Alternative to Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog broken link checker: where the reports are, and what comes after
Response Codes gives you the 404s; the Inlinks pane gives you the pages carrying them. Here is the full path — and what a desktop crawler cannot do once you close it.
How to find broken links in Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog surfaces broken links through the Response Codes tab once a crawl has finished. The part people miss is the second step — a list of 404 URLs is not actionable until you know which pages link to them.
- 1
Crawl the site
Enter the domain and start the crawl. The free licence stops at 500 URLs, which is enough for a small site; beyond that the crawl silently truncates, so check the URL count before trusting the result.
- 2
Response Codes → Client Error (4xx)
Open the Response Codes tab and filter on Client Error (4xx). That is every URL the crawl requested and got a 404 or similar back from — internal links, external links and resources together.
- 3
Find what links to them — the Inlinks pane
Select any 4xx row and open the Inlinks pane at the bottom. This is the step that makes the list usable: it names the pages carrying the dead link, which is what you actually need in order to fix anything.
- 4
Export the lot
Bulk Export → Response Codes → Client Error (4xx) Inlinks gives you one row per broken link with its source page, which is the format you want if someone else is doing the fixing.
Where this runs out
- • It is a desktop application. The crawl runs on your machine, uses your memory and your IP, and cannot run while the laptop is shut.
- • The free licence caps at 500 URLs per crawl and hides configuration, scheduling and most exports. The paid licence is £199 a year.
- • There is no monitoring. Screaming Frog answers the question the day you ask it — links break the day after, when other people change their sites.
- • Nothing alerts you. Re-running the crawl on a schedule is a task you have to remember, on a machine that has to be on.
Check your site right here
One URL, no account, no install. We crawl the whole site — every page it links to — and check every link on it.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Broken Link Scan | Screaming Frog |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Instant — paste a URL | Download + install + configure |
| Price | Free / from $24/mo | £199/year |
| Platform | Cloud (any browser) | Desktop only |
| Automated Scans | ||
| Email Alerts | ||
| REST API | ||
| Multi-Site Monitoring | ||
| Full SEO Audit | ||
| Free Tier | 500 pages, no signup | 500 URLs (limited) |
Why Switch from Screaming Frog?
No Install, No Desktop Required
Broken Link Scan runs entirely in the cloud. Scan from any device with a browser — no software downloads, no system requirements, no Java.
Automated Monitoring & Alerts
Set it and forget it. Schedule daily or weekly scans and get email alerts when new broken links appear. Screaming Frog requires manual re-crawls.
Fraction of the Cost
Start for free with 500 pages, then scale to $24/mo for Pro. Screaming Frog costs £199/year for the paid licence — and still requires manual work.
Built for Broken Links
Screaming Frog is a general-purpose crawler. Broken Link Scan is purpose-built for finding and monitoring broken links, so the UX is faster and more focused.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Broken Link Scan really free?
How does Broken Link Scan compare to Screaming Frog?
Can I import data from Screaming Frog?
Does Broken Link Scan crawl JavaScript-rendered pages?
Can I monitor multiple sites?
Ready to switch from Screaming Frog?
Start with a free scan — no signup, no credit card, no install required.
Try Free Scan