# BacklinkMCP Pricing — Free & $19/mo Backlink API

> BacklinkMCP pricing: free tier, 10 lookups/day, no signup, or Pro at $19/mo for unlimited lookups and full linker lists. REST + MCP on both plans.

- Canonical page: https://backlinkmcp.com/pricing
- MCP endpoint: `POST https://backlinkmcp.com/api/mcp` (JSON-RPC 2.0, streamable HTTP, no install, 13 tools)
- REST: `GET https://backlinkmcp.com/api/v1/authority?domain=example.com`, `/api/v1/backlinks?domain=example.com` ([docs](https://backlinkmcp.com/docs.md))
- Pricing: Free = 10 lookups/day per IP, 25 backlink rows, no signup. Pro = $19/mo, unlimited daily lookups, 100 rows, `ai_visibility_report` (operator-issued; self-serve checkout is not live)
- Data limits: the index is domain-level (referring domains with authority + outbound counts). No per-link URLs, anchor text or rel/dofollow. `domain_rating` is not Moz DA and not a Google factor
- Site index for agents: https://backlinkmcp.com/llms.txt

---

Free tier is enough to build with. Pro removes the caps when you're running it in production.

Updated 2026-10-15

Both plans query the same proprietary editorial-authority index. Wondering how the data compares to Ahrefs? See the FAQ below.

## Plans

Both plans include full REST + MCP access. No dashboard required, though one exists if you want it.

### Free

$0

- 10 lookups/day per IP

- No signup required

- Full REST + MCP access

- Linker lists capped at 25 rows

[Just start calling the API](https://backlinkmcp.com/docs)

### Pro

$19/mo

- Unlimited lookups

- Full ranked linker lists (up to 100 rows)

- Priority support email

[Request Pro](mailto:hello@backlinkmcp.com?subject=BacklinkMCP%20Pro%20key)

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Free | Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lookups per day | 10 / IP | Unlimited |
| REST API access | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server access | Yes | Yes |
| Linker list rows returned | Up to 25 | Up to 100 (full ranked set) |
| Signup required | No | Yes |
| Support | Community / docs | Priority email |

## Frequently asked questions

### What data does BacklinkMCP actually return?

An editorial-authority score (a domain_rating-style score from 0-100), referring domain counts, and ranked lists of linking domains with their own authority and outbound-link counts — computed from BacklinkMCP's proprietary web-scale link index. It's the same shape whether you call REST or MCP.

### How fresh is the data?

It's a proprietary index, refreshed periodically and optimized for fast, stable queries. `verify_link_live` fetches each linking domain's homepage (not inner pages) to confirm a live href today. See the [docs](https://backlinkmcp.com/docs) for the exact field shapes.

### How does this compare to Ahrefs?

Ahrefs runs its own continuous web crawler and starts at $129/mo, dashboard-first. BacklinkMCP is $0-19/mo, API/MCP-first, and built specifically so agents and scripts can query it directly — see the full [Ahrefs alternative comparison](https://backlinkmcp.com/ahrefs-alternative).

### What are the rate limits?

Free tier is 10 lookups/day per IP address, tracked per calendar day. Pro removes the daily cap entirely. Both REST and MCP tool calls count against the same per-IP or per-key limit — see [rate limits in the docs](https://backlinkmcp.com/docs#limits). What we store to enforce the cap is in the [privacy policy](https://backlinkmcp.com/privacy); usage rules are in the [terms](https://backlinkmcp.com/terms).

### How do I get Pro?

Self-serve checkout is not live. Email [hello@backlinkmcp.com](mailto:hello@backlinkmcp.com) to request an operator-issued Pro key. There is no card charge path on this site today, so there are no Pro charges to refund.

### Should I use the MCP server or the REST API?

Use MCP if your client is Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or another MCP-aware agent — it's zero-code, add the server URL and the thirteen tools show up. Use REST if you're calling from a script, backend service, or anything that isn't an MCP client. Both hit the identical cached engine and count against the same rate limit.

## Related tools & guides

[MCP + REST docs](https://backlinkmcp.com/docs)
[Free MCP for SEO](https://backlinkmcp.com/mcp-server-for-seo)
[Free backlink checker API](https://backlinkmcp.com/free-backlink-checker)
[Ahrefs alternative](https://backlinkmcp.com/ahrefs-alternative)
[MCP vs REST](https://backlinkmcp.com/articles/mcp-vs-rest-api)