Best Ahrefs Alternatives in 2026
Advertising disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them we may earn a commission — at no extra cost to you. This never affects our rankings or reviews.
Ahrefs has the backlink data everyone wants and a price tag plus credit limits that not everyone can live with. Here's what to use instead, depending on what you actually need it for.
Why people look for a Ahrefs alternative
Two frustrations dominate: cost with no proper free trial, and credit limits on lower plans that cut research sessions short. Others simply need PPC and content tools Ahrefs doesn't cover.
Where Ahrefs falls short
- No free trial
- Credit limits on lower plans
Ahrefs vs the alternatives
| Platform | BP Score | From | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs (current) | 4.2 | From ~$129/mo; free Webmaster Tools | SEOs who prioritize link data and content research | |
| Semrush | 4.2 | From ~$139/mo, free trial available | Marketers who want everything from keywords to ads in one place | Visit |
| SE Ranking | 4.3 | From ~$52/mo | Freelancers and SMBs who want pro features affordably | Visit |
The best alternatives, ranked
Semrush
The broader suite — SEO plus PPC, content and social — if you need more than links.
The affordable all-rounder for freelancers and small agencies, with white-label client reporting.
Stay with Ahrefs if link data drives your strategy. Nothing else matches the index quality, and the interface is the fastest in the category.
FAQ
Is there a free Ahrefs alternative?
Ahrefs' own Webmaster Tools are free for verified sites. For broader free data, Google Search Console covers your own performance but not competitors.
Semrush or Ahrefs?
Semrush for breadth across marketing channels; Ahrefs for the best backlink and content research data.
Why is Ahrefs so expensive?
It maintains one of the largest live web crawls in existence. That infrastructure is the product, and it's genuinely costly to run.
Read our full Ahrefs review or browse all seo & analytics.
