Alternatives to Ahrefs
The backlink index leader
Ahrefs ranks #1 of 10 in SEO tools, with an Alt Score of 91. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $29/month and available on the web. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
SEO specialists, content marketers, and link builders who need to research competitors, find keyword opportunities, and monitor organic search performance.
A suite of tools built on Ahrefs' own web crawler and index: Site Explorer for competitor backlink and traffic analysis, Keywords Explorer for search volume and keyword difficulty data, Site Audit for technical SEO issues, and Rank Tracker for monitoring search rankings over time.
Users enter a domain, URL, or keyword into the relevant tool to pull data from Ahrefs' crawled index, then use the reports to identify link-building targets, keyword gaps, technical fixes, or ranking changes to act on.
Where Ahrefs stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave Ahrefs
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
Sign in to add a reason — new reasons go through moderation before appearing.
Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the SEO tools checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| SEO tools checklist | Ahrefs | Moz | SE Ranking | Semrush | Serpstat | Mangools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
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| License | ||||||
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| Backlink index size | ||||||
| Keyword research | ||||||
| Site audit crawler | ||||||
| Content optimization | ||||||
| Local SEO | ||||||
| API access | ||||||
| Price per seat | ||||||
| Free tier / trial | ||||||
| SERP features tracking |
Every fact and feature listed for Ahrefs is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Platforms Web verified 2026-07-11
Run a complete SEO audit of your website
https://ahrefs.com/site-audit -
License Proprietary verified 2026-07-11
Plans & Pricing
https://ahrefs.com/pricing -
Pricing model Subscription verified 2026-07-11
a $29/month offering that's great for SEO beginners who are looking to go beyond the basics
https://ahrefs.com/blog/starter-plan/ -
Starts at $29/month verified 2026-07-11
Ahrefs' $29 Starter plan
https://ahrefs.com/blog/starter-plan/ -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
The newly-launched Starter plan
https://ahrefs.com/blog/starter-plan/ -
Rank tracking Yes verified 2026-07-11
Monitor keyword rankings globally
https://ahrefs.com/rank-tracker -
Backlink index size Yes verified 2026-07-11
Ahrefs has the second most active web crawler after Google, which means we have the best backlink database in the industry.
https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker -
Keyword research Yes verified 2026-07-11
Generate thousands of keyword ideas, cluster them instantly, and use reliable metrics to pick the best ones.
https://ahrefs.com/keywords-explorer -
Site audit crawler Yes verified 2026-07-11
Site Audit crawls all your website's pages. It flags all possible technical and on-page SEO issues
https://ahrefs.com/site-audit -
Content optimization Yes verified 2026-07-11
grades your content against top-ranking pages—so you can spot topical coverage gaps and fill them naturally.
https://ahrefs.com/ai-content-helper -
Local SEO Yes verified 2026-07-11
Optimize your Google Business Profile to attract more local customers and dominate local rankings.
https://ahrefs.com/local-seo -
API access Partial verified 2026-07-11
Ahrefs API is available on eligible paid plans. On all other plans, you'll still have access to a limited set of free test queries.
https://docs.ahrefs.com/en/api/docs/introduction -
Price per seat Yes verified 2026-07-11
Lite: Up to 2 additional users
https://help.ahrefs.com/en/articles/6117209-what-s-the-difference-between-all-ahrefs-subscription-plans -
Free tier / trial Partial verified 2026-07-11
Not all websites are created to make money. But quality information deserves to be found. Which is why we want to support website owners who can't justify investing in a professional SEO tool.
https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools -
SERP features tracking Yes verified 2026-07-11
19 SERP features. Including AI Overviews.
https://ahrefs.com/rank-tracker
FAQ
Yes. Serpstat, Ubersuggest and Screaming Frog have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.