10 Ahrefs Alternatives to Boost Your SEO Strategy in 2023

Ahrefs is one of the most popular and widely-utilized SEO tools valued for its extensive set of features. With over 11 billion keywords and over 400 billion indexed pages, it is rightfully admired for its reliable datasets. Extensive backlink databases make Ahrefs a go-to solution for everyone actively looking for link-building opportunities.

But Ahrefs might not be the best fit for everyone. It sits on the pricier side of SEO solutions, and with updates to its pricing policy, fewer and fewer businesses can afford to have as many power users and credits as they need to deliver quality results. Instead of focusing on getting the job done, Ahrefs users have to worry about not going over their credit limits. 

Also, while Ahrefs already offers a wealth of features, new releases are slow to come. Report sharing feature, which is essential for agency folks, has been marked as coming soon on their Plans & pricing page for quite a while. Recently, AI Content Grader tool popped up on the same page, but it’ll only be available with the super costly Advanced plan, and, let’s be honest, the feature is unlikely to be released in the near future. 

So if you’re on a mission to explore feasible Ahrefs alternatives, this article is for you. Let’s dive into these options together.

Best Ahrefs alternatives to try in 2023

To hand-pick the best alternatives to Ahrefs, we evaluated multiple SEO tools paying attention to their functional capabilities, usability, user feedback on popular review platforms, and pricing plans.

And here come the winners. They all vary by the amount of features offered, and the price range is also broad to let you choose the perfect match for your SEO needs.

1. SE Ranking
2. Spyfu
3. Semrush
4. Mangools
5. Moz Pro
6. SEO PowerSuite
7. Raven Tools
8. Seobility
9. cognitiveSEO
10. Ubersuggest

1. SE Ranking

SE Ranking is a comprehensive SEO suite designed for agency and in-house teams. It is praised for the balance between cost and functionality, but it’s not just the price tag that’s appealing. SE Ranking goes the extra mile to keep up with the latest trends—many of the tools it released lately are AI-powered and it applies AI ****** to further enhance the data quality. 

SE Ranking is known for being customer-centric. The tool offers user-friendly navigation experience and seamless onboarding.

Functionality

SE Ranking will assist you with every essential SEO task: keyword rank tracking, website auditing, keyword and competitive research, backlink analysis and monitoring. Unlike Ahrefs, it provides AI-based tools, like its On-Page SEO Checker, SERP Analyser and AI writing assistant—all released within the last couple of years. The result is users who have given SE Ranking’s product direction a 9.4 out of 10, edging out Ahrefs’ score of 9.1.

The best part? You can use as many filters as you need and no additional charges will apply.

SE Ranking also caters to SEO agencies’ needs with features like unlimited reporting, lead generation widget and white label (all not available in Ahrefs). These features help agencies to communicate their results more openly and build customer loyalty.

Another thing worth noting is SE Ranking’s keyword database, which spans the entire globe and supports 190 countries. SE Ranking constantly improves its algorithms to further refine its keyword search volume and traffic estimates. With the latest update, SE Ranking’s traffic estimates better align with data from Google Search Console. Also, when expanding its databases, SE Ranking prioritizes quality keywords, enabling the tool to spot more keyword opportunities than other tools, including Ahrefs.

Interface

SE Ranking’s user interface is modern, straightforward, and easy to navigate. The platform also stands out for its customizable reports that allow users to select and present data according to their individual needs.

SE Ranking’s ease-of-use also outperforms that of Ahrefs’ both on the G2 and Capterra scoring  9.3 our of 10 and 4.8 out of 5 as opposed to Ahrefs rated of 8.9. and 4.5 respectively.

User reviews

SE Ranking’s collective user review score is high, with an overall rating of 4.8/5 stars from over 1,100 reviews on G2, and 4.7/5 stars from 270 reviews on Capterra. Users have applauded SE Ranking for its range of features, data accuracy, and fair pricing.

Price

Unlike Ahrefs, SE Ranking offers a flexible pricing structure allowing businesses to scale without pushing their operational costs to the limits. Monthly costs range from $55 to $570, data limits are generous and each plan includes more projects and manager seats than those of Ahrefs plus daily ranking updates. With Ahrefs, every new power user and daily ranking updates will cost you extra. 

SE Ranking is similar to Ahrefs in that it offers a 20% discount for those who choose annual billing.

2. Spyfu

Launched in 2005 as a ‘spy’ tool, SpyFu has progressively evolved into a comprehensive platform for keyword research and competitor analysis for SEO and PPC specialists. It’s a budget-conscious platform offering a user-friendly interface. 

Functionality

Launched in 2005 as a ‘spy’ tool, SpyFu has progressively evolved into a comprehensive platform for keyword research and competitor analysis for SEO and PPC specialists. It’s a budget-conscious platform offering a user-friendly interface. 

Functionality

Depending on your specific needs, SpyFu may be a good Ahrefs alternative or not quite. It stands out for its advanced competitor analysis capabilities, being particularly helpful in tracking the evolution of competitors’ strategies over time. Its powerful Ad History feature provides extensive insights into a competitor’s PPC ad strategy, but if your focus is on SEO, you won’t find these features useful. 

While Spyfu offers basic rank-tracking and robust keyword research features, its technical and on-page optimization tools fall short. Its backlink databases are also not as extensive as those provided by Ahrefs.

Interface

SpyFu offers a relatively user-friendly interface that allows for seamless navigation. Its visually appealing dashboard is designed for swift and efficient access to critical data, such as SEO Research, PPC Research, Keyword Research, Backlinks, Reports, and more.

Regarding ease of use, SpyFu and Ahrefs are pretty comparable. SpyFu scored 8.7 out of 10 in this category, while Ahrefs edged slightly ahead with a score of 8.8.

User reviews

SpyFu, while not as widely recognized as Ahrefs, is praised highly by its dedicated user base. SpyFu holds a 4.5 out of 5 star rating from over 140 reviews on Capterra. It also enjoys a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on G2, based on close to 500 reviews and 8.3 out of 10 stars from 130 reviews on TrustRadius.

Price

SpyFu’s subscription plans are noticeably more affordable than those offered by Ahrefs. SpyFu’s Basic plan begins at $39 per month, unlike Ahrefs’ initial plan, which is priced at $99 monthly. The Professional plan from SpyFu is available for $79 per month.

In the Team’s plan, SpyFu includes five user logins, whereas Ahrefs charges for each additional login regardless of the plan.

Moreover, SpyFu provides over a decade of historical data, while Ahrefs only provides five years’ worth.

Finally, API access comes with all of SpyFu’s subscription packages, which start at $79 per month. On the other hand, Ahrefs reserves this feature for users who have the $999 per month Enterprise plan.

3. Semrush

Being one of the long-established SEO software suites, Semrush is considered to be the closest tool to Ahrefs. Still, Semrush and Ahrefs appeal to different people: users tend to choose Ahrefs because of its excellent backlink indexing feature, whereas Semrush is mostly valued for its extensive functionality.

Both tools are appreciated for reliable datasets, though many users would still question their data accuracy. Nonetheless, Semrush has plenty of loyal advocates, and here’s why.

Functionality

Semrush can assist SEOs with multiple tasks that go beyond traditional SEO. It comes in handy for keyword research, website auditing, on-page SEO, competitor analysis, rank tracking and link building, but also covers local SEO, content marketing, and social media management. PPC specialists working with Google Shopping campaigns appreciate Semrush’s unique Product Listing Ads feature.

Keep in mind that most of the advanced features are accessible only with higher-tier pricing plans, which force users on a tighter budget to look for Semrush alternatives.

If you do have a budget in place, and your choice of an SEO tool depends on the breadth of its feature set, Semrush blows Ahrefs out of the water. Still, some users have mentioned that Semrush’s many features can make navigation and tool discovery difficult.

Interface

Based on user reviews, one of the most frequently cited drawbacks of Semrush is its complex interface, which can be challenging for beginners to navigate. While both Ahrefs and Semrush are regarded as advanced tools with substantial learning curves, Ahrefs generally outperforms Semrush in terms of user-friendliness, scoring at 8.9 on G2 compared to Semrush, with 8.4 out of 10 stars.

User reviews

Semrush holds its own, with 4.6 out of 5 stars on G2, 4.4 out of 5 stars on Gartner, and an 8.9 out of 10 rating on TrustRadius. Keep in mind again that there are tons of reviews that point out its lack of user-friendliness.

Price

Semrush, while offering a free trial and a very basic free version, does come at a significant cost, with Semrush consistently increasing the prices over the last months. The most affordable plan is priced at $119.95 per month, offering five projects (or sites), tracking of 500 keywords, and 10,000 results per report. For more features, such as Looker Studio integration, the Content Marketing Toolkit, historical data, and more, you would have to upgrade to either the $229.95 or $449.95 per month plans. 

Note that each plan only permits one user to be logged in at a time, making it even more necessary for you to purchase additional seats for multiple users.

4. Mangools

If both Ahrefs and Semrush are too complex and costly for your needs, we have an alternative recommendation for you. Mangools is tailored primarily to small businesses, evidenced by its friendlier pricing structure. It also has a unique and striking design that is sure to leave a lasting impression!

Functionality

In terms of functionality, Mangools offers essential SEO features, including keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and search engine results page (SERP) analysis. At the same time, the data limits Mangools offers are quite modest—the most extensive Agency plan comes with only 1200 keyword lookups per day. Some users also called attention to Magool’s limited database.

Mangools currently does not offer tools for crawl analysis, site speed, or technical audits, which may be too restrictive for certain users. 

Interface

If having a simple user interface is high on your priority list, then look no further than Mangools.

It is “An excellent product featuring user-friendly tools and supportive customer service,” according to most user comments about Mangools. Users often laud it for its simplicity, ease of use, and its accessibility for beginners. Mangools stands at a remarkable 9.8 out of 10 for its ease of use. 

User reviews

While Mangools is not as popular as Ahrefs, it doesn’t lag behind in quality. It boasts a 4.6/5 star rating on G2 and a 4.7/5 on Capterra.

Its user interface and customer service elements continue to receive a good chunk of the praise from its users. 

Price

Mangools is definitely cheaper than Ahrefs. Its pricing structure includes four paid plans to accommodate its diverse user requirements. The Basic plan amounts to just $29 per month and the most expensive Agency plan is $129 per month. Agency and Premium plans come with three and five user seats respectively, but are both not impressive in terms of feature breadth and data limits.

Mangools offers a substantial 35% discount to yearly subscribers, making its Basic plan an extremely cost-effective choice. It is priced at just $19.90 per month for users who opt for the annual billing cycle option.

If you prefer to test the waters first, Mangools offers a 10-day trial period.

5. Moz Pro

Moz Pro is another industry veteran and a viable alternative to Ahrefs. In fact, in the early days of SEO, Moz introduced metrics and features that have since become an industry standard. While Moz has powerful functionality under its belt, many SEOs claim its days of glory are gone. The interface looks outdated and new feature releases have become a rare occasion. You won’t even find features marked as coming soon on Moz pricing page.

Moz may get outshined these days, but with a loyal community, loads of useful educational materials and all the core tools SEOs need daily, it remains one of the big names in the SEO industry.

Functionality

Moz Pro offers every essential SEO tool you expect from an all-in-one suite: keyword research and keyword position tracking, website audits, on-page optimization, backlink analysis, and even custom reporting, which Ahrefs lacks.

Moz Pro’s keyword database is not that ample if you compare its size with other tools and lacks some advanced features like automatic keyword search intent detection. With 40.7 trillion links in its index, Moz backlink database even exceeds that of Ahrefs, but since Ahrefs crawler is the second most active crawler out there, users still prefer the backlink data Ahrefs provides. 

Finally, many users admit that Moz Pro’s tech auditing capabilities are rather basic and resort to other more advanced website audit tools.

One signature feature by Moz loved by the community is its Moz bar, which is an extension designed to provide you with SEO insights about any site as you browse the web.

Interface

Moz Pro’s interface is considered outdated by many users. It gives you a totally different feel if compared to the sleek interfaces of Mangools or SE Ranking.

Lack of visually appealing and easy-to-read graphs is another complaint Moz Pro users tend to have.

User reviews

While Moz Pro has received plenty of user reviews over the years, it doesn’t top the charts compared to other Ahrefs alternatives. On G2, it scores 4.4 out of 5 stars. On Gartner, it’s rated 4.7 out of 5 stars. TrustRadius gives it a score of 8.1 out of 10. 

Price

Moz Pro’s entry-level  (Standard) plan matches Ahrefs’ pricing at $99 per month. The following tiers come at $179 per month, $299 per month and $599, which is less than what Ahrefs charges its users, especially for the most advanced subscription plan. Data limits are comparable except that Moz doesn’t have a tricky power user system in place allowing for a more predictable user experience and transparent expenses. 

Moz Pro only offers weekly ranking updates, and there isn’t even an option to get daily updates at an extra cost.

6. SEO PowerSuite

SEO PowerSuite is an extensive SEO software often considered a strong Ahrefs competitor. The tool is acclaimed for its ability to automate, personalize, and generate SEO reports. Therefore, this software is worth considering if you’re seeking Ahrefs alternatives due to comprehensive report customization needs.

Functionality 

With four applications, SEO PowerSuite covers all the basic SEO needs: Rank Tracker is designed for keyword tracking and analysis, WebSite Auditor for technical and on-page optimization, SEO SpyGlass for investigating backlink opportunities, and LinkAssistant for planning link prospecting and outreach.

A feature that sets it apart from Ahrefs is the provision of personalized white-labeling, potentially making it more appealing to SEO agency users. Additionally, it provides a Content Management Dashboard and Google Analytics Integration, features not present in Ahrefs.

It’s worth noting that unlike the majority of modern SEO tools, SEO PowerSuite is not cloud-based and is only available for Windows users.

Interface

Based on user feedback, maneuvering through this SEO tool can be challenging. Despite being robust and comprehensive, it necessitates the installation of four separate applications on your computer. Users highlight the tool’s steep learning curve and note that its user interface is less intuitive or user-friendly than other market competitors.

User reviews

While being a dependable tool, it still ranks among the lesser-rated options on our list. With ratings of 4.3 out of 5 on Capterra, 8.8 out of 10 on TrustRadius, and 4.5 out of 5 on G2, SEO PowerSuite’s aggregate score based on reviews is relatively consistent.

Price

SEO PowerSuite offers an indefinite free plan, providing unlimited keyword tracking, auditing, crawling up to 500 URLs, and tracking and auditing up to 1,100 links. Any additional features such as scheduled reports, data exporting, and project saving are unavailable in this plan, and their absence might be significantly felt. 

As for paid plans, they cost $299 and $499 per year, which seems a relatively high price for an SEO tool not available in the cloud.

7. Raven Tools

Raven Tools, despite being underrated, is a complex SEO and reporting tool that offers integrated solutions for managing your digital marketing and advertising data. Raven Tools lets you consolidate all of your digital marketing efforts in one place.

Functionality

Raven Tools has all the essential SEO features, including competitor research, website auditing, rank tracking, backlink tracking, keyword research, and social media reporting. 

It also offers more than 20 integrations with platforms such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Google/Bing/Facebook ads, giving it a competitive edge against tools like Ahrefs.

Nonetheless, some users have encountered technical issues with third-party software connections, often reporting that they have to make frequent contact with technical support to resolve backend errors.

Interface

Raven Tools has received mixed feedback for its user interface. Some users find it overly complex and time-consuming. There are even reports of Raven Tools lacking fundamental data, particularly from Google Ads. 

While there are a few positive comments about its ease of use, the majority of users have reported technical issues, suggesting a potentially difficult user experience. This has contributed to the tool’s lower ease-of-use rating in comparison to Ahrefs (8.4 vs. 8.9 out of 10 points). This means that if having a user-friendly interface is your top priority, you may want to explore alternatives to Ahrefs and Raven Tools.

User reviews

Raven Tools stands its ground with good ratings, sporting 4.4 out of 5 stars on Capterra, 4.2 on G2, and 4.5 on Gartner. On TrustRadius, its rating is somewhat lower, with a score of 7.7 out of 10. 

The lowest ratings of Raven Tools can be attributed to its lack of user-friendliness and the current direction of its development.

It’s important to consider that Raven Tools doesn’t have as many total reviews as Ahrefs, so a making direct comparison may not provide a complete picture.

Price

Raven Tools provides five pricing tiers with monthly charges ranging from $49 to $479, making it a more budget-friendly solution compared to Ahrefs. One interesting fact about Raven Tools is that even the least expensive plan provides access to all features, although there may be some restrictions compared to costlier alternatives. Even so, users have given Raven Tools a lower rating for its value for money. This is important to note if you plan on selecting this tool.

8. Seobility

Seobility is an entry-level SEO toolset designed to enhance website rankings. Its lack of advanced features make it unsuitable to seasoned SEO professionals, but its user-friendly interface is perfect for novices in SEO.

Functionality

Seobility offers essential SEO features including on-page SEO audits, backlink analysis, link-building tools, and rank tracking. It also provides additional tools like the TF*IDF tool to enhance content creation and optimization.

One notable feature is its comprehensive on-page SEO audit function. It meticulously scans all linked website pages, identifying and displaying optimization issues or errors. 

Despite its wide set of offerings, some beginner users have reported that the tool’s reports occasionally lack detailed explanations. This can make it challenging for users to comprehend and address the identified errors.

Interface

While viewpoints on Seobility’s user interface vary, its ease-of-use score is notably high (9.1 out of 10 on G2), surpassing Ahrefs’ score at 8.9. Users regard the platform highly for its simplicity, although some say its aesthetics are pretty outdated. 

Users also criticize the Seobility for its inconvenient navigation, as users must go from page to page to create a comprehensive to-do list.

User reviews

Despite its lower profile and fewer reviews, Seobility has earned positive feedback from its users. It has performed well with an average score of 4.6 out of 5 stars on G2 and 4.7 out of 5 stars on Capterra. One user hailed it as “A great service that delivers everything you’d anticipate from an SEO analysis, and a few unexpected features as well.”

Price

Seobility offers three different plans, each with its own feature set. The basic plan is free and allows users to analyze up to 1000 web pages per crawl, conduct 10 keyword analyses, and check up to 100 external links. Additionally, users can make up to five tool requests per day. This includes the SEO Checker, TF*IDF Tool, Keyword Research Tool, and more.

For anyone interested in Seobility’s paid options, there are two plans to choose from. The Premium plan costs $50 per month and is designed for small to mid-sized businesses. It even offers a free trial. The Agency plan, which is priced at $200, caters to large websites, companies, and agencies. 

These prices make Seobility a much more affordable option compared to Ahrefs.

9. cognitiveSEO

сognitiveSEO is a lesser-known but powerful Ahrefs alternative that stands at the higher end of the pricing scale. This comprehensive digital marketing strategy tool offers a wide range of SEO functionalities and excels in its capabilities for team collaboration and project management.

Functionality

With features for on-page audit, content optimization, tech site auditing, backlink analysis, rank tracking, shareable SEO dashboards, marketing reports, and API, cognitiveSEO caters to a variety of digital marketing needs.

Its penalty recovery feature may seem unique at first glance, but in fact, all it does is unnatural link detection, which many SEO tools offer. The tool is focused solely on the decade-old Penguin algorithm.

CognitiveSEO offers a collaborative workspace for different teams, making it easy to share assets, files, or even code snippets with developers. Results can be shared via scheduled customized PDF reports and, on top of that, the entire toolset can be white labeled.

cognitiveSEO integrates with Trello and Google Drive to streamline team discussions and comments on tasks or files. These rather unique integrations are great for fostering a collaborative work environment.

Interface

CognitiveSEO is rated 8.1 out of 10 by users for its ease of use, which puts it slightly behind Ahrefs. User reviews suggest that cognitiveSEO’s interface may not be the most intuitive and its performance could be improved. Its keyword research tool is especially lacking in this area.

User reviews

cognitiveSEO didn’t earn the same level of recognition as Semrushor Ahrefs, but has a solid reputation backed by favorable user reviews. It has received a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars on G2 and 8 out of 10 stars on TrustRadius. The most common drawbacks cognitiveSEO users mention are the tool’s complex interface and frequent technical problems. On the other hand, they praise cognitiveSEO’s top-notch customer support.

Price

As we already mentioned, cognitiveSEO is not particularly budget-friendly. Its most affordable plan starts at $129 per month and includes two user seats, five campaigns, and integration with Google Analytics. Upper-tier plans are worth $299 per month and $499 per month, and come with more campaigns, user seats, extended data limits, White Labe, and API.

Due to its high price and complexity, CognitiveSEO is more suitable for agencies and larger enterprises, as opposed to smaller businesses or solo entrepreneurs.

10. Ubersuggest

Created by Neil Patel as a basic keyword research, Ubersuggest has over the years transformed into a full-fledged SEO platform. Ubersuggest cannot compete with Ahrefs when it comes to advanced features or database sizes. Still, thanks to the user-friendly interface combined with an extensive training and support package, it is one the best Ahrefs alternatives to **** for SEO novices.

Functionality

Ubersuggest is equipped with basic SEO features, including technical SEO auditing, rank tracking, link building, competitor analysis, and custom report generation. The comprehensive keyword research tool remains Ubersuggest’s core function, offering keyword and content insights that are on par with the other tools on our Ahrefs alternatives list.

Ubersuggest offers numerous step-by-step SEO tutorials, templates, and worksheets, which add extra value for beginners.

Interface

If ease of use is your primary consideration when choosing an SEO tool, then Ubersuggest is a top contender. Ubersuggest stands out for its user-friendly interface, effectively simplifying and distilling complex information to make it less overwhelming.

Ubersuggest features a minimalist aesthetic combined with a straightforward and easily navigable layout, offering a wealth of information. The dashboard immediately offers optimization suggestions for your site, enhancing the overall user experience.

User reviews

Ubersuggest has received slightly lower user ratings compared to the other tools we listed as the best Ahrefs alternatives. It has achieved a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars on G2, 3.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, and 8.2 out of 10 stars on TrustRadius.

Interestingly, the slightly lower ratings seem to be less connected to the tool’s functionality or user interface and more connected to issues encountered in the billing process.

Price

Remarkably, Ubersuggest provides a unique one-time payment plan beginning at $290. This is in stark contrast to Ahrefs’ recurring monthly subscriptions, Because of this, expect to save a ton of money by opting for Ubersuggest instead of Ahrefs. And if, for whatever reason, a monthly subscription better suits your needs, this option is available and varies between $12 to $40. The most affordable monthly option, the Individual plan, provides several features, including 150 daily reports, one project, and weekly site audits.

Despite these obvious perks, prospective buyers should still exercise caution before making a purchase. Some users have voiced concerns regarding payment issues, particularly instances where they were erroneously charged for a lifetime plan when they intended to opt for a monthly subscription.

Why would people seek Ahrefs alternatives?

Ahrefs has maintained a loyal user base over the years, but the jury is still out whether these users are truly satisfied with the tool. Though many reviews suggest that a significant number of people continue to pay a premium price for Ahrefs, this is namely because users have grown accustomed to its interface.

And what shortcomings are we referring to here? Well, we’ve highlighted the most frequently mentioned issues reported by users of this tool.

When considering these points collectively, it may serve you well to join the many users who are eyeing Ahrefs alternatives, ones that better suit their specific needs and budget.

Summary

The ten alternatives to Ahrefs we hand-picked for this review all offer a similar set of standard SEO tools everyone uses daily, but they all boast some unique features and vary in terms of the user experience you get. 

If you need a premium SEO solution, but don’t want to deal with Ahrefs’ tricky power user pricing system and strive for a more predictable monthly budget for SEO tools, you have several options. 

Do you have a budget to pay extra for a recognized tool that goes beyond SEO functionality? Then, consider switching to Semrush. 

If you’re mainly focused on SEO and manage multiple client projects, SE Ranking may be a smarter choice that won’t put that much strain on your budget.

SEO newbies looking for affordable tools that are easy to navigate should consider Ubersuggest and Mangools.

As it normally goes in SEO, it depends. Your optimum choice depends on your specific needs, expertise, and budget.