Tooling
Best DA PA Checker Browser Extensions in 2026 (Free and Paid)
A website checker makes you open a tab and paste a URL. A browser extension puts the number on the page you're already looking at. Here's what to install and why that distinction matters more than people think.
A domain authority checker tells you a number when you ask for one. A browser extension puts that number on every search result and every page you land on, without you asking twice. For anyone checking authority dozens of times a day, link prospecting, competitor research, vetting guest post requests, that difference is the entire point.
Here’s what to actually install, what metric each one shows, and where the free tier runs out.
What these extensions actually do
Every tool below hooks into your browser and overlays an authority score, link data, or both, directly on the page. Some only work on Google’s results page. Others show data on any site you visit. None of them invented a new metric, they’re front ends for the same Domain Authority, Domain Rating, and Authority Score systems covered in our domain authority checker guide. What you’re actually choosing here is convenience and workflow, not a different number.
The best DA PA checker extensions in 2026
| Extension | Metric shown | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MozBar | Moz DA and PA | Yes, limited lookups with a free account | The actual DA/PA numbers, overlaid on Google results |
| Ahrefs SEO Toolbar | Domain Rating (DR) | Yes, generous free feature set | Backlink counts and on-page audits alongside authority |
| SEOquake | Multiple metrics via Semrush data | Yes | A dense, all-in-one SERP overlay |
| Detailed SEO Extension | Page-level SEO data, some authority signals | Yes, fully free | Quick on-page checks without a paid account |
| SE Ranking Toolbar | SE Ranking’s own authority score | Yes | A lighter free alternative with clean reporting |
| DA PA Checker extension | Dedicated DA/PA lookup | Yes | A no-frills, single-purpose checker |
MozBar, the original and still the standard
MozBar is the extension most people actually mean when they say “DA PA checker extension.” It’s built by Moz, the company that invented both metrics, and it overlays Domain Authority and Page Authority directly on Google’s search results page, next to every ranking result, plus on any individual page you visit.
The free version covers a limited number of lookups per month before nudging you toward a paid Moz account. For anyone checking a handful of sites a day, link prospecting a few guest post opportunities, sizing up competitors, the free tier covers it.
Ahrefs SEO Toolbar, the best for backlink depth
The Ahrefs SEO Toolbar shows Domain Rating instead of Moz’s DA, which is a different metric built from Ahrefs’ own backlink index, not a worse one. What sets it apart is everything bundled around that number for free: on-page audits, redirect tracing, broken link checks, HTTP header analysis, and country or language switching for SERP research without needing a VPN.
If you’re doing any serious link building, the extra backlink detail that comes free with the DR number is the reason to pick this over MozBar, not the score itself.
SEOquake, the dense all-in-one overlay
SEOquake pulls in Semrush’s data and crams a wide set of metrics directly onto the SERP, authority, estimated traffic, indexed page counts, and more, all visible without clicking into a single result. It’s the extension for people who want everything on screen at once rather than a clean, minimal overlay.
Detailed SEO Extension, the free no-account option
Detailed’s extension skips the authority score race entirely and focuses on fast, free, no-signup on-page data: title tags, headers, canonical tags, and schema markup on whatever page you’re viewing. It’s not a DA/PA tool first, but it’s the one worth having installed alongside an authority checker since it answers a different, equally common question.
SE Ranking Toolbar, the lighter alternative
SE Ranking’s browser extension mirrors its own web-based authority checker, covered in the full domain authority tools guide, with a cleaner, lighter interface than SEOquake if the density of that overlay is more than you want.
Which one to actually install
If you only install one, MozBar is the right default, since it’s the only extension showing the actual DA and PA numbers rather than a competing metric. Add the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar alongside it the moment you’re doing real link prospecting, since the backlink detail it shows for free genuinely changes how fast you can vet a prospect list. Everything else on this list is a nice-to-have once those two are covering the basics.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free DA PA checker extension?
MozBar is the most-used free option and the one most people mean by “DA PA checker,” since Moz invented both metrics. It overlays Domain Authority and Page Authority directly on Google search results and any page you visit, with a limited number of free lookups before it asks for a free Moz account. The Ahrefs SEO Toolbar is the strongest free alternative if you also want backlink counts and on-page audit data alongside Ahrefs’ own Domain Rating.
Does a DA PA checker extension slow down my browser?
A well-built one shouldn’t, since it only fires its lookup when you land on a page or load a search results list, not continuously in the background. MozBar and the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar are both lightweight in practice. If an extension feels sluggish, it’s more often a sign of too many extensions running at once than any single DA/PA tool being the culprit.
Is MozBar still the best DA checker extension in 2026?
For the specific DA and PA numbers, yes, since Moz owns both metrics and no competitor’s extension actually displays Moz’s score, they show their own (Ahrefs shows Domain Rating, not DA). If you want the literal DA and PA figures overlaid on your browsing, MozBar is the only real option. If you’re open to an equivalent metric from a different index, Ahrefs’ Domain Rating via its SEO Toolbar is the strongest alternative with a larger backlink dataset behind it.
Can I check domain authority without installing an extension?
Yes. Moz, Ahrefs, Semrush, and several free sites all offer a web-based checker where you paste a URL and get the score back, no install required. An extension’s only real advantage is speed when you’re checking many sites in a row, like vetting link prospects, since the number appears automatically instead of you pasting each URL manually. For occasional single checks, a web tool works fine, see our full roundup of domain authority checker tools.