12 Best Ahrefs Alternatives & Competitors

Last Updated on August 27, 2025 by Ewen Finser

If you’ve been working in SEO for more than a few days, you’ve probably heard of Ahrefs. It’s one of the most highly recommended SEO tool suites. And it’s come a long way from its roots as a simple backlink tool.

But…It’s not going to be the best option for everyone. Especially SEOs who are trying to be mindful of their budget. Having been around the block a few times when it comes to using SEO tools, I’ve rounded up 12 of the best alternatives to Ahrefs available in 2025.

My list includes the pros and cons of each tool, the price points for each of them and a final set of recommendations based on your specific goals. 

Let’s scroll on.

12 Best Ahrefs Alternatives

1. SEMrush: Best Overall (what I use)

Summary: SEMrush is another big name in the SEO industry. And it’s not just an SEO tool. It can help with your paid ads, social media marketing, and other forms of content marketing. Many digital marketers see it as an all-in-one solution, although the pricing does reflect that.

SEMrush Advantages

• I’ve found the keyword difficulty scores to be especially reliable at extremes, offering more consistency than some competitors.
• In my experience, its PPC tools are top-class for competitor analysis, making SEMrush essential if you manage paid traffic.
• Its on-page SEO optimisation tools are comprehensive, offering deep content analysis that I find more extensive than what Ahrefs provides.
• The platform’s scalability stands out, as higher-tier plans offer much more generous reporting and tracking limits.
• Its strong local SEO toolkit, which, in my experience, is among the best available. 

SEMrush Disadvantages

• Its backlink analysis isn’t quite as extensive as Ahrefs.
• SEMrush can be expensive for solo users. 
• It can also feel overwhelming for beginners due to its huge range of tools

SEMrush Prices: 

• Pro plan: $139/month (annual billing brings it down to approximately US $117/month)
• Guru plan: $249/month (around $208/month if billed annually)
• Business plan: $499/month (approximately $416/month annually) 

Further Reading:

• SEMrush vs Ahrefs Compared
• SEMrush vs Majestic Compared
• SEMrush vs LongTailPro Compared
• SEMrush vs SEOprofiler Compared
• SEMrush vs Moz Compared
• SEMrush vs SimilarWeb Compared
• Top SEMrush Alternative Tools

2. SEO Powersuite (LinkAssistant): Best for Teams & Agencies

Summary: SEO Powersuite is a great option for teams who prefer desktop-based tools. I like its unlimited tracking capabilities and strong reporting tools. At the same time, its desktop-only model can slow down collaborative workflows, and that’s the main reason why I prefer cloud-based platforms.

SEO Powersuite Advantages

• It’s desktop-based, providing reliable usage without uptime concerns.
• The audit tools are impressively comprehensive, with detailed reports that make problems easy to identify. 
• Pricing is module-based and cost-effective, especially compared to cloud alternatives.
• Unlimited projects, keywords, competitor tracking and data exports, which isn’t a common feature among cloud tools.
• The keyword autocomplete tool and visual crawl maps offer fast and clear insights.

SEO Powersuite Disadvantages

• Managing individual licences on separate computers can be a drag, given the lack of cloud access.
• Crawls and audits can be slow, especially on less powerful machines. 
• Real-time, multi-user collaboration is limited, which may slow team workflows. 
• Backlink data is more historically limited.
• The dashboard has a steep learning curve, especially for beginners.

SEO Powersuite Prices: 

• Free Forever plan: Free (local software, limited to one project, 500 URLs, 1,100 backlinks, no saving). 
• Professional plan: $29.10/month, offering unlimited projects, crawls, keywords and backlinks, plus scheduling and report saving.
• Enterprise plan: $49.95 per month, adding white-label reports, automated scheduling, export in multiple formats and priority support.

These prices are based on a one-year plan, but there are further discounts if you opt for a two-year or three-year plan.

Further Reading:

• SEO Powersuite vs SEMrush Compared

3. SpyFu: Best Historical SERP Data

Summary: I’ve used SpyFu since the early 2000s, and what stands out most is its access to more than 15 years of historical SERP data. If you’re in a highly competitive field, it’s a powerful tool for deep competitor research, thanks to its extensive historical data.

SpyFu Advantages

• Among the deepest historical SEO datasets available, with 15+ years of SERP ranking changes.
• Strong PPC analysis features, offering deep insights into competitors’ paid strategies.
• Designed for competitor analysis, making it easy to reverse-engineer your approaches to SEO or PPC.
• A fraction of the cost of Ahrefs or SEMrush.
• Generous historical access on higher tiers, with up to a decade of PPC and SEO history.

SpyFu Disadvantages

• More limited organic keyword research capabilities, with fewer native filtering options.
• No native broken link checker or SEO toolbar available.
• SpyFu recently removed its free trial, although a 30-day money-back guarantee is still offered.

SpyFu Prices: 

• Basic plan: $39/month ($33/month if billed annually).
• Professional plan: $79/month ($58/month annually).

At the time of writing, there was a discount available on both plans ($9/month for basic or $49/month for professional). 

All paid plans offer the flexibility of cancelling anytime and include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Further Reading:

• SpyFu vs Ahrefs Compared
• SpyFu vs SEMrush Compared

4. Serpstat: Best Free Version

Summary: I recommend Serpstat if you’re looking for a budget-friendly SEO toolkit. You’ll find most of Ahrefs’ core features here without the hefty price tag.

Serpstat Advantages

• Affordable pricing, with the Individual plan starting at $50/month, making it ideal for beginners.
• All core SEO features are available on its entry-level plans.
• Team and Agency plans include valuable extras, such as API access, batch analysis, AI tools, shared access, scheduled reports and white-label reporting. 
• Generous usage limits available for daily searches, audit pages, export rows, etc.

Serpstat Disadvantages

• Feature limitations at entry level. Individual plan has harsh caps on projects, searches, audits and exports
• Lacks social media management and SEO writing assistant tools.
• Less established than some competitors, with a slightly steeper learning curve.

Serpstat Prices: 

• Individual plan: $50/month (billed annually)
• Team plan: $100/month (billed annually)
• Agency plan: $410/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise / Custom solutions: price available via direct contact with the sales team.

Further Reading on Serpstat:

• Full Serpstat Review
• Serpstat vs SEMrush Compared

5. SE Ranking: Best Affordable Paid Alternative

Summary: SE Ranking is a more compact tool compared to the tools I’ve reviewed earlier. But a lot of beginners will appreciate that. If you find yourself barely using most of the features offered by Ahrefs, this could be a useful low-cost alternative. SE Ranking is gaining market share and adding new features all the time. For this reason, I’d argue it represents the best value for money in 2025.

SE Ranking Advantages

• More affordable at comparable tiers than Ahrefs, making it a great value option.
• Strong social media management and local SEO tools in higher-tier plans. 
• A user-friendly dashboard that many users find more streamlined than competitors’ interfaces.
• SE Ranking offers a 14-day free trial, which is lengthier than the 7-day trial offered by Ahrefs.

SE Ranking Disadvantages

• Less detailed backlink analysis and fewer filtering tools compared to premium platforms like Ahrefs. 
• Less comprehensive keyword research filtering compared to Ahrefs. 

SE Ranking Prices: 

• Essential plan: $65/month (or around $52/month if billed annually). 
• Pro plan: $119/month (or $95.20/month annually).
• Business plan: $259/month (or $207.20/month annually).

Further Reading on SE Ranking:

• Full SE Ranking Review
• SE Ranking vs SEMrush Compared

6. Similarweb: Best Market Segment Data

Summary: For a deeper understanding of web traffic and market trends, I turn to Similarweb. While it isn’t a traditional SEO suite like Semrush, its capabilities in analysing referral flows, audience insights and market segments are second to none.

Similarweb Advantages

• Offers deeper data insights than most of its competitors
• Industry-leading market insights
• Excellent traffic analysis tools, which are particularly useful for reverse-engineering affiliate flows. 

Similarweb Disadvantages

• It’s not really an SEO suite, it’s more of a platform for market analysis or competitor analysis.
• Very expensive. Plans typically cost several hundred dollars monthly. While 50% of the plans require a custom quote.

Similarweb Prices:

• Starter plan: $199/month or $1,500/year. Includes one user, three months of historical data, 1,000 keywords per table, and a worldwide view (no country filter).
• Professional plan: $399/month or $4,000/year. Includes everything in Starter plus six months of historical data, 5,000 keywords per table, and access to Rank Tracker, Backlinks, and Site Audit..
• Team Plan–Custom quote: Includes everything in Professional, plus 15 months of historical data, 50,000 keywords per table, subdomain analysis, country filters and AI agents.
• Enterprise Plan–Custom quote: Includes everything in Team, plus 37 months of historical data, unlimited keywords per table, API access, and enterprise-level market and security analytics.

Further Reading on Similarweb:

• Top Similarweb Alternatives
• Similarweb vs Ahrefs Compared Directly
• Similarweb vs Google Analytics
• Similarweb vs Semrush
• Similarweb vs Comscore
• Similarweb vs Alexa (now deprecated)

7. SERPWoo: Best for Keyword Tracking

Summary: When I require a specialised tool for detailed keyword tracking and SERP analysis, I choose SERPWoo. Created by site builders, it provides some of the most precise rank tracking and SERP change detection available.

SERPWoo Advantages

• I find the keyword monitoring tools to be particularly intuitive and offer detailed insights, including the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ from algorithm updates and a real-time volatility score.
• I appreciate its deep database of historical ranking data and trends.
• The tool offers a great range of customisable reports 

SERPWoo Disadvantages

• This is more of a keyword tracking and competitor analysis tool. It lacks broader SEO suite functionalities.
• It has a steep learning curve, and even I found some features overwhelming at first.

SERPWoo Prices:

• Bronze plan: $49.95/month for up to 750 keywords
• Silver plan: $99.95/month for up to 2,000 keywords
• Gold plan: $199.95/month for up to 4,000 keywords
• Platinum plan: $299.95/month for up to 8,000 keywords
• Agency plans: Custom pricing for tracking up to 1 million keywords

Note: The free plan is limited to tracking only three keywords and restricts access to most features.

8. Mangools (KWFinder): Best Cheap Keyword Research Alternative

Summary: Mangools KWFinder is a great keyword research tool, especially for those on a budget. Although it doesn’t provide the extensive features of more comprehensive SEO suites like Ahrefs, its price and simple user interface earn it a place on my list.

Mangools KWFinder Advantages

• Fully free to use version (five lookups every 24 hours).
• Paid tier starts at an affordable $29/month, and offers enough for most solo marketers with moderate daily use.
• Solid basic filtering options for narrowing down by intent profiles.
• A unique ‘autocomplete’ function to pull in Google’s autocomplete suggestions.

Mangools KWFinder Disadvantages

• Focuses solely on keyword research, but lacks broader SEO functionalities like backlink analysis or site auditing.
• The filtering tools are somewhat basic compared to other tools. 

Mangools KWFinder Prices:

• Agency plan: $129/month (or $89.90/month with annual billing)
• Basic plan: $49/month (or $29.90/month with annual billing)
• Premium plan: $69/month (or $44.90/month with annual billing)

Further Reading: Mangools vs SE Ranking Compared.

9. Jaaxy: Best for Bloggers + Affiliate Marketers

Summary: Jaaxy is a keyword research tool, designed especially for affiliate marketers. While it may not have all the comprehensive features of a full SEO suite, its unique tools make it a valuable resource for content creators.

Jaaxy Advantages

• Jaaxy is the only SEO suite I know of that includes an affiliate program finder, helping marketers discover relevant affiliate programs.
• The Pro tier starts at only $49/month, offering a cost-effective solution for solo marketers and small businesses.

Jaaxy Disadvantages

• No backlink analysis or off-page SEO tools.
• Most tasks feel a lot slower to complete compared to Ahrefs, at least in the cheaper tiers.
• No discounts for annual billing.

Jaaxy Prices:

• Starter plan: Free – 30 keyword searches, 20 search results, and access to basic tools.
• Pro plan: $49/month – Includes all Starter features plus unlimited search history, sortable results and advanced tools.
• Enterprise plan: $99/month – Offers all Pro features with faster search speeds, automated processes and additional tools.

10. Moz: The OG Option

Summary: Moz was the go-to tool for SEO practitioners about 10 or 15 years ago. Since then, the likes of Ahrefs and SEMrush have eaten into its market share. In 2025, Moz is a little clunky compared to its competitors, but it’s still packed with useful features and remains a popular option.

Moz Advantages

• The pricing is more transparent than Ahrefs. There are no hidden fees. What you see on the pricing page is what you actually pay.
• The cheaper pricing tiers have far more features compared to the equivalent tiers on Ahrefs. 
• Each tier has far more generous limits compared to Ahrefs. 

Moz Disadvantages

• Moz remains one of the more expensive SEO suites out there. The pricing tiers are similar to Ahrefs. 
• I always found the Moz customer support to be slower and more limited in general compared to Ahrefs.

Moz Prices:

• Large plan: $299/month ($239/month billed annually)
• Starter plan: $49/month ($39/month billed annually)
• Standard plan: $99/month ($79/month billed annually)
• Medium plan: $179/month ($143/month billed annually)

 Further Reading: Moz vs Semrush Comparison.

11. Majestic: Best for Backlink Analysis

Summary: Majestic is an impressive backlink analysis tool, providing reliable data at an affordable price. It’s mostly used for measuring off-page SEO metrics though. If you’re looking for a wider range of SEO tools, you may want to consider other platforms as well.

Majestic Advantages

• Majestic boasts one of the most comprehensive and detailed link graphs in the industry.
• Many SEO professionals trust Majestic’s backlink data over other platforms for its accuracy and reliability.
• Plans start at $49.99/month, making it a cost-effective choice compared to other SEO tools.

Majestic Disadvantages

• Majestic specialises in backlink analysis and related SEO metrics, lacking features like keyword research or content gap analysis.
• Its range of SEO tools isn’t as broad as platforms like Ahrefs or Semrush. 

Majestic Prices:

• Lite plan: $49.99/month (or $41.67 if you choose annual billing)
• Pro plan: $99.99/month (or $83.33 with annual billing)
• Full API: $399.99/month (or $333.33 with annual billing)

Further Reading: Majestic vs Semrush Comparison.

12. KeywordTool.io

Summary: If you’re only after a reliable keyword research tool, KeywordTool.io is an affordable option worth checking out. I like the simple focus on ‘autocomplete’ searches, as these are some of the better keywords to target anyway.

KeywordTool.io Advantages

• Its free tier works well, although you’re limited to daily keyword searches.
• The tool provides specific keyword research modules for YouTube, Instagram, Bing, Twitter, Play Store, Amazon and eBay marketers.
• The UI is designed with beginners in mind and easy to use.

KeywordTool.io Disadvantages

• Some users report that search volume estimates are higher than those provided by other tools.
• The free version includes frequent prompts to upgrade to the paid plans.

KeywordTool.io Prices 

• Pro Basic plan: Starts at $69/month
• Pro Plus plan: Starts at $79/month
• Pro Business plan: Starts at $159/month

These are all based on annual billing, which grants a 20% discount compared to monthly billing. The main differences between the pricing tiers are user accounts and the number of keywords searched per day, with the Pro Business plan also opening up API access.

So What is the Best Alternative to Ahrefs?

If you’re searching for a reliable alternative to Ahrefs, here’s my expert opinion…SEMrush is the best overall SEO Suite. It offers a broader toolset than Ahrefs, covering SEO, PPC, content, auditing and more. You can get an extended 14-day trial with our link here. 

With that said, there are some specific use cases where you can get away with paying less:

• Best Ahrefs Alternative for Keyword Research: If all you need is a simple keyword research tool, my pick is the affordable KWFinder by Mangools.
• Best Ahrefs Alternative for Backlink Analysis & Competitor Analysis: In this case. I strongly lean towards SpyFu. They have decades worth of competitor data to analyse. SEMrush does a great job here too, but SpyFu might be more affordable if this is all you need.
• Best Ahrefs Alternative for Rank Tracking: If the main functionality you need is to track rankings, SEMrush does a great job, but SerpWoo has the most in-depth rank change sensors and tracking.
• Best Ahrefs Alternative for PPC / Paid Media: This might be a small subset of the audience, but I found SE Ranking to be more intuitive & useful here.