The strongest Broken Link Checker alternative for most sites is Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO, which scans in the cloud so it does not tax your server the way the original’s on-site scanning can. For a fully local option, Link Checker Pro works, while Dead Link Checker offers an external scan with no plugin overhead. We ranked these from our index of 55,000+ WordPress plugins.

Why people switch from Broken Link Checker

• The classic Broken Link Checker scans on your own server and can slow busy sites, so people move to Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO for cloud-based scanning.
• People want cleaner reporting and faster inline fixes and move to Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO or Link Checker Pro.
• Some prefer a tool that adds no ongoing server load and use Dead Link Checker or WP Broken Link Status Checker instead.

Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO – Overall replacement

Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO, from the All in One SEO team, is the modern successor to the original concept, scanning links in the cloud instead of on your server. Against Broken Link Checker, it avoids the performance hit that on-site scanning causes on larger sites.

What it does not do: the free tier limits how many links it monitors, with higher limits on paid plans.

Choose Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO if you want cloud scanning that does not load your own server.

Link Checker Pro – Local scanning

Link Checker Pro is a lesser-known self-hosted checker that scans your posts and pages from within WordPress. Against Broken Link Checker, it aims for a lighter, more focused scanning workflow you keep entirely local.

What it does not do: it has a small user base and is updated less often than the mainstream options, so long-term support is less certain.

Choose Link Checker Pro if you want a lightweight self-hosted checker and do not mind a smaller project.

wp-broken-link-status-checker – On-demand checks

WP Broken Link Status Checker is a straightforward plugin that scans your site’s links and reports the HTTP status each one returns. Against Broken Link Checker, it keeps the feature set minimal and focused purely on finding dead links.

What it does not do: it lacks the automated monitoring and dashboard depth of the established tools, so you drive the checks yourself.

Choose wp-broken-link-status-checker if you want a simple on-demand dead-link scan.

dead-link-checker – External scanning

Dead Link Checker is an online service that crawls your site from outside WordPress, so it adds no plugin load at all. Against Broken Link Checker, it removes server overhead entirely by running the scan externally.

What it does not do: as an external tool it cannot edit links inside WordPress for you, so every fix is manual.

Choose dead-link-checker if you prefer an external crawler with zero plugin overhead.

When to stay on Broken Link Checker

Stay on Broken Link Checker if your site is small enough that on-site scanning does not slow it down, and you like having link checks and inline editing built into the dashboard. For a modest blog it remains free and convenient, and switching mainly pays off once server load or link volume becomes a real problem.

How we ranked these

Every plugin here is scored by the WPS Score, a single 0 to 10 rating built from 21 signals covering maintenance, support responsiveness, compatibility, performance, and ratings quality across our index of 55,000+ plugins. Rankings are derived from that data, not editorial preference, and no plugin author can pay to change a score. How the WPS Score works.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Broken Link Checker?

Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO is the best free alternative for most sites because it scans links in the cloud rather than on your server, avoiding the performance cost of the original. Its free tier monitors a limited number of links, with more on paid plans. Dead Link Checker is another free option that runs entirely outside WordPress.

Does Broken Link Checker slow down your website?

The original Broken Link Checker scans links on your own server, which can add load on larger sites with many links. Cloud-based tools like Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO move that work off your server, and external crawlers like Dead Link Checker add no plugin overhead at all.

How do broken link checkers find dead links?

They crawl the links in your posts, pages, and comments and check the HTTP status each URL returns. Plugins like Broken Link Checker do this from your server, while Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO runs the scan in the cloud. Either way, links returning errors like 404 are flagged so you can fix or remove them.

The verdict

The best all-round Broken Link Checker alternative is Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO for its cloud scanning and clean reporting, with Link Checker Pro suiting those who want everything local and Dead Link Checker for a zero-overhead external scan. If your site is small and the original already works without slowing it down, staying on Broken Link Checker is fine.