Updated October 2026. Prices are list prices with monthly billing (excl. VAT) unless stated otherwise and can change. Check the vendor's site before buying.
Ahrefs is one of the strongest SEO platforms on the market, but it isn't cheap. The Lite plan starts at $129/month, every extra user costs more, and most reports run on monthly credits. That is why many marketers, freelancers and small agencies look for Ahrefs alternatives: tools that cover the same jobs (keyword research, rank tracking, backlink analysis and site audits) for less money, with higher limits, or with a simpler interface.
Below we compare 7 tools like Ahrefs. The list runs from a free Ahrefs alternative for beginners to full-scale Ahrefs competitors for agencies. Each tool gets current pricing, pros and cons, and a clear verdict on how it stacks up against Ahrefs.
Quick answer: the best Ahrefs alternative for each use case
- Best all-in-one alternative: Semrush
- Best value for agencies and teams: SE Ranking
- Best cheap keyword research tool: Mangools
- Easiest for beginners: Morningscore
- Best budget rank tracker: Serpple
- Best free Ahrefs alternative: Diib (free plan)
- Best for traffic and market research: Similarweb
Looking for AI-powered tools? See our list of the best AI SEO software and pick the best option for your business.
What Is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO platform launched by Dmitry Gerasimenko in 2010. It became famous for one of the largest backlink indexes in the industry. Today its core toolkit includes Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Rank Tracker, Site Audit and Content Explorer, all in one interface that SEO professionals around the world rely on.
Ahrefs constantly crawls the web to keep its link and keyword data fresh. SEO specialists use it to analyze competitors' backlinks and organic keywords, find content gaps and link-building opportunities, track rankings and audit technical issues. The data is excellent, but the pricing model makes it hard to justify for many small teams.
Why Look for an Ahrefs Alternative?
- Price. Lite starts at $129/month, Standard at $249 and Advanced at $449. The cheaper Starter plan ($29) is heavily limited.
- Credits and limits. Opening reports, filtering and exporting use up monthly credits, so heavy research can hit the ceiling quickly. Lite also tracks only 750 keywords.
- Per-seat billing. Each plan includes one user, and extra seats are billed separately.
- Specialized needs. If you only need rank tracking or keyword research, you end up paying for tools you never open.
Note: not every alternative is cheaper. Semrush and Similarweb cost about the same or more but offer different data. Others win on limits or simplicity. We point this out for every tool below.
7 Best Ahrefs Alternatives in 2026
1. Morningscore: Simple SEO Dashboard with a Gamified Twist
Best for: small businesses, in-house marketers and small agencies that want an easy SEO tool without a learning curve.
Morningscore combines rank tracking, keyword research, backlink monitoring and a website health check in one clean dashboard.
Its signature feature is gamification. SEO tasks become "missions" and your website gets an overall score, so even non-specialists can see their progress at a glance.
Pricing: from $69/month (Lite). Yearly billing gives you 2 months free. There is a 14-day free trial but no free plan.
Pros
- Very easy to learn thanks to the mission-based workflow
- Clear overview of rankings and competitors
- API access included in all plans
- Roughly half the price of Ahrefs Lite
Cons
- Smaller keyword and backlink database than Ahrefs
- No advanced content research (like Content Explorer) or PPC data
- Too simple for in-depth technical SEO
Compared to Ahrefs: Morningscore covers the SEO metrics most small teams check every week, at about half the price of Ahrefs Lite. It doesn't match Ahrefs' data depth, but it wins on usability, which makes it a strong Ahrefs alternative for everyday SEO monitoring.
2. Mangools: Budget Keyword Research and Rank Tracking Suite
Best for: SEO beginners, bloggers and small teams on a tight budget.
Mangools bundles five tools: KWFinder (keyword research), SERPChecker (SERP analysis), SERPWatcher (rank tracking), LinkMiner (backlinks) and SiteProfiler (domain metrics).
The interface is one of the friendliest on the market, and KWFinder's keyword difficulty score is a favorite with bloggers. However, Mangools has no full site audit or content optimization tools.
Pricing: Entry from $29/month, or $19.90/month billed annually. Basic is $49/month ($29.90/month annually). A free account with limited daily lookups is available, and every paid plan comes with a 48-hour money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Clean, beginner-friendly interface
- Clear keyword difficulty scores and SERP overview
- All five tools included in every plan
- One of the cheapest paid options on this list
Cons
- No site audit or content tools
- Smaller backlink index than Ahrefs
- Daily lookup limits even on paid plans
Compared to Ahrefs: Mangools is a cheaper alternative to Ahrefs focused on keyword research and rank tracking. It works well for budget users, but it lacks Ahrefs' backlink depth, site audits and advanced reports.
3. SE Ranking: Full-Featured SEO Platform with Generous Limits
Best for: agencies, freelancers and in-house SEO teams that need a complete toolkit and many tracked keywords.
SE Ranking covers rank tracking on Google, Bing and YouTube, keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink monitoring and website audits in one place.
In 2026 it also tracks brand visibility in AI search (Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity). It integrates with Google Analytics, Search Console and Looker Studio.
Pricing:
- Core: $129/month ($103.20/month billed annually), with 10 projects, 2,000 keywords and 100 AI prompts tracked daily.
- Growth: $279/month ($223.20/month annually), with 30 projects, 3 seats and 5,000 keywords.
There is a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Pros
- Rank tracking, audits, backlinks and keyword research in one toolkit
- Much higher tracking limits than Ahrefs at a similar price
- AI search visibility tracking
- White-label reports for agencies
Cons
- Smaller backlink database than Ahrefs
- The interface can feel busy at first
- Some features require add-ons
Compared to Ahrefs: SE Ranking's Core plan costs about the same as Ahrefs Lite but tracks 2,000 keywords daily instead of 750, so it gives much more capacity for the money. Ahrefs still has the stronger backlink data. For teams that live in rank tracking and audits, SE Ranking is one of the best Ahrefs alternatives.
4. Serpple: Focused Daily Rank Tracker
Best for: bloggers, consultants and small agencies that need accurate daily ranking data and nothing else.
Serpple is built around rank tracking. It updates Google rankings daily on desktop and mobile, tracks competitors, and flags SERP changes such as new ads and keyword cannibalization.
Keyword performance is shown in clear charts and tables, which makes it easy to report results without extra SEO features you don't need.
Pricing: from $19/month. All plans include a 14-day free trial.
Pros
- Daily ranking updates on desktop and mobile
- Competitor tracking and ranking history
- Cannibalization and SERP change alerts
- Very affordable
Cons
- No backlink or content research
- Limited keyword research
- Only light SEO audits
Need deeper competitor research? See our list of the best SEO competitor analysis tools.
Compared to Ahrefs: Serpple is a much cheaper Ahrefs alternative if you only need rank tracking. It has no backlink or content data, but it is very good at watching SERPs across devices and against competitors.
5. Similarweb: Traffic Insights and Market Intelligence
Best for: marketers and analysts who research competitors' traffic, audiences and industry trends.
Similarweb isn't a classic SEO tool. Its strength is estimating any website's traffic, engagement and traffic sources: search, referral, social, paid and direct.
Use it to benchmark your performance, spot market trends and see which channels drive your competitors' growth.
Pricing: a free version is available. Starter costs about $125/month billed annually, and monthly billing costs more. Team and Enterprise plans are sold on annual contracts through sales.
Pros
- Detailed traffic and audience estimates
- Breakdown of marketing channels and referrals
- Useful for industry benchmarking
- Helpful free version
Cons
- Expensive for small teams
- No backlink analysis or site audit
- Sparse data for small websites
Compared to Ahrefs: Similarweb doesn't replace Ahrefs for link building or technical SEO. Instead it adds what Ahrefs lacks: a full picture of competitors' traffic across all channels. It is a smart Ahrefs alternative, or companion, if competitive traffic research is your priority.
6. Semrush: All-in-One SEO and Marketing Suite
Best for: agencies and marketers who need SEO, PPC, content and competitor research in one platform.
Semrush is Ahrefs' closest competitor. It covers keyword research, site audits, backlink analysis and rank tracking, and adds PPC and Google Ads research, content marketing, local SEO and social media tools.
Keyword Gap and Backlink Gap make it easy to find what competitors rank and get links for that you don't.
Pricing: Pro is $139.95/month ($117.33/month billed annually), Guru $249.95/month and Business $499.95/month. A 7-day free trial is available.
Pros
- Strongest combination of SEO and PPC data
- Keyword Gap and Backlink Gap tools
- Content marketing and social media toolkits
- Built for team collaboration and reporting
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Costs rise quickly as you scale
- Slightly more expensive than Ahrefs Lite at entry level
Compared to Ahrefs: in the classic "Ahrefs vs Semrush" debate, Ahrefs is usually preferred for backlink research and simplicity. Semrush wins on breadth, especially PPC, content and local SEO. It isn't a cheaper option, but it is the top Ahrefs alternative for all-in-one digital marketing.
7. Diib: Beginner-Friendly SEO and Growth Tool
Best for: freelancers, startups and website owners with little technical SEO knowledge.
Diib gives you a quick website audit, a daily health score and plain-language growth recommendations.
It pulls data from Google Analytics and other sources to monitor SEO, site speed and security, so you understand what to fix without any technical expertise.
Pricing: the basic plan is free. Pro costs $99 for the first month (including onboarding bonuses), then $14.99/month. Pro adds full keyword and backlink data, competitor tracking and weekly reports.
Pros
- Free plan plus a very low ongoing price
- Easy-to-understand dashboard and health score
- Actionable growth tips
- Monitors SEO, speed and security together
Cons
- Limited keyword and backlink data
- Not suitable for advanced SEO work
- The free plan is quite restricted
Compared to Ahrefs: Diib is a great free or low-cost Ahrefs alternative for beginners who want to keep their website healthy. It doesn't come close to Ahrefs in data depth or link analysis, so serious SEO work still needs a professional tool.
Ahrefs Alternatives Comparison Table
| Tool | Starting price | Free option | Strongest at | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs (baseline) | $129/month (Lite); $29 Starter | Limited free plan for site owners | Backlink data | Advanced SEO |
| Morningscore | $69/month | 14-day trial | Gamified, simple dashboard | Beginners, small businesses |
| Mangools | $29/month ($19.90 billed annually) | Free limited account | Keyword research | Bloggers, budget users |
| SE Ranking | $129/month ($103.20 billed annually) | 14-day trial | Limits per dollar, AI visibility | Agencies, SEO teams |
| Serpple | $19/month | 14-day trial | Daily rank tracking | Bloggers, small sites |
| Similarweb | ~$125/month (billed annually) | Free version | Traffic and market intelligence | Analysts, marketers |
| Semrush | $139.95/month | 7-day trial | SEO + PPC + content | Agencies, professionals |
| Diib | $14.99/month (after a $99 first month) | Free plan | Automated health score | Beginners, small businesses |
Which Ahrefs Alternative Should You Choose?
There is no single replacement for Ahrefs. The best Ahrefs alternative depends on which features you actually use:
- You need everything in one place (SEO, PPC, content): Semrush.
- You track many keywords and run audits for clients: SE Ranking.
- You mainly do keyword research on a budget: Mangools.
- You only need daily rank tracking: Serpple.
- You're new to SEO and want guidance: Morningscore or Diib.
- You research competitors' traffic and markets: Similarweb.
If backlink research is the core of your work, Ahrefs is still hard to beat. For most other jobs, one of these tools will give you similar results for less money or with fewer limits.
We hope you found the right tool for your needs. For more comparisons, check out our blog.
