Ahrefs begins at $108 a month, which provides as much as about $1,200 a 12 months for a plan designed for small companies. If you happen to’re a contract website positioning marketing consultant or run an enterprise, you will be shelling out wherever between $2,400 to $14,990 per 12 months.
Having used Ahrefs for almost eight years throughout freelance and full-time content material advertising roles, I perceive why you may select it over different website positioning instruments. Ahrefs has come a good distance since its days as a link-building instrument ten years again. At present, it packs a number of options like web site audit, AI content material grader, and Pages 2.0 report.
However let’s deal with the massive query: is Ahrefs price it? Spoiler alert: I received’t provide the traditional ‘it relies upon’ reply we frequently hear in most website positioning and content material advertising conversations.
For context, some customers famous a 29% value enhance earlier this 12 months, which most likely makes you concentrate on potential future value hikes. On the flip aspect, Ahrefs launched a extra reasonably priced Starter plan, which supplies you 100 credit for $29 each month.
Whilst you can proceed utilizing their free webmaster instruments, what do you have to consider when contemplating an improve? Proceed studying my deep dive for these very solutions.
Ahrefs ranks #14 in accordance with G2’s Fall 2024 Grid Report for website positioning instruments. Patrons are inspired to think about particular person wants when making buy choices.
Ahrefs: Paid vs. free website positioning instruments
Skip this part in the event you aren’t new to website positioning.
Ahrefs doesn’t supply a free trial. Evaluating Ahrefs’ free website positioning instruments with the paid variations isn’t actually truthful. A lot of the free instruments they provide are for easy duties novices might discover helpful. However in the event you’re hoping to get critical work accomplished, these free instruments received’t take you far.
| Options | Free Instruments | Paid Plan |
| Dashboard | ||
| Web site explorer | ||
| Key phrase explorer | ||
| Web site audit | ||
| Rank tracker | ||
| Aggressive evaluation | ||
| SERP historical past | ||
| Web page examine |
Ahrefs presents eight free website positioning instruments:
- Key phrase generator: Generate as much as 20 key phrases
- Key phrase issue checker: Consider how arduous it’s to rank for a selected key phrase
- SERP checker: Take a look at the SERP overview of the primary 4 outcomes
- Key phrase rank checker: Verify in case your web site ranks within the prime 100 for a particular key phrase
- Backlink checker: See the area score of your web site and the full variety of backlinks
- Damaged hyperlink checker: Discover the variety of damaged hyperlinks in your web site
- Web site authority checker: Verify your web site’s authority
- Web site site visitors checker: See your web site’s natural site visitors and site visitors worth
As you may see, these instruments are fairly restricted. That mentioned, Ahrefs Webmaster Instruments provides web site homeowners restricted free entry to web site explorer and web site audit options. Let’s get to the great half and see if the paid plans are price your cash.
Are Ahrefs options well worth the value? What G2 customers suppose
G2 customers admire Ahrefs’ web site explorer, backlink checker, aggressive evaluation, key phrase explorer, web site audit, and alternatives options. I completely agree—these options are a goldmine for website positioning and content material advertising professionals who want knowledge to determine what’s working, what isn’t, and what wants fixing. Let’s see how these options may help you:
Web site explorer
That is the part the place you land after logging into Ahrefs. Web site explorer analyzes an internet site’s natural site visitors, complete key phrases, and backlinks. The perfect a part of this function is that it compiles all this website positioning knowledge right into a single dashboard.
One factor I actually like about web site explorer is the way it provides location-specific site visitors insights. Plus, I can join these insights with content material adjustments and algorithm updates, proven by inexperienced circles and “a” symbols on the timeline.
Web site explorer additionally exhibits you natural key phrases by intent, lists your prime natural rivals, and categorizes crawled pages with their HTTP codes.
What G2 customers are saying:
“Ahrefs presents a number of options with an abundance of information to assist higher evaluation, such because the Web site Explorer instrument to see the place a web site stands in its total efficiency, the Key phrase Explorer instrument to search out trending low competitors key phrases to work on, the Web site Audit function to audit how efficient the efforts are and to establish gaps, and the Rank Tracker instrument to see how the location is performing compared to rivals.”
– Ahrefs Overview, Jayant G., Search Engine Optimization Analyst
Backlink checker
The Backlink checker does what it says; it exhibits you the entire backlink profile of an internet site.
Most website positioning instruments supply one thing comparable, however I just like the number of filters you need to use right here. For instance, you may filter backlinks by sorts, DR of internet sites from the place they arrive, site visitors of referring domains, anchor textual content, and even by date vary.
What G2 customers are saying:
“I can’t not point out the backlink profile. This instrument is superb for checking the standard and amount of backlinks each for my web site and my rivals. Seeing the hyperlink development over time, the highest referring domains, and the general backlink profile helps me fine-tune my link-building methods.”
– Ahrefs Overview, Sanjay G., Content material Technique Head
Aggressive evaluation
This function helps with a content material hole evaluation of your web site by evaluating what your rivals rank for versus what you don’t. Enter your web site’s area and one or two competitor URLs to get began.
The content material hole report presents a ton of information, however you need to know why you’re doing the aggressive evaluation within the first place. That’s when you need to use the completely different filters like SERP options, key phrase issue, key phrase, and search quantity in the best means.
For instance, if I’m engaged on a featured snippet undertaking, it is smart to trace which key phrases my rivals use to drive site visitors from featured snippets and AI overviews (AIOs). I’m not saying it’s important to write utilizing these key phrases. But when you have already got content material concentrating on them, it could be price optimizing them to rank for featured snippets or AIOs.
Key phrase explorer
That is maybe essentially the most generally used instrument by novices and professionals alike. Key phrase analysis instrument helps you to analyze key phrases, their search volumes, CPC, CTR, and the historical past of SERP positions.
I really like how Ahrefs has advanced over the previous few years to supply extra key phrase knowledge. You possibly can filter key phrases by mother or father matter, test how their search volumes have modified during the last 12 months, see their site visitors potential, and even assess their intent.
One other standout function for me is the flexibility to match as we speak’s SERP with what it seemed like three or six months in the past. It really works nice if you’re attempting to determine whether or not your article site visitors has dropped on account of intent shifts or competitor developments.
You may as well use AI to search out ache factors, technical ideas, and subtopics associated to your subjects.
Key phrase explorer helps discover knowledge on particular key phrases however doesn’t mechanically uncover new key phrases to focus on.
What G2 customers are saying:
“I like how Key phrase Explorer offers the key phrase with its issue and click on ratio. Click on ratio is essential for us; it is the true metric that helps us perceive whether or not to make it a main or secondary key phrase.”
– Ahrefs Overview, Nitin R., Vice President website positioning
Web site audit
Ahrefs’ web site audit options crawls and scans your web site pages for over 170 technical and on-page points, together with core internet vitals, indexability, social tags, redirects, and JS/CSS points. Ultimately, you get a well being rating that exhibits the proportion of error-free inner URLs in your web site. You additionally get suggestions on fixing technical and on-page website positioning points.
My tackle it? You don’t should be in technical website positioning to get essentially the most out of the location audit function. I just lately used the location audit to search out and repair pages with damaged hyperlinks and 404 errors as a part of an interlinking undertaking.
What G2 customers are saying:
“I’ve by no means seen such an in-depth but easy-to-understand breakdown of my web site’s well being. From efficiency points to damaged hyperlinks, from safety points to content material high quality, Ahrefs’ web site audit instrument provides me an in depth report with strategies for fixes. It is virtually like having a private website positioning marketing consultant!”
– Ahrefs Overview, Sanjay G., Content material Technique Head
Alternatives
Whenever you enter an internet site URL in Web site Explorer, you’ll come throughout the Alternatives function on the left panel. This part exhibits you low-hanging fruit key phrases, featured snippet alternatives, content material with declining site visitors, and a lot extra.
This function turns out to be useful once I wish to shortly consider completely different alternatives earlier than pursuing them.
Sufficient about the great things; let’s take a look at the place Ahrefs falls brief.
Three the explanation why G2 customers dislike Ahrefs
The notorious credit score system, together with excessive pricing and poor buyer assist, appears to be the highest the explanation why G2 customers dislike Ahrefs. Let’s break these down.
Credit score system
Ahrefs tracks knowledge utilization with credit. All instruments besides Web site Audit and Rank Tracker eat 1 credit score if you entry studies, apply filters, or request new knowledge. Standalone instruments like Batch Evaluation, Web page Examine, and Looker Studio additionally use credit if you entry them.
All pricing plans, besides the Lite plan, include limitless credit. On the Lite plan, you stand up to 500 credit per person every month, and in the event you go over that restrict, you’ll be charged further.
For customers on the Lite plan, extra credit price:
- $50 per 500 credit (pay-as-you-go), billed month-to-month
- $300 yearly to prepay for 500 further credit every month
Many customers aren’t massive followers of this credit score system, particularly companies managing a number of accounts.
What G2 customers are saying:
“The credit score system is just not ultimate for company customers. I’ve a yearly subscription of $1990, however it will price me a further $500 to $600 per thirty days, leading to a complete price of round $8000 per 12 months. With this finances, there are lots of different choices obtainable available in the market. It would not price as a lot even when I select to make use of 2 to three instruments concurrently.”
– Ahrefs Overview, Yannick X., Small Enterprise
Excessive costs
Customers discover Ahrefs’ pricing fashions complicated due to the credit score system. Some have additionally famous that Ahrefs’ costs are comparatively increased than these of different website positioning instruments obtainable in the marketplace.
What G2 customers are saying:
“It is pricing is at all times altering. After being pressured emigrate from a legacy account, I migrated to a costlier plan. After just a few weeks of utilizing it, I spotted I could not use to instrument anymore as a result of I hit my utilization restrict. That restrict? 600 occasions a month.
I’ve by no means used a instrument that’s this costly and has a primary utilization restrict. I pay over $2,000 a 12 months to be closely restricted within the utilization of the instrument. How am I anticipated to drive worth and study new options and functionalities of the instrument if I can not even use it to the day-to-day requirement degree?”
– Ahrefs Overview, Levi O., Affiliate Director, Content material Advertising
Poor buyer assist
Customers additionally cite a scarcity of empathetic customer support as another excuse they dislike Ahrefs. Some evaluations level out that customers couldn’t attain their CSMs after they wanted assist.
What G2 customers are saying:
“If you happen to made your account over two weeks in the past, you’re locked out of latest options underneath the identical plan on the similar value. The girl from the reside chat insisted the one technique to repair it was to cancel our account and begin a brand new one.
That is insane. Are new options being locked out from present subscribers on the similar degree? At earlier positions, I used to be in a position to make use of the beta model of latest options. Now, I can not even get what I paid for.
Customer support was of completely no assist. Simply the identical circles time and again. And once I tried to achieve out to the assist e-mail, it simply took me to the identical actual one who refused to assist us.”
– Ahrefs Overview, Brandon S., Search Engine Optimization Supervisor
Ahrefs pricing
Ahrefs presents 4 pricing choices: Lite, Commonplace, Superior, and Enterprise.
- Lite plan prices you $1,290 per 12 months or $129 per thirty days in the event you select to pay month-to-month. It options six months of historical past, 500 credit per person, and 750 tracked key phrases.
- Commonplace plan prices $2,490 per 12 months or $249 when paid month-to-month. It consists of 20 tasks, two years of historical past, limitless credit, and a pair of,000 tracked key phrases.
- Superior plan prices $4,490 per 12 months or $449 per thirty days. It options 5 years of historical past, limitless credit, 50 tasks, and 5,000 tracked key phrases.
- Enterprise plan prices $14,990 yearly. This plan provides you 100 tasks, limitless historical past, limitless credit, and 10,000 tracked key phrases.
What Ahrefs alternate options do G2 customers suggest?
Whereas Ahrefs continues to be a well-liked selection amongst content material advertising and website positioning professionals, G2 customers additionally suggest instruments like Google Search Console, Semrush, Moz Professional, and SE Rating.
Ahrefs: Often requested questions (FAQs)
Q. Does Ahrefs supply a free trial?
No, Ahrefs doesn’t supply a free trial, which might make it difficult for brand new customers to find out whether or not it’s the best match for them.
Q. Is Ahrefs free?
Ahrefs isn’t a free website positioning instrument. Nevertheless, web site homeowners can entry Ahrefs Webmaster instruments like Web site Explorer and Web site Audit without cost.
Q. Is Ahrefs correct?
In accordance with a research carried out by AuthorityHacker, Ahrefs has a median discrepancy of twenty-two.5% and 0.99 correlation with Google Search Console (GSC) knowledge. This exhibits that Ahrefs’ high quality of search site visitors estimations is at par with GSC.
Q. Ahrefs vs. Semrush: What do you have to select?
If you happen to’re simply value, Ahrefs comes out cheaper in the event you pay yearly. Semrush prices $117.33 a month, whereas Ahrefs prices $108 per thirty days on a yearly plan.
Ahrefs presents in-depth backlink evaluation, content material hole identification, and key phrase analysis, whereas Semrush offers sturdy options for website positioning, PPC, social media administration, and aggressive evaluation. I really feel Ahrefs fits content material entrepreneurs centered on natural development, whereas Semrush is finest for companies managing a number of facets of digital advertising.
Q. Moz vs. Ahrefs: Which is best for website positioning?
Moz is cheaper than Ahrefs. On a yearly plan, Ahrefs prices $108 per thirty days, whereas Moz begins at simply $39 per thirty days. Whereas each website positioning instruments give attention to Google, Moz additionally offers you with knowledge from search engines like google and yahoo like Yahoo and Bing.
A 2022 research by Tylor Hermanson and his workforce discovered Ahrefs ranked for twice as many key phrases as Semrush, which itself had greater than double the key phrases of Moz. For Tylor’s shoppers, Ahrefs delivered almost 5 instances the quantity of rating key phrases in comparison with Moz.
Q. Is Ahrefs costly?
Ahrefs and Moz supply comparable entry-level pricing. Semrush’s entry-level plan is barely increased at $117.33 per thirty days. I would suggest focusing in your particular wants and finances whereas evaluating Ahrefs with different website positioning instruments.
Q. Is Ahrefs protected?
Ahrefs is protected for enhancing web site visibility and natural site visitors. Nevertheless, relying on the bank card you utilize, it might ask for the final 4 digits of your Social Safety quantity if you create an account. This may be a difficulty in the event you’re utilizing an organization card.
Is Ahrefs price it or overrated? My sincere take
I promised I wouldn’t provide the traditional “it relies upon” reply. So, let’s reduce to the chase: Ahrefs is well worth the funding if it aligns along with your objectives and workforce construction.
Any funding in content material advertising instruments is just worthwhile if it helps you enhance the metrics that matter most to what you are promoting.
So, right here’s what you must ask your self: who in your workforce will truly use Ahrefs, and the way? In case your reply doesn’t contain not less than two folks, you could be higher off sticking with Google Search Console and Google Key phrase Planner.
However in the event you’re eager about getting Ahrefs for a workforce of writers, content material strategists, and website positioning specialists, you’ve received to ask your self just a few questions. Is your workforce aligned on objectives to totally profit from Ahrefs’ choices? Do you want complete knowledge past what free instruments present? Do you’ve got the finances to assist a long-term subscription? Do you’ve got the metrics to measure success with Ahrefs? Can Ahrefs combine easily into your present workflow?
If you happen to answered sure to the entire above, go for it! But when finances is a sticking level, loads of alternate options supply comparable aggressive insights that can assist you drive website positioning outcomes.
Try six AIO methods that your website positioning and content material advertising workforce can use to drive site visitors to your web site.
