linkinator
A command-line broken link checker that crawls websites and local files to validate every link.
These buttons open the developer's own site, repository or store listing in a new tab. wares.gg does not host downloads.
About linkinator
linkinator crawls a website, documentation set or local files and validates the links it finds, reporting broken links, dead links and invalid URLs. It is aimed at SEO audits and at checking sites automatically in CI/CD pipelines.
It is a Node.js tool that can be run from the command line, and the repository also includes a Dockerfile. Development is active, with a maintained changelog and automated releases.
Strengths
- Crawls whole sites and follows links recursively
- Checks local files as well as live websites
- Suited to CI/CD pipelines
- Docker image option
Limitations
- Command-line only, with no graphical interface
- Requires Node.js unless run in Docker
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source.
- License
- MIT
- Developer
- Justin Beckwith
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Best suited for
- Developers checking sites and docs for broken links in CI
- Categories
- Developer tools, Website testing
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to linkinator
Compare allSoftware that can replace linkinator for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
LinkChecker
Open-source command-line tool that checks links in web pages or crawls whole websites for broken ones.
LinkChecker is a GPL Python command-line crawler with regex URL filtering, authentication and many output formats including CSV, XML and SQL, requiring Python 3.10 or later.
muffet
A fast command-line link checker, written in Go, that crawls a website to find broken links.
muffet is a Go command-line checker with fast concurrent crawling and a Docker image, removing the Node.js requirement but not checking local files.
htmltest
Command-line tool that tests generated static HTML for broken links, missing images and markup problems.
htmltest is a single Go program that checks generated static HTML for broken links and images, but does not crawl live sites.
HTMLProofer
A Ruby tool that tests rendered HTML files for broken links, images and markup problems.
HTMLProofer is a Ruby tool that validates generated local HTML for broken links, images and markup, suited to static sites but not crawling live websites.
W3C Link Checker
An online W3C tool that finds broken links and anchors on a web page or whole site.
W3C Link Checker is an online tool with recursive crawling and anchor checks, needing no local install but unsuited to CI pipelines.
Broken Link Check
Free online dead link checker for whole websites or single pages, with no sign-up.
Broken Link Check is a free web-based dead link scanner requiring no sign-up, limited to 3,000 pages in its free version and not scriptable in CI.
Dead Link Checker
Online broken link checker that crawls a website or single page and reports dead links.
Dead Link Checker is a hosted service offering free manual scans and paid scheduled email reports, replacing the command line with a browser interface.
linkinator as an alternative
Listings that name linkinator as an alternative.
Integrity
A free native Mac app that crawls a website and reports broken links.
linkinator is an MIT-licensed command-line crawler for Windows, macOS and Linux suited to CI, requiring Node.js or Docker.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
Dr. Link Check
Online crawler that checks a website for broken links, bad SSL certificates and malicious links.
Checkbot
Chrome extension that crawls a website and tests its pages for SEO, speed and security problems.
SiteOne Crawler
Open-source website crawler that produces audit reports, offline mirrors and Markdown exports of a site.
Lighthouse CI
A set of tools that runs Lighthouse audits on every commit and tracks results over time.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
A desktop website crawler for Windows, macOS and Linux that audits sites for technical SEO issues.
Oh Dear
A hosted website health monitor covering uptime, SSL, DNS, cron jobs, broken links and performance.
