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR).

These days, I rely heavily on these two to get a quick view of any site’s credibility and standing in search engines.

In this post, I’ll walk you through 15 of my favorite website rating tools. Some of these tools keep it simple and focus primarily on DA and DR, while others offer a range of SEO services in one package. Here is a quick overview of all of them:

Whether you just need to check DA and DR or want to run page-by-page audits, competitor analyses, and more, you’ll likely find a tool that works for you here.

Why Website Rating Matters

Website rating metrics such as DA and DR are useful because they help you quickly assess the reputation or trust level of a website.

A high score usually indicates that a site has strong backlinks, a solid domain history, and consistently good content.

When do I personally check a website’s rating?
Whenever I’m:

• Looking to work with another site (guest posting, link building, sponsorships).
• Curious about a competitor’s online presence.
• Deciding if it’s worth putting resources into a domain, like when buying or brokering domain names.

I don’t rely solely on DA or DR, though. Everyone in SEO knows these are third-party metrics – not official Google ranking signals – but they do give a decent snapshot. Let’s review the tools that stand out.

Quick Overview of DA and DR

Before getting into the list, here’s a quick explanation of the difference between Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR):

1. Domain Authority (DA) was developed by Moz.

• Ranges from 1 to 100.
• Predicts ranking potential based on backlink profile and various other factors.

2. Domain Rating (DR) was developed by Ahrefs.

• Also ranges from 1 to 100.
• Focuses on the quality and quantity of referring domains.

Often, these metrics move in tandem. However, some sites might show a high DA and a low DR or vice versa, depending on how each tool calculates backlinks, site age, or other indicators.

1) SEO.AI

I actually work at SEO.AI, so it might come as no surprise that I’m mentioning it here, but I genuinely believe it’s one of the best platforms out there for combining AI with SEO. This platform is ranked the #1 AI SEO tool, and for good reason:

• Built with AI specifically designed to write and optimize for SEO, so you can handle everything from product descriptions to in-depth articles.
• Provides actionable data insights that show you exactly how to align your content with Google’s algorithm.
• Offers AI chat and in-line assistants so you can move quickly without juggling multiple tabs or tools.
• Lets you enrich product feeds and attributes with AI (especially helpful for e-commerce sites).
• Tracks your SEO performance across domains, pages, and feeds — perfect if you’re tired of guesswork in your reporting.

If you’re looking for a seamless way to integrate AI and data-driven insights into your SEO workflow, SEO.AI’s all-in-one approach is definitely worth a try.

This whole review is a part of a bigger review of the best SEO tools, check it out if you are curious.

2) Moz Link Explorer

Moz is one of the earliest names in this area. Their Link Explorer is one of the first tools you can use to measure DA.
What I like:

• You can easily plug in a URL to see its DA almost immediately.
• It gives details on inbound links, top pages, and anchor texts.

When it comes to getting an accurate DR, Ahrefs is a strong choice. Their Website Authority Checker quickly provides a DR score along with a snapshot of your backlink profile.
I’ve used Ahrefs a lot. It goes beyond just DR checks, letting you view:

• Organic traffic estimates.
• Keyword rankings.
• Trends in backlink growth over time.

3) SEMrush Authority Score

SEMrush offers its own website rating metric called “Authority Score.” It works similarly to DA and DR, though with its own calculation method.
I mostly use SEMrush for competitor analysis.

The dashboards make it easy to check everything from keyword gaps to backlinks.

Having varied reporting features makes it great for doing multiple tasks — keyword research, site audits, competitor tracking, and domain scoring — all in one place.

4) Ubersuggest

Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest is well known for keyword suggestions, but it also shows domain metrics.

It calculates a domain authority score mostly based on incoming links.

A few reasons to keep Ubersuggest handy:

• Daily rank tracking for specific keywords.
• Content ideas based on keyword data.
• Simplified site audits.

5) SmallSEOTools DA Checker

SmallSEOTools may have a simple look, but they offer a surprising number of free SEO utilities. Their DA checker is fast, and you don’t need to register.
Why I recommend it:

• Ideal for quick checks on multiple domains.
• Key data isn’t hidden behind a paywall.

6) SEOMator Domain Authority Checker

SEOMator provides a number of features to analyze a website’s strengths and weaknesses. Its free Domain Authority Checker gives you immediate insights into DA.
SEOMator stands out when it comes to:

• Detailed site audits covering technical SEO.
• Crawler-based reports pinpointing on-page issues.
• Checks for sitemaps, robots.txt files, and more.

7) Screaming Frog + Third-Party Data

This option is a bit unusual. Screaming Frog is primarily a crawler used for technical SEO audits. It doesn’t show DA or DR on its own, but you can combine it with services like Moz’s API or Ahrefs to get detailed rating checks.
You get:

• Extensive site crawl data (like H1 tags, meta descriptions, and status codes).
• Authority metrics provided via integration with Moz or Ahrefs.

8) SearchAtlas Domain Authority Tools

I find SearchAtlas Domain Authority Tools useful because it makes spotting competitor weaknesses simple. Along with the domain authority metric, you can track keyword rankings, backlinks, and even review the anchor texts used by competitors. It might not be as well known as Moz or Ahrefs, which means fewer usage limits, and a user-friendly interface.

9) SE Ranking

SE Ranking has been attracting attention recently, and for good reason. Its domain metrics measure up well against the leading platforms.
Things I like include:

• Daily keyword rank checks.
• Website audits that cover technical details.
• Domain trust scores based on a solid backlink database.

10) Website Grader by HubSpot

HubSpot’s Website Grader is a well-established tool. Originally focused on inbound marketing, it has grown to cover a variety of SEO areas.
In one glance, it shows:

• Overall website performance (page speed, load times, etc.).
• Mobile compatibility.
• Various SEO and security checks.

11) Woorank

Woorank merges on-page SEO checks with domain-level insights.
Here’s why I still find it useful:

• It assigns an overall score to your domain and individual pages.
• It offers suggestions for technical fixes, on-page improvements, and even touches on social media influence.

Balancing Simplicity and Depth

Many people ask, “Should I use a free DA/DR checker or opt for one of the advanced SEO tools?” My answer is usually simple:

• If you only need DA/DR occasionally to evaluate a single website, a free tool does the trick.
• If you’re serious about boosting your SEO efforts — handling content audits, link-building campaigns, competitor research — an all-in-one suite like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz is likely your best bet.

I keep a mix of both in my toolkit. For quick checks, I open a free web tool. But if something piques my interest, I switch to a more robust platform to get a fuller picture.

Additionally, for an alternative performance perspective, try the Google website rank checker.

FAQ

Why is website rating important?

Website rating metrics such as Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR) are crucial for assessing a website's reputation and trustworthiness. They provide a quick snapshot of a site's credibility, which is essential for making informed decisions in SEO and digital marketing.

What is Domain Authority (DA)?

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz that ranges from 1 to 100. It predicts a website's ranking potential based on its backlink profile and various other factors. A higher DA indicates a stronger potential for ranking well in search engine results.

What is Domain Rating (DR)?

Domain Rating (DR) is a metric developed by Ahrefs, also ranging from 1 to 100. It focuses on the quality and quantity of referring domains to a website. A higher DR suggests a robust backlink profile, which can positively impact a site's search engine visibility.

How does SEO.AI enhance website rating?

SEO.AI integrates AI with SEO to provide tools for writing, optimizing, and tracking SEO performance. It offers actionable data insights and AI-driven features to align content with search engine algorithms, making it a powerful tool for improving website ratings.

What features does Moz Link Explorer offer?

Moz Link Explorer allows users to measure Domain Authority (DA) and provides detailed insights into inbound links, top pages, and anchor texts. It is a valuable tool for understanding a website's backlink profile and overall SEO health.