Best Ahrefs Alternatives for All Budgets: Free or Paid?
Editor / July 4, 2025
Ahrefs is a popular SEO tool launched in 2010. It gained popularity among digital marketers from 2012 to 2014 for its extensive SEO features beyond basic website rank monitoring, backlink analysis, and keyword ranking.
While it is a powerful SEO tool, it can be a little expensive for smaller brands or agencies. If you are also in search of Ahrefs Alternatives, let me help you out.
I have tried and tested a few SEO tools and put some of the best in my bucket to share with you. These 9 alternatives offer better value for specific SEO needs with versatile capabilities and affordable subscription plans.
So, if Ahrefs isn’t your best companion, check the list below to find your best option! 👇
Ahrefs Fact Check
The Ahrefs tool offers SEO facilities like keyword research, link building, website performance, competitor analysis, and other site audits. The tool has been designed mostly for marketing agencies and professionals.
Fact Sheet:
| Ahrefs Facts | Description |
| Launch Date | Launched in 2010 |
| Features | Site explorer, content explorer, keyword research, site audit, rank tracker and other AI-powered tools |
| Best for | SEO agencies, advanced SEO professionals, businesses and enterprises |
| Pros | Comprehensive tools, frequent updates, client-specific dashboard, and advanced filtering |
| Cons | No white-label reports, lacks core local SEO tools, lacks map grid tracker |
| API | ✅ |
| Pricing | $129/month |
| Free Trial | ❌ (limited free access to tools) |
Top 9 Ahrefs Alternatives in 2025
I know, affording Ahrefs can be hard for small businesses or start-up brands. But with these Ahrefs Alternatives, you will have even better SEO experiences. Let’s explore the 9 best free as well as paid SEO tools options:
Semrush is one of the most widespread and widely used SEO tools. It is really great in its field, with 10 free tries on all tools per day. Most digital marketing agencies and professionals use this tool for its basic and advanced SEO features like traffic analysis, rank analysis, keyword research, and a lot more.
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- Keyword Research to find search volume, trend, difficulty, and results
- Rank Tracking to monitor SERP rankings
- Content Strategy to develop data-driven market research, planning, drafting, and scheduling
- Competitor Analysis to build marketing strategies and improve online visibility
- PPC Keyword to create, manage, and track campaigns
- Local SEO to optimise local searches and attract local audiences
- Social Media Analysis to schedule and publish social media content for better engagement
💰 Pricing
Monthly Pricing Plan
Yearly Subscription Plan
| Key Note: Though Semrush and Ahrefs have almost the same pricing plans, I prefer Semrush for its broader range of features and stronger competitive analysis. It is an all-in-one solution that works like a magic kit for SEO professionals. |
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| More essential keyword research metrics than Ahrefs | Subscription cost for small businesses |
| Allows for analysing competitors’ ad campaigns | Limited keyword suggestions per region |
| Easy-to-use interface for beginners | Limited website tracking |
| 7 days free trial and money-back guarantee |
Moz Pro can be a great tool for beginners or startups to start their SEO journey. They have recently improved their feature offerings. It is a great option for exploring long-tail keywords. Personally, I can say it can be one of the greatest Ahrefs Alternatives for beginners.
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- Keyword Explore helps identify keywords, their search volume, difficulty, and ranking states
- Website Rank Tracker analyses keyword ranking over time, as well as mobile vs desktop visibility insights
- SEO Courses and Certificates for novice digital marketing experts
- Local SEO tools to manage listings, citations, and reputation for businesses
- Competitive Analysis to identify keyword gaps and their linked profiles
💰 Pricing
Monthly Pricing Plans
Yearly Pricing Plans
| Key Note: Moz Pro is more affordable as compared to Ahrefs and SEMrush and offers a set of SEO tools that are more than enough for beginners. You can visit their website to find a detailed comparison of each subscription plan and their accessibility. |
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable keyword research, domain analysis, link analysis, and rank tracking tool as powerful as Ahrefs | Less information on search trends and global search volume than Ahrefs |
| Offers 10 free queries per month and a 30-day free trial before monthly subscriptions | Limited functionality access based on subscription plan |
| User-friendly dashboard and SEO tools for beginners and professionals |
Majestic was first introduced in 2008 for SEO professionals and digital marketers to improve domain authority and backlink profiles. The high-quality and in-depth insights on backlink overview reports, citation flow metrics, and trust flow make it a trusted partner of SEO agencies.
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- Its core strength is link intelligence based on market link-building opportunities and competitors’ strategies
- Advanced SEO Tools for effective link building, competitor analysis, and reputation management for brands
- Apart from SEO tools, it also provides HR Services as an additional feature
💰 Pricing
Monthly Pricing Plans
Yearly Pricing Plans
| Key Note: Majestic is another Ahrefs Alternatives that offer relatively affordable pricing plans. However, the tool provides fewer SEO features than Semrush and Moz. If you are looking for the best backlinking tool, it can 100% work for you. |
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| It offers unique citation flow and trust flow metrics | Limited SEO tools |
| Free access to limited tools and a Free trial for 7 days | Inaccuracy of potential data according to users |
| Track backlinks and identify key influencers from which competitors are getting high-quality links |
It is not the typical SEO software you are looking for. Instead, Mangools offers a bunch of integrated functionalities that help you improve online visibility. It is a fusion of keyword finder, SERP analytics, rank tracking, backlink analytics, and SEO metrics tools.
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- Keyword Research KWFinder helps identify trending keyword volume and difficulty
- The Rank Tracking Tool SERPWatcher help you analyse a website’s performance
- SEO Audits check for website authority and identify potential gaps that are affecting SEO performance
- Backlink Analysis tool LinkMiner helps analyse competitors’ backlinks and offer link-building opportunities
💰 Pricing
Forever Free Features
Monthly Pricing Plans
Yearly Pricing Plans
| Key Note: offers the best features in way more lesser subscription plans than Semrush and Ahrefs. You can even access 5 of its best SEO tools completely free with a few limitations. It’s one of the great Ahrefs alternatives with outstanding functionalities. |
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| You can analyse the keyword volume and difficulty in targeted regions for free | Smaller data index compared to competitors |
| Unique functionalities, including a website preview to find which SERP your website is ranking on | Occasional timeout when updating data on tools |
| User-friendly and interactive interface for easy navigation | Limit on free tools |
SE Ranking is another amazing Ahrefs Alternatives and an all-in-one platform for SEO. It offers the same value as Ahrefs and Semrush. The best part is, the tool provides a 14-day free trial before you start your subscription plan. It is also a great option for social media marketers.
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- Find relevant keywords based on your niche using the advanced Keyword Research tool
- Offers a Website Audit tool to check technical SEO issues and provide personalised tips for improvement
- On-page SEO for each page of the website to rank better
- AI Tracker to monitor organic traffic and ranking
- Local SEO for business listing and managing online reputation
💰 Pricing
Monthly Pricing Plans
Yearly Pricing Plans
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| Budget-friendly pricing options | Limited global search volume data for certain keywords |
| Accurate keyword rank tracking and website data analysis | Privacy concerns, according to many users |
| AI-powered features for enhanced SEO analysis | Beginners may feel a little overwhelmed at first |
If you are new to digital marketing and planning to start with a beginner-friendly SEO, Ubersuggest is a solid tool. You can do keyword research, backlink analysis, domain check, SEO audit, and many more. Want more surprises? You can access these tools completely Free!
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- Find new keywords, analyse difficulty and understand competition
- Website Ranking tool to track keyword performance and organic traffic for each content
- AI-Powered Tools to analyse profitable keywords by understanding your website niche and targeted audiences
- Develop content strategies with the Content Optimisation tool for better search engine visibility
💰 Pricing
You will love to hear that Ubersuggest is a free SEO tool. It is one of the best free tools that allows users to access almost all features from all around the world. Also, the platform is designed to access the features in different languages.
However, there are subscription plans available to provide unlimited access to SEO tools. The price is 70% to 90% less than market-dominating tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz. Check them out 👇
Great deal, right?
Monthly Pricing Plans
Yearly Pricing Plans
| Key Note: The creator has confirmed that he only charges these minimum amounts just for feature developments and new functionality add-ons, which will eventually benefit the users. Suitable for small businesses, enterprises, and individuals. |
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| Well-organised interface is suitable for beginners | Limited database for keyword research |
| Free tool with the cheapest subscription plans, only for unlimited access | Weak customer support through email only |
| More comprehensive SERP analysis features |
It is an all-in-one toolkit to track your website ranking on Google, YouTube, and local searches. SEO PowerSuite offers a tailored solution to meet your business needs based on your business goals and targeted audiences.
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- Rank Tracker to monitor and analyse a website, as well as website rank on different search engines and social media platforms
- SEO SpyGlass tool analyses backlinks to identify opportunities to build high-quality links for your website, and analyses competitors’ linking strategy
- Website Audit for technical SEO audits and fixing broken links on the website. Also, optimise content, page loading, and other technical issues
💰 Pricing
1 Year Pricing Plan
2 Year Pricing Plan
3 Year Pricing Plan
| Key Note: SEO PowerSuite offers free access to its software version. Also on the website, you will get a “Free Forever” option with limited SEO features. It is also an amazing Ahrefs alternative, as it offers almost the same features and facilities as Ahrefs. We can’t ignore the pricing. It is affordable too! |
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| The free version of SEO PowerSuite allows unlimited keyword tracking, audit updates for a maximum of 1100 backlinks, and crawl 500 URLs | The software version is only for desktops and might not be accessible using other devices |
| Suitable for small businesses and individual website owners | The free version does not allow cloud data storage |
| Automated tasks and reports for better SEO | No advanced AI features are integrated compared to others |
SurferSEO is a dedicated SEO tool for content optimisation. Though it does not have core features like other Ahrefs Alternatives, this tool is specialised for keeping content fresh, optimised, and accurate to trending topics.
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- Content Optimisation abilities analyse content from your webpages and provide data-driven recommendations for better ranking
- Also has a feature for Content Editing to identify areas for improvement and provide real-time feedback on article readability, keyword usage, and more
- Apart from content, it also provides SEO tools for Keyword Research to find relevant keywords for your business, analyse volume, difficulty, and related terms
- Surfer SEO to analyse SERP ranking and identify opportunities for better optimisation
💰 Pricing
Monthly Pricing Plans
Yearly Pricing Plans
| Key Note: SurferSEO does not offer a free trial like other SEO tools, but its capacity for fine-tuning content takes it to the next level. But the tool guarantees a 7-day money-back guarantee for unsatisfied users. It’s great to optimise your underperforming content. |
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| The tool can add internal links automatically to your content | As an AI tool, the quality and accuracy of content information can be inconsistent |
| It can optimise over 500 web page metrics to provide data-driven insights | It might not be an affordable option for an individual website owner or a small business |
| Powerful content editor to create SEO-friendly content tailored to your website niche | Too much reliance can lead to over-optimisation risks |
| Importation of Google Docs for automated content writing and WordPress for automated publishing |
This Ahrefs Alternatives is an agency-focused SEO tool. Raven SEO Tools works best for analysing competitors, conducting keyword research, and auditing your website’s overall health. Apart from search engines, this toolkit can also optimise ranking on social networking platforms like Facebook, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, and create data-driven reports.
🥇 Areas of Expertise
- The tool can Track Keyword Ranks on specific search engines and social media platforms
- The Link Building tool analyses backlinks and identifies potentially harmful links
- Advanced tools can Create Customised Reports based on market insights, advertising data and competitors’ performance
- The White Label reporting option benefits brands that report to their clients on improvement
💰 Pricing
Monthly Pricing Plans
Yearly Pricing Plans
| Key Note: The plan charts show that this tool also offers quite affordable subscriptions for users based on their business size and goals. This makes it one of the outstanding Ahrefs Alternatives. Notably, the 7-day free trial facilities make it a worthwhile SEO toolkit. |
Pros 👍 & Cons 👎
| Pros | Cons |
| Comprehensive SEO tools like big competitors like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz Pro | Does not offer self-made data, but relies on data from connected Tools |
| User-friendly interface for beginners as well as professional SEO experts | Rank tracking on specific search engines |
| Data integrations with platforms like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Majestic | Technical issues for integrations require troubleshooting |
Which One Works Best?
The “Best” depends on an individual’s preferences and satisfaction. As an SEO expert, I have tried and tested the above-mentioned tools thoroughly to identify which one works best for me. Here’s my opinion:
Free SEO Tool
If you are searching for the best free tool with a set of basic as well as advanced SEO tools, Mangools is your solution. The tool allows forever free access to tools like keyword research, web audit, backlink analysis, SERP analysis, SEO metrics, and more.
Though there are some limitations on the free access, they also provide facilities to negotiate subscription-based plans based on enterprise goals and size. So, if you are planning to start a new business or have personal websites, it’s your chance to thrive in the market with the best SEO analytics.
Paid SEO Tool
If you are planning on investing in an SEO tool, it’s better to invest in something that provides guaranteed success. Semrush is one of the greatest and most reliable tools millions of people use to optimise and improve their SEO.
The robust keyword research capabilities, comprehensive site auditing, and in-depth competitor analysis make it the most powerful SEO toolkit. If the subscription plan fits your budget, I will definitely suggest that you go for Semrush for better online visibility and achieve SEO goals.
✅ You can also consider SE Ranking as a Semrush alternative if you are seeking a lower-budget paid tool. It is great for small teams’ needs with flexible SEO facilities.
Takeaways
There is no doubt that Ahrefs is one of the best SEO tools. SEO experts from all over the world rely on this for its comprehensive marketing facilities. However, the pricing can be a genuine issue as there are so many advanced tools available offering almost similar facilities.
Each of the above-suggested Ahrefs Alternatives thrives in the highly competitive market for their unique abilities and affordable pricing plans. Choose one that suits your needs best. Hope this guide has been helpful for you.
So, that’s my list of best alternatives. You share your best in the comments if I missed any 👇
FAQs
Q1. Does Ahrefs offer a free trial?
Ans: Ahrefs generally does not provide any free trial on its SEO tools. However, the Webmaster tool allows users limited free access to their Site Audit and Site Explorer features.
Q2. What are the limitations of Ahrefs?
Ans: The limitations of Ahrefs include limited access to features on their low-subscription plans, irrelevant keyword suggestions, and weekly rank updates.
Q3. Which is the best Ahrefs alternative in 2025?
Ans: Some of the best Ahrefs Alternatives in 2025 include Semrush, Moz Pro, and SE Ranking.