DA vs DR: What's the Difference Between Domain Authority and Domain Rating?

The Short Answer

Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR) are two different metrics from two different companies. DA is made by Moz and predicts ranking potential; DR is made by Ahrefs and measures backlink strength. They use different data, different algorithms, and different scales — so the same website will almost always have a different DA and DR. Neither is a Google ranking factor.

If you only remember one thing: DA ≈ "how well could this site rank" (Moz), DR ≈ "how strong are this site's backlinks" (Ahrefs). They measure overlapping but genuinely different things.

You can check both for free right now — check your DR with our DR Checker or check your DA with our DA Checker.

What is Domain Authority (DA)?

Domain Authority is Moz's proprietary metric, scored from 1 to 100, that predicts how likely a domain is to rank in search engine results. It's calculated from Moz's own link data — including the number of linking root domains, the total number of inbound links, and Moz's own MozRank and MozTrust scores.

Key facts about DA:

• Scale: 1–100 (logarithmic — moving from 20 to 30 is far easier than 80 to 90)
• Data source: Moz's link index
• Best for: Estimating ranking potential and comparing sites in the same niche
• Not a Google ranking factor — it's a Moz prediction

Check your Domain Authority free →

What is Domain Rating (DR)?

Domain Rating is Ahrefs' proprietary metric, scored from 0 to 100, that measures the strength of a website's overall backlink profile (ignoring on-page and content factors). It's based on Ahrefs' own crawl of the web and looks at the quantity and quality of referring domains pointing to a site.

Key facts about DR:

• Scale: 0–100 (logarithmic)
• Data source: Ahrefs' link index
• Best for: Comparing the backlink strength of two domains
• Also not a Google ranking factor — it's an Ahrefs measurement

Check your Domain Rating free →

Key Differences Between DA and DR

Attribute	Domain Authority (DA)	Domain Rating (DR)
Maker	Moz	Ahrefs
What it measures	Ranking potential	Backlink profile strength
Scale	1–100	0–100
Data source	Moz link index	Ahrefs link index
Algorithm	MozRank, MozTrust, linking root domains	Referring domains + their DR
Update frequency	Roughly monthly	Continuously
On-page factors?	Considered	Not considered
Best use	Comparing ranking potential	Comparing link strength

The single biggest difference is what they're designed to measure. DR is purely about links. DA tries to be a broader "how strong is this domain overall" signal, which is why a site with average links but excellent topical content can sometimes have a DA that feels generous relative to its DR.

Are DA and DR the Same?

No. Here's a concrete example: a website might have a DA of 45 and a DR of 35. Why the gap?

1. Different link indexes — Moz and Ahrefs crawl different parts of the web and find different links. A domain Ahrefs sees as having 200 referring domains might show 280 in Moz.
2. Different algorithms — DA blends several Moz sub-metrics (MozRank, MozTrust); DR is a cleaner pure-backlink calculation.
3. Different weighting — how each company treats the quality of a referring domain differs.

This is why SEOs who track both often see them move independently. A focused link-building campaign might bump DR faster, while broader authority-building (content + links) tends to lift DA.

Should You Focus on DA or DR?

Track both, but understand what each is telling you.

• Focus on DR when you want to measure the direct impact of link building. If you acquired 10 new referring domains this month, DR is the cleaner signal of whether that moved the needle.
• Focus on DA when you want a broader sense of competitive position. When evaluating "can I realistically outrank this competitor?", DA's blend of signals is usually the better proxy.

Neither should be your only goal. Chasing a number for its own sake leads to low-quality link buying. The point of both metrics is to give you a rough, comparable sense of where a domain stands — then you use the actual data behind them (referring domains, link quality, anchor text) to make decisions.

How to Check Both DA and DR

You don't need paid Ahrefs or Moz subscriptions to check both:

1. Free DR Checker — enter any domain, get its Ahrefs Domain Rating instantly.
2. Free DA Checker — enter any domain, get Moz Domain Authority, Page Authority, and Spam Score.

For a complete site-health picture, also check your Spam Score — DR measures backlink strength, DA measures ranking potential, and Spam Score measures your site's own penalty risk. They're complementary, not redundant.

What's a Good DA vs DR Score?

Both scales are logarithmic and context-dependent — "good" depends on your niche. As rough bands:

Level	DA	DR
New / starting	1–20	0–20
Below average	20–30	20–30
Average	30–40	30–40
Good	40–50	40–50
Strong	50–60	50–60
Very strong	60–80	60–80
Top-tier	80–100	80–100

Most small-to-medium websites sit in the 20–50 range for both. A new site reaching DR 30 or DA 30 within its first year is solid progress.

FAQ

Is a high DR better than a high DA?

Not necessarily — they measure different things, so "better" doesn't apply. A high DR means strong backlinks; a high DA means strong overall ranking potential. Most authoritative sites score well on both, but the numbers won't match.

Can DR and DA go down?

Yes. If you lose referring domains, or if a link source's own authority drops, both metrics can decline. They can also drop if the metric provider recalculates its scale (this happened to DR in the past when Ahrefs rebased it).

Which is more accurate, DA or DR?

Neither is "accurate" in an absolute sense — both are proprietary estimates from proprietary data. DR is often considered more transparent because it's purely about links, but accuracy really depends on how complete each company's link index is for your specific domain.

Do I need both Ahrefs and Moz?

No. Our free DR checker and free DA checker let you check both metrics without any subscription.