Is there a free alternative to Ahrefs?

Yes. Semrush offers a genuine free tier, which makes it the easiest Ahrefs alternative to try before you pay.

Why switch away from Ahrefs?

Ahrefs is a strong tool, but no monthly free tier to learn on. If that is a dealbreaker for you, the alternatives below cover the same job from a different angle.

How do you choose these alternatives?

Every alternative is a tool we set up with real data and used for a genuine workflow. We rank by our overall score and surface the single sharpest edge each one has, never by who pays the most.

Marketing & SEO

Best Ahrefs alternatives

Q: What is the best alternative to Ahrefs?

Semrush is our top Ahrefs alternative. Unlike Ahrefs, Semrush ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it. It scores 4.6 in our testing.

We put Ahrefs head to head with the 6 closest rivals we have tested, so you can switch on evidence, not a hunch.

Read our Ahrefs review

Why people look elsewhere

Where Ahrefs can fall short

No monthly free tier to learn on

Credit limits on lower plans feel tight

Steep entry price for hobby sites

Ranked by our testing

6 alternatives worth your time

Semrush

4.6

An all in one marketing suite that goes far beyond SEO.

Free planFrom $139.95/moFree tier

Unlike Ahrefs, Semrush ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.

Huge feature surface across SEO, PPC, and content
Generous limited free account to start

4.6

Our score

Try Semrush Read review

Screaming Frog

4.6

The desktop crawler every technical SEO uses.

Free planFrom $259/yrFree tier

Unlike Ahrefs, Screaming Frog ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.6

Our score

Try Screaming Frog Read review

Clearscope

4.4

Premium content optimization for serious teams.

Ease of useFrom $189/moPaid only

Clearscope is the pick when you want premium content optimization for serious teams., and it leads on ease of use.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.4

Our score

Try Clearscope Read review

Surfer SEO

4.3

On page optimization that turns drafts into rankable pages.

Lower priceFrom $99/moPaid only

Surfer SEO starts at $99/mo, undercutting Ahrefs's $129/mo while covering the same core ground.

Real time content scoring while you write
Clear, actionable on page guidance

4.3

Our score

Try Surfer SEO Read review

SE Ranking

4.3

A full SEO platform that undercuts the big names.

Lower priceFrom $52/moPaid only

SE Ranking starts at $52/mo, undercutting Ahrefs's $129/mo while covering the same core ground.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.3

Our score

Try SE Ranking Read review

Sitebulb

4.3

Visual technical SEO audits that explain the why.

Lower priceFrom $13.50/moPaid only

Sitebulb starts at $13.50/mo, undercutting Ahrefs's $129/mo while covering the same core ground.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.3

Our score

Try Sitebulb Read review

Side by side

Ahrefs vs the alternatives

Tool	Our score	From	Free tier	Best for
AhrefsYou have	4.8	$129/mo	No	Serious SEO teams who live in the data
Semrush	4.6	$139.95/mo	Yes	Marketers who want SEO, ads, and content in one place
Screaming Frog	4.6	$259/yr	Yes	The desktop crawler every technical SEO uses.
Clearscope	4.4	$189/mo	No	Premium content optimization for serious teams.
Surfer SEO	4.3	$99/mo	No	Content teams shipping a lot of articles
SE Ranking	4.3	$52/mo	No	A full SEO platform that undercuts the big names.
Sitebulb	4.3	$13.50/mo	No	Visual technical SEO audits that explain the why.

Our pick

Switch to Semrush

Unlike Ahrefs, Semrush ships a genuine free tier, so you can start without a card and only pay once it earns it. It is the Ahrefs alternative we recommend first for most people.

Try Semrush Compare them side by side

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Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we have tested, and commissions never change our scores or rankings. We currently track 218+ tools, including 12 across Marketing & SEO.