7 Best Ahrefs Alternatives in 2026 (Tested on Real Campaigns)

TL;DR

• The best Ahrefs alternatives cover the core SEO workflow — keyword research, backlink analysis, site audits, rank tracking — with different tradeoffs on price, depth, and ease of use
• Ahrefs alternatives worth evaluating: Semrush (all-in-one breadth), SE Ranking (best value for agencies), Mangools (cleanest interface), Moz Pro (domain authority tracking), Serpstat (international markets), SpyFu (competitor PPC intelligence), and Ubersuggest (budget entry point)
• The right Ahrefs alternative depends on what you actually use Ahrefs for — backlink analysis, content research, rank tracking, or competitor intelligence — rather than replacing every feature at once
• Pricing ranges: Ubersuggest at $12/month up to Semrush at $165/month; most mid-tier Ahrefs alternatives fall between $30–$60/month
• What every Ahrefs alternative shares with Ahrefs itself: they all measure backlink authority and Google search performance, but none measures how those backlinks translate into AI search citations — the channel now driving 20% of global search-related traffic

Why Look for Ahrefs Alternatives?

Ahrefs has been a core SEO tool for agencies and in-house teams since its Site Explorer launched. After 8+ years of using it across client campaigns, the strengths are consistent: a massive backlink database, reliable rank tracking, strong content research tools, and the most detailed competitor analysis available.

So why look for Ahrefs alternatives? A few legitimate reasons:

Pricing. Ahrefs starts at $129/month with meaningful limitations on lower tiers. For solo practitioners or small teams, that cost is hard to justify when Ahrefs alternatives like SE Ranking ($52/month) or Mangools ($30.50/month) cover the essential workflow.

Specific workflow gaps. Ahrefs is focused on SEO. Teams that also need PPC competitor data, CRM integrations, or social media monitoring need a broader platform — which leads them to Semrush or dedicated specialist tools.

Interface preference. Ahrefs' interface rewards power users but has a steeper learning curve than tools like Mangools or Moz Pro. For teams onboarding quickly or working with non-technical clients, simpler Ahrefs alternatives reduce friction.

What to Look for in Ahrefs Alternatives

Data accuracy. Cross-check keyword volumes and backlink data against Google Search Console on real sites before trusting any tool. If numbers consistently diverge, strategic decisions suffer.

Backlink database size and freshness. The number of referring domains tracked and how frequently the index is updated matters more than most features. Stale backlink data misses toxic links and new competitor movements.

Keyword research depth. Geographic coverage, question-based keyword discovery, and SERP feature visibility determine whether a tool serves international and long-tail research needs.

Rank tracking granularity. Mobile vs. desktop splits, location-level precision, and SERP feature tracking (featured snippets, AI Overviews, local packs) differentiate tools that show the full visibility picture.

Scalability. Can the tool handle sites with 50,000+ URLs and keyword sets with 10,000+ terms without slowing down or hitting hard limits?

The 7 Best Ahrefs Alternatives

Summary Table

1. Semrush — Best All-in-One Ahrefs Alternative

Semrush is the most feature-complete Ahrefs alternative available. Where Ahrefs focuses on SEO, Semrush extends into PPC analysis, social media monitoring, content marketing tools, and the Agency Growth Kit for client management. The backlink database is comparable to Ahrefs in coverage, and position tracking includes AI Overview visibility monitoring.

The tradeoff: at $165/month, it costs more than Ahrefs at entry level, and the breadth of features creates a steeper learning curve. For teams that primarily want link building and content research, Ahrefs remains sharper. For teams managing a full marketing stack across SEO, paid, and social, Semrush is the more complete solution.

2. SE Ranking — Best Value Ahrefs Alternative for Agencies

SE Ranking delivers the most feature-per-dollar among Ahrefs alternatives at $52/month. Keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, site audits, white-label reports, and an AI search visibility tracker are all included. Data accuracy is strong — consistently within acceptable margins against GSC — and the white-label reporting is clean enough for client deliverables without manual formatting. Best for agencies managing 5–20 clients who want solid data without enterprise pricing.

3. Mangools — Best Interface Among Ahrefs Alternatives

Mangools bundles five tools (KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner, SiteProfiler) at $30.50/month with the cleanest interface in the category. KWFinder's keyword difficulty scores are well-calibrated and reliable for competitive analysis. The SERP checker surfaces detailed competitor data in a format that new team members can use immediately. The limitation: LinkMiner's backlink database is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush, making it insufficient for serious link building prospecting.

4. Moz Pro — Best for Domain Authority Tracking

Moz Pro's Domain Authority (DA) metric is the most widely cited link authority metric in the industry despite its methodological limitations. At $31/month, Moz Pro is the most affordable credible Ahrefs alternative for agencies that reference DA in client reporting. The Link Explorer is solid for backlink analysis, the keyword explorer covers basics well, and local SEO tools (Local Market Analytics) are stronger than Ahrefs. Data refresh rates are slower than Ahrefs, which matters for fast-moving competitive situations.

5. Serpstat — Best for International Markets

Serpstat's strongest differentiator among Ahrefs alternatives is its international keyword database. For agencies managing multi-regional campaigns across Europe, Asia, or Latin America, Serpstat's geographic coverage is more granular than many alternatives. Keyword clustering tools reduce time spent organizing large keyword sets. At $44/month, it delivers solid value. The UI is dated compared to newer platforms but functional for experienced users.

6. SpyFu — Best for Competitor Intelligence

SpyFu is the most specialized Ahrefs alternative on this list — not a full SEO suite but the best tool for understanding competitor paid search strategies. Its historical ad copy database shows what competitors have been testing for years, which keywords they've abandoned and which they've maintained. For agencies with SaaS clients running both SEO and paid campaigns, SpyFu surfaces competitive intelligence that Ahrefs and Semrush do not prioritize.

7. Ubersuggest — Best Budget Entry Point

Neil Patel's Ubersuggest at $12/month is the most accessible Ahrefs alternative for solo practitioners and small businesses running limited keyword research. The interface is friendly and the basic features — keyword suggestions, content ideas, site audits, and backlink data — cover straightforward SEO needs. Data accuracy at scale is less reliable than mid-tier alternatives, and the backlink database is small by comparison. Best as a starting point, not a replacement for agency-grade needs.

Dageno AI: Measure Whether Your Backlinks Are Driving AI Citations

Ahrefs alternatives — and Ahrefs itself — evaluate backlinks through one primary lens: domain authority signals for Google. A referring domain's DR score, relevance, and anchor text determine how much link equity it contributes to your rankings.

In 2026, this framework is incomplete for one important reason. According to AirOps' research on off-site signals in AI search, brands are 6.5× more likely to be cited by AI systems through third-party sources than through their own domains. But the sources that drive AI citations are not identical to the sources that drive Google rankings.

SE Ranking's research on ChatGPT citation factors found that domains with substantial brand mentions on Quora and Reddit have roughly 4× higher citation rates than those with minimal community presence — regardless of traditional domain authority metrics. A link from a heavily-trafficked community discussion on Reddit may drive more AI citations than a link from a high-DR generic news site.

This creates a measurement gap in every Ahrefs alternative: they can tell you a link's authority in Google's framework; none of them can tell you whether that link source is actually driving AI recommendations for your brand.

Dageno AI closes this gap. It monitors which third-party sources are actively generating AI citations for your brand across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Grok, and 10+ other platforms simultaneously. When a new backlink from a category-relevant publication starts feeding AI recommendations, Dageno surfaces it. When a competitor's placement in a listicle is driving ChatGPT to recommend them instead of you, Dageno identifies the specific source.

For teams that want their backlink prioritization to optimize for both Google authority and AI citation impact, Dageno provides the measurement layer that no Ahrefs alternative currently offers. Check the Dageno AI blog for the latest research on which link source types drive AI citations most effectively. Free plan available at dageno.ai.

How to Choose the Right Ahrefs Alternative

Bottom Line

The best Ahrefs alternative is the one that fits your specific workflow needs and budget. Semrush offers the most complete feature set; SE Ranking delivers the most value per dollar for agencies; Mangools has the cleanest interface; Moz Pro provides the most recognized authority metrics.

What every Ahrefs alternative shares with Ahrefs itself: they all measure backlink value through the lens of Google's ranking algorithm. None of them measures which of your backlink sources are actually driving AI search citations — the channel that now accounts for 20% of global search-related traffic. For teams that want to evaluate backlink ROI across both channels, Dageno provides the AI citation measurement layer that sits above every traditional Ahrefs alternative in the stack.

References

• AirOps – Off-Site Signals in AI Search: Brands 6.5× More Likely Cited via Third-Party, AI Citation Source Type vs DR Comparison
• SE Ranking – How to Optimize for ChatGPT: Community Mentions 4× Citation Rate, DR vs AI Citation Rate Decoupling
• Ahrefs – AI Brand Visibility Correlations: Web Mentions vs Backlink DR for AI Citation Prediction
• Graphite – AI Is Much Bigger Than You Think March 2026: ChatGPT 20% Search-Related Traffic, Backlink Value in AI Era
• Position Digital – 100+ AI SEO Statistics 2026: Third-Party Source Citation Dominance, Backlink Type vs AI Citation Rate