About Moz
Moz is one of the original SEO software companies and the creator of Domain Authority (DA), the most widely cited link metric in the industry. Moz Pro covers keyword research, link building, rank tracking, and site audits, while Moz Local handles local SEO citations. The free Moz Tools (Link Explorer, Keyword Explorer, MozBar) remain popular among solo SEOs. Pricing starts at $99/month for Standard. Best for SMBs, agencies serving local clients, and SEOs who value Domain Authority as a benchmark metric.
“Moz remains relevant in 2026 thanks to Domain Authority's industry-wide adoption, strong local SEO tools, and a generous free tier. Moz Pro Standard at $99/month is good value for SMBs that don't need Ahrefs-level data depth. Moz Local at $14/month per location is one of the most affordable citation management tools available. For agencies serving local businesses, Moz Pro + Moz Local is a strong combination.”
What is Moz?
Overview
Moz (originally SEOmoz, founded by Rand Fishkin in 2004) is one of the oldest and most influential SEO software companies. Moz pioneered many SEO concepts and metrics that are now standard - Domain Authority, Page Authority, MozBar, and the SEO learning content on the Moz Blog have shaped the careers of thousands of SEO professionals. While Ahrefs and Semrush have outpaced Moz in data scale and feature breadth, Moz remains a trusted choice for SMBs, local SEO agencies, and educators.
Moz's product portfolio includes Moz Pro (the flagship SEO suite), Moz Local (local SEO and citation management), STAT (enterprise rank tracking acquired in 2018), and Moz API (programmatic access to link and authority data).
Core Features
Domain Authority and Page Authority are Moz's signature metrics. DA is a 0-100 score predicting how likely a domain is to rank in Google, calculated from the link profile. While DA is not used by Google, it remains the most cited backlink metric in SEO conversations because Moz introduced it to the industry. Most outreach pitches and link evaluations reference DA as the baseline credibility metric.
Keyword Explorer offers keyword research with Moz's proprietary metrics: Keyword Difficulty, Organic CTR (percentage of searches that result in organic clicks vs SERP features), and Priority (a composite score balancing volume, difficulty, and CTR). The Priority score is genuinely useful for prioritizing keyword targets.
Link Explorer is Moz's backlink database covering over 40 trillion links - smaller than Ahrefs's index but sufficient for most workflows. It supports filtering by Spam Score (Moz's toxic link detection), DA range, and anchor text, making it useful for both link building and disavow audits.
Site Crawl performs technical audits with weekly or daily crawls depending on plan. It checks for broken pages, duplicate content, missing meta tags, and Core Web Vitals issues.
Moz Local is a separate product that pushes business listings to 70+ directories, monitors reviews across platforms, and tracks local rankings. Pricing starts at $14/month per location for the basic tier - genuinely good value for SMBs and local SEO agencies.
The free Moz Tools - Link Explorer (limited queries), Keyword Explorer (limited queries), and the MozBar Chrome extension - remain widely used by SEOs even at companies that subscribe to Ahrefs or Semrush.
Pricing Analysis
Moz Pro's pricing has been refreshed over the years. Standard is $99/month with 50 tracked keywords, 200,000 pages crawled per month, and 2 campaigns. Medium at $179/month bumps to 1,500 tracked keywords and 5 campaigns. Large at $299/month is the agency-leaning tier with 3,000 keywords and 8 campaigns. Premium at $599/month is the most full-featured with 4,500 keywords and 16 campaigns.
Moz Local pricing is separate: Lite at $14/month per location, Preferred at $20/month per location, and Elite at $33/month per location. Bundle discounts available when combining Moz Pro and Moz Local.
Free Moz Tools include 10 free queries per month in Link Explorer, Keyword Explorer, and MozBar - enough for occasional checks but not for serious work.
Who Should Use Moz
Moz is best for SMBs, local SEO agencies, and SEOs who value DA as a benchmark metric. Moz Local in particular is one of the best citation management tools for local businesses and agencies serving multi-location clients. Moz Pro is a solid mid-tier SEO suite when Ahrefs and Semrush feel too expensive or complex. Solo bloggers and beginners benefit from the free Moz Tools and the educational content on the Moz Blog. For enterprises and heavy backlink users, Ahrefs is usually a better choice due to larger index and more granular data.
Pros
- Domain Authority is the industry-standard backlink benchmark metric used in outreach and link evaluations
- Moz Local at $14/month per location is highly affordable for local SEO and citation management
- Free Moz Tools (Link Explorer, Keyword Explorer, MozBar) remain useful even alongside paid SEO tools
- Moz Blog and educational content are widely respected in the SEO community
- Keyword Priority score balances volume, difficulty, and CTR for genuinely useful keyword prioritization
Cons
- Backlink index is smaller than Ahrefs's (40T vs 400B+ live links)
- Feature set is narrower than Semrush - no PPC, content marketing, or social media tools
- Site Crawl tool is less robust than Ahrefs Site Audit or Screaming Frog for complex technical SEO
How to Use Moz
- 1Start with Free Moz Tools
Visit moz.com and use the free Link Explorer, Keyword Explorer, and MozBar Chrome extension. 10 free queries per month for each tool let you evaluate Moz's data without committing.
- 2Sign Up for Moz Pro
Subscribe to Moz Pro Standard ($99/mo) or higher. A 30-day free trial is typically available on Standard. Most SMBs land on Medium ($179/mo) for the 1,500 tracked keywords.
- 3Set Up Campaigns and Site Crawl
Add your domain as a campaign. Moz performs an initial site crawl, builds your link profile via Link Explorer, and starts daily rank tracking for your target keywords.
- 4Research and Prioritize Keywords
Use Keyword Explorer to find keywords. Sort by Priority score, which balances volume, difficulty, and Organic CTR to identify the most valuable targets.
- 5Add Moz Local for Local SEO
If you serve local clients or your business has physical locations, add Moz Local. From $14/month per location, it pushes listings to 70+ directories and monitors reviews.
Key Features of Moz
Backlinks
Moz's signature 0-100 backlink credibility score, the industry standard metric for evaluating domain link strength
Backlink database covering 40+ trillion links with Spam Score, DA filtering, and anchor text analysis
Keyword Research
Keyword research with Priority score combining volume, difficulty, and Organic CTR for prioritization
Reporting
Technical SEO crawler that checks broken pages, duplicate content, missing meta tags, and Core Web Vitals
Weekly rank tracking across keywords with competitor benchmarking and SERP feature visibility
Free browser extension showing DA, PA, and Spam Score for any page in real time
Pushes business listings to 70+ directories with review monitoring and local rank tracking
Branded PDF reports for clients combining rank tracking, backlinks, and site crawl data
Content
Page-level scoring and recommendations for improving title, meta, and content for target keywords
Integrations
Programmatic access to link data and authority metrics for custom integrations (Medium plan and above)
Key Specifications
| Attribute | Moz |
|---|---|
| Vs | Ahrefs,Semrush,Majestic,BrightLocal |
| Strengths | Domain Authority is the industry-standard backlink benchmark,Moz Local offers affordable citation management for local SEO,Generous free tier with MozBar and limited Link Explorer access,30-day free trial on Moz Pro Standard |
| Weaknesses | Smaller backlink index than Ahrefs,No PPC, social, or content marketing modules (vs Semrush),Site Crawl less robust than Screaming Frog for technical SEO |
Integrations
Moz offers native integrations with Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, WordPress, Looker Studio, Zapier, HubSpot.
