Editor's note, November 1, 2026: Rebuilt list: the 2020 list of 11 Ahrefs alternatives re-ranked and rewritten with current prices, free plans and public reviews, checked on 1 November 2026.
How we choose: we research each tool on its own site, check prices at the source and read what users say in public reviews. Our method
Semrush is the best Ahrefs alternative for most teams. It covers the same ground, from keyword research and competitor analysis to backlinks, rank tracking and site audits, and unlike Ahrefs it offers a free trial. If price is your reason for leaving, choose SE Ranking: its Core plan covers the same core jobs from $103.20 per month billed yearly and tracks 2,000 keywords daily.
Other tools replace one part of Ahrefs, often for less. Mangools and Ubersuggest suit beginners and small sites, SpyFu shows what competitors bid on in Google Ads, Majestic is a backlink specialist, Similarweb estimates traffic for whole markets and Screaming Frog crawls your site for technical issues. For free data on your own site, start with Google Search Console, and see our list of free SEO tools for more.
Ahrefs costs $129 per month for Lite, or $1,290 a year paid annually, and has a $29 Starter plan for keyword research and competitor lookups. It offers no trials, and its Rank Tracker updates weekly by default. So compare what each alternative gives you on its first paid plan: how many keywords it tracks and how often, how much keyword and backlink data it holds, and whether you can test it before you pay. Prices below were checked on 1 November 2026 and are in US dollars.
The list at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan | Team |
|---|
| 1 |  Semrush | Teams that want everything Ahrefs does, plus a free trial and AI search tracking | $117.33 per month, billed yearly (SEO) | Yes | Marketing |
| 2 |  SE Ranking | Teams that want a full SEO suite for less than Ahrefs | $103.20 per month, billed yearly | No | Marketing |
| 3 |  Moz Pro | Teams that report on Domain Authority and want an easy SEO suite | $49 per month | Yes | Marketing |
| 4 |  Serpstat | Freelancers and small agencies that want an all-in-one toolkit at a low price | $50 per month, billed yearly | No | Marketing |
| 5 |  KWFinder | Beginners and bloggers who mainly need keyword research | $37.70 per month, billed yearly | Yes | Marketing |
| 6 |  Ubersuggest | Solo site owners who want the lowest monthly cost or a one-time lifetime price | $192 per year, or $29 per month | Yes | Marketing |
| 7 |  SpyFu | PPC and SEO marketers who mostly research competitors | $29 per month, billed annually | No | Marketing |
| 8 |  Majestic | Link builders who only need backlink data | $49.99 per month (Lite) | No | Marketing |
| 9 |  Similarweb | Teams that care more about competitors' total traffic than about keywords | $99 per month, billed yearly | Yes | Marketing |
| 10 |  Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Technical SEO audits on your own computer | $279 per licence, per year | Yes | Marketing |
| 11 |  Google Search Console | Free search data for your own website | Free | Yes | Marketing |
How we chose
We ranked each tool on the five points of our published method, in this order. First, fit: how much of Ahrefs' work it can take over, from keyword research and competitor analysis to backlinks, rank tracking and site audits. Second, the features that matter for that switch, such as how many keywords each plan tracks and how often, the size of the keyword and backlink databases as each vendor states them, and AI search visibility tracking, taken from vendor documentation and pricing pages. Third, price and how clearly it is stated, including free plans, trials and refund terms. Fourth, what users report in public reviews on G2. Fifth, whether the product is actively developed.
Every tool was researched on its own website, pricing page and help documentation, and in public reviews on G2. All-in-one SEO suites rank highest because they can replace Ahrefs outright. Specialist tools that replace one part of it, such as competitor ad data, backlinks, traffic estimates or technical crawling, rank lower, even when they are strong at that one job. Database sizes are the vendors' own figures, and no vendor publishes them in a way that allows a like-for-like comparison, so they did not decide the order on their own. For a head-to-head on two of these tools, read Ahrefs vs Moz and Ubersuggest vs Semrush.
Best for teams that want everything Ahrefs does, plus a free trial and AI search tracking
1. Semrush
Marketing- Starting price
- $117.33 per month, billed yearly (SEO)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The closest like-for-like replacement for Ahrefs. It covers the same core SEO work and adds a 7-day free trial, so you can test it with your own sites before paying.
Why it's on the list
Semrush covers the same five jobs as Ahrefs, which are keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink analysis, rank tracking and site audits, and adds prompt tracking in AI assistants. Its Position Tracking updates rankings daily, while Ahrefs' Rank Tracker updates weekly by default on every plan. The entry SEO plan costs $117.33 per month billed yearly, or $139 month to month, for 5 websites and 500 tracked keywords, and the full keyword and competitor toolset starts on Starter at $165.17 per month billed yearly. Semrush has a 7-day free trial and a free plan with 10 reports a day, where Ahrefs offers no trials. It holds 4.4 out of 5 on G2 from 4,304 reviews, with the range of tools, position tracking and keyword research praised most.
Pros
- Keyword, competitor, backlink, rank tracking and audit tools in one platform
- 7-day free trial and a free plan with 10 reports a day
- Daily rank tracking and AI visibility tracking
- 4.4 out of 5 on G2 from 4,304 reviews
Cons
- The entry SEO plan has only basic keyword and competitor research
- Price is the most common complaint on G2, along with confusing add-on pricing
- Toolkits such as Local, Content and Advertising cost extra
Who it's for
Marketing teams and agencies that want one platform for SEO and AI search visibility and want to try it before they commit.
Who should skip it
Solo site owners on a tight budget. SE Ranking, Mangools or Ubersuggest cover the basics for less.
More about Semrush: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for teams that want a full SEO suite for less than Ahrefs
2. SE Ranking
Marketing- Starting price
- $103.20 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The best-value replacement. Its Core plan includes unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research, daily rank tracking and site audits for less than Ahrefs Lite on yearly billing, and for the same price month to month.
Why it's on the list
Core costs $103.20 per month billed yearly, or $129 month to month. Ahrefs Lite also costs $129 month to month, or $1,290 a year paid annually, so Core is cheaper on yearly billing. It includes unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research, 2,000 keywords tracked daily, 250,000 audited pages a month and 25 AI prompts tracked daily across five AI engines, while Ahrefs Lite tracks 750 keywords on a weekly update. SE Ranking says its backlink index holds 2.9 trillion links and its keyword database 5.5 billion keywords across 188 countries. The 14-day free trial needs no credit card. G2 rates it 4.8 out of 5 from more than 1,400 reviews, with ease of use, dashboards, rank tracking and support praised most.
Pros
- Costs less than Ahrefs Lite, billed monthly or yearly
- 2,000 keywords tracked daily on the first plan
- Unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research on Core
- 14-day free trial without a credit card
Cons
- No free plan
- Dedicated AI visibility tracking (SE Visible) is an add-on from $71 per month
- Some G2 reviewers say it lacks the depth of the largest suites
Who it's for
Agencies, freelancers and in-house teams that track many keywords and want Ahrefs-style research at a lower price.
Who should skip it
Teams that need the deepest historical data and the widest set of marketing toolkits. Semrush goes further.
More about SE Ranking: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for teams that report on Domain Authority and want an easy SEO suite
3. Moz Pro
Marketing- Starting price
- $49 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A full SEO suite with its own link index and the Domain Authority score many marketers already report on, with a lower entry price than Ahrefs Lite.
Why it's on the list
Moz Pro covers keyword research, rank tracking, backlink research with Moz's own Domain Authority, Page Authority and Brand Authority scores, site audits and AI visibility dashboards for GPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode. Standard costs $99 per month, or $79 per month paid yearly, for 3 tracked sites, 300 tracked keywords and 150 tracked AI prompts, and Moz offers an entry-level plan at $49 per month for people managing a single website. A free Moz account gives limited access to MozBar, Keyword Explorer and Link Explorer, and the Medium plan can be tried free. On G2, reviewers most often praise its ease of use, its keyword difficulty score and its clear site audit reports.
Pros
- Domain Authority, Page Authority and Brand Authority from Moz's own link index
- Entry-level plan at $49 per month and a free Moz account
- AI visibility dashboards on Standard, Medium and Large
- Easy to learn, according to G2 reviewers
Cons
- Tight limits on the lower plans, such as 300 tracked keywords on Standard
- Some G2 reviewers find its keyword and backlink database smaller than competitors'
- Price for small businesses is a common G2 complaint
Who it's for
In-house marketers and small teams that want an approachable suite and already use Domain Authority in their reporting.
Who should skip it
Agencies that track thousands of keywords. SE Ranking or Semrush give more tracking for the money.
More about Moz Pro: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for freelancers and small agencies that want an all-in-one toolkit at a low price
4. Serpstat
Marketing- Starting price
- $50 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The lowest-priced full suite on this list, with keyword, competitor, backlink, rank tracking and audit tools from $50 per month billed yearly.
Why it's on the list
Serpstat covers keyword research, domain and competitor analysis, backlinks, rank tracking and site audits in one tool, much like the old list described. The Individual plan costs $50 per month billed yearly, or $69 month to month, with 100 searches a day, 5 projects and 10,000 position checks a month. Serpstat says its keyword database holds 8.62 billion keywords covering Google in 230 countries. Backlink reports are capped at 2,000 results per report on Individual and 10,000 on higher plans, and AI Visibility and the API start on Team at $100 per month billed yearly. It holds 4.6 out of 5 on G2 from 463 reviews, with easy setup and the breadth of tools praised most.
Pros
- Full SEO suite from $50 per month billed yearly
- Large keyword database by Serpstat's own figure
- API and AI Visibility on Team plans
- 7-day trial on all plans except Agency
Cons
- Backlink reports capped at 2,000 results on Individual
- The trial needs a card, with a $1 verification charge that is refunded
- Fewer recent G2 reviews than the larger suites
Who it's for
Freelancers and small agencies that need most of Ahrefs' toolset and work to a fixed monthly budget.
Who should skip it
Link builders who export large backlink lists. Majestic or SE Ranking give more link data per report.
More about Serpstat: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for beginners and bloggers who mainly need keyword research
5. KWFinder
Marketing- Starting price
- $37.70 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The easiest keyword research on this list. KWFinder and the rest of the Mangools suite cover keywords, rank tracking and basic link data for small sites at a low price.
Why it's on the list
KWFinder gives search volume, trends and a 0 to 100 keyword difficulty score built from Moz and Majestic link metrics, with local data for more than 65,000 locations and a competitor keyword view. Every paid Mangools plan adds SERPWatcher for rank tracking, LinkMiner for backlinks and SiteProfiler for domain metrics, but there is no full technical site audit. Mangools' pricing page shows Basic at $37.70 per month billed yearly, or $61 month to month, with AI Search Watcher included, and a free account allows 5 lookups per 24 hours. G2 lists it under Mangools, where it holds 4.7 out of 5 from 97 reviews, with ease of use and price praised most.
Pros
- Simple keyword difficulty score that beginners can read at a glance
- Rank tracking, backlinks and SERP analysis included in every paid plan
- Free account with 5 lookups per 24 hours
- 4.7 out of 5 on G2 from 97 reviews
Cons
- No full technical site audit
- Basic tracks 200 keywords with weekly updates; daily updates need Agency
- Refunds only within 48 hours of payment
Who it's for
Bloggers, affiliate site owners and small businesses that need keyword ideas they can realistically rank for.
Who should skip it
Agencies and SEO teams that need deep backlink data and technical audits. Choose a full suite such as SE Ranking.
More about KWFinder: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for solo site owners who want the lowest monthly cost or a one-time lifetime price
6. Ubersuggest
Marketing- Starting price
- $192 per year, or $29 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The cheapest all-round option, with keyword research, site audits, rank tracking and backlink data, and a lifetime licence instead of a subscription if you prefer.
Why it's on the list
Ubersuggest covers keyword research with difficulty and cost per click, a site audit, daily rank tracking, traffic estimates for any domain, a backlink report and AI search visibility tracking. The Individual plan costs $29 per month, $192 billed yearly, or $290 once for lifetime access, which no other tool on this list offers. Monthly plans come with a one-time 7-day free trial, and a free account allows a limited number of searches. It holds 4.2 out of 5 on G2 from 160 reviews, with keyword research and ease of use praised most and support rated lower.
Pros
- Lowest yearly price among the suites here
- One-time lifetime plan
- Daily rank tracking and AI visibility tracking
- Free searches with a free account
Cons
- 150 searches a day and one project on Individual
- Lifetime purchases are final and non-refundable
- Support scores lower than ease of use on G2
Who it's for
Solo site owners and small businesses that want an all-round SEO tool for the lowest possible cost.
Who should skip it
Agencies and teams that run SEO for many sites. The project and search limits are low.
More about Ubersuggest: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for pPC and SEO marketers who mostly research competitors
7. SpyFu
Marketing- Starting price
- $29 per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The best low-cost tool for seeing what competitors rank and bid for, with long organic and paid history, but it is not a full Ahrefs replacement.
Why it's on the list
SpyFu shows every keyword a domain ranks for, with organic ranking history going back 10 years or more, plus the Google Ads keywords it buys and the ads it has tested. It also has a keyword gap tool, weekly rank tracking and an AI site audit. Basic costs $29 per month billed yearly, or $39 month to month, with 10,000-row search results and exports. There is no free plan or trial, but SpyFu offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. It holds 4.6 out of 5 on G2 from 519 reviews, with competitor analysis praised most and a high score for support.
Pros
- Competitors' paid keywords and ad history as well as organic data
- Organic ranking history going back 10 years or more
- Low entry price of $29 per month billed yearly
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- No free plan or free trial
- Rank tracking updates weekly, not daily
- Unlimited results, exports and API access need Pro + AI at $89 per month billed yearly
Who it's for
Marketers who run Google Ads and SEO side by side and want to see what competitors spend on.
Who should skip it
Teams that need backlink research and site audits as their main use. Pick a full suite instead.
More about SpyFu: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for link builders who only need backlink data
8. Majestic
Marketing- Starting price
- $49.99 per month (Lite)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A backlink specialist. If links are the part of Ahrefs you actually use, Majestic gives deep link data and its own trust scores at a lower price.
Why it's on the list
Majestic focuses on one job, which is mapping who links to any website. Its Site Explorer shows backlinks, referring domains and anchor text, scored with Majestic's own Trust Flow, Citation Flow and Topical Trust Flow across more than 800 topic categories. The Fresh Index covers links seen in about the last 120 days and updates several times a day, and the Pro plan adds a Historic Index that goes back to 2006. Lite costs $49.99 per month, or $499.99 a year, and Pro $99.99 per month, with prices shown excluding VAT. It holds 4.3 out of 5 on G2 from 73 reviews, where backlink analysis and detailed reporting are mentioned most.
Pros
- Trust Flow and Topical Trust Flow scores for judging link quality
- Fresh Index updated several times a day
- Historic Index back to 2006 on Pro
- Lower price than Ahrefs Lite
Cons
- No keyword research or site audits
- No free plan or free trial
- Few G2 reviews compared with the big suites
Who it's for
Link builders, digital PR teams and domain buyers who judge sites by their backlinks.
Who should skip it
Anyone who needs keyword research or rank tracking. Majestic does not replace those parts of Ahrefs.
More about Majestic: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for teams that care more about competitors' total traffic than about keywords
9. Similarweb
Marketing- Starting price
- $99 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The best choice for traffic and market data. It estimates where any site's visits come from across all channels, but its SEO toolkit costs more than Ahrefs.
Why it's on the list
Similarweb estimates visits, engagement and the split of traffic by channel, such as search, direct, referrals, social and display ads, for any website, which Ahrefs does not try to do. Its web plans start at $125 per month billed yearly, or $199 month to month, for competitive intelligence, and keyword research, rank tracking, site audits and backlinks come with the Competitive Intel and SEO and AEO plan at $333 per month billed yearly. A free version shows high-level estimates for any site, and a 7-day trial is available. It holds 4.4 out of 5 on G2 from 1,248 reviews, with traffic insights and competitor analysis praised most.
Pros
- Traffic estimates by channel for any website
- Free high-level data for any site
- SEO, AI search and ad intelligence in one platform on higher plans
- 4.4 out of 5 on G2 from 1,248 reviews
Cons
- The plan with SEO tools costs $333 per month billed yearly
- Data accuracy for small sites is a common G2 complaint
- The free trial needs a card, which is charged when the trial ends
Who it's for
Marketing, strategy and agency teams that benchmark competitors and whole markets, not only search rankings.
Who should skip it
Small teams that need keyword and backlink data on a budget. Any suite higher on this list costs less.
More about Similarweb: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for technical SEO audits on your own computer
10. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Marketing- Starting price
- $279 per licence, per year
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The standard tool for crawling a site and finding technical issues. It replaces Ahrefs' Site Audit, not its keyword or backlink data.
Why it's on the list
Screaming Frog SEO Spider crawls a website from your own computer and reports broken links, redirects, page titles and meta data, robots directives, hreflang, duplicates and XML sitemap issues. The free version crawls up to 500 URLs, which covers many small sites. A paid licence costs $279 per year and removes the crawl limit, adding scheduling, JavaScript rendering, crawl comparison, custom extraction and integrations. It holds 4.7 out of 5 on G2 from 84 reviews, where in-depth site analysis and detailed reporting are praised most.
Pros
- Free for up to 500 URLs
- Low yearly licence price
- Deep technical audits with JavaScript rendering on paid licences
Cons
- No keyword research, rank tracking or backlink data
- G2 reviewers find the layout hard to navigate at first
- The 500-URL limit and slower speed on the free version can be restrictive
Who it's for
SEO specialists and developers who audit sites regularly and want full control over each crawl.
Who should skip it
Marketers who never look at technical SEO. A suite's built-in audit will usually be enough.
More about Screaming Frog SEO Spider: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for free search data for your own website
11. Google Search Console
Marketing- Starting price
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The best free alternative for your own site. It shows the searches you appear for, your clicks and positions, and indexing problems, straight from Google.
Why it's on the list
Google Search Console reports the queries, clicks, impressions and average positions your site gets in Google Search, plus page indexing, URL Inspection and Core Web Vitals reports. The data is first-party, so it is not an estimate like the third-party tools on this list, and it costs nothing. It cannot show competitors' keywords or backlinks, which is why it ranks last for replacing Ahrefs. It holds 4.7 out of 5 on G2 from 517 reviews, with monitoring search performance and data accuracy praised most.
Pros
- Free, with Google's own data on your clicks and impressions
- Indexing and page experience reports
- Works alongside any paid tool on this list
Cons
- Only covers sites you own and have verified
- No competitor, keyword difficulty or backlink research
Who it's for
Every site owner, whether or not they also pay for an SEO tool.
Who should skip it
Nobody needs to skip it, but it cannot replace Ahrefs on its own if you research competitors.
More about Google Search Console: pricing, features and alternatives
Also considered
- Keyword Tool: Good for keyword ideas from Google, YouTube, Amazon, TikTok and other search boxes, but it has no backlink, rank tracking or audit data, so it replaces only a small part of Ahrefs.
- BuzzSumo: A content and journalist research tool rather than an SEO suite. It suits content and PR teams, and its plans start at $159 per month billed yearly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Ahrefs?
For your own site, Google Search Console is free and shows the searches you appear for, with your clicks and positions. Screaming Frog SEO Spider crawls up to 500 URLs for free, and Semrush's free plan allows 10 reports a day. Ahrefs also has its own free plan, Ahrefs Free, with limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for sites you own.
What is the cheapest alternative to Ahrefs?
Ubersuggest is the cheapest all-round suite here, from $192 billed yearly for the Individual plan or $290 once for lifetime access. SpyFu starts at $29 per month billed yearly, and Mangools at $37.70 per month billed yearly. Prices were checked on 1 November 2026.
Is Semrush better than Ahrefs?
Neither is better for everyone. Semrush offers a 7-day free trial, a free plan with 10 reports a day and daily rank tracking, while Ahrefs has no trials and updates tracked rankings weekly by default. Ahrefs Lite is cheaper than Semrush's Starter plan, so compare the plan you would actually need.
Which Ahrefs alternative is best for backlinks?
Majestic is the backlink specialist, with its own Trust Flow and Citation Flow scores and a historic index back to 2006 on Pro. If you also need keyword research, SE Ranking includes unlimited backlink research on its Core plan, and Moz Pro has its own link index with Domain Authority.
Does Ahrefs have a free trial?
No. Ahrefs says it does not offer trials. You can use Ahrefs Free for sites you own, or the Starter plan at $29 per month for keyword research and competitor lookups.
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