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Ahrefs has been the go-to SEO tool for many marketers for years. Not surprisingly, though.
The sheer amount of tools, in-depth SEO data, and accuracy make Ahrefs one of the best and most popular SEO tools.
However, there are situations where Ahrefs may not be the right choice for you, such as the recent changes in the billing system from the legacy plan to the new credit-based system. Or when you’re looking for cheaper SEO tools to Ahrefs expensive subscriptions.
If you’re one of the SEOs who find the new Ahrefs pricing structure annoying and limiting your research analysis, this post provides the best Ahrefs alternatives SEO tools.
Background Story Why Ahrefs Alternative is Necessary
In 2023, Ahrefs announced that it was closing its Legacy pricing structure to make way for a credit-based system. The new billing format looks good on paper but not so in practice.
It turns out that every action you take using Ahrefs SEO tools counts toward using a credit.
For example, if you open Site Explorer, that counts as one credit used. In the same report, you click on data to open a report, another credit is used, you use a filter to refine the result, credit is used, and so it goes.
For users on the Lite Plan, with 500 credit limits, this is unacceptable. For users on the higher plan with an extensive need for SEO analysis, credit burns faster within a few weeks.
Here are some of the SEOs venting their anger in relevant communities.
Another SEO professional is sharing his experience.
Ahrefs is undeniably a powerful SEO tool, boasting an extensive database of keywords, backlinks, and advanced features.
However, its credit-based system can hinder comprehensive analysis.
While it provides in-depth SEO data, the fear of depleting credits might restrict users from fully exploring SEO opportunities. This trade-off between data richness and financial constraints can be a deterrent for some.
Now that we have established why SEO tools similar to Ahrefs are necessary let’s look at some of the best options out there.
I have listed 6 sites like Ahrefs where you can sign up for a free account and test their SEO features to see if they meet your needs.
1. SEO Powersuite
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly alternative to Ahrefs that offers a comprehensive suite of SEO tools, SEO Powersuite is worth considering. While it might not boast the same level of global recognition, it packs a punch in functionality.
SEO Powersuite is a robust and cheaper alternative to many top SEO tools like Semrush, Moz, and Ahrefs. It has the essential SEO tools to perform comprehensive SEO campaigns and analyses.
Unlike Ahrefs, SEO Powersuite is a desktop-based SEO application that consists of four independent SEO tools:
As you can see, these tools cover every aspect of an SEO analysis – from keyword research, backlink analysis, competitive research, and rank tracking to technical SEO audit; you can inspect and execute every SEO strategy with SEO Powersuite software.
Even with the free version of SEO Powersuite, you can analyze a website’s backlinks URLs, see top-ranking pages, top-ranking keywords, ranking history, new and lost backlinks, referring domains, etc.
There are a whole lot of SEO metrics you can uncover from using the SEO Powersuite free version.
Regarding the backlink database, Ahrefs boots some impressive numbers, with a 30.6 trillion links index and unarguably the fastest to detect live links on the web. SEO Spyglass, which is the SEO Powersuite backlink checker tool, crawled up to 7.1B pages daily and indexed 3.6 trillion external backlinks.
The good thing about the SEO Spyglass backlink checker tool is that it is constantly updated every four weeks to remove dead links, and new ones are added regularly.
If budget or the recent changes in Ahrefs pricing and its credit-based billing system hinder how you perform SEO tasks in Ahrefs, you should give SEO Powersuite a try.
The good thing is that you don’t even need to commit your credit card or make a payment to try the software. The SEO Powrsuite free plan allows you to test-run the software until you can upgrade to a paid license.
So, download it from this link to see if it makes sense and has what you want in an Ahrefs alternative SEO tool.
If this is your first time learning about SEO Powersuite, you should read my extensive review of the SEO Powersuite bundle kit. It will give you unbiased data to help you make the right decision.
Pros and Cons of SEO Powersuite
Honestly, I believe SEO Powersuite has the advantage of being the best alternative to Ahrefs for small business owners, especially if you’re struggling to cover the subscription cost of your current SEO tool.
For one, you pay for the software yearly and use it for unlimited sites, unlimited keyword research, no restriction on how many websites you can analyze, etc. A helpful support community is willing to answer your queries from when you sign up to running your first audit and for as long as you remain a customer.
Unlike other SEO tools, SEO Powersuite doesn’t make you break your bank to run an enterprise-level SEO campaign. Yet, you can perform in-depth SEO analysis, monitor SERP, do competitor analysis, optimize old content, build backlinks, do email outreach, spy on your competitors, research keywords, etc.
SEO Powersuite is ideal for beginners and small businesses compared to Ahref’s high cost, considering that the former also offers a free plan for its software. Though Ahrefs has also introduced a free plan, it is less generous than SEO Powersuite.
For instance, if you sign up for an Ahrefs free account, you can only access the Site Explorer and Site Audit tab. In contrast, SEO Powersuite gives you access to its four bundle kits but with limited access to its SEO data reports.
However, one area I see SEO Powersuite could improve is the issue of being a desktop-only application.
This means you can access the application on your personal computer. However, I think the Enterprise license has a cloud backup option where you can store your data and access it from another system.
If the desktop-based style is nothing to you, then SEO Powersuite is one of the top all-in-one alternative SEO tools to Ahrefs.
SEO Powersuite Pricing
As I said earlier, there is a forever free license, which is ideal for beginners with limited needs for SEO tools. This makes SEO Powersuite an idea-free alternative SEO tool to Ahrefs if you don’t mind the data report limitations.
The Professional License is ideal for in-house SEO operations and small business owners.
It costs $299 for a 12-month subscription. SEO Powersuite does not offer month-to-month subscriptions like Ahrefs. For me, this gives you more peace of mind than the monthly subscription and credit-based billing system.
You can comfortably run in-depth SEO analysis and explore more options and opportunities without fearing running out of credits. There is no trade-off between data depth and subscription like you have in Ahrefs.
The SEO Powersuite Enterprise license offers the ideal features and plan for agency SEO needs.
This plan costs a $499 yearly subscription. It gives you access to everything in the Professional license + the ability to create PDF reports and store them in the SEO Powersuite cloud, schedule reports, set delivery schedules, and export SEO data in CSV, HTML, and SQL files.
2. SE Ranking
SE Ranking is a robust all-in-one SEO platform offering a wide range of tools to help you optimize your website. It is a good replacement for Ahrefs because you can perform mostly all SEO tasks within SE Rankin. And the user interface is as intuitive as with Ahrefs.
If you have used Semrush, you’ll never get lost using SE Ranking.
One of the areas where SE Ranking excels is keyword research.
The platform provides a comprehensive suite of tools for discovering relevant keywords, analyzing search intent, and tracking rankings. While it might not match the depth of Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer, it offers sufficient data for most SEO professionals.
Another strength of SE Ranking is its backlink analysis capabilities. The platform allows you to monitor your backlink profile, identify toxic links, and analyze your competitors’ backlink strategies.
SE Ranking also offers solid features for website auditing, content marketing, AI writing, local SEO, agency SEO tools, rank tracking, and competitor analysis.
Another reason to consider SE Ranking as a good alternative to Ahrefs is the content marketing tool. With this tool, you can create a content brief, write and optimize your content, and monitor and analyze content performance for improvements.
Pros and Cons of SE Ranking
SE Ranking’s strength lies in its comprehensive toolset, which makes it a good option for those seeking an all-in-one solution. The platform is user-friendly and offers a good return on investments (ROI).
Yospecializes and completes an entire digital marketing campaign with SE Ranking. The platform has various tools, including social media marketing, content marketing, SEO, advertising, PPC, etc.
One advantage of SE Ranking over Ahref is the availability of 14 days of free trial offers. Unlike Ahrefs, you can test SE Ranking for two weeks risk-free.
Ahrefs does not offer a free trial; this is a significant concern if you’re unsure whether the platform provides your SEO needs.
However, while SE Ranking covers a wide range of SEO and marketing tools, it also lacks the depth of SEO data you get from Ahrefs, especially compared to Ahrefs’s keyword explorer. Even though SE Ranking is strong in this area, Ahrefs goes beyond.
SE Ranking Prispecialized
No doubt, SE Ranking is more affordable than Ahrefs. However, you must weigh your SEO needs before deciding which option is best.
Ideally, if you’re a small business owner or freelancer with quite a smaller client base, SE Ranking makes the right choice.
The Essential plan costs $65 for the month-to-month billing cycle. If you decide to pay annually, you save 20%, bringing the payable amount to $52 monthly for the one-time 12-month prioritizing.
In contrast, the Ahrefs Lite plan costs $129, though you could argue it gives you access to historical data for up to six months, while SE Ranking doesn’t allow historical data on keywords and domains in its Essential plan.
Next, the SE Ranking Pro subscription costs $95.20, and it gives you access to create up to 30 SEO projects, three manager seats, and access to the previous three months’ historical data, data insight, and an agency pack.
The Business plan is the best choice if you require access to in-depth SEO data, comprehensive analysis, and unlimited projects.
You can also track up to 15,000 keywords daily. However, this will increase your plan price from $207.20 to $479.20.
Overall, SE Ranking is a cheaper alternative to Ahrefs, but whether it offers value for money will depend on your SEO needs.
3. SERPstat
SERPstat is a comprehensive SEO platform offering many tools for keyword research, backlink analysis, competitor research, and more. It’s a solid choice for businesses seeking a versatile solution to their SEO needs and a good SEO tool like Ahrefs.
One of SERPstat’s strengths lies in its keyword research capabilities. The platform provides a rich data set, including search volume, PPC competition, CPC value, search suggestions, search questions, keyword difficulty, and related keywords.
SERPstat’s ability to analyze search results in detail can be particularly helpful for understanding search intent and optimizing content accordingly.
Another area where SERPstat shines is competitor analysis.
The platform allows you to compare your website with competitors across metrics, including organic traffic, backlinks, domain data, and keyword rankings. This information can be invaluable for identifying opportunities and gaps in your SEO strategy.
Serpstat also offers features for website auditing, rank tracking, and social media analysis.
The backlinks analysis tool lets you see a geographical map of your top-level referring domain by their extensions. This information can be handy for getting backlinks from relevant locations when trying to rank a particular region.
Pros and Cons of Serpstat
Serpstat offers a good balance of features and affordability, making it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes. Its comprehensive data and user-friendly interface are definite plus points.
It gives you good value for money, offering an all-in-one solution for the entire SEO and marketing campaign. Its addition of an AI content generation tool and ChatGPT integration makes it a worthwhile digital marketing tool for everyday needs.
The AI content tool has templates for writing meta descriptions, paraphrasing, YouTube transcripts, and AI content detection. These features can be advantages to using SERPstat over Ahrefs if you plan on having your content and SEO process on one platform.
However, some users might find the platform’s interface to be a bit cluttered, and the depth of data in certain areas might not match that of Ahrefs tools.
While the SERPstat keyword tool is fantastic, Ahrefs may have the upper hand regarding the depth of data and filtering options.
The Site Audit tool is another key aspect to consider. SERPstat offers in-depth technical site audit data; you can run the audit on schedule and get insight into organic keywords, on-site technical errors, backlink audits, and more.
However, in my experience, Ahrefs presents more in-depth on-page analysis and digs deeper into your site architecture, performance, and files than SERPstat.
4. Sitechecker
Sitechecker is primarily a website audit tool, excelling in identifying technical SEO issues hindering your website’s performance. The tool brings your SEO data from Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and its data into one dashboard.
This gives you the added advantage of viewing, analyzing, and monitoring SEO changes to technical on-site errors without joggling between multiple tools.
One of Sitechecker’s strengths lies in its ability to crawl your website efficiently and identify a wide range of technical issues, from broken links and duplicate content to slow-loading pages and mobile-friendliness problems.
If you prioritize technical SEO audits or need to diagnose multiple websites, SiteChecker is the right tool for such a task. The report is in-depth and detailed and categorizes issues into all issues, including critical issues, warnings, opportunities, notices, and zero issues.
I think Sitechekcer performs better than Ahrefs Site Audit tool, judging by the technical analysis it crawls and pinpoints on your site.
Beyond Website Audit, SiteChecker also has backlink, keyword research, and rank tracker tools, making it an all-around SEO tool.
You can view everything from one central account dashboard.
However, regarding features like keyword research, backlink analysis, and competitor analysis, Sitechecker falls short compared to Ahrefs capabilities.
Ahrefs offers more detailed data in this regard than SiteChecker. However, if technical audit is your primary focus, SiteChecker gives more value for money.
Pros and Cons of Sitechecker
The ability to explore Google Search Console and Google Analytics data in Site Checker is an excellent feature beneficial to SEOs. This is not just a basic overview of imported data; SiteChecker gives you more ways to drill into the data more efficiently.
You can analyze GSC data by impression, date range, clicks, search queries, CTR, average position, and more.
Another advantage of SiteChecker is that it helps save you time analyzing data from multiple SEO analysis tools. You don’t need to log into several accounts to compare, monitor, and analyze SEO and check website traffic data.
SiteChecker Pricing
SiteChecker offers three straightforward subscription models, each offering monthly and annual subscription plans.
The entry-level subscription is the Basic plan, which costs $41 monthly on the annual subscription.
This plan allows SEOs to monitor 500 pages per account, track 500 keywords maximum, and access the SiteChecker core features, such as keyword research, unlimited site crawling, on-page SEO audit, rank tracker, PDF reports, and CSV and Google sheet export.
SiteChecker Standard plan is the most popular on the website; the cost is $166 monthly. It gives you access to create unlimited website projects, monitor 10,000 pages, and a maximum of 2,000 tracked keywords.
In addition to everything in the Basic plan, the Standard subscription lets you access Locker Studio Integration, send SEO notifications to Slack communities or email accounts, robots.txt management, SEO insights, etc.
Lastly, SiteChecker offers a Premium plan at $333 per month if you subscribe to pay one-time 12-month billing.
You have everything in the Premium plan, in addition to the following features:
- White label
- Run Site audit via Webhook
- Add up to 10 competitors’ sites per project for monitoring.
- Monitor up to 50,000 pages for SEO changes.
- Tracked 4,000 keyword positions.
For small-scale SEO agencies, the SiteChecker premium plan could be a valuable addition to your SEO toolkits.
5. Mangools
Mangools offers a suite of SEO tools that are more affordable than some competitors like Ahrefs. While it might not have the same level of depth as Ahrefs or SEMrush, it provides a solid foundation for many SEO tasks.
One of Mangools’ standout features is its keyword research tool, KWFinder.
This tool offers comprehensive keyword data, such as CPC, PPC, search volume, keyword trends, keyword difficulty, search volume data, SERP overview (top ranking pages for the analyzed keyword), and competition metrics.
Additionally, Mangool KWFinder also searches Google for autocomplete and related questions. These metrics can help refine your keyword research process and gather more data for your SEO campaign.
Mangool KWFinder is sufficient for many keyword research tasks and beginner SEO professionals, especially those on a budget.
Though the Mangool KWFinder is not the best Ahrefs keyword explorer alternative, it provides a solid foundation for beginners and small businesses to run in-depth keyword research.
Mangools also provides tools for backlink analysis, SERP analysis, and website auditing. These tools offer a solid foundation for small to mid-size business owners to explore SEO data and build a comprehensive campaign to reach new heights.
The Mangools Site Explorer shows you Moz Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) scores for the analyzed sites. It also shows the sites’ Trust flow (TF) and Citation flow CF), which are metrics developed by Majestic.
However, Mangools can be a cost-effective solution for small businesses and freelancers.
Pros and Cons of Mangools
Mangools is a great option for those looking for an affordable SEO toolset. Its user-friendly interface and focus on essential features make it accessible to both beginners and experienced SEOs.
The KWFinder is a great addition to your SEO kits; it lets you refind keyword data from different sources and methods.
Mangool might be an excellent choice for Ahrefs if you don’t require deep insight into SEO data. If you run a small site with limited needs for an SEO campaign, Mangool is one of the best free Ahrefs alternatives.
However, Mangools might lack advanced features and data depth compared to more expensive platforms like Semrush, Ahrefs, SE Ranking, and SEO Powersuite.
Additionally, the tool’s backlink analysis capabilities might not be as comprehensive as other options.
Mangools Pricing
Mangool is relatively priced to be affordable for small business owners, freelancers, and growing sites.
The Basic plan costs $49 per month, but if you subscribe today, you could get it at a 10% discount. This plan gives you access to perform 100 keyword research per day. You can hit the keyword search button 100 times daily in the basic plan.
However, you can track unlimited domain keywords in the Mangools SERPWatcher tool. This is a great advantage if keyword tracking is limited in other top SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush.
The Premium plan costs $40.41 with a 10% discount on an annual subscription. It gives you unlimited keyword suggestions, competitor keywords in KWFinder, and unlimited tracked domains in SERPWatcher.
The Agency plan costs $80.91 for the one-time 12-month billing cycle at a 10% special offer.
As you would expect, the Mangools Agency plan gives you everything the platform offers, like unlimited backlink retrieval from Mangools LinkMiner monthly and 5 extra seats against 3 in the Premium plan.
Tracked up to 1,500 keywords daily with unlimited domains, keyword research, and suggestions. Check the price page for a more in-depth look at Mangools’ pricing and access levels.
6. Pro Rank Tracker
Pro Rank Tracker specializes in, as the name suggests, rank tracking. It is not an all-in-one SEO platform; its core function is keyword positioning tracking.
It can be an excellent alternative to Ahrefs if you need a specialized tool to track keyword ranking across search engines like Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Google Business Profile, and Amazon. It can also track keyword position across devices and geolocations.
The Pro Rank Tracker mobile app allows you to access your ranking information on the go. This means you never lose sight of your important ranking information.
Pros and Cons of Pro Rank Tracker
Pro Rank Tracker is an excellent choice for SEOs prioritizing accurate and up-to-date rank-tracking data. Its focus on this core function ensures reliable performance and precise ranking tracking data.
Pro Rank Tracker is available in 12 languages and allows you to track keywords internationally.
Being a keyword-tracking-only tool, Pro Rank Tracker might not be a good alternative to Ahref if you seek an all-in-one SEO platform.
That’s the only disadvantage I could see about Pro Rank Tracker to Ahrefs.
Pro Rank Tracker Pricing
Sign up here to test-run the Pro Rank Tracker features for 14 days. The free trial allows you to track up to 30 search keywords. After that, your account will downgrade to a free plan if you do not take up one of the premium plans.
There are three pricing plans, offering monthly and annual subscriptions. The yearly subscription offers a 20% discount on all three plans.
First, the Pro Rank Tracker Starter plan costs $39 monthly and allows tracking up to 500 search terms. This plan is ideal for those starting with SEO and needing to track fewer keywords.
The Pro subscription costs $87 for tracking up to 1,500 keywords. You can track 2,500 keywords at $119 monthly in the Pro plan.
If you have more than 2,500 search terms to track, the Agency plan is what you should consider.
This plan allows you to track more than 20,000 keywords. Your total cost depends on the quota you select, but the minimum price is $144 for monitoring 3,000 search terms.
Conclusion
Ahrefs undoubtedly offers a robust suite of features, but it may not be the ideal fit for everyone’s budget or specific needs.
You should focus on SEO tools that offer the best ROI for your efforts and investment and match your SEO and marketing needs. Fortunately, there are several excellent alternatives available.
SEO PowerSuite and SE Ranking have emerged as strong contenders in the Ahrefs alternative market.
SEO PowerSuite’s comprehensive toolset, coupled with its user-friendly interface, makes it a popular choice for both beginners and seasoned SEO professionals.
On the other hand, SE Ranking stands out for its in-depth keyword research capabilities and affordable pricing plans.
Ultimately, the best Ahrefs alternative depends on your specific requirements and preferences. There are other cheaper alternatives on this list, like SiteChecker and Mongools, which also offer comprehensive SEO tools.
Carefully considering factors such as budget, feature set, and ease of use, you can select the tool that will help you achieve your SEO goals most effectively without hindrance to your financial limits.