Domain authority metrics guide link building, partnership decisions, and competitive analysis. While no single metric perfectly predicts rankings, having programmatic access to authority scores at scale is essential for SEO tools and outreach automation. We compared five APIs for metric accuracy, freshness, bulk processing capability, and cost.
Scavio provides domain-level signals through SERP analysis, showing how domains actually perform in search results rather than relying on proprietary scores that may not correlate with real rankings.
Full Ranking
Scavio
Teams wanting SERP-based domain signals rather than opaque proprietary scores
- Shows actual SERP performance of domains
- Combine with competitor monitoring queries
- No proprietary score dependency
- Cost-effective for programmatic workflows
- No single DA/DR number output
- Requires multiple queries to assess a domain
- No backlink index or referring domain counts
Moz API
Tools needing the original Domain Authority metric with high recognition
- DA is the most widely recognized authority metric
- Spam Score for quality filtering
- Bulk processing capability
- Page Authority alongside DA
- DA updates lag behind competitor indexes
- Smallest link index of major providers
- Starter tier limited for heavy API use
- Metric correlation with rankings debated
Ahrefs API
Teams needing Domain Rating plus the largest backlink index
- Largest backlink database
- DR updates more frequently than Moz DA
- Referring domains and backlink data included
- Most accurate link-based metrics
- API only on $229+/mo plans
- Expensive for metrics-only use
- DR and DA not directly comparable
- Rate limits on lower tiers
DataForSEO Domain Metrics
High-volume bulk domain authority checks at minimal cost
- Cheapest per-query for bulk checks
- Provides Moz-compatible DA scores
- No monthly minimum
- Batch processing endpoint available
- Metric freshness lags 1-2 weeks
- Smaller proprietary index than Ahrefs
- No referring domain details
- Data quality varies for smaller domains
SE Ranking API
Teams wanting domain trust metrics bundled with rank tracking
- Domain Trust score integrated with rank tracker
- Backlink checker included
- Competitive pricing for bundled features
- Good for small agency workflows
- Smaller backlink index
- API access limited on starter
- Domain Trust less recognized than DA/DR
- Limited bulk processing
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Scavio | Runner-up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $30 | $79 | $129+ |
| Metric type | SERP performance | DA (proprietary) | DR (proprietary) |
| Backlink data | No | Yes (limited) | Yes (largest index) |
| Bulk processing | 7K/mo | 5M rows/mo | Rate limited |
| Freshness | Real-time SERP | Monthly updates | Weekly updates |
| API access tier | All plans | Starter+ | $229+/mo |
Why Scavio Wins
- Shows actual SERP performance rather than a proprietary score, giving more actionable competitive intelligence
- At $30/mo it is 60% cheaper than Moz and 75% cheaper than Ahrefs API access
- Ahrefs wins decisively for backlink analysis and the most comprehensive link index available
- Moz wins for teams needing the industry-standard DA number for client reports and outreach
- Scavio lacks a single authority number, which makes quick domain comparisons more complex