Short answer: Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) and Moz Domain Authority (DA) both try to measure how strong a website’s backlink profile is, but they come from different companies, different link databases and different formulas. Neither is used by Google. Pick the one that matches the tools you already use, and use it consistently when you compare sites.
If you have ever seen a site with DR 45 and DA 28, or the other way round, this guide explains why that happens and how to make sense of both numbers.
What is Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR)?
Domain Rating is a 0–100 score from Ahrefs. It shows the strength of a website’s backlink profile compared with every other website in the Ahrefs index. The calculation looks at three things:
- How many unique websites link to the domain with at least one followed link.
- How strong those linking websites are (their own DR).
- How many other websites each of those linking sites links to. A link from a site that links out sparingly passes more value than a link from a site that links to thousands of domains.
The scale is logarithmic. Going from DR 5 to DR 20 can happen quickly with a handful of good links, while going from DR 70 to DR 80 requires a very large number of strong referring domains.
What is Moz Domain Authority (DA)?
Domain Authority is Moz’s 1–100 score. It is built to predict how likely a domain is to rank in search results compared with other domains. Moz uses a machine-learning model trained on its own link index and on real search results, with linking root domains as one of the most important inputs. Like DR, it is logarithmic and relative: when big sites grow, everyone else’s score can shift even if nothing changed on their own site.
The key differences at a glance
| Ahrefs DR | Moz DA | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Ahrefs | Moz |
| Scale | 0–100 | 1–100 |
| Main idea | Strength of the backlink profile | Predicted ability to rank |
| Link data | Ahrefs crawler and index | Moz crawler and index |
| Typical use | Link building, outreach, buying links and domains | Comparing sites, reporting, link prospecting |
Why the numbers never match
Three reasons explain almost every gap you will see:
- Different link indexes. Each company runs its own crawler. One may have found links the other has not, especially on newer or smaller sites.
- Different formulas. DR is a direct measure of link strength. DA is a model that predicts ranking ability, so it weighs signals differently.
- Different update timing. A site that gained or lost many links recently may already show it in one metric and not yet in the other.
That is why a gap of 10–20 points between DR and DA is normal. What matters is that you compare like with like: DR against DR, DA against DA.
Which one should you use?
There is no “correct” metric, but there is a practical choice:
- Use DR if you buy guest posts or links. Most sellers, marketplaces and link-building agencies quote Ahrefs DR, so using it makes vendor lists easy to compare and verify.
- Use DA if your team already reports with Moz, or if your clients ask for it.
- Use both as a quick sanity check on expensive decisions. If DR is 60 but DA is 15, something is unusual – the site may have recently acquired a burst of links, or one index may be missing data. Look closer before you pay.
Neither metric is a Google ranking factor
Google has said many times that it does not use third-party scores such as DR or DA. These metrics are useful because they reflect the same thing Google cares about – links from real, trusted websites – but improving the number itself is not the goal. A site can raise its DR with low-quality links and still lose rankings.
How to use DR and DA together in practice
Here is a simple workflow many link builders use when vetting a list of sites:
- Bulk-check DR first. Paste the whole list into the bulk Ahrefs DR checker and remove anything below your minimum.
- Check domain age. Paste the same list into the free Domain Age checker to spot very young domains. A new domain with a high DR deserves a second look.
- Check traffic and relevance. Open the remaining sites. Are they about your topic? Do they get real organic visitors? Our guide on DR vs traffic explains why this step matters most.
- Use DA as a tie-breaker. When two sites look equal, a second metric can help you choose.
Common mistakes
- Mixing metrics in one list. A vendor quoting “DA 50” and another quoting “DR 50” are not offering the same thing.
- Trusting old numbers. Both metrics change. Re-check before you buy.
- Ignoring relevance. A relevant site with modest authority usually beats an unrelated site with high authority.
- Chasing the number. Links that help rankings come from real sites with real audiences. The score follows.
A worked example
Imagine you are choosing between three guest post offers for a fitness blog. Vendor A quotes “DA 45”, vendor B quotes “DR 52” and vendor C quotes “DR 38, 20k monthly visitors”. You cannot compare these offers as they are. Check all three domains in the same tool and you might find the live numbers are DR 31, DR 49 and DR 40. Now open each site: A publishes on every topic, B is a fitness magazine with steady traffic, and C is a supplement review site with thin content. Despite the original numbers, B is clearly the strongest choice – and you only found out because you compared like with like and then looked at the actual sites.
Frequently asked questions
Is a DR of 40 the same as a DA of 40?
No. They are separate scales built from different data. A site can be DR 40 and DA 25, or the other way round. Only compare DR with DR and DA with DA.
Which is more accurate, DR or DA?
Neither is “accurate” in an absolute sense, because both are estimates. DR is easier to interpret because it measures one thing – link strength – while DA blends signals to predict ranking ability.
Can I increase DR without increasing DA?
Usually both move together when you earn good links, because both rely on referring domains. Short-term differences come from crawl timing and formula differences.
Final thoughts
DR and DA answer the same question in different ways. Choose one as your main metric, use it consistently, and always combine it with traffic and relevance. If you want to see how Majestic’s Trust Flow fits in, read our DA vs DR vs TF comparison. To check the DR of a whole list right now, paste it into the free bulk DR checker.