Ahrefs DR4: what changes on 1 December
Ahrefs is replacing its Domain Rating with a new version, DR4. It becomes the default in Ahrefs' tools on 1 December 2026. If you picked launch directories by their DR, some of those numbers are about to look very different: we checked 46 launch sites, and most of the smaller directories lose a large part of their score. Updated .
What DR4 is
Ahrefs says
Domain Rating is Ahrefs' 0–100 score of how strong a site's backlink profile is. The version everyone has used until now is DR3. In Introducing a Preview of DR4 (Glen Allsopp, 5 November 2026), Ahrefs describes what DR4 changes:
- Links count for more when they come from sites, and their subdomains, that get organic search traffic.
- Subdomains get their own scores.
- About half as many sites have a DR4 score as had a DR3 score.
- Sites Ahrefs classed as spammy, with a DR3 between 30 and 70, dropped by a median of 15 to 20 points. For sites that aren't spam, the median change is about zero.
- DR4 correlates about 2.5 times better with ranking in Google's top 3 than DR3 did (0.332 against 0.128).
What changes on 1 December
Ahrefs says
From 1 December 2026, the Domain Rating you see in Ahrefs is DR4. In Ahrefs' words: “For a short period of time afterwards, you'll still be able to compare DR3 scores via our API.” Ahrefs' free Domain Rating API already takes a version, so both can be compared side by side today; that's how we built the table below.
Why some scores drop
DR4 weights links from sites with organic search traffic. A site that built its DR3 from many links on sites nobody finds through search (link exchanges, networks of small directories, “add our badge to get a dofollow link” schemes) has less to show for it under DR4. That's our reading of Ahrefs' description, not their wording, and it matches what we measured below.
Ahrefs is clear that a lower number isn't a verdict on the site: “A reduction in Domain Rating is not a judgment on the quality of your content or website.”
Launch directories: DR3 vs DR4
We measured
We asked Ahrefs' free Domain Rating API for both versions of 44 launch directories and listing sites on 9 November 2026. 43 of the 44 scored lower on DR4; 33 lost 20 points or more, and 12 are under 1. The median went from 52 on DR3 to 16.5 on DR4. The two big platforms barely moved.
| Site | DR3 | DR4 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| fazier.com | 85 | 69 | DR4 is 16 lower than DR3 |
| pitchwall.co | 75 | 67 | DR4 is 8 lower than DR3 |
| uneed.best | 77 | 62 | DR4 is 15 lower than DR3 |
| launchigniter.com | 75 | 55 | DR4 is 20 lower than DR3 |
| tinylaunch.com | 74 | 52 | DR4 is 22 lower than DR3 |
| openhunts.com | 74 | 42 | DR4 is 32 lower than DR3 |
| launchingnext.com | 56 | 40 | DR4 is 16 lower than DR3 |
| codehype.ai | 73 | 37 | DR4 is 36 lower than DR3 |
| firsto.co | 58 | 34 | DR4 is 24 lower than DR3 |
| earlyhunt.com | 67 | 32 | DR4 is 35 lower than DR3 |
| startupslab.site | 53 | 32 | DR4 is 21 lower than DR3 |
| peeklaunch.com | 26 | 31 | DR4 is 5 higher than DR3 |
| scrolllaunch.com | 73 | 30 | DR4 is 43 lower than DR3 |
| marketingdb.live | 59 | 30 | DR4 is 29 lower than DR3 |
| go-publicly.com | 32 | 30 | DR4 is 2 lower than DR3 |
| open-launch.com | 71 | 29 | DR4 is 42 lower than DR3 |
| launch-list.org | 57 | 28 | DR4 is 29 lower than DR3 |
| kittylaunch.com | 67 | 27 | DR4 is 40 lower than DR3 |
| launchstag.com | 72 | 25 | DR4 is 47 lower than DR3 |
| abacklaunch.com | 44 | 25 | DR4 is 19 lower than DR3 |
| buildrship.xyz | 46 | 21 | DR4 is 25 lower than DR3 |
| saaslineup.com | 55 | 19 | DR4 is 36 lower than DR3 |
| awesomeindie.com | 39 | 14 | DR4 is 25 lower than DR3 |
| develif.com | 22 | 13 | DR4 is 9 lower than DR3 |
| indielineup.com | 56 | 6 | DR4 is 50 lower than DR3 |
| noonlaunch.com | 60 | 4.9 | DR4 is 55 lower than DR3 |
| productperch.com | 37 | 4.4 | DR4 is 33 lower than DR3 |
| forg.to | 47 | 3 | DR4 is 44 lower than DR3 |
| launchit.site | 52 | 2.1 | DR4 is 50 lower than DR3 |
| letslaunch.today | 52 | 1.4 | DR4 is 51 lower than DR3 |
| wonderlaunch.app | 39 | 1 | DR4 is 38 lower than DR3 |
| toolfound.com | 20 | 1 | DR4 is 19 lower than DR3 |
| bricklaun.ch | 48 | 0.2 | DR4 is 48 lower than DR3 |
| spotstartups.com | 46 | 0.2 | DR4 is 46 lower than DR3 |
| skylaun.ch | 44 | 0.2 | DR4 is 44 lower than DR3 |
| launchgp.io | 28 | 0.2 | DR4 is 28 lower than DR3 |
| capylaunch.com | 6 | 0 | DR4 is 6 lower than DR3 |
| launchaf.com | 57 | 0 | DR4 is 57 lower than DR3 |
| rankcert.com | 47 | 0 | DR4 is 47 lower than DR3 |
| divvlaunches.com | 41 | 0 | DR4 is 41 lower than DR3 |
| sohamlaunches.com | 40 | 0 | DR4 is 40 lower than DR3 |
| dodolaunch.com | 40 | 0 | DR4 is 40 lower than DR3 |
| dailylaunch.io | 33 | 0 | DR4 is 33 lower than DR3 |
| hauntboard.com | 11 | 0 | DR4 is 11 lower than DR3 |
| For reference: the big launch platforms | |||
| producthunt.com | 91 | 91 | DR4 is the same as DR3 |
| peerlist.io | 78 | 72 | DR4 is 6 lower than DR3 |
DR4 is still a preview, so these numbers can move before and after 1 December. Check any site's current pair with the free Domain Rating checker.
This table is a snapshot from 9 November 2026. For current numbers on 78 launch platforms and directories, refreshed every week, see the live table.
What it means for where you list
- Don't pick a launch site by its old DR. A directory with a DR3 in the 50s and a DR4 near zero is mostly linked from sites without search traffic. Its link to you is worth what Ahrefs now says it's worth.
- Look at DR4, and at whether the site gets visitors. A listing is only worth much if people find it. A directory that ranks in search for what you do sends you visitors and a link that counts.
- Be wary of badge swaps. Many launch sites make their dofollow link depend on you linking back with their badge. Those reciprocal links are the kind DR4 discounts, on both sides.
- A few strong listings beat many weak ones. Our guide to where to launch and Product Hunt alternatives are a good place to start.
How Pingsold handles it
- The free Domain Rating checker shows DR3 and DR4 side by side for any domain, with the change between them.
- The Domain Rating board shows both for every listed startup. It ranks by DR3 until 30 November and by DR4 from 1 December, the same day as Ahrefs.
- DR badges show DR3 until then and DR4 from 1 December. You don't need to change your embed code.
- We keep showing DR3 for as long as Ahrefs' API provides it.
Every number is Ahrefs', fetched through their free API; we don't adjust or verify it. Domain Rating by Ahrefs.
Questions
Is DR4 replacing Domain Rating?
DR4 is the new version of Domain Rating. Ahrefs makes it the default in its tools on 1 December 2026, and says DR3 scores stay available through its API for a short period after that.
Why is my DR4 lower than my DR3?
Ahrefs says DR4 gives more weight to links from sites (and subdomains) that get organic search traffic. If many of your links come from sites that get little or no search traffic, your DR4 will usually be lower. Ahrefs adds that a lower Domain Rating is not a judgment on the quality of your content or website.
Does a lower DR4 hurt my Google rankings?
No. Domain Rating is Ahrefs' metric, not Google's; your rankings don't change because Ahrefs changed its formula. Ahrefs says DR4 tracks Google rankings more closely than DR3 did, which is why it's worth watching.
Can I still see my DR3?
Yes, for now. Pingsold's free Domain Rating checker shows DR3 next to DR4 for any domain, and we keep showing DR3 for as long as Ahrefs' API provides it.
When does Pingsold's Domain Rating board switch to DR4?
On 1 December 2026, the same day as Ahrefs. Until then the board ranks by DR3 and shows DR4 next to it; from that day it ranks by DR4. DR badges switch the same day.
Where do these numbers come from?
Every rating on this page and on the checker comes from Ahrefs' free Domain Rating API. The claims about how DR4 works are Ahrefs'; the table of launch sites is our own measurement through that API.
Source: Introducing a Preview of DR4, Ahrefs, 5 November 2026. List your startup on Pingsold for free to get its DR3 and DR4 on the board.