What is the best Ahrefs alternative?

Semrush is the closest full-suite match and tracks rankings daily. SE Ranking covers most of the same ground for less, and Majestic is the specialist pick if you only need backlink data.

Is there a free Ahrefs alternative?

Ahrefs Free (formerly Ahrefs Webmaster Tools) gives free Site Audit, Site Explorer and Web Analytics for sites you've verified. Google Search Console is also free and shows how your own site performs in Google Search. Neither covers competitor research.

How much does Ahrefs cost?

Ahrefs' main plans are Lite at $129/mo, Standard at $249/mo and Advanced at $449/mo, each with 1 user included. Enterprise is $1,499/mo with an annual commitment, and Ahrefs doesn't offer a free trial.

Is Ahrefs more accurate than Moz?

Neither vendor's pricing page gives an accuracy figure we could compare, and we haven't benchmarked them. Choose on the data you'll use, and check either tool against your own Google Search Console data.

Does Terradium have a backlink index?

No. Terradium tracks whether AI answers mention and cite your brand and writes SEO content, but it has no backlink index, site crawler or Google rank tracking. Pair it with an SEO suite if you need those.

Alternatives

The 10 best Ahrefs alternatives in 2026

Last updated 14 October 2026Prices checked 14 October 2026

An Ahrefs alternative is an SEO tool that replaces some or all of what Ahrefs does (backlink analysis, keyword research, rank tracking and site audits) at a lower price, with a free tier, or with features Ahrefs doesn't include. Which one fits depends on whether you use Ahrefs as a full suite or mainly as a backlink checker.

Why people switch from Ahrefs

Ahrefs is one of the strongest SEO platforms for link and crawl data. People still look elsewhere, usually for these reasons:

Price. Ahrefs' main plans are Lite ($129/mo), Standard ($249/mo) and Advanced ($449/mo); Enterprise is $1,499/mo with an annual commitment.
No free trial. Ahrefs says it doesn't offer one and never runs discounts, so you pay before you can try the paid features.
Seats. Each plan includes 1 user. Extra users cost $40/mo on Lite (2 at most), $60/mo on Standard, $80/mo on Advanced and $100/mo on Enterprise.
Weekly rank tracking. Rank Tracker updates weekly on every plan, from Lite to Enterprise. Teams that report daily movements need another tool.
Lite limits. Lite includes 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 1,000 credits per user and 6 months of history.

That's the short answer to "Ahrefs pricing": it's built for teams that use the data heavily, and less so for occasional checks.

Ahrefs alternatives at a glance

Prices are each tool's cheapest paid plan, billed monthly, read off the vendor's pricing page on the date above. "See pricing page" means the vendor geo-prices or we couldn't verify a number.

Tool	Type	Paid plans from	Free option
SemrushAll-in-one SEO and AI-search visibility platform for freelancers through agencies, sold as combined SEO + AI Search plans plus add-on toolkits.	All-in-one SEO suite	$139/mo (SEO)5 sites, 500 tracked keywords; $117.33/mo billed yearly	Free plan (10 reports/day)
SE RankingLower-cost SEO + GEO platform aimed at marketing teams and agencies, with AI-search tracking and agency white-label as add-ons.	All-in-one SEO suite	$129/mo (Core)10 projects, 2,000 keywords + 100 AI prompts tracked daily	14 days, no card trial
Moz ProLong-standing SEO suite (Domain Authority, Link Explorer) for small businesses up to larger teams, now bundling AI visibility dashboards into every plan.	All-in-one SEO suite	$49/mo (Starter)For one website	Free Moz account (limited)
MajesticSpecialist backlink-index tool (Trust Flow, Citation Flow, Fresh and Historic Index) for link builders, agencies and developers.	Backlink analysis	$49.99/mo (Lite)1 user, Fresh Index; $41.67/mo billed yearly; excl. VAT	None
SEO PowerSuiteDownloadable desktop SEO suite (rank tracking, audits, backlinks, keyword research) sold as yearly licenses with unlimited projects and keywords.	Desktop SEO software	$29.10/mo (Professional)Billed yearly ($349/yr); no monthly plan	Free version (1 project, 500-URL crawl)
MangoolsSimple, low-cost bundle of five SEO apps (keyword research, SERP analysis, rank tracking, backlinks, site metrics) for bloggers, small businesses and beginners.	Beginner-friendly SEO toolkit	See pricing page	Free account (limited)
UbersuggestBudget keyword-research and site-audit tool from Neil Patel's company, aimed at small businesses and beginners, with monthly or one-time lifetime plans.	Budget SEO tool	See pricing page	Free account (limited)
Ahrefs Free (Webmaster Tools)Ahrefs' free tier for owners of verified websites: site audit, own-site backlink and keyword data, and privacy-focused web analytics.	Free SEO tool (site owners)	Free	Free for verified sites
Google Search ConsoleGoogle's free first-party view of how a site performs and gets indexed in Google Search.	Free Google tool	Free	Free
TerradiumSmall teams that want to be cited in AI answers and need the articles to get there	AI visibility + AI SEO content	$29/mo (Starter)15 tracked questions, weekly, on 3 of 4 AI engines; 30 AI-written articles a month	7 days trial

Full-suite Ahrefs alternatives

Semrush

All-in-one SEO suite · $139/mo (SEO) · Free plan (10 reports/day)

Semrush is Ahrefs' closest competitor: keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and competitor research, now sold as combined SEO + AI Search plans. The entry SEO plan covers 5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily, with Position Tracking and Site Audit.

Pros

Daily rank tracking, where Ahrefs is weekly
A free plan (1 demo project, 10 reports a day) and a 7-day free trial
AI-search tracking on the SEO + AI Search plans, or as a standalone AI Visibility toolkit

Cons

Not cheaper than Ahrefs at the entry level
Extra users start at $45/mo each
White-label reporting is a paid add-on

Best for: Teams that want a full suite with daily rank tracking and a free trial. Read our Semrush vs Ahrefs comparison for the detail.

SE Ranking

All-in-one SEO suite · $129/mo (Core)

SE Ranking is the main cheaper Ahrefs alternative for a full suite. The Core plan includes 10 projects, 2,000 keywords and 100 AI prompts tracked daily, and 250,000 audit pages a month.

Pros

Daily keyword tracking on the entry plan, with more keywords than Ahrefs Lite
14-day free trial with no credit card
Extra manager seats from $16

Cons

One manager seat on Core
The full AI Results Tracker is a separate add-on
White-label (Agency Pack) is annual billing only

Best for: Small teams and agencies that want a broad suite and daily tracking for less.

Moz Pro

All-in-one SEO suite · $49/mo (Starter) · Free Moz account (limited)

Moz Pro is a long-running SEO suite built around Domain Authority and Link Explorer. Standard includes 1 user, 3 tracked sites, 300 tracked keywords and 150 tracked AI prompts.

Pros

A $49/mo Starter plan for single-site owners
AI visibility tracking included on Standard and up, across GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode and Perplexity
Free trial, plus a free Moz Community account with limited access

Cons

Fewer tracked keywords per dollar than SE Ranking
Extra seats cost $49/mo each
Trial length isn't stated on the pricing page

Best for: Small businesses that want a familiar suite with AI prompts bundled in. Compare the two directly in our Moz alternatives guide.

Backlink-only picks

If you mostly used Ahrefs to check links, a specialist tool can cost much less.

Majestic

Backlink analysis · $49.99/mo (Lite)

Majestic is a dedicated backlink index with Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics, and Fresh and Historic indexes. Lite is 1 user with the Fresh Index; Pro adds the Historic Index, raw exports and custom reports.

Pros

Focused backlink data at a lower price than Ahrefs Lite
Historic Index on Pro for long-term link research
7-day money-back guarantee for first-time Lite and Pro customers

Cons

No keyword research, rank tracking or site audit
API access requires the API plan
Prices exclude VAT

Best for: Link builders and outreach teams who only need backlink data.

SEO PowerSuite

Desktop SEO software · $29.10/mo (Professional) · Free version (1 project, 500-URL crawl)

SEO PowerSuite is desktop software covering backlinks, rank tracking, site audits and keyword research, sold on yearly licenses (Professional is $349/yr).

Pros

Unlimited projects and tracked keywords on paid plans
Free-forever version with a 500-URL crawl and up to 1,100 backlinks
Google AI Overviews tracking on every plan

Cons

No monthly billing
Desktop software you install, rather than a browser app
White-label reports start on Enterprise

Best for: Budget-minded SEOs who want unlimited tracking and backlink checks without a monthly bill.

Budget and beginner alternatives

Mangools

Beginner-friendly SEO toolkit · See pricing page · Free account (limited)

Mangools bundles KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner (backlinks) and SiteProfiler on every plan, with a simple interface aimed at beginners.

Pros

All five apps on every plan, including a backlink tool
Free account and a 48-hour full refund
1 AI Search Watcher monitor with 5 prompts on every plan

Cons

Rank tracking is weekly except on the Agency plan
Lookup limits are tight for heavy research
Geo-priced, so check the pricing page for your region

Best for: Bloggers and beginners who want a cheaper Ahrefs alternative that's easy to learn.

Ubersuggest

Budget SEO tool · See pricing page · Free account (limited)

Ubersuggest is a budget keyword and site-audit tool with monthly or one-time lifetime plans. Paid tiers allow 150 to 900 reports a day and 1 to 15 projects.

Pros

Free account and a 7-day trial on monthly plans
Lifetime plans as an alternative to subscriptions
AI Search Visibility for 10 to 20 prompts per brand

Cons

Rank tracking is weekly
Lifetime purchases are non-refundable
Geo-priced, so check the pricing page for your region

Best for: Small businesses on a tight budget.

Free Ahrefs alternatives

Ahrefs Free (Webmaster Tools)

Free SEO tool (site owners) · Free · Free for verified sites

Ahrefs Free (formerly Ahrefs Webmaster Tools) is the free option from Ahrefs itself: Site Audit, Site Explorer and Web Analytics for an unlimited number of verified websites.

Pros

Free, using the same Ahrefs data for your own sites
Site Audit with 170+ issue checks
Web Analytics up to 1M events per project

Cons

Only for sites you've verified; competitors need a paid plan
5,000 crawl credits per project per month, and 1,000 backlinks or keywords visible at once

Best for: Site owners who want a free Ahrefs alternative for their own site.

Google Search Console

Free Google tool · Free · Free

Google Search Console is Google's free view of how your site performs and gets indexed in Google Search. It's first-party data, not an estimate.

Pros

Free
URL Inspection shows crawl, index and serving details for any page
Clicks from AI Overviews and AI Mode are included in the Performance report

Cons

Your site only, with no competitor or backlink research
No separate filter for AI Overview traffic

Best for: Everyone, alongside whichever paid tool you choose.

The AI visibility add-on

Ahrefs sells AI-search data through Brand Radar, and paid plans include 5 to 20 tracked AI prompts. If your main question is whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Google AI Overviews cite you, a dedicated tracker may suit you better. Our roundup of AI visibility tools compares them on price and prompts.

Terradium

AI visibility + AI SEO content · $29/mo (Starter)

Terradium combines AI visibility tracking with AI-written SEO content. Each week it samples 15 questions on 3 of 4 engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Gemini), reports whether you're mentioned and cited, and lists what to write next. It writes 30 articles a month and publishes them to a built-in CMS or your own site.

Pros

Tracking and the content that closes the gaps in one tool
Weekly Actions list built from gaps in AI answers
7-day free trial

Cons

No backlink index, which is Ahrefs' core strength
No site crawler, Google rank tracking or large keyword database
Weekly sampling on 3 engines, less often than daily trackers

Best for: Teams whose problem is content and AI answers, not links.

How to choose

Full suite or backlinks only? For a suite, compare Semrush and SE Ranking. For links only, Majestic or SEO PowerSuite.
Daily or weekly ranks? Ahrefs is weekly on every plan. Semrush and SE Ranking track daily.
Do you need to try it first? Semrush, SE Ranking and Moz offer trials; Ahrefs doesn't.
Your own site only? Ahrefs Free plus Google Search Console may be all you need.
Count seats. Add every extra user to the monthly price before comparing.
Working on a Mac? See our guide to the best SEO software for Mac.

Comparing more suites? See our Semrush alternatives guide.

Questions

What is the best Ahrefs alternative?: Semrush is the closest full-suite match and tracks rankings daily. SE Ranking covers most of the same ground for less, and Majestic is the specialist pick if you only need backlink data.
Is there a free Ahrefs alternative?: Ahrefs Free (formerly Ahrefs Webmaster Tools) gives free Site Audit, Site Explorer and Web Analytics for sites you've verified. Google Search Console is also free and shows how your own site performs in Google Search. Neither covers competitor research.
How much does Ahrefs cost?: Ahrefs' main plans are Lite at $129/mo, Standard at $249/mo and Advanced at $449/mo, each with 1 user included. Enterprise is $1,499/mo with an annual commitment, and Ahrefs doesn't offer a free trial.
Is Ahrefs more accurate than Moz?: Neither vendor's pricing page gives an accuracy figure we could compare, and we haven't benchmarked them. Choose on the data you'll use, and check either tool against your own Google Search Console data.
Does Terradium have a backlink index?: No. Terradium tracks whether AI answers mention and cite your brand and writes SEO content, but it has no backlink index, site crawler or Google rank tracking. Pair it with an SEO suite if you need those.

See where AI answers leave you out

Terradium samples ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Gemini for the questions your buyers ask, then writes the articles that close the gaps. $29 a month, 7 days free.

Start free for 7 days