Ahrefs
Where Ahrefs excels
Best-in-class backlink database — more fresh and accurate link data than any competitor.
Content Explorer lets you find top-performing content in any niche for ideation and link prospecting.
Keyword Explorer covers 10 search engines including YouTube, Amazon, and Bing.
Clean, intuitive interface — easier to navigate than Semrush for most common tasks.
Where it falls short
No free trial of the paid product — you have to commit without being able to test keyword volumes and difficulty scores first.
PPC data is far weaker than Semrush — not the right tool if paid search is part of your workflow.
Reports API access only on higher-tier plans, making automation expensive.
Pricing
Annual billing saves roughly 2 months vs monthly. The Lite plan at £79/mo is functionally limited — only 5 projects and 750 tracked keywords. Most professional users need Standard (£159/mo) for the full keyword history and more tracked keywords. No free trial; free Webmaster Tools available for your own domains only.
| Plan | Price | Keyword Research | Rank Tracking | AI Visibility Tracking | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | — | — | — | — | 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 6 months of data history |
| Standard | — | — | — | — | 20 projects, 2,000 tracked keywords, 2 years of history, API access |
| Advanced | — | — | — | — | 50 projects, 5,000 tracked keywords, advanced reports, 5 years history |
Features
- Keyword Research
- Rank Tracking
- AI Visibility Tracking
About
Ahrefs is a professional SEO toolset built around what is widely considered the best backlink index in the industry. It covers keyword research, rank tracking, site auditing, and competitive analysis.
- Founded
- 2011
- HQ
- Singapore
- Support channels
- Email · Live chat · Knowledge base · Community forum
