Guide 2 min read

Best Ahrefs Alternatives 2026 — Tested & Ranked

Why look at alternatives? Ahrefs starts at $129/month with no permanent free plan. These alternatives are strong competitors, especially for teams that don’t need Ahrefs’ backlink depth.

We rate Ahrefs 91/100. Read our full Ahrefs review →

Quick Comparison: Best Ahrefs Alternatives

Alternative Best For Free Plan Paid From Score
1. Semrush Best all-in-one suite Limited free account $139.95/mo 91/100
2. Moz Pro Best for beginners Free tools (limited) $99/mo 84/100
3. Majestic Best budget backlinks Limited (own sites only) $49.99/mo 79/100
4. SE Ranking Best budget all-in-one 14-day trial $65/mo 82/100
5. Google Search Console Best free option Free $0 N/A

Detailed Breakdown: Top Ahrefs Alternatives

#1 Semrush

91/100

Best all-in-one suite

Pros
  • ✓ Broader toolset (PPC, social, content)
  • ✓ Larger keyword database
  • ✓ Advertising intelligence
Cons
  • ✗ More expensive than Ahrefs Lite
  • ✗ Slightly weaker backlink data
  • ✗ More complex UI
Best for: Teams needing both SEO and PPC/advertising intelligence
Free plan: Limited free account  |  Paid from: $139.95/mo

Read Semrush Review →

#2 Moz Pro

84/100

Best for beginners

Pros
  • ✓ Easier to learn
  • ✓ Domain Authority widely known
  • ✓ Good link explorer
Cons
  • ✗ Smaller backlink index
  • ✗ Slower updates
Best for: SEO beginners finding Ahrefs overwhelming
Free plan: Free tools (limited)  |  Paid from: $99/mo

Read Moz Pro Review →

#3 Majestic

79/100

Best budget backlinks

Pros
  • ✓ Very affordable
  • ✓ Strong Trust Flow metrics
  • ✓ Large backlink index
Cons
  • ✗ Backlinks only — no keyword tools
  • ✗ Outdated UI
Best for: Link builders who only need backlink analysis
Free plan: Limited (own sites only)  |  Paid from: $49.99/mo

Read Majestic Review →

#4 SE Ranking

82/100

Best budget all-in-one

Pros
  • ✓ Much cheaper than Ahrefs
  • ✓ Accurate rank tracking
  • ✓ White-label reports
Cons
  • ✗ Smaller backlink index
  • ✗ Less competitive research
Best for: Budget agencies needing rank tracking + audits without Ahrefs’ price
Free plan: 14-day trial  |  Paid from: $65/mo

Read SE Ranking Review →

#5 Google Search Console

Best free option

Pros
  • ✓ 100% free
  • ✓ Direct Google data
  • ✓ Keyword performance
  • ✓ Crawl error reporting
Cons
  • ✗ Only your own site
  • ✗ No competitor analysis
Best for: Teams with no budget needing to track rankings and fix crawl issues
Free plan: Free  |  Paid from: $0

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Semrush or Ahrefs better?

Both are best-in-class. Ahrefs has a stronger backlink index; Semrush has a broader feature set including PPC, social, and content tools. Most enterprise SEO teams use both.

What is the best free Ahrefs alternative?

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free for your own sites) and Google Search Console (free) are the best free options. Neither replaces Ahrefs for competitor research.

Is there a cheaper Ahrefs alternative?

Majestic ($49.99/month) for pure backlinks; SE Ranking ($65/month) for a full SEO suite. Both are 40–60% cheaper but with less data depth.

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