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Updated 11 Nov 2026 · prices read on vendor pages

9 best Ahrefs alternatives in 2027

Mehmet ElmicenniReviewed by Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai•Prices checked •How we check

The short answer

The best Ahrefs alternatives in 2027 are Semrush (best overall, $139/mo), OpenSEO (best open source, MIT) and Moz Pro (cheaper, $99/mo). Ahrefs itself starts at $129/mo. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on 11 Nov 2026; 6 more are compared below, including 2 open source.

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Best overallSee in table →
Semrush logo

Semrush

$139/mo · free plan

8.6
Best open sourceSee in table →
OpenSEO logo

OpenSEO

Free to self-host · MIT

8.0
9alternatives compared
1with a free plan
3open source
$99/mocheapest paid · Moz Pro
$129/moAhrefs starts at
01 · Zekai Price Ledger

Which Ahrefs alternatives are worth it in 2027?

Ahrefs alternatives worth considering in 2027 include Semrush for AI-visibility bundling, Moz Pro and SE Ranking for lower-cost plans, Mangools for simple tools, and Conductor or Botify for enterprise sites. Open-source options such as OpenSEO and claude-seo trade a hosted dashboard for pay-per-request data and agent skills.

ToolTypeStarting priceFree plan limitBest forCost for your teamChecked
Ahrefs logo
AhrefsThe tool you are replacing
 You are here
$129/moLite, billed monthly (Starter from $29/mo)
 Ahrefs Free: limited Site Explorer and Site Audit backlink data and competitor research — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Semrush logo
Semrush Zekai score 8.6Best overall
 Free plan + paid
$139/moSEO plan, billed monthly
 1 demo project, 10 reports a day SEO and AI visibility in one suite — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Moz Pro logo
Moz Pro Zekai score 7.6Cheapest paid
$99/moStandard, billed monthly ($79/mo billed yearly)
 No free plan small sites needing SEO basics — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
SE Ranking logo
SE Ranking Zekai score 8.0
$129/moCore, billed monthly ($103.20/mo billed yearly)
 No free plan agencies and in-house teams on a budget — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Mangools logo
Mangools Zekai score 8.0
Not checked
 No free plan solo SEOs wanting simple tools — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Conductor logo
Conductor Zekai score 6.3
Not checkedNo public price; Essentials has a free-trial link
 No free plan enterprise content and SEO teams — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Botify logo
Botify Zekai score 7.7
Not checkedNo public price; demo request only
 No free plan large sites with crawl-heavy SEO — 11 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
OpenSEO logo
OpenSEO Zekai score 8.0Best open source
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) MCP-ready SEO with pay-as-you-go data $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
claude-seo logo
claude-seo Zekai score 7.8
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) SEO audits inside Claude Code $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
open-seo-mcp-skills logo
open-seo-mcp-skills Zekai score 7.5
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) SEO from your own GSC and GA4 data $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗

Every price was read on the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. The Cost Finder assumes one entry plan per person, so it multiplies by your team size; yearly prices are shown per month, and team or business plans can cost more per seat. "Not checked" means we could not confirm a public price.

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02 · Free plan

Is there a free version of Ahrefs?

Yes. Ahrefs Free gives limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit, and the Webmaster Tools page says it covers free website analytics, technical audit and SEO metrics for your verified websites. Paid plans start with Starter at $29 a month, then Lite at $129.

Source: Ahrefs pricing page, read 11 Nov 2026.

Free$0

Ahrefs Free: limited Site Explorer and Site Audit

Paid from$129/mo

Lite, billed monthly (Starter from $29/mo)

03 · Free alternatives

What are the best free Ahrefs alternatives?

No full Ahrefs replacement is free. Semrush Free offers 1 demo project and 10 reports a day, Mangools offers a free account with limited use, and SE Ranking gives a 14-day trial without a card. For ongoing zero licence cost, OpenSEO and open-seo-mcp-skills are MIT-licensed, though OpenSEO bills DataForSEO usage.

Semrush logo

Semrush

Best overallFree plan + paid
1 demo project, 10 reports a day
Paid from $139/mo
vs Ahrefs →Zekai review
04 · Open source

What are the best open-source Ahrefs alternatives?

The best open-source Ahrefs alternatives are OpenSEO, which covers keyword research, rank tracking, backlinks and audits with your own DataForSEO key, and claude-seo, a Claude Code skill bundle with an optional Ahrefs extension. open-seo-mcp-skills reads your Search Console and GA4 data. All three are MIT-licensed.

OpenSEO logo

OpenSEO

MIT★ 18.5k GitHub stars · Sep 2026
To self-host: Run the prebuilt Docker image or deploy to your own Cloudflare account; needs a DataForSEO API key, billed to you by DataForSEO per request.
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
claude-seo logo

claude-seo

MIT★ 17.2k GitHub stars · Sep 2026
To self-host: Needs Claude Code and Python 3.10 or later; optional extensions such as DataForSEO, Firecrawl, Ahrefs and Matomo each need their own account or API key.
Last release 23 Sep 2026
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
open-seo-mcp-skills logo

open-seo-mcp-skills

MIT★ 4.8k GitHub stars · Sep 2026
To self-host: Needs an MCP-capable assistant such as Claude plus read access to your own Google Search Console and GA4 properties; no third-party SEO index is bundled.
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
05 · Side by side

How does Ahrefs compare with each alternative?

Ahrefs Lite is $129 a month, against Semrush's $139 SEO plan, Moz Pro Standard at $99, and SE Ranking Core at $129. Conductor and Botify publish no prices, and Mangools' prices could not be read. Each row below states the single difference that should decide a switch.

01
Semrush logo

Ahrefs vs Semrush

Best overallFree plan + paid$139/mo · checked 11 Nov 20268.6
The differenceSemrush SEO plan lists 5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily at $139 a month, and its free tier is one demo project with 10 reports a day across tools.
Switch to Semrush ifyou want AI-visibility reports and custom prompt tracking bundled into the same subscription as keyword research
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou prefer Ahrefs' own crawler data, its Lite plan and a free tier on your verified sites
Pros
  • Vast keyword database (28B+) across 142 geo locations
  • Dedicated Content Toolkit for writers
Cons
  • Steep learning curve for those not specialized in SEO
  • Pricing is not transparent and likely represents a significant investment

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Semrush · Verdict: The Professional's SEO Suite

Visit SemrushRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
02
Moz Pro logo

Ahrefs vs Moz Pro

Cheapest paid$99/mo · checked 11 Nov 20267.6
The differenceMoz Pro Standard includes 1 user, 3 tracked sites and 400K crawled pages a month for $99, against Ahrefs Lite at $129 with 1,000 credits per user.
Switch to Moz Pro ifyou need a lower-cost entry plan and can live with 300 tracked keywords
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou rely on Ahrefs' backlink index and its larger crawl and export limits
Pros
  • Yearly billing saves 20%
  • AI visibility tracking built into every plan
Cons
  • No free plan; trial and free tools only
  • Only 3 AI models tracked on every plan

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Moz Pro · Verdict: SEO suite, AI tracking

Visit Moz ProRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
03
SE Ranking logo

Ahrefs vs SE Ranking

$129/mo · checked 11 Nov 20268.0
The differenceSE Ranking Core covers 10 projects and 2k daily-tracked keywords, and extra manager seats start at $16, where Ahrefs charges $40 a month per extra Lite user.
Switch to SE Ranking ifyou add team members often and want per-seat costs well below Ahrefs
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou want Ahrefs' backlink index and Site Explorer as the main research tool
Pros
  • 14-day free trial with no credit card
  • Annual plans save 20% against monthly billing
Cons
  • No free plan after the trial
  • Core includes only 1 manager seat

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of SE Ranking · Verdict: All-in-one SEO platform

Visit SE RankingRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
04
Mangools logo

Ahrefs vs Mangools

Not checked8.0
The differenceMangools sells five narrow tools, KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner and SiteProfiler, and refreshes rank tracking weekly unless you pick the Agency plan.
Switch to Mangools ifyou want a simpler keyword and SERP toolset for one person
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou need deep backlink exploration and a large crawler-based index
Pros
  • Free account and free mini tools without sign-up
  • Google Search Console import and Looker Studio connector
Cons
  • Daily request limits on lookups and analysis
  • Basic tracks only 200 keywords and has no extra seats

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Mangools · Verdict: Simple SEO tool bundle

Visit MangoolsRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
05
Conductor logo

Ahrefs vs Conductor

Not checked6.3
The differenceConductor shows no prices; its Growth and Enterprise plans are sold by demo or sales contact, with limits counted in analyzed pages, drafts and tracked websites.
Switch to Conductor ifyour team buys through sales, and counts pages and drafts rather than credits
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou want published plan prices and a single researcher-friendly login
Pros
  • Focuses on the future of search with Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
  • Unified platform combines visibility, content creation, and technical monitoring.
Cons
  • Pricing is not transparent and likely represents a significant investment.
  • Complex feature set is overkill for small businesses or individual creators.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Conductor · Verdict: Enterprise AEO Powerhouse

Visit ConductorRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06
Botify logo

Ahrefs vs Botify

Not checked7.7
The differenceBotify shows no plans or prices on its pricing page, only a demo request, and organises its product into AI Readiness, AI Visibility and AI Activation modules.
Switch to Botify ifyou manage a very large site and want a vendor-led onboarding
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou want to start on a published plan without a demo call
Pros
  • Delivers content to AI agents in under 300ms for accurate recommendations.
  • Reduces technical development cost by 10x for enterprise search optimizations.
Cons
  • No transparent public pricing available on the vendor website.
  • Requires a full enterprise implementation process before achieving business impact.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Botify · Verdict: Enterprise GEO Platform

Visit BotifyRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
07
OpenSEO logo

Ahrefs vs OpenSEO

Best open sourceOpen sourceFree (self-hosted)8.0
The differenceOpenSEO has no subscription: usage is billed by DataForSEO on your own key, and it includes keyword research, rank tracking, backlinks, site audits and AI visibility workflows.
Switch to OpenSEO ifyou prefer pay-per-request data over a flat $129 monthly plan
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou want Ahrefs' own index and a vendor-run interface
Visit OpenSEORead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
08
claude-seo logo

Ahrefs vs claude-seo

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)7.8
The differenceclaude-seo is a Claude Code skill bundle with an optional Ahrefs extension, so it can sit on top of an Ahrefs account instead of replacing it.
Switch to claude-seo ifyou already pay for Ahrefs and want its data used inside Claude Code
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou want a standalone web app with its own crawler and link index
Visit claude-seoRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
09
open-seo-mcp-skills logo

Ahrefs vs open-seo-mcp-skills

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)7.5
The differenceopen-seo-mcp-skills answers SEO questions from your own Search Console and GA4 properties, so it has no competitor backlink index like the one Ahrefs sells.
Switch to open-seo-mcp-skills ifyour questions are about your own rankings and traffic, not competitors' links
Stay with Ahrefs ifyou need competitor backlink and traffic research on sites you do not own
Visit open-seo-mcp-skillsRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06 · What changed

Why do people leave Ahrefs?

  • Ahrefs Lite is $129 a month with 1,000 credits per user, 750 tracked keywords and 5 unverified projects; additional users cost $40 a month each up to 2. (source)

  • The pricing page says annual billing saves up to 17% but lists no yearly per-month prices, and states switching to annual is done through support. (source)

  • Brand Radar AI tracking is priced separately from $199 a month, with custom prompt packages from $50 a month. (source)

  • Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is now called Ahrefs Free, announced as a move beyond the Webmaster Tools name. (source)

08 · FAQ

Questions people ask about Ahrefs alternatives

What is the best alternative to Ahrefs in 2027?

Semrush is the best overall Ahrefs alternative on this page ($139/mo). To self-host, OpenSEO is open source (MIT).

Is there a free version of Ahrefs?

Yes. Ahrefs has a free plan: Ahrefs Free: limited Site Explorer and Site Audit. Paid plans start at $129/mo, checked on 11 Nov 2026.

Is there a 100% free alternative to Ahrefs?

Yes. OpenSEO, claude-seo, open-seo-mcp-skills are open source and free to self-host. Semrush has a free plan with limits, shown in the table.

What is cheaper than Ahrefs?

Moz Pro starts at $99/mo, against $129/mo for Ahrefs, as listed on each vendor's pricing page on 11 Nov 2026.

How much do Ahrefs alternatives cost for a team of 5?

If each of 5 people buys the entry paid plan, at the prices Zekai checked on 11 Nov 2026, the monthly cost is Moz Pro $495/mo, SE Ranking $645/mo, Semrush $695/mo, against Ahrefs $645/mo for Ahrefs. Team and business plans can cost more per seat. The Zekai Cost Finder on this page recalculates for any team size.

Which is better, Semrush or Ahrefs?

Semrush SEO plan lists 5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily at $139 a month, and its free tier is one demo project with 10 reports a day across tools. Choose Semrush if you want AI-visibility reports and custom prompt tracking bundled into the same subscription as keyword research. Stay with Ahrefs if you prefer Ahrefs' own crawler data, its Lite plan and a free tier on your verified sites.

Why are people leaving Ahrefs?

The documented reasons are: Ahrefs Lite is $129 a month with 1,000 credits per user, 750 tracked keywords and 5 unverified projects; additional users cost $40 a month each up to 2 (11 Nov 2026); The pricing page says annual billing saves up to 17% but lists no yearly per-month prices, and states switching to annual is done through support (11 Nov 2026). Each is sourced in the section above.

What is better than Ahrefs?

It depends on the job: Semrush for bundled AI-visibility tracking, SE Ranking or Moz Pro for lower-cost plans, and Conductor or Botify for enterprise sites.

09 · Method

How did Zekai check this page?

Zekai independently reviews AI tools. For this page we read each vendor's own pricing and product pages and recorded the starting price, the free-plan limit and the date of the check. Only tools that do the same job as Ahrefs are listed, and sponsors never change the order or the scores.

Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai
Mehmet Elmicenni

Founder of Zekai. Reviews the alternatives pages and the price checks behind them.

About the founder · How Zekai scores tools

JSON copyMarkdown copy
1 · Same job onlyEvery alternative does the same task as Ahrefs; tools for other jobs are left out.
2 · Vendor pages onlyPrices and free limits come from each vendor's own pricing page, never from blogs.
Zekai score0–10, from four published weights: ease 25%, output quality 30%, value 20%, time saved 25%. How we score
3 · Re-checkedA price older than 35 days is re-read or the page falls back to an older version.
Change log

  • Page rebuilt on v6; all prices re-read on vendor pages.

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