Ahrefs alternatives
7 SEO tools tools people switch to from Ahrefs, with free plans and starting prices checked 2026-10-29.
Short answer
Semrush and SE Ranking are the two best Ahrefs alternatives. Semrush offers the broadest toolkit across SEO, content and ads, and SE Ranking is built for smaller budgets.
Ahrefs alternatives compared
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush | all-in-one marketing toolkit | Yes, limited (1 demo project, 10 reports/day) | $139/mo monthly, $117.33/mo billed annually |
| SE Ranking | agencies and smaller budgets | No permanent free plan; 14-day free trial, no card required | $129/mo monthly, $103.20/mo billed annually (Core) |
| Moz Pro | beginner-friendly reports | No free plan; limited free tools with small monthly query caps | $49/mo (Starter); annual billing saves about 20% |
| Mangools | keyword research for small sites | No free plan; 10-day free trial | Basic $49/mo billed monthly; annual billing is cheaper |
| Ubersuggest | solo site owners | See pricing | $29/mo (Individual) or about $290 lifetime |
| Screaming Frog | technical site crawls | Yes, free version crawls up to 500 URLs | £199/year per licence (SEO Spider) |
| Google Search Console | free first-party data | Yes, fully free | Free |
1. Semrush
Covers SEO, content, PPC and social in one account. Higher plans bundle AI visibility features. Its backlink index is generally seen as smaller than Ahrefs'.
2. SE Ranking
Core has daily rank tracking, site audits and backlink monitoring. Annual billing is 20% off. Backlink and keyword databases are smaller than Ahrefs'.
3. Moz Pro
Created the Domain Authority metric. Starter covers 50 tracked keywords, so it fits small sites. Reports are simpler than Ahrefs', with a smaller backlink index.
4. Mangools
KWFinder and SERPChecker are the main tools, with a lightweight interface. It costs less than Ahrefs Lite at entry level. Backlink data (LinkMiner) is more limited than Ahrefs' index.
5. Ubersuggest
Individual plan allows 150 searches/day. Lifetime pricing is an option Ahrefs does not offer. Data depth and crawl size are lower than Ahrefs'.
6. Screaming Frog
Desktop crawler that runs on your own machine, so crawl size is limited by your hardware. Good for technical audits such as redirects, canonicals and broken links. It has no backlink index or keyword database.
7. Google Search Console
First-party Google data: real queries, clicks, impressions and index coverage for sites you verify. It shows no competitor data and no backlink index of other sites. It is free with no usage caps.
Newer Ahrefs alternatives launched on RankCert
Why people look for a Ahrefs alternative
- Paid plans start at $129/mo and go up to $1,499/mo for Enterprise
- Enterprise requires an annual commitment
- No free trial of the paid product
- Focus is SEO research, so PPC and social tooling is limited compared with all-in-one suites
Who should stay on Ahrefs
Stay if backlink research is your main job. Ahrefs is widely used for it, and its free Webmaster Tools tier is still useful for your own sites.
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Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Ahrefs alternative?
Google Search Console is free for your own site. Ahrefs also offers free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for sites you own and verify.
How much does Ahrefs cost?
Lite is $129/mo, Standard $249/mo, Advanced $449/mo and Enterprise $1,499/mo with an annual commitment, per Ahrefs' pricing page.
Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?
Semrush's entry paid plan is $139/mo versus $129/mo for Ahrefs Lite, so they are close at the entry tier. Compare the limits on each plan before choosing.