SEO tools help you analyze keywords, check your website and competitors, monitor search rankings, etc. Two popular solutions are Mangools and Ahrefs. In this article, we will analyze each service: its capabilities, who it is suitable for, key pros and cons, as well as compare prices and user reviews. In the end, we will come to a clear conclusion about which tool may be better for most users.
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Spoiler — Mangools is better and here are its 5 main features:
3. More Than Enough Functionality
Mangools - A Lightweight Set of SEO Tools
Mangools is an easy-to-use set of SEO tools that is especially popular with bloggers, affiliate marketers, and small/medium businesses. Mangools has five main services: keyword research (KWFinder), competitor analysis (SiteProfiler), SERP analysis (SERPChecker), position tracking (SERPWatcher), and link analysis (LinkMiner).
The service provides accurate data on low-frequency (long-tail) keywords and their complexity, allows you to monitor changes in positions on a daily basis and see detailed search results metrics. Mangools is characterized by a user-friendly, intuitive interface - users say that “all the functions fall into place at once.” This makes the service suitable for both SEO beginners and experienced professionals.
Ahrefs - A Powerful SEO Suite for Professionals
Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool used by marketers and SEO experts in large companies. It is a set of premium services for analyzing websites, content, links, and audits. Ahrefs is known for its huge database: it has more than 35 trillion backlinks and over 110 billion keywords. Among the key tools are Site Explorer (analysis of other people's sites and links), Keywords Explorer (keyword search), Content Explorer (content analysis), Rank Tracker (position monitoring) and Site Audit (technical audit of the site).
Ahrefs quickly took the lead in backlink analysis and became one of the world's best backlink analysis tools. Its interface is more feature-rich, but may be less understandable for beginners. Ahrefs tools are suitable for large projects and corporate SEO teams - they provide extremely deep data and professional-level automation.
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Pros and Cons of Mangools
Pros of Mangools:
Easy for beginners: intuitive interface and design, high usability score (9.7/10 at G2 vs. 8.8 at Ahrefs). Users praise the clear navigation and fast support.
Budget plans: the cheapest plan starts at $29.90/month (with an annual payment), which is several times less than the initial price of Ahrefs. There are free tools and a trial period.
Works well with long-tail: KWFinder provides accurate data for low-frequency queries, which is useful for content.
Daily monitoring: SERPWatcher updates positions daily, unlike Ahrefs (online updates only less frequently).
Good support: Mangools gets 9.6/10 for the quality of support (vs. 8.3 for Ahrefs), there are help forms and documentation.
Cons of Mangools:
Limited data: Mangools database is much smaller. For example, the amount of keywords and backlinks in Mangools is minimal compared to Ahrefs' terabyte databases. This can affect the depth of analysis of large competitive sites.
No in-house website audit: Mangools doesn't have a full-fledged technical audit tool (server logs, deep crawl), and lacks advanced SEO features that Ahrefs has.
Focus on Google: Mangools is primarily focused on Google, so it doesn't have data on other search engines.
Suitable for beginners: due to the simplicity of the tools, it may be too small for very demanding SEO specialists.
Pros and Cons of Ahrefs
Pros of Ahrefs:
The most extensive data: the largest database of backlinks (~35 trillion) and queries (~110 billion). You will get an in-depth analysis of backlinks and competitors.
A comprehensive set of tools: in addition to the classic link analysis, Ahrefs has its own site audit, content tools, and advanced reports.
Filtering and analytics: powerful filters for keywords and links allow you to find even small niches.
Recognized leader: Ahrefs has been called “one of the best SEO tools I've used” (G2: “One of the Best SEO Tools I've Used”), especially for link analysis and content strategy.
Cons of Ahrefs:
High price: the Lite starter plan starts at $99/month (with an annual subscription, it's about $83), then $199 and up. This is much more than Mangools.
More complicated interface: less optimized for beginners (G2: UI gets 8.8/10). For a beginner, Ahrefs may seem overloaded with features.
Limitations of cheap plans: some useful features (technical audit, large amounts of data) are not available in the lowest plans or are updated less frequently. Users complain that the Lite version “provides only basic tools, and useful features are blocked on more expensive plans.”
There is no full-fledged free version: only a short trial period. Mangools has free mini-tools and a trial.
Price Comparison
The initial cost of Mangools is significantly lower than Ahrefs. As the comparison on Capterra shows, the Mangools Basic plan starts at $29.90 per month (annual fee), while Ahrefs Lite starts at $99/month.
Function |
Mangools |
Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
Basic tools |
KWFinder, SERPWatcher, SERPChecker, LinkMiner, SiteProfiler |
Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Content Explorer, Rank Tracker, Site Audit |
Search for keywords |
Convenient long-tail search with accurate complexity estimates |
Data set (>110 billion keys), detailed info |
Backlink analysis |
Basic analysis via LinkMiner |
Deep analysis (database >35 trillion links) |
Position tracking |
SERPWatcher with daily updates and reports |
Rank Tracker (daily updates only in expensive plans) |
Website audit |
Limited (analysis of SERPs, SEO metrics) |
Full website audit (checking errors, access, mobility) |
Convenience |
Very intuitive interface (user experience rating 9.7/10) |
Multifunctional, but more complex (8.8/10) |
Starting subscription price |
from $29.90/month (annual fee) |
from $99/month (annual fee) |
These figures already include a discount for a one-year subscription. In addition, Mangools provides free mini-tools and a free trial period, while Ahrefs offers only a short-term demo for $7. All in all, Mangools is much more cost-effective for a user on a budget.
User Reviews
From open sources, we can see the following. According to G2, Mangools has a 4.7/5 rating (≈90 reviews), while Ahrefs has a 4.5/5 rating (≈560 reviews). Mangools users often rave about its simplicity, with one review calling Mangools “attractive and less confusing than the big giants Ahrefs.” Others talk about the “great interface, fast navigation, and high intuitiveness.” Similarly, on Trustpilot, users note that “all the features are just ‘in place’ in Mangools and it's easy to use even for a beginner.”
Ahrefs, on the other hand, is praised for its analysis capabilities. One G2 reviewer wrote: “Ahrefs is one of the best SEO tools I've ever used” (especially for link analysis and auditing). However, other users complain about the high cost: “The price is too high, especially for freelancers.” Some on Trustpilot are outraged by the changes: “The Lite plan is practically useless - useful features are blocked at expensive rates... it makes no sense to pay $99 and not get all the features.” This is the general tone of the reviews: Mangools is friendly and intuitive but simpler, Ahrefs is powerful but expensive and more complex.
Why is Mangools the Better Choice?
Although Ahrefs has a huge database and features for professionals, in most cases Mangools is a better choice, and here's why:
1. Simplicity = Quick Start
Mangools is designed with the average user in mind. Everything is intuitive: clear graphs, tips, and a pleasant interface.
Even if you've never worked with SEO, you'll be able to analyze competitors and search for keywords in an hour. Ahrefs is more complicated - there is a lot of data, but you need to spend time to understand it.
2. Affordable Price
Not everyone can afford to pay $100+ per month. Mangools starts at $29.90/month, and you get full access to all the basic tools: keyword research, SERP analysis, backlink checking, position tracking, etc. For the same money, Ahrefs won't even give you access to half of its features.
3. More Than Enough Functionality
Yes, Mangools has fewer “advanced” tools, but for 80% of everyday SEO tasks, it is more than enough:
Quickly find keywords
Analyze competitors
Check links
Monitor site positions
For blogs, local businesses, online stores, and niche sites, you don't need much more.
4. Excellent Support and Documentation
Mangools responds quickly to inquiries, has a convenient knowledge base, and even YouTube guides. Newcomers get help almost instantly. This is a rarity even among big players.
5. Less is More
Ahrefs is like a big Swiss knife. But if you just need to open a jar, Mangools does it quickly, without any extra stuff. Fewer unnecessary buttons, less data that is “not relevant”, less confusion - more results.
Conclusion
Mangools is great for most users, especially beginners, bloggers, and small teams. It offers all the basic SEO features in a simple and straightforward format at an attractive price. The tool is intuitive even for a beginner and saves time on learning: G2 emphasizes its convenience, and users confirm that the UI is “the best I've seen.”
In turn, Ahrefs justifies its price for professionals and large projects: it provides deeper data and advanced features (the largest database of links, powerful audit). But for the average user, it may be overkill - especially given the higher cost.
So, if you're looking for a balanced tool for everyday SEO, Mangools is an excellent choice in terms of price and features. It provides the basic SEO tasks (keyword research, SERP and link analysis, tracking) and is easy to use. Ahrefs is worth considering when you need to use advanced technical features and huge data sets. For the majority of routine tasks, Mangools will provide a powerful start without extra costs.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Mangools is ideal for beginners, freelancers, bloggers, and small businesses. Ahrefs is more focused on large agencies, SEO teams, and those who work with large amounts of data.
In most cases, yes. If you don't do technical SEO audits at the enterprise level or analyze millions of pages, Mangools will give you everything you need: keywords, competitor analysis, links, positions.
Mangools offers a free trial and some mini-tools without registration. Ahrefs doesn't offer free full access, only limited demo access.
KWFinder (a Mangools tool) shows you the exact frequency, difficulty of keywords and competitors. It is especially good for finding long-tail (low-frequency) queries, which is useful for SEO content.
Yes. Through SiteProfiler and SERPChecker, you can see the key metrics of any website: authority, number of links, traffic, and positions in Google. This is useful for comparing with your competitors.
