Explore your options
Ahrefs Alternatives
Explore alternatives to Ahrefs by what you gain, what you give up, and the work you need to do.
What is the best Ahrefs alternative?
It depends on why you are leaving. Semrush is our first alternative to consider for teams who need SEO, PPC and competitor research from one subscription and will genuinely use more than the SEO toolkit. Also worth a look: Moz Pro, SE Ranking.
Reasons to switch
- No meaningful discounting
- Deliberately narrow — no PPC or social tooling
- Credit-based limits on some reports can bite mid-audit
Who should stay put: Anyone whose work is link-led — outreach, digital PR, or competitive link analysis — and agencies managing many verified domains.
- 01Affiliate link
Semrush is the widest toolkit in mainstream SEO software: keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, backlink analysis, PPC research and social scheduling in one subscription. Breadth is the pitch and also the catch — most teams use a fraction of it while paying for all of it. Its keyword database is strong in the US and large European markets, thinner elsewhere.
Semrush Site Audit
Vendor interface · illustrative product documentationView source ↗ - Switch to it if
- Teams who need SEO, PPC and competitor research from one subscription and will genuinely use more than the SEO toolkit.
- What you give up
- Limits are per-user and seats are expensive to add; Backlink index is respectable but not the largest. Entry price $139/month, $10 higher than Ahrefs.
Try free — SemrushAffiliate linkAhrefs vs Semrush → - 02Terms unverified
Moz Pro is the longest-established of the mainstream platforms and still the home of Domain Authority, the metric half the industry quotes. The toolkit is coherent and approachable, but the index and feature velocity have both fallen behind Ahrefs and Semrush over the last several years.
- Switch to it if
- Teams who report on Domain Authority to clients or stakeholders, and beginners who want a gentler on-ramp.
- What you give up
- Link index materially smaller than Ahrefs and Semrush; Feature development has been slow. Entry price $49/month, $80 lower than Ahrefs.
Try free — Moz ProTerms unverifiedAhrefs vs Moz Pro → - 03Affiliate link
SE Ranking combines rank tracking, research, site audits and reporting. Core costs $129/month on monthly billing, or $103.20/month billed annually ($1,238.40/year). Compare the included projects, tracked keywords and reporting needs against other tools at the same billing frequency; the entry price alone does not establish better value. The data is thinner in smaller markets and the link index is well behind Ahrefs.
- Switch to it if
- Agencies and freelancers who need credible client reporting without a four-figure monthly software bill.
- What you give up
- Backlink index is clearly behind Ahrefs and Semrush; Keyword data thins out in smaller markets. Same entry price ($129/month).
Try free — SE RankingAffiliate linkAhrefs vs SE Ranking →
