Ahrefs is bought annually by agencies and cancelled by freelancers: the entry price is fine, the second seat and the API are not.
If you only need keyword volumes and backlink checks, you are paying for a crawler you will never fill.
Side by side
| Tool | Pricing | Best for | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush | Paid | A marketing agency that needs SEO and paid-search intelligence on the same competitor set. | Web, API |
The options, and what each one costs you
- Better if
- A marketing agency that needs SEO and paid-search intelligence on the same competitor set.
- You give up
- The breadth comes at the cost of depth in some modules, and the pricing tiers gate features aggressively, so the advertised entry price buys a fraction of the suite.
Frequently asked
What is the best alternative to Ahrefs?
It depends on what you are leaving for. If you only need keyword volumes and backlink checks, you are paying for a crawler you will never fill. Our closest match on features and price is Semrush.
Is there a free alternative to Ahrefs?
None of the alternatives we list are free; Ahrefs itself is the cheaper option.
How much does switching from Ahrefs cost?
Migration is usually the expensive part, not the licence: exports rarely preserve permissions, history or automations. Budget a day per active workspace for anything with a database in it.
How we picked
Every tool here is in our Marketing & SEO directory, which means we have used it and written down where it falls short. Nothing on this page is sponsored, and the order is not for sale.