When it comes to SEO tools, Ahrefs is often top of mind due to its strong focus on SEO and long-standing reputation among professionals. While Ahrefs excels at SEO-specific tasks, the landscape of SEO tools has evolved, offering more well-rounded solutions that cater to a broader range of marketing needs.
Whether you're seeking a tool with more versatile features, such as AI integrations or comprehensive marketing solutions beyond SEO, there are several alternatives to consider. Here are a few Ahrefs alternatives that you might find useful for your needs.
Essential Features in Ahrefs for SEO and Competitor Analysis
Ahrefs is a digital marketing tool that offers a range of features, from keyword research to rank tracker. According to their website, they are trusted by marketers in 44% of Fortune 500 companies, which is a testament to their success and popularity.
Some of the tools offered by Ahrefs are:
- Site Explorer: To research your competitors' keyword rankings and backlinks.
- Keyword Explorer: To find the best keywords to target based on search volume, difficulty, and other metrics
- Site Audit: To scan your website for SEO issues.
- Content Explorer: To research content ideas.
- Rank Tracker: To monitor your website's ranking on desktop and mobile.
Where Ahrefs Falls Short
While there's no denying that Ahrefs is one of the best SEO tools out there, the pricing may be prohibitive for smaller businesses and freelancers. The cheapest plan starts at $129 per month, which only includes one user and has a credit limit of 500. Credits are consumed when performing various actions, like running keyword searches or site audits, and many users have expressed frustration over the cost of exceeding those limits.
Ahrefs has introduced a new Starter plan for $29 per month, but it offers limited access to all features. Also, there's no free trial. Website owners can get limited access to Site Audit and Site Explorer through Webmaster Tools, but it's not the same as having a full Ahrefs account.
Compared to full marketing suites like SEMrush, Ahrefs is more narrowly focused on SEO, meaning you'll need to pay for additional tools if your marketing needs go beyond SEO.
As compared to some other SEO tools, Ahrefs' keyword research isn't as comprehensive. You can get some basic insight into search volume and keyword difficulty, but it lacks advanced features that other tools like SEMrush offer.
The tool also has a learning curve. It takes some time and practice to fully understand all the features and how to use them effectively. For beginners, it can be overwhelming and may require some resources or tutorials.
Ahrefs Alternatives to Try In 2024
If Ahrefs' price point or other limitations are holding you back, you can try the following tools. They're comparable to Ahrefs in their own ways and may even offer some unique features that Ahrefs doesn't have.
Best Ahrefs Alternatives for Keyword Research
Features Keyword Research Comprehensive Moderate Moderate Topic Research Keyword Strategy Builder (pillar pages and topic suggestions) Content ideas None AI Features PKD%, Topical Authority AI Content Generator User Intent, Domain Overview Chrome Extension ContentShake AI Ubersuggest MozBar Pricing $139.5 $12 $49
Some of the best alternatives to Ahrefs for keyword research are Semrush, Ubersuggest, and Moz. Among these, Semrush definitely stands out as the top contender due to its host of features, such as Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD%), Topical Authority, competitor keyword analysis, and keyword strategy builder.
1. Semrush
Pricing: Starts at $139.5 per month for the most basic plan.
Semrush is one of the most popular SEO tools, mainly because it offers a wide range of features beyond just SEO, making it a more comprehensive option for businesses looking for an all-in-one marketing suite.
Keyword research may be its primary function, but its Keyword Magic Tool offers a lot more than mere keyword suggestions. You can use it to learn a lot about keywords relevant to your site and even create a content strategy incorporating those terms.
Apart from keyword research, Semrush also has additional features such as site audit, backlink analysis, on-page SEO analysis, competitor analysis, and traffic analytics.
Key Features
For comparison, we'll keep keyword research as our main focus. Ahrefs does a pretty good job of this, but Semrush takes it one step further.
The Keyword Magic Tool is where all the...well, magic happens. You can enter a keyword or phrase, and Semrush will dig out every possible related keyword, including long-tail and question-based phrases.
Semrush Keyword Magic Tool
You can also filter these keywords based on factors like search volume, keyword difficulty, intent, and CPC. Semrush also shows you the intent behind each keyword, labeled as I (Informational), N (Navigational), and C (Commercial). This lets you select relevant keywords for your strategy.
Where Ahrefs falls behind Semrush is in AI features. The latter has introduced two new AI features in Keyword Overview for when you enter your domain to get domain-specific keyword data.
- Personal Keyword Difficulty %: Besides the general keyword difficulty score, Semrush also calculates the keyword difficulty for your specific domain. Basically, it's a measure of how hard it is for your site, particularly, to rank for a keyword.
- Topical Authority: Semrush also uses AI to determine which topics your site is an expert in based on the keywords it ranks for. It then tells you your site's authority for the keyword.
Semrush AI features
Based on these two factors, Semrush predicts your potential position on SERP. You can also analyze competitors you have to beat to reach the top.
If you want to improve your chances of appearing in featured snippets, Semrush helps in that regard, too. The Questions section is where you can find keywords that are often used in question-based searches. You can also see the PKD% for these keywords to gauge which keywords you have a better chance of ranking for.
Semrush Questions
Moreover, Semrush builds a keyword strategy based on the research it has conducted. It divides the search terms into topics that you can use as pillar pages or content categories. Then, it creates sub-pages to cover the long-tail keywords.
Semrush keyword strategy builder
Another unique feature of Semrush is that it shows you Google PPC data, too. You can check the Keyword Ad History to see how often a keyword has been used in paid search campaigns. Even better, the tool shows you specific ad copies used for keyword-related ads. These features are extremely helpful if you're an SEO agency since you'll be running both SEO and PPC campaigns for your clients.
Semrush Keyword ad history
We'd say that Semrush packs a lot more features than Ahrefs, which makes it better for specialists who want a ton of data to dig into. As for pricing, both tools are more or less on par, although Ahrefs does offer a slightly cheaper basic plan.
Pros
- Offers in-depth keyword research
- Includes AI features for topical authority and word difficulty
- Provides data on Google PPC campaigns
- Useful for both SEO and PPC strategies
Cons
- Can be overwhelming for beginners who are not familiar with all the features
- Slightly more expensive compared to other SEO tools
2. UberSuggest
Pricing: Starts at $12 per month.
Created by Neil Patel, the renowned SEO guru, Ubersuggest is another keyword research tool that compares to Ahrefs in its functionality and popularity.
Like Semrush and Ahrefs, Ubersuggest also has some features additional to keyword research, such as:
- Backlink analysis
- Topic research
- SEO audit reports
Unlike Ahrefs, Ubersuggest has a free plan that lets you find high-value keywords, conduct competitor analysis, find backlink opportunities, and run SEO audits. However, these features are limited compared to the paid plans, which offer unlimited use.
Key Features
Ubersuggest's basic keyword research functionality is the same as that of Ahrefs. You get search volume, SEO difficulty, keyword suggestions, and question-based keywords.
Ubersuggest keyword analysis
However, Ubersuggest is better in that it also suggests content ideas. It shows you current pages that are ranking for that keyword, the titles they have, estimated page visits, and backlinks. You can use this information to find the content angle that has the potential to outrank your competitors. If you want AI assistance, Ubersuggest has introduced an AI Writer that can help you generate content based on the ideas the tools have provided.
Ubersuggest content ideas
You don't have to limit yourself to your own keyword strategy. With Ubersugget's Domain Overview, you can reverse engineer your competitors' websites to find out their top-performing pages and keywords.
Ubersuggest also provides you with audience demographics. First, it shows you how many people click on the keyword and then reveals the age ranges of the audience for that particular keyword.
Besides the keyword data, another offering of Ubersuggest similar to Ahrefs is the Chrome Extension. Like SEO Toolbar (Ahrefs extension), Ubersuggest has its own Chrome extension that you can use for:
- Paid and organic analytics
- Traffic overview
- Domain authority
- Related keywords suggestions
Ubersuggest extension results
On the whole, Ubersuggest is pretty similar to Ahrefs but is much cheaper. If you're a beginner at SEO or simply conduct SEO analysis for personal use, Ubersuggest is a great alternative to Ahrefs at a fraction of the cost.
Pros
- Offers advanced keyword research and content ideas
- Reverse engineering competitors' websites for insights
- Provides audience demographics data
- Has its own Chrome extension for quick access to key metrics
Cons
- Free version has limited features compared to paid plans
- Low-quality data from AI Writer
3. Moz
Pricing: Starts at $49 per month.
Moz offers both free and paid SEO features, making it an excellent Ahrefs alternative. Its main keyword offering is Moz Pro, which you can use to find keywords, get keyword suggestions, and analyze search intent.
Key Features
In terms of keyword research, we'd say Moz is pretty much at the same level as Ahrefs. It's not as detailed as Semrush and doesn't come with additional features like Ubersuggest, but it does the job.
Moz keyword research
While other tools introduced AI offerings way before Moz, the tool has caught up recently. Their Keyword Explorer now shows search intent for keywords based on a two-layer NLP process.
Similarly, their Domain Overview tool also includes two new AI features:
- Domain Search Theme: A machine learning algorithm that analyzes the content of top-ranking pages to reveal underlying themes.
- Domain Keyword Topics: An AI tool that shows top keyword topics for a domain.
Domain Keyword Topics
The latter is quite helpful in finding the main keywords on your competitors' websites and then using that info to create your own content.
Their Domain Authority Checker also shows you the top pages on competitors' websites, along with the top keywords based on estimated clicks. These insights will give you valuable information about your competitors' SEO strategies and which keywords you can potentially target.
Moz top domain keywords by clicks
While Ahrefs is better at keyword research, for now, Moz's AI features are definitely worth exploring. It's also much cheaper, which may be a deciding factor for some businesses.
Pros
- Offers competitor analysis
- Provides detailed keyword research with search intent analysis
- Affordable alternative to Ahrefs
Cons
- Not as comprehensive or detailed
- Limited AI offerings compared to other tools in the market
Best Ahrefs Alternatives for Backlink Analysis
Features Mangools SEO Power Suite Majestic Backlink Search Extensive Extensive Extensive Link Quality Metrics Link Strength, Website Popularity Rank Domain InLink Rank, Page InLink Rank Trust Flow, Citation Flow Backlink History No Yes Yes AI Features No No No Pricing $49 per month $596 per year (paid annually) $49 per month
Ahrefs claims to have the second most active web crawler, following Google, which means their backlink database is the best in the industry. They have over 324 billion pages in index and update their backlink index every 15 days.
Ahrefs backlink checker is pretty simple. It shows you the domain rating for your website along with the number of backlinks and linking websites. You can also see the referring pages, anchor text, and the target URL for each backlink.
Ahrefs backlink checker
However, this doesn't mean that Ahrefs is the only option for backlink analysis. There are a few other good ones that come at a much lower price. Mongools, SEO Power Suite, and SE Ranking are good examples.
4. Mangools
Pricing: Starts at $49 per month ($29 if paid annually)
Mangools is one of those SEO tools that do the job without overwhelming you with data or features. Its main features include keyword research, rank tracking, backlink analysis, and competitor website authority checking.
Key Features
While Mangools is nowhere near Ahrefs in terms of the sheer number of backlinks they have in their database, it does have a decent-sized backlink index. In fact, they say their database is bigger than ''Elon Musk's ambition.'' So, that has to mean something, right?
With Mangools, you can see the backlink profile of any domain or URL. You get a breakdown of dofollow links, nofollow links, referring domains, and anchor texts. You can also filter results for a more targeted analysis.
Mangools backlink analysis
Mangools also has a "Link Strength" metric, which is a score from 0-100 that predicts the quality and influence of a backlink. The higher the score, the more influential and valuable the backlink is.
There's also a Website Popularity Rank (WPR), which shows how popular a website is based on its backlink profile. You can use this information for competitive analysis and finding potential link opportunities.
Mangools backlink analysis
Even though Ahrefs has a much more comprehensive backlink database, we'd say that Mangools provides more metrics that give a better understanding of the quality and value of those backlinks.
As for its other features, the keyword research tool provides information similar to that of Ahrefs. It also lets you search for keywords by location, domain, and language for more precise targeting. Plus, you can see Autocomplete and Questions keywords to get a better understanding of search intent.
Mangools keyword research
Pros
- Has a large backlink index
- Provides detailed backlink analysis
- Is relatively affordable
- Offers metrics for understanding backlink quality
Cons
- Not as comprehensive as Ahrefs
- Lacks advanced AI features
5. SEO Power Suite
Pricing: Starts at $596 per year.
SEO Power Suite is a professional SEO tool for agencies and pros who need to track and report on site performance data. Its four main tools are:
- Rank Tracker
- Website Auditor
- SEO SpyGlass
- LinkAssistant
Key Features
SEO Power Suite's backlink checker is just as comprehensive as Ahrefs or Mangools, but we did notice how it's closer to results with Mangools. It might be because it has a smaller backlink database, but it is still impressive nonetheless.
It shows the total number of backlinks and referring domains, along with their IPS. The tool also divides the links into nofollow and dofollow and provides the percentage of both in your total backlink data.
SEO Power Suite results
One thing that SEO Power Suite does that we didn't find in Ahrefs' free backlink checker is live backlinks history. The tool shows you the history of live, new, and lost backlinks. These backlinks are also differentiated based on whether they're nofollow or dofollow.
SEO Power Suite backlinks history
With live backlink reports, you can see which backlinks are still active and which ones have been removed. This is a great way to track the effectiveness of your link-building efforts.
Like Mangools, SEO Power Suite also has some inherent metrics that it uses to evaluate the quality of a backlink. These include:
- Domain InLink Rank: The measure of a website's backlink influence.
- Page InLink Rank: The importance of the page you've received the backlink from.
SEO Power Suite
SEO Power Suite also has a Backlinks API that you can use to pull data from their backlink database in bulk. This is particularly useful for agencies who need to analyze multiple websites at once or need a large amount of backlink data for reporting.
Pros
- Comprehensive backlink database with live, new, and lost backlink tracking
- Metrics for evaluating backlink quality
- Backlinks API for bulk data analysis
Cons
- Lacks AI features for link-building suggestions
- License charged annually
6. Majestic
Pricing: $49 per month
Majestic may be as well-known as Ahrefs, but its backlink analysis capabilities are quite comparable to it. In fact, it won't be wrong to say that Majestic provides a ton more backlink data than Ahrefs.
Key Features
To start, the tool divides the referring domains and links into fresh and historic indexes. The fresh index is updated every 30 days.
You can also see the live external inbound links, deleted links, distinct links, and duplicate links. These give you a better idea of the quality and quantity of your backlinks.
Majestic backlink analysis
If you're doing international SEO, Majestic can also provide information on which languages the backlinks are coming from. This is something you won't find in Ahrefs.
Majestic backlink analysis
Plus, Majestic provides a breakdown of referring domains by live, follow, homepage, direct, and HTTPS link. It helps you see how many of your links are live and direct.
If you want to know which anchor text is used most frequently for your website or webpage, Majestic shows you the top anchor texts, too. You'll see the total, deleted, and nofollow number of links that use each anchor text.
Majestic anchor text analysis
Pros
- Comprehensive backlink database with fresh and historic indexes
- Provides information on language-specific backlinks
- Detailed breakdown of referring domains
Cons
- Lacks AI features
- Smaller database than Ahrefs
Best Ahrefs Alternatives for Site Audit
Features SemRush SERPStat SE Ranking Technical Issues Checked 130+ 60+ 120+ Audit Frequency Daily, Weekly, Monthly 1/3/7/14/30 days 7/30 days JavaScript Rendering Yes Yes No Pricing Starts at $129.95 per month $59 per month $52 per month Free Trial 7 days 7 days 14 days
Ahrefs is one of the best site audit tools with its focus on over 170 technical and on-page SEO issues. However, like any other tool, Ahrefs has its limitations and may not be suitable for everyone's needs.
SERPStat and SE Ranking are two remarkable alternatives to Ahrefs that specialize in comprehensive site audits. These tools not only perform similar functions as Ahrefs but also offer lower pricing plans, making them an attractive choice.
Of the two, SE Ranking is a better option with in-depth analysis for over 120 metrics. It also provides comprehensive reports that you can share with your clients as a dedicated SEO service. The tool lets you audit up to 150,000 pages with high-speed crawling, which is quite impressive.
7. SERPStat
Pricing: $59 per month
SERPStat is a handy SEO audit tool that provides a complete technical audit of your website. Its features include keyword research, link analysis, rank tracking, position tracking, paid keyword ranking, and more.
Key Features
SERPStat gives you a description of every SEO issue and provides recommendations on how to fix them. You can also see graphical representations of your website's SEO performance.
Like Ahrefs, SERPState also divides SEO issues into groups. It does so based on the priority level of the issue, giving you a clear understanding of what needs immediate attention.
SERPStat site audit
You can also get scheduled SEO audit reports, making it easier to track your website's progress over time. Set it up for every week, month, or even day, depending on your needs. The best part is that you can decide how many pages you want to scan and even set scan parameters for each of them.
Source: serpstat.com
SERPStat clearly has a lot of features, but compared to Ahrefs, its outputs may not be as accurate. The user interface is also not the most intuitive, making it a bit challenging for beginners.
Pros
- Comprehensive technical audit
- Automated reports
- High-speed crawling
- Detailed recommendations
Cons
- Less accurate outputs compared to Ahrefs
- Not as user-friendly or modern
8. SE Ranking
Pricing: Starts at $52 per month
SE Ranking is an SEO platform tailored toward SEO agencies and pros. Besides the standard keyword research and rank tracking, it also has an on-page SEO checker, website audit tool, and competitor analysis features. You can also use it for backlink analysis and SERP tracking.
Key Features
SE Ranking's features are closer to Ahrefs than SERPStat. For one, the tool's powerful crawler can handle large sites like ours, too. It shows you all important SEO metrics in one dashboard so that you can get a bird's eye view of your site's health.
SE Ranking website audit
With 120+ metrics, it's tough to miss out on critical data points. You can tailor your reports to show only the metrics you find most relevant and automate their delivery, too. Some important domain metrics that SE Ranking tracks are:
- Domain validity and expiration dates
- Domain Trust
- Total number of backlinks
- Number of indexed pages
SE Ranking Domain Metrics
SE Ranking also lets you keep an eye on your website's security issues and provides recommendations to fix them. Besides web pages, you can also optimize CSS files and images to improve your site's performance. When required, SE Ranking also lets you set custom parameters to crawl only the parts of your site that you need.
SE Ranking custom parameters
Pros
- Powerful website auditor with customizable reports
- Good backlink analysis features
- Affordable for small businesses and freelancers
Cons
- Has a learning curve
- Agency Pack only available with annual subscriptions
SEO Tools That Drive Results
As you can see, Ahrefs isn't the only player in the SEO tools market. There are other excellent options out there, each with its own set of unique features and pricing plans.
Whether it's keyword research, backlink analysis, SERP analysis, or site audit, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to SEO tools. If you don't have the monetary resources or SEO mastery level for Ahrefs, you can always pick an alternative to get similar results.
Many of these tools also offer free trials, so you can test them out before buying a subscription. Even better, some offer free versions with limited features, making them perfect for small businesses and solo website owners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free version of Ahrefs?
Ahrefs doesn't have a free trial, but you can use some of its features for free with limited functionality. The free keyword explorer and backlink checker tools can give you a taste of what Ahrefs has to offer, but for full access to all features and data, you will need to upgrade to a paid subscription.
Which tool is better to use in SEO: Ahrefs or Semrush?
Both Ahrefs and Semrush are ideal for advanced SEO, but if you're looking for an all-in-option with sufficient AI functionality and reporting, Semrush is a better choice. There's not much of a price difference between the two, so the decision ultimately depends on the specific features and data you need for your SEO strategy.
What is the difference between Ahrefs and Moz?
The main difference between Ahrefs and Moz is in terms of data. Ahrefs comes with a lot more data and features. For example, Ahrefs provides keyword research data for multiple search engines, while Moz only offers data for Google. Ahrefs also has a larger database of backlinks and keyword rankings. Plus, its user interface is more intuitive and easier to navigate.
Is Ubersuggest better than Ahrefs?
Ubersuggest is a handy tool for keyword research, content ideas, backlink analysis, and competitive analysis. However, it's not as extensive as Ahrefs due to the latter's larger database and more advanced features. Ubersuggest is a great starting point for beginners, as it's easier to learn and doesn't overwhelm you with too much information. On the other hand, Ahrefs is better for dedicated SEO teams who need more capabilities and advanced insights.
Which SEO tool is most accurate?
Semrush and Ahrefs are the most accurate SEO tools in the market, according to expert reviews and user experiences. However, no SEO tool can be 100% accurate due to constantly changing search engine algorithms and data fluctuations. In fact, no two tools will give you the exact same results, which is why you can use multiple tools to find an average result.
Do I need Ahrefs for SEO?
Ahrefs is one of the best SEO tools out there, so it won't hurt to have it in your toolbox. However, whether you need Ahrefs or not entirely depends on your SEO needs and budget. If you're a small business or just starting out with SEO, Ahrefs may not be necessary as there are more affordable options available. For larger businesses and agencies, it's a stellar choice that can improve their SEO multiple fold.
