LinkTenderLinkTender vs Broken Link Checker by WPMU DEV
Broken Link Checker is the classic WordPress link checker, now developed by WPMU DEV (version 2.4.15, 500,000+ active installations, as checked on its WordPress.org page on 13 October 2026). It is free and offers two engines: a Cloud engine that needs a (free) WPMU DEV Hub account, and a Local engine that runs on your server. LinkTender is local-only and focuses on accuracy and fixing.
At a glance
| Broken Link Checker by WPMU DEV | LinkTender (free + Pro) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free; Pro $39–$99/year or $99–$249 once |
| Where links are checked | Cloud (WPMU DEV servers, Hub account) or Local engine | Your own server |
| Account needed | For the Cloud engine (free Hub account) | No (Pro: licence key only) |
| Where links are found | Posts, pages, custom post types, custom fields, comments, menus, categories and more | Posts and CPTs, blocks, synced patterns, Elementor, custom fields, menus, widgets, excerpts; from 1.1 also comments and shortcode builders (Divi, WPBakery, Avada) |
| Fixing | Edit, unlink, ignore; bulk actions | Edit everywhere incl. Elementor data and custom fields, unlink, use final URL, mark as fine, ignore domain |
| Email alerts and scheduled scan reports | Pro: daily or weekly reports | |
| Multisite | Supported | Free per site; Pro network tools |
| Product/affiliate page checks | Not listed | Pro |
| CSV export, WP-CLI | Not listed | Pro |
| Import settings from the other plugin | – | Yes (exclusions, timing, front-end options, dismissed links) |
A note on accuracy: sites protected by Cloudflare or other firewalls often refuse automated checks. LinkTender shows those links as Unverified with a plain-language reason instead of "broken", and retries timeouts and server errors after 2, 10 and 24 hours before reporting them. If you have seen many links reported as broken that open fine in your browser, this is usually why.
When WPMU DEV's checker is the better choice
- You want a free cloud engine and already use the WPMU DEV Hub.
- You need links in categories or other places LinkTender does not scan.
- You manage many client sites from the Hub dashboard.
When LinkTender is the better choice
- You want local checking without an account, with bot-blocked links marked Unverified instead of broken.
- You want to fix a URL everywhere at once, including Elementor and custom fields.
- You run affiliate or review content and need product-page monitoring, CSV and WP-CLI.
How to switch from Broken Link Checker →
Information about Broken Link Checker comes from its WordPress.org plugin page (version 2.4.15), checked on 13 October 2026. "Not listed" means we did not find it on that page, not that it is impossible. LinkTender is not affiliated with WPMU DEV.