Ahrefs
by Ahrefs Pte. Ltd.
The SEO platform with the world's largest backlink index.
Score
Score
Our verdict
Ahrefs remains the gold standard for backlink intelligence and competitive SEO analysis in 2026, powered by the world's largest link index at 35+ trillion backlinks with near-real-time refresh. Its AI features including Content Helper and Brand Radar add meaningful value. However, premium pricing starting at $129/month for Lite, expensive add-ons, and API access locked to Enterprise tiers mean Ahrefs demands serious budget commitment.
Overview
Screenshot
Score breakdown
Overall score
Scores are editorial assessments by the Compare Best AI team on a 0–10 scale.
Expert review
CBAI Editorial Team
Compare Best AI · Editorial Team
Ahrefs has evolved from a specialist backlink checker into one of the most comprehensive SEO platforms available, backed by truly massive data infrastructure — 35+ trillion external backlinks, 28.7 billion keywords, and a web index of 456+ billion pages running on 3,600 servers.
How we tested
Days tested
21 days
Tasks evaluated
- ·Backlink analysis across 50+ domains
- ·Keyword research for 10 niches
- ·Technical site audit on 5 websites
- ·AI Content Helper evaluation
- ·Brand Radar AI monitoring
- ·Competitor analysis vs Semrush
Method
Side-by-side with Semrush Guru and Moz Pro on identical SEO tasks
Reviewer
CBAI Editorial Team
Plans & pricing
Starter
Hobbyists and small projects getting started
- 1 project
- Basic Site Explorer
- Basic Keywords Explorer
- Basic Site Audit
- Limited historical data
- No Content Explorer
Lite
Freelancers and small businesses needing core SEO tools
- 5 projects
- Site Explorer
- Keywords Explorer
- Site Audit (10K crawl credits)
- Rank Tracker (750 keywords)
- 6 months historical data
Standard
In-house marketers and growing businesses scaling SEO
- 20 projects
- Full Site Explorer
- Content Explorer
- 2 years historical data
- Search intent data
- AI Content Helper
Advanced
SEO agencies and large teams needing advanced features
- 50 projects
- Expanded limits
- Looker Studio connectors
- Unlimited historical data
- Broken link building
- AI Content Helper
Enterprise
Large enterprises with custom data and API needs
- 100+ projects
- API v3 access
- Unlimited crawl credits
- Dedicated support
- SSO and access management
- Priority crawling
Pricing may vary by region. Always verify on the vendor's website.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Ahrefs | Semrush | Moz |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backlinks | |||
| Backlink index (35T+) | |||
| Real-time refresh (15-30 min) | |||
| Keywords | |||
| Keyword database (28.7B) | |||
| Search intent detection | |||
| AI | |||
| AI Content Helper | |||
| Brand Radar (AI visibility) | |||
| Marketing | |||
| PPC tools | |||
| Social media management | |||
| Pricing | |||
| Free tools available | |||
Is it right for you?
Good fit for
SEO agencies
Comprehensive competitor analysis, backlink monitoring, and keyword research across multiple client sites.
Link building specialists
Industry-leading backlink index with 15-30 minute refresh and broken link building tools.
Content marketers
Discover high-potential topics, analyze ranking content, and optimize with AI Content Helper.
In-house SEO teams
Deep technical audits, rank tracking, and content gap analysis for enterprise websites.
Less suited for
Budget-conscious beginners
Starting at $129/month for Lite with add-on fees for daily tracking and AI features; Moz is more affordable.
PPC-focused marketers
Minimal paid advertising tools compared to Semrush; not suitable as a primary PPC platform.
Teams needing multi-user access
Only 1 user seat per plan with expensive $40-80/month add-on costs per additional user.
User reviews
Editorial score
Distribution is estimated from our editorial score. Verified user reviews coming soon.
Use cases
Typical ways teams rely on this tool — from everyday tasks to specialized workflows.
- Backlink Analysis
- Keyword Research
- SEO Auditing
- Content Research
- Competitor Analysis
- Link Building
- Rank Tracking
Integrations
Reported connectors
Apps and services commonly connected out of the box or via official connectors.
- Google Search Console
- Google Looker Studio
- Ahrefs API v3
- Zapier
- Screaming Frog
- Google Sheets
- DataBox
- Agency Analytics
Privacy & compliance
Security & data practices
Highlights we track from the vendor's documentation. Always confirm current terms, subprocessors, and regional policies on their official site.
- GDPR-ready
- SOC 2
Details
Category
Price
- Starter $29/mo
- Lite $129/mo
- Standard $249/mo
- Advanced $449/mo
- Enterprise custom
Free version
Best for
- Backlink analysis and link-building research
- Keyword research and competitive SEO analysis
- Site auditing and technical SEO
Frequently asked questions
Ahrefs
Marketing
Ready to get started?
Visit the Ahrefs website to explore plans and start your free trial.
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