What is Majestic?
Majestic is a backlink research platform that maps links across the web and lets you analyze the link profile of any domain or URL. It is best known for its own metrics, Trust Flow and Citation Flow, which score link quality and link volume. SEO professionals use it to check backlinks, compare competitors and find link building opportunities.
The company started in 2004 as Majestic-12, a project that used volunteers running crawling software to build a map of the web. It traded as Majestic SEO from 2008 and moved to the Majestic brand in 2014. The platform keeps two indexes: a Fresh Index of links seen in the last 120 days and a Historic Index reaching back to 2006.
Majestic at a glance
How does Majestic work?
- Search a domain or URL
Enter a site in Site Explorer to see its backlinks, referring domains, anchor text and Flow Metrics.
- Pick an index
Use the Fresh Index for recent links or the Historic Index to view older links and long-term trends.
- Compare and dig deeper
Compare several sites side by side, review Topical Trust Flow categories and look at the context around each link.
- Export or automate
Download reports, run bulk checks or connect through the API on the API plan.
Majestic key features
Site Explorer
Shows referring domains, new and lost backlinks, anchor text, linking pages and a link graph for any site.
Flow Metrics
Trust Flow estimates link quality, Citation Flow estimates link quantity and Topical Trust Flow places sites in more than 800 categories.
Fresh and Historic indexes
Switch between recent link data and records going back to 2006.
Compare tools
Benchmark domains side by side, view Flow Metric history and find shared linking sites with Clique Hunter.
Bulk Backlink Checker
Check metrics for many domains at once and export the results to CSV.
Link Context
Shows the text and links surrounding a backlink to help judge whether it is editorial.
Author Explorer
A beta tool that finds web authors and the content and backlinks tied to them.
Why use Majestic?
- Majestic maintains one of the longest-running independent link indexes.
- Trust Flow and Citation Flow are widely used shorthand for link quality.
- Topical Trust Flow helps judge whether a linking site is relevant to your niche.
- Historic data back to 2006 helps with audits and domain research.
- Entry pricing is modest compared with full SEO suites.
Who is Majestic best for?
A good fit for
- Link builders vetting prospect sites
- SEO agencies running competitor link research
- Domain investors checking a domain's link history
- Developers who need link data through an API
Less suited to
- Users who want keyword research, rank tracking and site audits in one tool
- Teams needing many seats on the Lite or Pro plans
Majestic pricing
| Pricing model | Subscription |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Free trial | Not confirmed |
| Starting price | $49.99/month (Lite), or $41.67/month billed annually |
Lite covers the Fresh Index and Site Explorer, Pro adds the Historic Index and all web tools, and API adds programmatic access and five users. Prices exclude VAT; a free account gives access to limited free tools.
Prices checked October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official Majestic pricing page before you buy.
Majestic pros and cons
Pros
- Large, independent link index
- Distinct Trust Flow and Topical Trust Flow metrics
- Historic link data going back to 2006
- Affordable entry plan
Cons
- Focused on links only, with no rank tracking or site audits
- Lite and Pro plans include a single user
- No free trial, only a 7-day money-back guarantee
Majestic integrations and platforms
Works with
Available on
Majestic alternatives
See the full shortlist in Best Link Building Tools.
Majestic FAQ
Is Majestic free?
Majestic is mainly a paid tool. You can create a free account to run limited demo searches and use free tools such as the Backlink Checker and Majestic Million list. Full access needs a paid plan, starting with Lite at $49.99 per month. New Lite and Pro customers get a seven-day money-back guarantee.
What is Trust Flow in Majestic?
Trust Flow is a Majestic metric that estimates the quality of a site's backlinks based on how closely it links to trusted seed sites. Citation Flow measures link volume without judging quality. Comparing the two helps spot sites with many low-quality links. Topical Trust Flow adds subject categories to show relevance.
Majestic vs Ahrefs: what's the difference?
Majestic focuses on backlink data and its own Flow Metrics, with historic data back to 2006 and lower entry pricing. Ahrefs is a broader SEO suite that adds keyword research, rank tracking and site audits on top of its backlink index. Choose Majestic for dedicated link analysis and Ahrefs for an all-in-one toolkit.
What is Majestic used for?
Majestic is used to research backlinks. SEO professionals use it to audit their own link profile, study competitor links, vet sites before outreach or link purchases and check the history of expired domains. Developers also use the Majestic API to pull link metrics into their own tools and dashboards.
Does Majestic have an API?
Yes. Majestic offers API access on its API plan, which costs $399.99 per month or $3,999.90 per year and includes five users and 100 million analysis units. The plan can be raised to larger monthly volumes or a custom amount. The Lite and Pro plans do not include API access, though Majestic also offers a Google Sheets add-on.
Sources
This overview is based on Majestic's official website and documentation, checked October 2026.