Ahrefs

Industry-standard SEO toolset built on the largest live backlink index.

What is Ahrefs?

Ahrefs is one of the two reference SEO platforms, built on a crawler that processes billions of pages daily to maintain the industry's best-regarded backlink index. Site Explorer reveals any site's backlinks, top pages, and organic keywords; Keywords Explorer covers keyword research across Google, YouTube, Amazon, and other engines with clickstream-calibrated volumes; Site Audit handles technical crawls; and Rank Tracker monitors positions. Recent years added AI features (AI keyword suggestions, content grader) and Brand Radar for tracking mentions in AI search. The free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools tier covers audits and backlink data for sites you own, while paid plans start far below the old entry point with the $29 Starter plan.

Key Features

Site Explorer: backlinks, organic keywords, and traffic for any site

Keywords Explorer across Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, and more

Site Audit with scheduled technical crawls

Rank Tracker with location and device segmentation

Brand Radar for AI-search and brand mention visibility

Use Cases

Reverse-engineer competitors' top content and link sources
Build keyword clusters with reliable difficulty scores
Audit technical SEO issues on a schedule
Find broken-link and unlinked-mention link opportunities

How to Use Ahrefs

1Verify your site in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for free audits
2Use Keywords Explorer to build a prioritized keyword list
3Analyze ranking competitors in Site Explorer
4Track target keywords and fix audit issues over time

Best For

SEO professionals and agenciesContent teams doing serious keyword researchLink builders

FAQ

How much does Ahrefs cost?

The Starter plan is $29/month with credit-based limits; Lite starts at $129/month and Standard at $249/month. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for verified sites you own, covering audits and backlink data.

Ahrefs or Semrush — which should I pick?

Ahrefs is generally preferred for backlink analysis and a cleaner content/SEO workflow; Semrush bundles broader marketing features including PPC, social, and local SEO. Many agencies run both.

Is there a free version of Ahrefs?

Yes — Ahrefs Webmaster Tools gives verified site owners free access to Site Audit and Site Explorer data for their own sites, plus limited keyword tools.

Looking for Ahrefs alternatives?

Compare 3 hand-picked alternatives by pricing, free plans, and open-source availability.

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Compare Ahrefs side by side

In-depth, editor-written comparisons with a clear verdict.

Ahrefs vs Semrush

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