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Ahrefs

A comprehensive, long-established SEO suite built around one of the largest backlink indexes

4.6 SEO
4.6 Excellent 4.6
Backlink index depth and update frequency are hard to match No free plan, a real financial commitment before testing thoroughly
Reviewed by Challenging Voice Editorial · Updated Jul 2026 How we rate
PricingFrom $129/mo
Free planNo
CompanyAhrefs
PlatformsAPI, Web
CategorySEO
Founded2010
Visits29
Last reviewedJul 2026
UpdatedJul 2026
Ask AI about Ahrefs ChatGPT Claude Perplexity

Overview

Ahrefs, founded in 2010, built its reputation on backlink data specifically, maintaining one of the largest and most frequently updated backlink indexes in the industry, and has since expanded into a full SEO suite covering keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and content exploration under one login.

That breadth and depth, more than fifteen years of continuous data collection, positions Ahrefs as the established, comprehensive option in a category full of newer, narrower tools: an agency or in-house SEO team managing numerous different tasks across dozens of sites tends to gravitate here specifically because most of what they need already lives in one platform rather than several.

There's no free plan; pricing starts around $129 a month. For an SEO professional or agency that wants deep backlink data alongside a full suite of other SEO tools in one place, rather than a narrower tool focused on a single task, Ahrefs' comprehensive scope and long operating history address that breadth directly.

Key features

  • One of the largest, most frequently updated backlink indexes in the industry
  • Full SEO suite: keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, content exploration
  • Operating since 2010, well established in the category
  • No free plan, paid access only
  • Deep competitive analysis tools
  • Trusted broadly across agencies and in-house SEO teams

Screenshots & demo

Demo video

Screenshots

Ahrefs screenshot 1

Pricing

Lite
$129/mo
  • Core SEO tools
  • Limited reports and rows
Standard
$249/mo
  • More history and rows
  • Content and rank tools
Advanced
$449/mo
  • Higher limits
  • More users and dashboards

Is Ahrefs expensive?

Ahrefs starts at $129, which is 231% above the SEO median of $39 a month across the 79 priced tools we list in that category.

The cheapest paid option in SEO starts at $5 and the most expensive at $390.

38% of SEO tools in the directory offer a free tier, which this one does not.

Compared against every priced listing in SEO, recalculated as the catalogue changes. Method and the full market breakdown are in our AI tool pricing study.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Backlink index depth and update frequency are hard to match
  • Comprehensive suite covers most SEO tasks in one platform
  • Long operating history means a mature, well-tested product
  • Strong reputation and broad industry trust

Cons

  • No free plan, a real financial commitment before testing thoroughly
  • Among the higher prices in this category
  • Breadth of features adds a learning curve for newcomers to SEO tooling

How it compares

ToolRatingFreeFromBest known for
Ahrefs (this tool)4.6No$129/moOne of the largest, most frequently updated backlink indexes in the industry
SE Ranking4.6No$103/moComprehensive SEO suite: keyword research, rank tracking, audits, and backlinks
Serpstat4.2No$50/moComprehensive SEO suite: keyword research, rank tracking, backlinks, audits
Semrush4.5Yes$139/moBroader marketing suite extending beyond SEO into paid ads and social

Alternatives to Ahrefs

4 tools matched to Ahrefs on what they do, their category and their price.

Semrush

4.5

One of the category's largest platforms, extending well beyond SEO into a full marketing suite

Freemium SEO

WebCEO

3.6

A long-established SEO suite covering rank tracking, keyword research, site audit, backlinks and toxic link detection, with white-label reports for agencies.

Free Trial SEO

Frequently asked questions

What is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs, founded in 2010, built its reputation on backlink data specifically, maintaining one of the largest and most frequently updated backlink indexes in the industry, and has since expanded into a full SEO suite covering keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and content exploration under one login.
Is Ahrefs free?
Ahrefs does not offer a free plan; paid pricing starts at $129 per month.
How much does Ahrefs cost?
Ahrefs plans: Lite $129/mo; Standard $249/mo; Advanced $449/mo.
What are the best Ahrefs alternatives?
The closest matches in the directory are SE Ranking, Serpstat, and Semrush, compared side by side above.

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