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Ahrefs

SEO Software

SEO toolset for link building and keyword research

Founded 2011SingaporeSubscriptionFrom $129/month (Lite plan)
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About Ahrefs

Ahrefs is an SEO toolset with industry-leading backlink data, keyword research, competitive analysis, rank tracking, and website audit tools.

Editorial Assessment

Ahrefs occupies a strong position among professional SEOs and agencies due to the depth and freshness of its backlink and keyword data, built from its own proprietary web crawler rather than licensed data. Its Site Explorer and Keywords Explorer are widely regarded for technical precision, making it the preferred tool for link building, competitor backlink analysis, and keyword gap research at scale. The main trade-off is that it has fewer built-in content creation, PPC research, and local SEO capabilities than broader platforms. There is no free plan for core tools, and additional users are billed separately on all tiers. As a bootstrapped, independently operated company, it does not face acquisition or investor-driven product disruption.

Strengths
  • Deep backlink index built on proprietary web crawl
  • Keywords Explorer covering 110 billion keywords
  • Precise competitor organic traffic and page analysis
  • Strong content gap and link intersect tooling
  • AI brand visibility tracking across 475M+ prompts
  • Bootstrapped with consistent independent development
Limitations
  • No free plan for core SEO tools
  • Limited PPC and paid media research features
  • Additional user seats billed separately at all tiers
  • AI prompt tracking limits are low on base plans
  • No built-in local SEO listing management

Best For

Professional SEOs and link building specialists Agencies needing precise and fresh backlink data Content teams conducting large-scale keyword research E-commerce businesses analyzing competitor organic strategies SaaS companies tracking brand visibility in AI chatbots

Not Ideal For

Small businesses needing local SEO listing managementTeams primarily running PPC campaigns without SEO focusUsers who need a completely free SEO toolsetMarketers needing integrated email or social analytics alongside SEO

Key Features

Site Explorer (backlink analysis)Keywords ExplorerSite AuditRank TrackerContent ExplorerCompetitive gap analysis

Who It's For

SEO professionalsLink buildersDigital agenciesIn-house SEO teams

Integrations

Google Search ConsoleWordPressShopify

Platforms

web api

Founders

  • Dmitry Gerasimenko

Products & Tools

Ahrefs LiteSEO & Marketing Intelligence
Visit

Entry-level plan providing access to Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Rank Tracker, Site Audit, Content Explorer, and core reporting with 5 projects and 750 tracked keywords.

subscriptionFrom $129/month
Site Explorer for backlink and organic traffic analysisKeywords Explorer with 110B keyword databaseRank Tracker across 190+ countriesSite Audit for technical SEOContent Explorer across 16.9B pages
Ahrefs StandardSEO & Marketing Intelligence
Visit

Mid-tier plan with 20 projects, 2 years of historical data, 2,000 tracked keywords, and up to 500,000 crawl credits per month.

subscriptionFrom $249/month
All Lite features2 years historical data2,000 tracked keywords20 projectsExpanded crawl credits
Ahrefs Brand Radar AIAI Brand Monitoring
Visit

An add-on product for tracking brand mentions across 475M+ organic AI-generated prompts and responses in LLMs and AI search platforms.

subscriptionFrom $199/month
Track brand in AI chatbot responsesBenchmark against competitors475M+ prompt databaseAI visibility trend reporting

Sources & Verification

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Semrush

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Ahrefs FAQs

Is Ahrefs better than Semrush?

Ahrefs is widely regarded as having the industry's best backlink index, making it the preferred choice for link building and backlink analysis. Semrush offers a broader toolkit including PPC and social media research.

Does Ahrefs have a free plan?

Ahrefs does not have a traditional free plan. It offers Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free) for verifying your own site, but paid plans start at $129/month for full access.

Tags

SEOBacklink AnalysisKeyword ResearchRank Tracking

Category

SaaS Companies

SEO Software

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Official Website

ahrefs.com

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