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Best backlink API in 2026

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DataForSEO, SE Ranking and RankParse are the best backlink API providers in our benchmark. We benchmarked 3 providers. We list all three, ranked by score. For each one, we show its top scoring plan, each part of the plan's score and what 1,000 backlinks cost. We rank 43 plans by price. RankParse's $199 pack costs the least per 1,000 backlinks: $0.004. RankParse charges for each page of results. We count 1,000 backlinks on each page to get the $0.004 price.

  1. #1 DataForSEO: Backlink API

    DataForSEO, top-up from $50

    It returns all 5 key fields we check: Source URL, Anchor text, Follow or nofollow, Authority, First and last seen.

    Overall score
    85.8
    $ per 1,000
    $0.036
    Price score
    73
    • $ per 1,000 domains the provider can't find: the provider's pages don't say
    • Plans of this API we rank by price: 43
    • Plans cheaper per 1,000 backlinks than this plan: 7
    Data score
    94
    Cost to get started score
    82
    • How you pay: a top-up you pay first
    • Least to pay before your first result: $50
    Bundle score
    92
    • Also pays for, from the same budget: SERP API · AI Optimization API · Backlinks API · Content Analysis API · DataForSEO Labs API and 7 more
    Performance score
    100
    • This call's median time on 30 October 2026, minus the baseline: 0.389 s
    • DataForSEO, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.389 s
    • On 30 October 2026, we sent this provider the same 20 domains as every other provider in our benchmark.
    • This plan scored 0.941 out of 1 on those 20 domains. That gives this plan a Data score of 94 out of 100.

  2. #2 SE Ranking: Backlink API

    SE Ranking, $29 monthly, Add-on, monthly billing

    It returns all 5 key fields we check: Source URL, Anchor text, Follow or nofollow, Authority, First and last seen.

    Overall score
    51.1
    $ per 1,000
    $0.193
    Price score
    72
    • $ per 1,000 domains the provider can't find: $0
    • Plans of this API we rank by price: 43
    • Plans cheaper per 1,000 backlinks than this plan: 14
    Data score
    19
    Cost to get started score
    82
    • How you pay: monthly
    • Least to pay before your first result: $29
    Bundle score
    86
    • Also pays for: Project Management API
    • Also pays for, from the same budget: Backlinks API · Domain Research API · Keyword Research API · Website Audit API · AI Search API
    Performance score
    32
    • This call's median time on 30 October 2026, minus the baseline: 1.219 s
    • DataForSEO, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.389 s
    • On 30 October 2026, we sent this provider the same 20 domains as every other provider in our benchmark.
    • This plan scored 0.1903 out of 1 on those 20 domains. That gives this plan a Data score of 19 out of 100.

  3. #3 RankParse: Backlink API

    RankParse, $199 pack, Lifetime deal

    It returns all 5 key fields we check. 4 are in the plan's price: Source URL, Anchor text, Follow or nofollow, First and last seen. 1 costs extra: Authority.

    Overall score
    49.4
    $ per 1,000
    $0.004
    Price score
    88
    • $ per 1,000 domains the provider can't find: $3.98
    • Plans of this API we rank by price: 43
    • Plans cheaper per 1,000 backlinks than this plan: 0
    Data score
    4
    Cost to get started score
    72
    • How you pay: a pack you pay first
    • Least to pay before your first result: $199
    Bundle score
    96
    • Also pays for, from the same budget: Referring Domains · Anchor Text · Top Pages · Outbound Links · Domain Authority · Domain Rank and 17 more
    Performance score
    10
    • This call's median time on 30 October 2026, minus the baseline: 3.818 s
    • DataForSEO, the fastest benchmarked provider: 0.389 s
    • On 30 October 2026, we sent this provider the same 20 domains as every other provider in our benchmark.
    • This plan scored 0.0388 out of 1 on those 20 domains. That gives this plan a Data score of 4 out of 100.

The Data score on backlink APIs

This score, out of 100, shows how many backlinks a call returns for a domain. The score also shows how much the call says about each backlink. We opened the page of every backlink a call returned. A backlink counts only when the page still links to the domain. On each domain, we count the backlinks that still link. We divide this count by the highest count any call reached on the same domain. The highest count is never above 100. We also score each part of a backlink, such as the anchor text or the page's title. For each part, we count the backlinks that still link and come with that part. We divide by the highest count any call reached for that part. We score a part on a domain only when at least one call returned that part for that domain. When the page shows a different value, we count the value as missing. A call scores 0 on a part when the call has no field for the part. A call scores 0 on a domain where the call found nothing. We average the results over all domains. Every domain counts the same. Every call here answers from an index the provider keeps. A link in the index may be gone from the page. We do not count a gone link. We lower the score when we test the call on fewer domains than the benchmark has.

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