Broken links can be a major headache for website owners. They hurt your site’s user experience and can negatively impact your search engine rankings. Fortunately, there are many great free WordPress plugins that can help you find and fix broken links easily. In this article, we’ll look at the 10 best free WordPress broken link checker plugins for 2025.
Why You Need a Broken Link Checker Plugin
Before we dive into the list, let’s quickly review why broken link checker plugins are so important:
- They help maintain a good user experience by finding dead links that frustrate visitors
- They protect your SEO efforts by identifying broken internal and external links
- They save you time by automatically scanning your site for issues
- They make it easy to fix problems by providing reports and editing tools
Now, let’s explore the top free options available for WordPress users in 2025.
1. Broken Link Checker
Broken Link Checker is one of the most popular and widely used plugins for finding broken links on WordPress sites. It’s been around for many years and has over 700,000 active installations.
Key features:
- Scans posts, pages, comments, and custom fields for broken links
- Detects missing images and redirects
- Allows you to edit broken links directly from the plugin’s interface
- Sends email notifications when broken links are found
- Lets you set up automatic or manual scans
This plugin is a great all-around option that will work well for most WordPress sites. It’s easy to use and provides all the core functionality you need in a broken link checker.
2. Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO
The team behind the popular All in One SEO plugin also offers a free broken link checker. This newer option is quickly gaining popularity due to its user-friendly interface and helpful features.
Key features:
- Cloud-based scanning to reduce server load
- Checks both internal and external links
- Allows you to fix broken links with just a few clicks
- Integrates with other AIOSEO tools for comprehensive SEO management
- Provides detailed reports on link status
If you’re already using other AIOSEO plugins, this broken link checker will fit in seamlessly with your existing setup.
3. Link Whisper Free
While primarily known as an internal linking plugin, Link Whisper also includes a broken link checker in its free version. This makes it a great dual-purpose tool for improving your site’s link structure.
Key features:
- Scans for broken internal and external links
- Provides suggestions for fixing broken links
- Offers internal linking recommendations to improve site structure
- Includes a user-friendly interface for managing links
- Integrates with popular SEO plugins
Link Whisper is an excellent choice if you want to tackle broken links and improve your internal linking strategy at the same time.
4. Broken Link Finder
Broken Link Finder is a simple, lightweight plugin that focuses solely on finding broken links. It’s a good option for users who want a no-frills solution without any extra features.
Key features:
- Fast, efficient scanning of your entire site
- Generates reports of all broken links found
- Allows you to download reports in CSV format
- Provides a link to edit the page where each broken link is found
- Offers a clean, easy-to-use interface
This plugin is perfect for users who just want a straightforward tool to find broken links without any complicated settings or extra features.
5. WP Broken Link Status Checker
WP Broken Link Status Checker is another lightweight option that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It’s designed to be as unobtrusive as possible while still providing valuable information about broken links.
Key features:
- Automatically checks links in the background
- Displays link status in the WordPress admin area
- Allows you to filter links by status (broken, redirected, etc.)
- Provides options to edit or unlink broken links
- Includes the ability to exclude certain links or domains from checking
This plugin is great for users who want a set-it-and-forget-it solution that works quietly in the background.
6. Broken Link Checker by 10Web
10Web’s Broken Link Checker is a powerful tool that offers a range of features in its free version. It’s designed to be fast and efficient, even on larger websites.
Key features:
- Scans all types of content for broken links
- Provides detailed reports on link status
- Allows you to edit or remove broken links directly from the report
- Includes options for scheduling automatic scans
- Offers email notifications for newly discovered broken links
This plugin is a good choice for users who need a more robust solution with advanced reporting features.
7. WP External Links
While not exclusively a broken link checker, WP External Links includes functionality to help you manage and monitor external links on your site. This can be useful for catching broken outbound links.
Key features:
- Adds icons or styling to external links
- Allows you to set links to open in new tabs
- Includes options for adding “nofollow” attributes to links
- Provides a broken link checker for external links
- Offers tools for managing affiliate links
If you’re particularly concerned about external links and want more control over how they appear and function, this plugin is worth considering.
8. Rank Math SEO
Rank Math is primarily known as an SEO plugin, but it also includes a broken link checker in its free version. This makes it a great all-in-one solution for users who want to manage their SEO and link health in one place.
Key features:
- Scans for broken internal and external links
- Integrates broken link checking with other SEO tools
- Provides suggestions for fixing or redirecting broken links
- Includes a 404 error monitor to catch broken links from external sources
- Offers a user-friendly interface for managing all aspects of SEO
For users who want a comprehensive SEO solution that includes broken link checking, Rank Math is an excellent choice.
9. SEOPress Free
SEOPress is another SEO plugin that includes broken link checking functionality in its free version. Like Rank Math, it offers a range of SEO tools alongside its link checker.
Key features:
- Scans your site for broken links and redirects
- Provides reports on link status and suggestions for fixes
- Includes tools for managing redirects
- Offers a range of other SEO features like meta tag management and XML sitemaps
- Provides a clean, easy-to-use interface
SEOPress is a good option for users who want a full-featured SEO plugin that also helps manage broken links.
10. Broken Link Checker by WP Rocket
The team behind the popular WP Rocket caching plugin also offers a free broken link checker. While it’s a newer entry in the field, it benefits from WP Rocket’s reputation for creating fast, efficient WordPress tools.
Key features:
- Performs regular automated scans for broken links
- Provides email notifications when issues are found
- Allows you to fix broken links directly from the plugin interface
- Includes options for scheduling scans and customizing notifications
- Offers a user-friendly dashboard for managing link issues
This plugin is a solid choice for users who want a reliable, well-supported tool from a trusted WordPress developer.
Conclusion
Keeping your WordPress site free of broken links is crucial for maintaining a good user experience and strong SEO performance. Any of these 10 free plugins can help you achieve that goal. When choosing the best option for your site, consider factors like:
- The size of your website and how many links you need to manage
- Whether you want additional features like SEO tools or internal linking suggestions
- How much control you want over the scanning process and link management
- The plugin’s impact on your site’s performance
Remember, the best plugin is the one that fits your specific needs and workflow. Don’t be afraid to try out a few different options to find the perfect fit for your WordPress site.By using one of these free broken link checker plugins, you can ensure that your site stays in top shape, providing a smooth experience for your visitors and maintaining your search engine rankings.
