Ahrefs Review 2025: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons, Ratings & More

Imed Bouchrika, Phd

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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Ahrefs: Top SEO Software

4.6 / 5

Top 3 Ahrefs Alternatives

Featured SEO Software Alternatives for Ahrefs

SE Ranking
SE Ranking
4.85 / 5
Pricing

$31.20/month

Free Trial

14 days

Key Features

Keyword Tracking, Site Audit, Backlink Analysis

Editor's Take

SE Ranking is a comprehensive SEO and online marketing platform catering to businesses of all sizes. It offers tools for keyword tracking, competitor analysis, website audits, and backlink monitoring. The platform provides actionable insights to improve search engine rankings and drive organic traffic. With its intuitive dashboard, businesses can track progress and generate detailed reports. SE Ranking also includes local SEO features, making it ideal for companies targeting regional markets. Its robust functionality and affordability make it a popular choice for marketers and agencies.

Expert Score

In evaluating SaaS software, a comprehensive and structured methodology ensures a fair and accurate comparison across key metrics. This approach focuses on the most critical aspects that affect user experience, functionality, and business value. The following metrics—general features, cost, customer service, integrations, and mobile support—are evaluated to provide a holistic view of each software solution’s strengths and weaknesses. These metrics are selected based on their direct impact on software usability, scalability, and long-term effectiveness for businesses.

1. General Features - scoring weight 40%

This metric evaluates the core functionalities and tools the software offers. It involves assessing the comprehensiveness of the features, their relevance to the target users, and the ease of use. This is important because robust and well-designed features determine the software’s overall utility and efficiency in solving user problems.

2. Cost - scoring weight 15%

Cost analysis focuses on pricing models, value for money, and scalability. It’s crucial to evaluate whether the software’s features justify its price, considering different plans for small and large organizations. This is vital for businesses to ensure they invest in cost-effective solutions that fit their budget.

3. Customer Service - scoring weight 15%

This evaluates the responsiveness, quality, and availability of customer support, including channels like chat, email, or phone. Good customer service is essential for troubleshooting and ensuring smooth software usage, which reduces downtime and frustration for users.

4. Integrations - scoring weight 15%

This examines how well the software integrates with third-party tools (e.g., CRM, payment systems, collaboration apps). Seamless integrations are key for creating a unified workflow and enhancing productivity by connecting multiple systems, which is crucial for operational efficiency.

5. Mobile Support - scoring weight 15%

Mobile support assesses the software’s functionality and performance on mobile devices, including apps and mobile web versions. With increasing remote work and on-the-go usage, strong mobile support is critical to ensure users can access and utilize the software effectively, regardless of location.


What is Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a powerful platform known for its extensive backlink analysis features, which are essential for understanding and enhancing a website's authority in search engine rankings. It maintains one of the largest backlink databases by continuously crawling the web, enabling users to monitor new and lost links, evaluate the quality of referring sites, and identify harmful backlinks that could damage SEO efforts.

Besides backlink auditing, the tool offers robust keyword research capabilities. Users can analyze search volume, keyword difficulty, and related metrics to uncover high-potential keywords for content strategies. This functionality supports a deep understanding of user intent and helps refine both organic SEO and paid campaigns by revealing trends and competitive keyword data.

Ahrefs also includes a site audit feature that detects technical SEO issues such as broken links, duplicate content, slow page speeds, and improper metadata usage. The audit reports are designed to be understandable for both technical experts and marketers, delivering clear recommendations to improve website health and optimize search engine performance.

Rank tracking within Ahrefs allows continuous monitoring of keyword positions across different devices and regions. This makes it easier to assess the impact of SEO initiatives, observe ranking fluctuations, and adjust strategies accordingly through visual dashboards and reports.

Competitive analysis is another vital component that lets users scrutinize competitors' backlink profiles, top content, and keyword rankings. This intelligence informs strategic decisions in content creation, link-building, and market positioning, giving marketers a comparative edge.

The platform's web-based interface combines ease of use with a clean design, featuring interactive charts and tables for exploring SEO data in detail. Users can export reports for further analysis or presentation purposes.

For those looking to broaden their digital toolkit, researching related tools can be beneficial. For example, exploring the best tax software may provide insights into complementary software solutions that support different aspects of business management beyond SEO.

In sum, when considering what is Ahrefs SEO tool, it stands out for its comprehensive suite addressing backlink analysis, keyword research, site auditing, rank tracking, and competitive analysis—features crucial for companies aiming to optimize their online presence effectively.

What is Ahrefs

Featured SEO Software Products

SE Ranking
SE Ranking
4.85 / 5
Pricing

$31.20/month

Free Trial

14 days

Key Features

Keyword Tracking, Site Audit, Backlink Analysis

Editor's Take

SE Ranking is a comprehensive SEO and online marketing platform catering to businesses of all sizes. It offers tools for keyword tracking, competitor analysis, website audits, and backlink monitoring. The platform provides actionable insights to improve search engine rankings and drive organic traffic. With its intuitive dashboard, businesses can track progress and generate detailed reports. SE Ranking also includes local SEO features, making it ideal for companies targeting regional markets. Its robust functionality and affordability make it a popular choice for marketers and agencies.

Expert Score

In evaluating SaaS software, a comprehensive and structured methodology ensures a fair and accurate comparison across key metrics. This approach focuses on the most critical aspects that affect user experience, functionality, and business value. The following metrics—general features, cost, customer service, integrations, and mobile support—are evaluated to provide a holistic view of each software solution’s strengths and weaknesses. These metrics are selected based on their direct impact on software usability, scalability, and long-term effectiveness for businesses.

1. General Features - scoring weight 40%

This metric evaluates the core functionalities and tools the software offers. It involves assessing the comprehensiveness of the features, their relevance to the target users, and the ease of use. This is important because robust and well-designed features determine the software’s overall utility and efficiency in solving user problems.

2. Cost - scoring weight 15%

Cost analysis focuses on pricing models, value for money, and scalability. It’s crucial to evaluate whether the software’s features justify its price, considering different plans for small and large organizations. This is vital for businesses to ensure they invest in cost-effective solutions that fit their budget.

3. Customer Service - scoring weight 15%

This evaluates the responsiveness, quality, and availability of customer support, including channels like chat, email, or phone. Good customer service is essential for troubleshooting and ensuring smooth software usage, which reduces downtime and frustration for users.

4. Integrations - scoring weight 15%

This examines how well the software integrates with third-party tools (e.g., CRM, payment systems, collaboration apps). Seamless integrations are key for creating a unified workflow and enhancing productivity by connecting multiple systems, which is crucial for operational efficiency.

5. Mobile Support - scoring weight 15%

Mobile support assesses the software’s functionality and performance on mobile devices, including apps and mobile web versions. With increasing remote work and on-the-go usage, strong mobile support is critical to ensure users can access and utilize the software effectively, regardless of location.

How much does Ahrefs cost

Ahrefs: Top SEO Software

4.6 / 5

Lite Plan

  • Price: $99 per month
  • Users: 1 user
  • Keywords tracked: 500 tracked keywords
  • Site audits: 100,000 crawled pages
  • Access to core SEO tools including site explorer, keyword explorer, and rank tracker

Standard Plan

  • Price: $199 per month
  • Users: 1 user
  • Keywords tracked: 1,500 tracked keywords
  • Site audits: 500,000 crawled pages
  • Includes historical data and more extensive backlink analysis

Advanced Plan

  • Price: $399 per month
  • Users: 3 users
  • Keywords tracked: 5,000 tracked keywords
  • Site audits: 1.25 million crawled pages
  • All standard features plus API access and extended limits

Enterprise Plan

  • Price: $999 per month
  • Users: 10 users
  • Keywords tracked: 10,000 tracked keywords
  • Site audits: 2.5 million crawled pages
  • Customized solutions, advanced API capabilities, and priority support

There is a 7-day trial available for $7, enabling users to evaluate Ahrefs before committing to a subscription.

How much does Ahrefs cost

What are the pros of Ahrefs

  • Extensive backlink analysis with high accuracy and broad data coverage for evaluating both own and competitor profiles
  • Comprehensive keyword research tools offering metrics like search volume, difficulty, and click potential
  • Technical SEO site audits providing actionable reports to improve website health and performance
  • Accurate rank tracking across devices and locations with reliable historical keyword position data
  • Content Explorer to identify top-performing niche content for content marketing and link-building strategies

What are the cons of Ahrefs

  • Steep learning curve due to complex interface and extensive features.
  • Rank tracking is not fully integrated and less accurate than specialized tools.
  • Backlink data updates slower than some competitors, affecting timeliness.
  • Site audit generates many issues, including low-priority ones needing manual filtering.
  • Keyword database shows inconsistent search volume data across regions and languages.
  • Mobile experience is limited with no dedicated app and a non-optimized website.

What are the core features of Ahrefs

Ahrefs: Top SEO Software

4.6 / 5

Ahrefs provides a comprehensive suite of SEO tools designed to streamline and enhance your search engine optimization efforts. Its features cover a broad spectrum of SEO needs, from monitoring and analysis to detailed auditing and competitive insights, helping businesses maintain and improve their online visibility efficiently.

  • Centralized Platform: Combines all SEO data and tools into one dashboard for easy campaign management.
  • Web Tracking: Continuously monitors websites and backlinks to deliver real-time updates on SEO status.
  • Benchmark Reporting: Enables comparison of your SEO metrics against competitors or industry benchmarks to spot growth areas.
  • SEO Alerting: Sends immediate notifications of critical SEO changes like lost backlinks or ranking drops for quick response.
  • SEO Auditing: Conducts thorough site audits to detect technical issues, broken links, and on-page SEO problems that affect rankings.
  • SEO Change Tracking: Tracks historical SEO data to observe shifts in rankings, backlinks, and site health over time.
  • Technical SEO: Provides detailed analysis on crawlability, indexing, speed, and mobile usability to meet search engine standards.
  • Link Building: Identifies backlink prospects by analyzing competitors’ link profiles and suggesting outreach targets.
  • Keyword Research: Offers extensive data on search volume, difficulty, and click-through rates to guide keyword targeting and content strategies.
  • SERP Rank Tracking: Monitors keyword positions on search engine results pages, highlighting trends and fluctuations.
  • Localization: Supports region-specific SEO by providing localized keyword data and tracking rankings across different geographic areas.
  • Content Insights: Analyzes top-performing content in any niche, delivering data on backlinks, social engagement, and keyword usage for informed content creation.
  • Competitor Analysis: Examines rivals’ SEO tactics, backlinks, and keyword rankings to uncover competitive advantages and gaps.
  • Data Visualization: Presents SEO metrics through charts and graphs, simplifying the interpretation of complex data.
  • Custom Reports: Allows creation of tailored SEO reports combining selected metrics and visuals for clients or internal use.
  • Backlink Profile Analysis: Offers detailed insights into backlink quantity, quality, and growth to monitor link-building effectiveness and risks.
  • Site Explorer: Provides comprehensive data on organic traffic, backlinks, and top pages for competitive research and opportunity spotting.
  • Content Gap Analysis: Identifies keywords your competitors rank for but your site does not, revealing new content opportunities.
  • Rank Tracker: Enables keyword segmentation by device, location, and language for detailed performance analysis.
  • Domain Comparison: Compares multiple domains on key SEO metrics to benchmark and measure performance.
  • Batch Analysis: Evaluates SEO metrics for numerous URLs or domains simultaneously to streamline audits and research.
  • Broken Link Checker: Detects broken inbound and outbound links to help recover lost link equity and improve site health.
  • Anchor Text Analysis: Provides reports on anchor text distribution in backlinks to optimize link profiles.
  • Outgoing Link Analysis: Tracks outbound links to manage link quality and relevance effectively.
  • Keyword Explorer: Generates keyword suggestions from multiple search engines including Google, YouTube, and Amazon to expand research scope.
  • Content Explorer: Discovers popular content by topic or keyword ranked by social shares and backlinks, aiding content ideation.
  • SEO Health Score: Calculates an overall SEO health metric based on site audits for a quick technical status overview.
  • URL Rating and Domain Rating: Uses proprietary metrics to estimate SEO strength of URLs and domains for evaluating link quality and competition.
  • API Access: Provides API services for developers to integrate SEO data into custom applications and workflows.
  • Keyword Difficulty Score: Assesses the ranking challenge of keywords based on backlink data to guide strategic keyword selection.

Benefits of using Ahrefs

Ahrefs delivers a powerful set of SEO tools designed to elevate your digital marketing efforts. This review highlights the key advantages that make Ahrefs an essential solution for businesses aiming to improve their search engine visibility and outperform competitors.

  • Extensive Backlink Intelligence: Users gain access to one of the largest backlink databases, allowing detailed analysis of their own and competitors’ link profiles. This uncovers valuable linking opportunities and sharpens link-building tactics to boost domain authority.
  • In-Depth Keyword Insights: Ahrefs offers precise keyword metrics such as search volume, difficulty, and clicks, enabling marketers to identify high-potential keywords that drive relevant traffic and improve rankings.
  • Advanced Competitor Monitoring: Track competitors’ organic traffic trends, backlink sources, and content success to inform strategic decisions and capitalize on market gaps.
  • Comprehensive Site Auditing: The platform automatically detects technical SEO issues—including broken links, duplicate content, and slow page speeds—and prioritizes fixes to enhance overall site health and user experience.
  • Content Discovery and Benchmarking: With the Content Explorer tool, users can pinpoint top-performing content in their niche, guided by social engagement and backlink data to inspire effective content strategies.
  • Precise Rank Tracking Across Regions: Ahrefs supports monitoring keyword positions over time across various devices and geographical locations, helping businesses target international markets and track campaign progress accurately.
  • User-Centric Interface and Support: Despite its extensive toolset, Ahrefs emphasizes ease of use with an intuitive design complemented by rich tutorials and customer support, making it accessible for both novices and SEO experts alike.
  • Robust API for Custom Integrations: Agencies and advanced users benefit from API access, enabling seamless incorporation of Ahrefs data into tailored dashboards and automated reporting workflows.

Our expert take on Ahrefs

In my experience with the ahrefs seo tool review, one standout aspect is its extensive backlink database. This resource is invaluable for conducting detailed backlink audits and competitor analysis, which form the backbone of any robust SEO strategy. The freshness and accuracy of its data mean I can trust the insights when monitoring link-building campaigns or tracking site health in real time.

The interface strikes a balance between powerful functionality and usability. Even if you’re not deeply technical, ahrefs offers accessible tools that marketers and business owners can leverage without frustration. This ease of use combined with depth makes it a versatile option for a range of users, from seasoned SEO pros to content creators seeking actionable insights.

I often rely on ahrefs for its content analysis capabilities. The keyword research and content explorer modules help uncover trending topics and assess keyword difficulty, which is essential for optimizing content effectively. When trying to boost organic traffic, these features provide a solid foundation for strategic content planning.

From a budget perspective, ahrefs can be on the pricier side, which might be a hurdle for smaller businesses or freelancers. Yet, the investment feels justified given the comprehensive data and responsive customer support. The platform also integrates well with other marketing tools, streamlining workflows and improving overall efficiency.

One of the most useful features for me is the technical SEO auditing. The site audit tool identifies issues like broken links, slow pages, and duplicate content, helping maintain website health. The reports are detailed yet straightforward, making it easier to prioritize fixes without getting lost in the data.

Admittedly, mastering all the features of ahrefs involves a learning curve. The volume of data and options can be overwhelming at first, but this complexity is the trade-off for a tool with such extensive capabilities. For those who value deep, data-driven SEO strategies, it’s worth the effort.

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Our expert take on Ahrefs

What business types use Ahrefs

  • Digital Marketing Agencies: These companies harness Ahrefs for competitive analysis, keyword research, and backlink auditing to boost their clients' search rankings. The platform’s vast backlink database and site audit tools enable efficient identification of link-building chances and technical SEO issues, optimizing campaign effectiveness and appealing to businesses that use Ahrefs for SEO.
  • E-commerce Businesses: Online retailers depend on Ahrefs to pinpoint high-converting keywords and scrutinize competitors’ product pages. This insight helps refine product descriptions and category pages to increase visibility and conversions. Monitoring backlinks from affiliates and review sites also strengthens their online footprint.
  • SaaS Companies: Operating in competitive markets, SaaS firms utilize Ahrefs to track competitors’ keyword tactics and backlink profiles. This intelligence supports targeted inbound marketing campaigns, helping attract qualified organic leads and demonstrating companies leveraging Ahrefs tools for growth.
  • Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs): Without dedicated SEO teams, SMEs benefit from Ahrefs’ user-friendly interface and educational resources, enabling independent SEO audits and website health monitoring. This empowers cost-effective improvements in online presence without outsourcing.
  • Content Creators and Media Publishers: These users exploit keyword explorer and content gap analysis features to discover trending topics and optimize existing materials. Tracking domain authority and backlink profiles helps maintain credibility and attain higher search engine rankings.
  • Freelance SEO Consultants: Freelancers rely on Ahrefs’ comprehensive data for crafting detailed reports and actionable insights tailored to diverse clients, enhancing service quality and client outcomes.
  • Travel and Hospitality Firms: Ahrefs assists hotels, tour operators, and travel agencies in targeting location-specific keywords and managing online reputation through backlinks from review platforms and travel blogs, thereby improving content marketing and discoverability.
  • Real Estate Companies: These firms use Ahrefs to analyze local search trends and optimize property listings for organic traffic growth, attracting high-quality leads by focusing on neighborhood and property-type keywords.
  • Educational and Non-Profit Organizations: Universities and research centers optimize their sites for prospective audiences, while non-profits leverage backlink analysis to build connections with authoritative domains, enhancing fundraising and outreach efforts.

For companies exploring software solutions, understanding the wide-ranging applications of Ahrefs across industries provides valuable context. Additionally, those interested in enhancing remote collaboration alongside SEO efforts might find the top video conferencing software article useful for selecting complementary tools.


Best 1 alternatives to Ahrefs

1

4.85 / 5

SE Ranking is presented as a comprehensive SEO suite that aims to streamline the process of optimizing your website and enhancing its online visibility. It blends a user-friendly design with a robust set of tools, helping potential users keep track of essential performance metrics while uncovering opportunities for growth. For businesses and digital marketers eager to harness the power of SEO, SE Ranking offers a unified solution that appears well-suited to managing and refining complex optimization strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ahrefs

Is Ahrefs a cloud-based tool?

Ahrefs functions entirely through web browsers as a cloud-based platform, eliminating the need for any software installation on local devices.

Does Ahrefs provide real-time data?

Although Ahrefs frequently refreshes its data, it does not deliver true real-time updates. Backlink and keyword information is typically refreshed daily.

Can Ahrefs track keyword rankings?

Yes, Ahrefs offers rank tracking capabilities that monitor keyword performance over time across various search engines and geographic locations.

What kind of backlink data does Ahrefs offer?

The platform supplies comprehensive backlink insights such as new and lost links, domain ratings, anchor text details, and referring domains to thoroughly evaluate link profiles.

Is Ahrefs suitable For beginners?

Despite its extensive features, Ahrefs maintains an intuitive interface and provides educational resources, making it accessible for beginners who possess some foundational SEO knowledge.

Does Ahrefs offer a free trial?

Ahrefs occasionally provides limited or discounted trial periods but generally relies on subscription plans without a permanent free tier.

What subscription plans does Ahrefs offer?

Subscription options vary based on tracked keyword volumes, crawl limits, and number of user accounts, allowing customization according to user requirements.

How does Ahrefs compare to other SEO tools?

Renowned for its vast backlink index and ease of use, Ahrefs competes strongly with other major SEO platforms like SEMrush and Moz.

Is Ahrefs suitable For enterprise use?

Ahrefs provides scalable plans designed to meet enterprise demands, including elevated data allowances and enhanced team collaboration features.

Can Ahrefs be integrated with other Software?

API access is available for integration with third-party applications, enabling tailored data workflows for advanced users.

Does Ahrefs support international SEO?

Ahrefs facilitates international SEO by supporting keyword research and rank tracking across multiple countries and languages.

How frequently is Ahrefs updated?

The software and its data sets are continuously refined, with daily updates to backlink and keyword databases alongside ongoing interface enhancements.

What customer support does Ahrefs provide?

Customer assistance is available via email and a detailed help center filled with tutorials, guides, and frequently asked questions to support users at various skill levels.