SEO research suite for backlinks, keywords and competitors, plus Brand Radar AI tracking.
Top-rated in Technical SEO#1 of 12 in Technical SEO by Overall Score
Ahrefs is a web-based SEO platform with a Chrome extension, an API and an MCP server. Site Explorer shows a domain's organic keywords, traffic estimates and backlinks. Keywords Explorer handles keyword research, adding AI suggestions, keyword clusters, search intents and translations from the Standard plan. Site Audit crawls sites for technical issues, Rank Tracker monitors positions, and Content Explorer, available from Standard, searches published content. Brand Radar tracks brand mentions, cited pages and share of voice across AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot, and each paid plan includes a set number of tracked AI prompts. Paid plans run Lite, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise, with API and MCP access on all of them and a Data Studio (Looker Studio) integration from Advanced. Content Kit and Project Boost are sold as add-ons. Ahrefs Free gives verified site owners Site Audit, Site Explorer and Web Analytics for their own sites, and Ahrefs says it does not run discounts or trials.
Site Explorer separates a domain’s organic search footprint from its backlink profile, and reports can be narrowed to a subfolder or individual URL. Broken Backlinks exposes both the referring page and the missing target, allowing editors to choose between restoring the page and redirecting it. Content Explorer instead starts from topics to identify pages attracting links.
Calculated from facts we verified on Ahrefs's own website, using published thresholds. Nobody can pay to change it. Together with Market Signal it makes the Overall Score of 76 that orders our lists.
Dimensions without verified data count as a neutral 2.5. Facts checked October 13, 2026. How the rating works
Computed from Ahrefs + Semrush data about Ahrefs's own website. Not an assessment of the product itself. How this works →
Market Strength
85
Where it stands today
Momentum
50 Rising Fast ↑↑
Where it’s heading
Data Confidence
Medium
How much to trust it
Tick mark = category average.
Compared with 43 tracked SEO software tools. Data through September 2026, pulled October 12, 2026.
Ahrefs ranks #8 of 43 by momentum in our data study, The SEO tools gaining the most search visibility in 2026.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29 | Not listed |
| Lite | $129 | Not listed |
| Standard | $249 | Not listed |
| Advanced | $449 | Not listed |
| Enterprise | Not listed | $1,499 |
Pricing shown reflects list prices as of our last check and may have changed. Confirm current pricing on Ahrefs' website before purchasing.
Google Search Console
Help center
Why choose it: SEO teams and agencies that want keyword research, rank tracking, audits and AI answer monitoring in one subscription.
Strengths
Limitations
Why choose it: Teams that want a straightforward SEO toolset with an approachable interface.
Why choose it: Agencies and in-house SEO teams tracking local rankings and AI answer visibility across several sites.
Strengths
Limitations
SEO toolset with a keyword finder, rank tracker and backlink checker.
Competitor PPC and SEO research with historical ad data.
Desktop SEO software suite: rank tracking, site audit, and link building.
SEO and PPC research platform covering keywords, rankings, backlinks and audits.
SEO research suite for keywords, audits and backlinks.
Approachable, budget-friendly SEO toolset built around KWFinder.
Ahrefs offers a free plan, though it doesn't offer a separate free trial of paid tiers.
Ahrefs starts at $29/mo on its Starter plan. Pricing was last checked September 28, 2026. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor's site before purchasing.
Commonly considered alternatives include Semrush, Moz Pro and SE Ranking. The Alternatives section on this page shows what each one is best at and its starting price.
