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SEO · head to head

Lighthouse vs Linkody

Lighthouse logo

Lighthouse

SEO

Audit web page performance and quality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Linkody logo

Linkody

SEO

Backlink monitoring tool for teams that only want link alerts, not a full SEO suite

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lighthouse has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lighthouse performance scores vary significantly due to A/B testing, device differences, browser extensions, and antivirus software affecting results; Linkody its own backlink index is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush, so it is weaker for discovering new link prospects than for monitoring links it already knows about.
  • They diverge on capability: Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Linkody covers Backlink alerts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lighthouse and Linkody actually diverge.

Attributes where Lighthouse and Linkody differ
AttributeLighthouseLinkody
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreePer month by tracked domains and backlinks
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsChrome, EdgeWeb
Founded1998Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (SEO).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Lighthouse

  • Performance scoring
  • Accessibility audit
  • SEO check
  • PWA validation
  • Chrome support
  • Edge support

Only in Linkody

  • Backlink alerts
  • Link quality scoring
  • Competitor backlink tracking
  • Rank tracking
  • Campaign management
  • API access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Lighthouse

  • Performance auditing to identify page loading speed improvementsnot Linkody
  • Accessibility compliance checking for users with disabilitiesnot Linkody
  • SEO optimization verification for search engine compatibilitynot Linkody
  • Security and best practices scanning for code healthnot Linkody
  • Progressive web app validation and CI/CD pipeline integrationnot Linkody

Linkody

  • A link builder who wants alerts on new and lost backlinks without paying for a full SEO suite's research modulesnot Lighthouse
  • A PR or outreach team monitoring whether placed links stay live over timenot Lighthouse
  • An SEO consultant with clients on a budget who wants a cheap add-on tool alongside a primary research subscription elsewherenot Lighthouse
  • An agency needing white-label backlink reporting at the Agency tier without the cost of Ahrefs Enterprisenot Lighthouse

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Lighthouse

  • Performance scores vary significantly due to A/B testing, device differences, browser extensions, and antivirus software affecting results
  • Limited to metrics that contribute to scores; Opportunities and Diagnostics don't directly impact scoring
  • Diminishing returns above 0.96 score, making perfect 100 scores extremely challenging
  • Scores based on HTTP Archive data which may not reflect all performance scenarios

Linkody

  • Its own backlink index is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush, so it is weaker for discovering new link prospects than for monitoring links it already knows about.
  • It has no keyword research, technical crawling or content tooling at all, so it never functions as a standalone SEO tool for a team that only buys one product.
  • Entry-tier domain and backlink allowances are modest, at 2 domains and 500 tracked backlinks, so a team with several client sites quickly needs to move up two or three tiers.
  • Rank tracking is bundled in from the Advanced tier but is a secondary feature rather than the deep, dedicated tracking a purpose-built tool like AccuRanker offers.
  • As a smaller, narrowly scoped vendor, roadmap pace and new feature development are slower than a well-funded full suite competing across every SEO category.

Pricing, plan by plan

Lighthouse

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Performance audit
    • Accessibility check
    • SEO analysis

Linkody

On request
  • Webmaster$14.9/month
    • 2 domains, 500 tracked backlinks
    • 30-day free trial
    • Backlink and lost-link alerts
  • Advanced$24.9/month
    • Higher domain and backlink allowance than Webmaster
    • Competitor tracking
    • Rank tracking included
  • Pro$49.9/month
    • Agency-level domain and backlink allowance
    • API access
    • Campaign management
  • Agency$99.9/month
    • Higher agency-tier allowance than Pro
    • White-label reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Lighthouse if

  • You need performance scoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Edge.
  • You also want accessibility audit.
Lighthouse review

Choose Linkody if

  • You need backlink alerts.
  • You also want link quality scoring.
Linkody review

Questions people ask

Is Lighthouse or Linkody better?
Neither clearly leads. Lighthouse starts at Free and Linkody at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lighthouse or Linkody?
Lighthouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lighthouse and On request for Linkody.
Does Lighthouse or Linkody run on more platforms?
Lighthouse runs on Chrome, Edge. Linkody runs on Web.
Can I use Lighthouse for free?
Yes. Lighthouse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Linkody starts at On request.
What is Lighthouse best used for?
Lighthouse is most often used for performance auditing to identify page loading speed improvements, accessibility compliance checking for users with disabilities, seo optimization verification for search engine compatibility, security and best practices scanning for code health. Of those, performance auditing to identify page loading speed improvements and accessibility compliance checking for users with disabilities are not what Linkody is typically brought in for.
What can Lighthouse do that Linkody cannot?
Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Accessibility audit, SEO check, PWA validation. Linkody covers Backlink alerts, Link quality scoring, Competitor backlink tracking, Rank tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lighthouse: Is Lighthouse free?

Yes. Lighthouse is completely free and open-source. It is developed by Google and integrated into Chrome DevTools, PageSpeed Insights, and available as a command-line tool. There are no licensing fees or premium tiers.

Source
Linkody: Does Linkody find new backlink opportunities?

It monitors and alerts on backlinks a site already has or gains; it is not built as a link prospecting or outreach discovery tool.

Lighthouse: Can I run Lighthouse offline?

Yes. Lighthouse can run offline in multiple ways: through Chrome DevTools (built into Chrome), as a command-line tool (Node.js), or as a Node.js module integrated into your build process. You do not need an internet connection after installing the tool.

Source
Linkody: Can it replace a full SEO suite like Ahrefs or Semrush?

No, it covers backlink monitoring and light rank tracking only; keyword research, site audits and content tools are not included.

Lighthouse: What pages can Lighthouse audit?

Lighthouse can audit any web page, including pages that require authentication. This is an advantage over some alternative tools that cannot test behind login screens. You can run audits on public pages or authenticated pages via command-line with custom headers.

Source
Linkody: Is there a free trial?

Yes, the Webmaster tier includes a 30-day free trial.

Lighthouse: Can Lighthouse prevent performance regression during development?

Yes. Lighthouse CI is available to prevent performance degradation during development cycles. You can integrate Lighthouse CI into your continuous integration pipeline to automatically audit pages on every commit and fail builds if performance metrics fall below thresholds you define.

Source
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