Ahrefs begins at $108 a month, which provides as much as about $1,200 a yr for a plan designed for small companies. Should you’re a contract website positioning marketing consultant or run an enterprise, you will be shelling out wherever between $2,400 to $14,990 per yr.
Having used Ahrefs for practically eight years throughout freelance and full-time content material advertising and marketing 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 device ten years again. At the moment, it packs a whole lot 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 gained’t provide the basic ‘it relies upon’ reply we regularly hear in most website positioning and content material advertising and marketing conversations.
For context, some customers famous a 29% value enhance earlier this yr, which in all probability makes you consider potential future value hikes. On the flip aspect, Ahrefs launched a extra reasonably priced Starter plan, which provides you 100 credit for $29 each month.
When you can proceed utilizing their free webmaster instruments, what must you consider when contemplating an improve? Proceed studying my deep dive for these very solutions.
Ahrefs ranks #14 in line 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 for those who aren’t new to website positioning.
Ahrefs doesn’t provide 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 newbies might discover helpful. However for those who’re hoping to get critical work carried out, these free instruments gained’t take you far.
| Options | Free Instruments | Paid Plan |
| Dashboard | ||
| Website explorer | ||
| Key phrase explorer | ||
| Website audit | ||
| Rank tracker | ||
| Aggressive evaluation | ||
| SERP historical past | ||
| Web page examine |
Ahrefs gives eight free website positioning instruments:
- Key phrase generator: Generate as much as 20 key phrases
- Key phrase problem checker: Consider how arduous it’s to rank for a specific key phrase
- SERP checker: Take a look at the SERP overview of the primary 4 outcomes
- Key phrase rank checker: Test in case your web site ranks within the prime 100 for a selected key phrase
- Backlink checker: See the area ranking of your web site and the entire variety of backlinks
- Damaged hyperlink checker: Discover the variety of damaged hyperlinks in your web site
- Web site authority checker: Test your web site’s authority
- Web site visitors checker: See your web site’s natural visitors and visitors worth
As you may see, these instruments are fairly restricted. That mentioned, Ahrefs Webmaster Instruments provides web site house owners restricted free entry to web site explorer and web site audit options. Let’s get to the nice half and see if the paid plans are price your cash.
Are Ahrefs options definitely worth the value? What G2 customers assume
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 and marketing professionals who want information to determine what’s working, what isn’t, and what wants fixing. Let’s see how these options might help you:
Website explorer
That is the part the place you land after logging into Ahrefs. Website explorer analyzes an internet site’s natural visitors, complete key phrases, and backlinks. The most effective a part of this characteristic is that it compiles all this website positioning information right into a single dashboard.
One factor I actually like about web site explorer is the way it provides location-specific visitors insights. Plus, I can join these insights with content material modifications and algorithm updates, proven by inexperienced circles and “a” symbols on the timeline.
Website explorer additionally reveals you natural key phrases by intent, lists your prime natural opponents, and categorizes crawled pages with their HTTP codes.
What G2 customers are saying:
“Ahrefs gives a whole lot of options with an abundance of knowledge to assist higher evaluation, such because the Website Explorer device to see the place a web site stands in its total efficiency, the Key phrase Explorer device to search out trending low competitors key phrases to work on, the Website Audit characteristic to audit how efficient the efforts are and to determine gaps, and the Rank Tracker device to see how the location is performing compared to opponents.”
– Ahrefs Assessment, Jayant G., Search Engine Optimization Analyst
Backlink checker
The Backlink checker does what it says; it reveals you the whole backlink profile of an internet site.
Most website positioning instruments provide one thing related, however I just like the number of filters you should utilize right here. For instance, you may filter backlinks by varieties, DR of internet sites from the place they arrive, 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 device is great for checking the standard and amount of backlinks each for my web site and my opponents. Seeing the hyperlink development over time, the highest referring domains, and the general backlink profile helps me fine-tune my link-building methods.”
– Ahrefs Assessment, Sanjay G., Content material Technique Head
Aggressive evaluation
This characteristic helps with a content material hole evaluation of your web site by evaluating what your opponents 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 gives a ton of knowledge, however you should know why you’re doing the aggressive evaluation within the first place. That’s when you should utilize the totally different filters like SERP options, key phrase problem, key phrase, and search quantity in the correct means.
For instance, if I’m engaged on a featured snippet mission, it is smart to trace which key phrases my opponents use to drive visitors from featured snippets and AI overviews (AIOs). I’m not saying you need to write utilizing these key phrases. But when you have already got content material concentrating on them, it is perhaps price optimizing them to rank for featured snippets or AIOs.
Key phrase explorer
That is maybe essentially the most generally used device by newbies and professionals alike. Key phrase analysis device allows you to analyze key phrases, their search volumes, CPC, CTR, and the historical past of SERP positions.
I like how Ahrefs has advanced over the previous few years to supply extra key phrase information. You’ll be able to filter key phrases by father or mother matter, verify how their search volumes have modified during the last yr, see their visitors potential, and even assess their intent.
One other standout characteristic for me is the flexibility to match right now’s SERP with what it regarded like three or six months in the past. It really works nice whenever you’re attempting to determine whether or not your article visitors has dropped as a result of intent shifts or competitor developments.
You may also use AI to search out ache factors, technical ideas, and subtopics associated to your subjects.
Key phrase explorer helps discover information on particular key phrases however doesn’t robotically uncover new key phrases to focus on.
What G2 customers are saying:
“I like how Key phrase Explorer supplies the key phrase with its problem 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 major or secondary key phrase.”
– Ahrefs Assessment, Nitin R., Vice President website positioning
Website audit
Ahrefs’ web site audit options crawls and scans your web site pages for over 170 technical and on-page points, together with core net vitals, indexability, social tags, redirects, and JS/CSS points. Ultimately, you get a well being rating that reveals 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 need to be in technical website positioning to get essentially the most out of the location audit characteristic. I lately used the location audit to search out and repair pages with damaged hyperlinks and 404 errors as a part of an interlinking mission.
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 device provides me an in depth report with options for fixes. It is nearly like having a private website positioning marketing consultant!”
– Ahrefs Assessment, Sanjay G., Content material Technique Head
Alternatives
While you enter an internet site URL in Website Explorer, you’ll come throughout the Alternatives characteristic on the left panel. This part reveals you low-hanging fruit key phrases, featured snippet alternatives, content material with declining visitors, and a lot extra.
This characteristic is useful once I need to rapidly consider totally different alternatives earlier than pursuing them.
Sufficient about the great things; let’s have a look at the place Ahrefs falls quick.
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 information utilization with credit. All instruments besides Website Audit and Rank Tracker eat 1 credit score whenever you entry studies, apply filters, or request new information. Standalone instruments like Batch Evaluation, Web page Examine, and Looker Studio additionally use credit whenever you entry them.
All pricing plans, besides the Lite plan, include limitless credit. On the Lite plan, you rise up to 500 credit per consumer every month, and for those who go over that restrict, you’ll be charged further.
For customers on the Lite plan, further 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 huge followers of this credit score system, particularly businesses managing a number of accounts.
What G2 customers are saying:
“The credit score system just isn’t best for company customers. I’ve a yearly subscription of $1990, however it might price me an extra $500 to $600 per 30 days, leading to a complete price of round $8000 per yr. With this price range, there are lots of different choices obtainable out there. It would not price as a lot even when I select to make use of 2 to three instruments concurrently.”
– Ahrefs Assessment, Yannick X., Small Enterprise
Excessive costs
Customers discover Ahrefs’ pricing fashions advanced due to the credit score system. Some have additionally famous that Ahrefs’ costs are comparatively greater than these of different website positioning instruments obtainable in the marketplace.
What G2 customers are saying:
“It is pricing is all the time altering. After being compelled emigrate from a legacy account, I migrated to a costlier plan. After a couple of weeks of utilizing it, I noticed I could not use to device anymore as a result of I hit my utilization restrict. That restrict? 600 occasions a month.
I’ve by no means used a device that’s this costly and has a fundamental utilization restrict. I pay over $2,000 a yr to be closely restricted within the utilization of the device. How am I anticipated to drive worth and be taught new options and functionalities of the device if I can not even use it to the day-to-day requirement stage?”
– Ahrefs Assessment, Levi O., Affiliate Director, Content material Advertising and marketing
Poor buyer assist
Customers additionally cite a scarcity of empathetic customer support as another excuse they dislike Ahrefs. Some critiques level out that customers couldn’t attain their CSMs once they wanted assist.
What G2 customers are saying:
“Should you made your account over two weeks in the past, you’re locked out of recent options underneath the identical plan on the identical value. The woman from the reside chat insisted the one option to repair it was to cancel our account and begin a brand new one.
That is insane. Are new options being locked out from current subscribers on the identical stage? At earlier positions, I used to be in a position to make use of the beta model of recent 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 succeed in out to the assist e mail, it simply took me to the identical precise one that refused to assist us.”
– Ahrefs Assessment, Brandon S., Search Engine Optimization Supervisor
Ahrefs pricing
Ahrefs gives 4 pricing choices: Lite, Normal, Superior, and Enterprise.
- Lite plan prices you $1,290 per yr or $129 per 30 days for those who select to pay month-to-month. It options six months of historical past, 500 credit per consumer, and 750 tracked key phrases.
- Normal plan prices $2,490 per yr 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 yr or $449 per 30 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 advocate?
Whereas Ahrefs continues to be a preferred alternative amongst content material advertising and marketing and website positioning professionals, G2 customers additionally advocate instruments like Google Search Console, Semrush, Moz Professional, and SE Rating.
Ahrefs: Steadily requested questions (FAQs)
Q. Does Ahrefs provide a free trial?
No, Ahrefs doesn’t provide a free trial, which might make it difficult for brand new customers to find out whether or not it’s the correct match for them.
Q. Is Ahrefs free?
Ahrefs isn’t a free website positioning device. Nonetheless, web site house owners can entry Ahrefs Webmaster instruments like Website Explorer and Website Audit free of charge.
Q. Is Ahrefs correct?
In line with a examine performed by AuthorityHacker, Ahrefs has a median discrepancy of twenty-two.5% and 0.99 correlation with Google Search Console (GSC) information. This reveals that Ahrefs’ high quality of search visitors estimations is at par with GSC.
Q. Ahrefs vs. Semrush: What must you select?
Should you’re simply value, Ahrefs comes out cheaper for those who pay yearly. Semrush prices $117.33 a month, whereas Ahrefs prices $108 per 30 days on a yearly plan.
Ahrefs gives in-depth backlink evaluation, content material hole identification, and key phrase analysis, whereas Semrush supplies strong 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 greatest for businesses managing a number of points of digital advertising and marketing.
Q. Moz vs. Ahrefs: Which is healthier for website positioning?
Moz is cheaper than Ahrefs. On a yearly plan, Ahrefs prices $108 per 30 days, whereas Moz begins at simply $39 per 30 days. Whereas each website positioning instruments concentrate on Google, Moz additionally supplies you with information from engines like google like Yahoo and Bing.
A 2022 examine by Tylor Hermanson and his crew 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 purchasers, Ahrefs delivered practically 5 instances the quantity of rating key phrases in comparison with Moz.
Q. Is Ahrefs costly?
Ahrefs and Moz provide comparable entry-level pricing. Semrush’s entry-level plan is barely greater at $117.33 per 30 days. I would advocate focusing in your particular wants and price range whereas evaluating Ahrefs with different website positioning instruments.
Q. Is Ahrefs secure?
Ahrefs is secure for enhancing web site visibility and natural visitors. Nonetheless, relying on the bank card you employ, it could ask for the final 4 digits of your Social Safety quantity whenever you create an account. This may be a difficulty for those who’re utilizing an organization card.
Is Ahrefs price it or overrated? My sincere take
I promised I wouldn’t provide the basic “it relies upon” reply. So, let’s reduce to the chase: Ahrefs is definitely worth the funding if it aligns along with your objectives and crew construction.
Any funding in content material advertising and marketing instruments is barely worthwhile if it helps you enhance the metrics that matter most to your small business.
So, right here’s what it’s best to ask your self: who in your crew will truly use Ahrefs, and the way? In case your reply doesn’t contain a minimum of two individuals, you is perhaps higher off sticking with Google Search Console and Google Key phrase Planner.
However for those who’re interested by getting Ahrefs for a crew of writers, content material strategists, and website positioning specialists, you’ve acquired to ask your self a couple of questions. Is your crew aligned on objectives to totally profit from Ahrefs’ choices? Do you want complete information past what free instruments present? Do you’ve got the price range 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?
Should you answered sure to the entire above, go for it! But when price range is a sticking level, loads of alternate options provide related aggressive insights that will help you drive website positioning outcomes.
Try six AIO methods that your website positioning and content material advertising and marketing crew can use to drive visitors to your web site.