Ahrefs
Free planSEO research on its own web crawler: backlinks, keywords, site audits, rank tracking and AI search visibility.
Best for SEO consultants and in-house teams who need deep backlink and keyword data for competitor research
Facts checked November 4, 2026 · First written by Mutuo Mbilla
The short answer
Ahrefs runs its own crawler and keyword database (28.7 billion keywords across 217 locations, by its own count), and its Site Explorer shows any competitor's backlinks, keywords and top pages in one report. Full plans start at $129 a month for Lite, but Lite caps each user at 1,000 credits and six months of history, which is why Ahrefs points freelancers and consultants to Standard at $249. It now also tracks how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI answers mention your brand. The catches are a weekly-only Rank Tracker, no free trial and paid extras such as additional users and Report Builder, though Ahrefs Free gives verified site owners Site Explorer and Site Audit data on their own sites.
Choose it if
- Backlink research is central to your work: who links to competitors, which of their links broke, and which sites link to rivals but not to you
- You want keyword difficulty, traffic potential and keyword clusters drawn from a large keyword database
- You run SEO for between 5 and 50 sites and want regular site audits on each
- You want to see how AI answers mention your brand next to your organic search data
- You own a site and want free data on it through Ahrefs Free
Skip it if
- You need daily rank updates, since Rank Tracker updates weekly on every plan
- You want to try the paid tools free first; Ahrefs says it never runs discounts or free trials
- Your whole SEO budget is under $100 a month and the limited $29 Starter plan won't cover your work
- Several people need logins on a tight budget, because each extra user costs $40 to $80 a month
- You need white-label client dashboards that mix SEO with ads and social data
Main features
Site Explorer
Shows any site's backlinks, referring domains, organic keywords, top pages and estimated traffic. Ahrefs says its backlink index takes in fresh data every 15 to 30 minutes, and Standard adds broken backlinks, outgoing links and linking authors.
Keywords Explorer
Gives search volume, keyword difficulty and traffic potential for 28.7 billion keywords in 217 locations. Standard adds keyword clusters, search intents, AI suggestions and translations.
Site Audit
Crawls your site for technical and on-page problems and tracks a Health Score. Paid plans include an always-on audit that keeps checking between full crawls, and Ahrefs Free checks more than 170 issues on verified sites.
Rank Tracker
Tracks desktop and mobile rankings in more than 190 locations, down to ZIP code, with competitors beside you. Updates are weekly on every plan.
Brand Radar and prompt tracking
Tracks mentions, citations and share of voice for your brand in Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot, with Claude added for your own prompts. Lite tracks 5 prompts daily, up to 150 checks a month.
Content Explorer
On Standard and above, you search the web's pages by topic to find popular content, unlinked mentions of your brand and sites to approach for links.
Competitive analysis
Content Gap lists keywords competitors rank for and you don't, and Link Intersect lists sites that link to several rivals but not to you.
API and MCP server
Every core plan includes API and MCP access, so you can pull Ahrefs data into your own scripts or ask an AI assistant about it. Lite returns up to 100 rows per request and Advanced up to 500.
Web Analytics and Report Builder
Web Analytics measures visits to your own site. Report Builder, a $99 add-on, combines Ahrefs data into scheduled reports, and Advanced adds a Looker Studio connection.
Pricing
Prices checked on November 4, 2026, in US dollars on monthly billing. Every core plan includes one user: Lite can add 2 more at $40 a month each, Standard 5 at $60 and Advanced 10 at $80. Optional add-ons include Report Builder ($99 a month), Traffic Analytics ($99 a month), Project Boost Pro ($20 a month per project) and Brand Radar AI (from $199 a month). Ahrefs does not usually issue refunds; on a monthly plan you can ask for one if you haven't used the service.
Ahrefs Free
$0
Site Explorer and Site Audit for verified sites, 5,000 crawl credits a month per project, Web Analytics, SEO Toolbar
Starter
$29 / month
Credit-based entry plan for Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit and Rank Tracker; monthly billing only, no extra users or add-ons
Lite
$129 / month
5 unverified projects, 750 tracked keywords, 150 AI prompt checks, 100,000 crawl credits, 6 months of history, 1,000 credits per user, API and MCP access; $1,290 a year
Standard
$249 / month
20 unverified projects, 2,000 tracked keywords, 300 AI prompt checks, 500,000 crawl credits, 2 years of history, unlimited credits, Content Explorer and Portfolios; $2,490 a year
Advanced
$449 / month
50 unverified projects, 5,000 tracked keywords, 600 AI prompt checks, 1.5 million crawl credits, 5 years of history, Looker Studio integration; $4,490 a year
Enterprise
$1,499 / month
From 3 users, 10,000+ tracked keywords, unlimited history, uncapped API, SSO and audit log; yearly commitment required
Reviews
Write a reviewNo reviews yet. If you use Ahrefs, yours would be the first.
Alternatives to Ahrefs
| Product | Choose it instead if | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Semrush | You want daily position tracking, advertising research and a 7-day free trial in the same toolset | Free |
| SE Ranking | You want 2,000 keywords tracked daily on the entry plan and a 14-day trial with no card | $129 a month (Core), or... |
| WebCEO | You want the best for agencies that want white-label SEO tools on their own domain and a bill that grows with each client site | $32 a month (Solo, bille... |
| SEO PowerSuite | You want the best for SEO consultants and agencies who track a lot of keywords, want one yearly fee with no credit limits and are happy working in desktop apps | Free version with no tim... |
| SERPed.net | You run a small agency and want rank tracking, site audits and 250 white-label audits a month for 20 sites on a $79 monthly plan | $7 for the first 30 days... |
| AgencyAnalytics | Your main job is reporting SEO, ads and social results to clients, priced per client | $20 per client a month,... |
Questions people ask
Does Ahrefs have a free trial?
No. Ahrefs says it never runs discounts or free trials. Instead it offers Ahrefs Free, which gives website owners limited free access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for sites they verify.
How much does Ahrefs cost?
On November 4, 2026, Lite costs $129 a month, Standard $249, Advanced $449 and Enterprise $1,499 with a yearly commitment. Paying yearly costs $1,290, $2,490 and $4,490 for the first three. A smaller Starter plan costs $29 a month.
What is Ahrefs Free?
Ahrefs Free is the renamed Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. Once you verify you own a site, you get Site Explorer data on it, Site Audit with 5,000 crawl credits a month per project, Web Analytics and the SEO Toolbar. It has no expiry and needs no credit card.
Is Lite enough, or do I need Standard?
Lite suits one person checking a few sites, but it allows 1,000 credits per user a month and six months of history. Standard removes the credit cap, keeps two years of history and adds Content Explorer, Portfolios, broken backlink reports and keyword clusters.
How often does Ahrefs Rank Tracker update?
Rankings update weekly on every plan, including Enterprise. If you need daily positions, a tool such as SE Ranking or Semrush tracks keywords daily.
Can I add more users?
Each core plan includes one user. Lite can add up to 2 more at $40 a month each, Standard up to 5 at $60 and Advanced up to 10 at $80. Enterprise starts with 3 users.
Does Ahrefs give refunds?
Ahrefs says it does not issue refunds in general. On a monthly plan you can ask for one if you haven't used the service, but it may refuse if your account shows real use. You can cancel at any time and keep access until the period ends.
Sources we checked 14
- ahrefs.com/pricing for US dollar prices, yearly prices in page data, plan limits, users, add-ons, FAQ, refunds, payment methods, company address checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/media-kit for founding year, founder, headquarters checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/about for team size, Singapore office checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/free for Ahrefs Free contents, limits and renaming from Webmaster Tools checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/blog/starter-plan for Starter plan tools and restrictions checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/keywords-explorer for keyword database size and locations checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/big-data for backlink index update frequency checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/rank-tracker for update frequency, devices, locations checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/brand-radar for AI platforms covered, prompt limits per plan checked November 4, 2026
- ahrefs.com/seo-toolbar for browser extension support checked November 4, 2026
- help.ahrefs.com/en for help center checked November 4, 2026
- semrush.com/prices for Semrush free plan, trial and toolkits for comparison checked November 4, 2026
- seranking.com/subscription.html for SE Ranking daily tracking and trial for comparison checked November 4, 2026
- serped.net/plans-and-pricing.php for SERPed.net Premium plan for comparison checked November 4, 2026