7 Best Ahrefs Alternatives Compared (2023 Edition)
Are you looking for the best Ahrefs alternative to manage your SEO strategy?
Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO toolkit that seemingly has a tool for all your SEO needs.
But recent price increases have led some users to search for alternatives.
So, if you’ve tried Ahrefs and it’s not up your alley, or you just getting started and it’s out of your budget, there are lots of other tools you can try.
In this post, I’ll be comparing the best Ahrefs alternatives on the market so you can be sure that you’re using the best tool for the job.
The 7 best Ahrefs alternatives – summary
- Semrush – Best Ahrefs alternative overall.
- SE Ranking – Best combination of features and value.
- Mangools – Easiest Ahrefs alternative to use.
- SEO PowerSuite – Best value software-based tool.
- Majestic – Best alternative to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer tool (backlink analysis).
- ContentStudio – Best budget alternative to Ahrefs’ Content Explorer tool.
- Advanced Web Ranking – Best alternative to Ahrefs’ rank tracking functionality.
#1 – Semrush
Semrush is an all-in-one SEO and PPC tracking solution. Like Ahrefs, it offers a little bit of everything from keyword research and SEO auditing to rank tracking and competitor analysis.
In terms of common SEO software features, Semrush and Ahrefs are extremely similar and the internet is quite divided on which is better. However, SEMrush does have a few features that make it unique and potentially more useful.
One of the most talked-about drawbacks of Ahrefs is that it has almost no PPC features. In contrast to Ahrefs, SEMrush features a paid search software suite which is extremely useful for anyone that is looking for a tracking tool for Google Ad campaigns.
It also has a selection of PPC competitor analysis features to take advantage of. Semrush also comes out on top when it comes to local SEO, as it’s complete with a listing management tool that will help you to ensure that key information such as your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) is consistent across your site and internet listings.
In terms of pricing, Semrush and Ahrefs have almost identical pricing plans. For around $100 per month, you can enjoy a full-featured but limited package but the addition of the paid search software tool and PPC features makes SEMrush better value overall if you’re in need of PPC tracking & research.
Semrush also fills the gap left by Ahrefs’ none-existent SEO reporting functionality. Allowing you to create various reports. You can also integrate data from Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
For enterprise customers, you’ll be glad to know that Semrush also has a traffic analytics tool that would serve as a direct replacement for SimilarWeb. Giving you access to data that goes beyond search volume, keywords, and backlinks.
Pricing:
Semrush Plans start at $129.95/ month.
They have a range of plans available that include and the more expensive Guru and Business plans include additional features.
You can enjoy a free trial of Pro and Guru by signing up on their website.
Read our Semrush review.
#2 – SE Ranking
SE Ranking is another all-in-one SEO solution that offers a great range of tools and features. It has a long list of basic features including rank tracking, keyword research and suggestion, backlink analysis, and more.
And thanks to its pricing & reporting functionality, it’s the best Ahrefs alternative for agencies that don’t want to break the bank.
Just like with SEMrush, SE Ranking outshines Ahrefs when it comes to PPC features. SE Ranking has robust tools for competitor analysis and keyword research that can be used to inform your PPC strategy.
However, SE Ranking has a much better balance of value and features when compared to Ahrefs or other alternatives like SEMrush.
You can enjoy a full-featured monthly plan with SE Ranking for as little as $31 a month, and although this plan comes with limits to the number of websites and keywords you can track, it’s still a great value when compared to Ahrefs.
It’s also a great option for agencies. One thing Ahrefs does not do well is reporting but SE Ranking solves this problem with its report builder. You can easily create SEO reports with SE Ranking’s various tools – that includes their site audit tool. You can then integrate additional data via Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
And it’s more affordable for high volumes of projects and team accounts.
What a lot of people don’t know is that SE Ranking has a significant link index which gives access to plenty of backlink data. They also have a competitive research tool that allows you to see which keywords your competitors are ranking for – this makes it a good alternative to Ahrefs’ various tools.
All in all, it’s a great tool that offers a range of features that are similar to, if not better than Ahrefs for a fraction of the monthly fee. SE Ranking is an extremely cost-effective option for smaller businesses that don’t need to track a ton of sites and metrics.
Pricing:
Plans start from $23.52/month. Prices increase based on how often you plan to use features such as rank tracking and how many websites you plan to track.
You can try SE Ranking for free for 14-days with no credit card required.
Learn more in our SE Ranking review.
#3 – Mangools
Mangools is the best Ahrefs alternative for the not-so technologically savvy. If you’re over faced by the extensive features and dashboard on Ahrefs, the Mangools could just be the tool for you.
Mangools is a pared-back but functional SEO tool that offers everything you need in an SEO toolkit without any of the complicated features.
With Mangools you can do keyword research, track your rankings, complete SERP and backlink analysis, and review SEO metrics and insights.
Sure, Mangools isn’t as jam-packed with features as Ahrefs but it combines all of the essential tools in one neat package to make it easy to use for SEO experts and beginners alike.
Mangools also has some interesting features like ranking updates via email that can make it really easy to keep track of how your pages are performing in the SERPs.
Another bonus of Mangools is the price point. Mangools is only $29.90/month, which is significantly cheaper than Ahrefs.
Pricing:
Free plan available. Paid plans start at €29/month, save 35% with an annual subscription. Mangools offer a 48-hour full refund policy.
Read our Mangools review.
#4 – SEO PowerSuite
SEO PowerSuite is a desktop software package that offers great value for money when it comes to SEO tracking. SEO PowerSuite is a full-featured SEO toolkit that offers rank tracking, website audits, keyword research, and more.
Unlike Ahrefs which is a web/cloud-based tool, SEO PowerSuite is a downloadable software package that you purchase a yearly license for. In this age of cloud-based software, packages like SEO PowerSuite are becoming less and less popular, but there’s actually a bunch of reasons why you might want to choose this over a SAAS product like Ahrefs.
Firstly, being a desktop software, SEO PowerSuite stores most of the data on your desktop, meaning you won’t be charged a premium for cloud-based storage.
The Rank Tracker tool integrates with external proxies so you can track large volumes of keywords more affordably than with most other SEO software.
However, included in the price is access to Webmeup’s backlink database. While you won’t get access to quite as much backlink data as Ahrefs, it can serve as a viable alternative.
In addition to this, SEO PowerSuite’s Enterprise software offers mostly unlimited usage for one fixed yearly price. Unlike Ahrefs you can use all of your SEO trackings and reporting features as much as you want, and you won’t be limited to a number of projects or searches you can undertake at one time.
This makes it a value for money option for freelancers and SEO agencies because you’ll be able to add as many clients as your business can handle without having to up your price plan.
Pricing:
You can use the most limited version of SEO PowerSuite version for free. Paid plans are from $299/year.
#5 – Majestic
Majestic differs a lot from Ahrefs in that it is essentially just one tool — a backlink checker. However, if a robust backlink checker is what you’re in the market for, then Majestic is the tool for you.
Majestic not only helps you track where your backlinks are coming from but it also helps you to piece together a picture of the context of your backlinks and gauge the strength of your overall backlink portfolio.
Majestic’s exclusive Link Context feature will help you to understand more about the strength of your backlinks by showing you information like whether or not your link is from an editorial site or a directory, where it is placed on a page, and which other sites are being linked to from the same page as yours. This sort of information is invaluable if you’re keen to place a heavy emphasis on backlink building and DA growth.
Although Ahrefs has backlink checking features that are perfectly adequate, Majestic offers a more in-depth look at your portfolio that you just can’t get from all-in-one tools like Ahrefs.
Pricing:
Majestic plans start at $49.99 and a 7-day money-back guarantee is offered to all new customers.
#6 – ContentStudio
ContentStudio is an Ahrefs alternative that primarily focuses on social media management. However, it also offers a direct replacement for Ahrefs’ Content Explorer and is surprisingly affordable.
Unlike Ahrefs, which has an emphasis on SEO tools like backlink checking and rank tracking, ContentStudio is primarily focused on social media and content management.
While ContentStudio’s content research tool doesn’t incorporate SEO metrics, it’s very flexible and offers analysis functionality that Ahrefs’ tool doesn’t include.
Another awesome feature of ContentStudio is the influencer identification tool that will help you to highlight truly influential individuals in your niche, from social media influencers to authors and creators.
This tool is really useful if you’re planning to run influencer marketing campaigns and want to find top-tier influencers on platforms like Instagram.
Overall, I still think Ahrefs’ Content Explorer has the edge but ContentStudio is way cheaper and offers a lot of other useful content/social management functionality.
This makes ContentStudio a fantastic option for those that need an affordable alternative to Ahrefs’ Content Explorer.
Pricing:
Paid plans start at $25/month. A free trial is also available.
#7 – Advanced Web Ranking
If rank tracking is your priority, then Advanced Web Ranking is the ideal Ahrefs alternative for you. It’s a dedicated rank tracking tool that offers daily, weekly, and on-demand ranking checks for your pages.
What’s great about Advanced Web Tracking is that you can track over 2000 keywords at any one time on the starter plan, as opposed to Ahrefs which set the limit at 500 on the Lite plan.
You can also use Advanced Web Ranking for competitor analysis. This tool can help you to discover and gain insight on competitors and compare performance with them using side-by-side SERP performance monitoring.
Also, Advanced Web Tracking has some great reporting features that allow you to easily and professionally send rank updates to your clients and team members. In addition to this, it allows for unlimited users and projects which is great for small teams.
Overall, this is the best alternative if the rank tracking functions of Ahrefs aren’t meeting your needs.
Pricing:
Plans start at $49.99/month for the start-up plan. Prices go as high as $499/month for the Enterprise package.
You can also sign up for a 30-day full-featured trial. (No credit card required)
Finding the best Ahrefs alternative tool for your business
Ahrefs is a great tool, but it may not be right for every business, and you may want to consider one of these alternative SEO tools instead.
Depending on your business needs and SEO strategy, choosing an alternative to Ahrefs could help you save money and make your SEO tracking more efficient. When choosing the right tool for your business, here are some things to think about:
- Which features will you utilize most?
- Do you need an all-in-one SEO toolkit?
- What’s your budget?
- Do you just need a tool for one specific purpose? for example, a keyword research tool?
- How familiar are you with using complicated SEO tools?
- Do you want to make monthly payments or purchase a yearly license for a product?
Taking all of these questions into account should help you to narrow down this list of find the SEO software that fits your business best.
For us, SEMrush, SE Ranking, and Mangools are all great SEO tools that serve as viable alternatives to Ahrefs, but don’t take our word for it – take advantage of the free trial periods and give them a go yourself.
Related Reading:
- 10 Best Blogger Outreach Tools To Grow Your Website (And Business).
- 16 Powerful SEO Tools To Improve Your Search Rankings.
- The Best Rank Tracking Tools Compared.
- The 8 Best SEO Reporting Tools Compared.
- The Best Keyword Research Tools Compared.
Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. If you click on certain links we may make a commission.
