SEO and AI-search visibility platform built on its own web crawler.
- Starting price
- $29/month (Starter)
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- User rating
- 4.5 / 5
- Best for
- Backlink analysis and competitor research
Ahrefs is an SEO toolset built on its own web crawler, which is second only to Google in size. That index is the product: backlink data is where Ahrefs has always been strongest.
Who Ahrefs is for
SEO professionals and agencies doing competitor research, link building and technical audits. Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer and Site Audit cover most of the job in one place.
It is expensive for casual use. If you check a handful of keywords a month, the Starter plan or a free alternative will serve you better.
Which Ahrefs plan should you pick?
Starter at $29 a month gives limited access to search and competitor data. It is a real entry point rather than a trial, and suits solo site owners.
Lite at $129 a month covers one user, 1,000 credits, five projects and 750 tracked keywords. Standard at $249 removes the credit cap and raises projects to 20.
Advanced at $449 gives 50 projects and 5,000 tracked keywords. Enterprise at $1,499 a month on an annual commitment adds uncapped API access.
Extra seats are billed separately: $40 a month on Lite, $60 on Standard and $80 on Advanced. Annual billing saves up to 17%.
Ahrefs pricing and plans
Starter
$29
per month
A genuine entry tier for solo site owners.
- Limited search and competitor data
- Site Explorer basics
- Keyword research basics
- No additional seats
Lite
$129
per month
Extra users $40 a month, up to 2.
- 1 included user
- 1,000 credits per user a month
- 5 projects
- 750 tracked keywords
- 100,000 crawl credits a month
Standard
$249
per month
Extra users $60 a month, up to 5.
- Unlimited credits per user
- 20 projects
- 2,000 tracked keywords
- 500,000 crawl credits a month
- Content Gap and historical data
Advanced
$449
per month
Extra users $80 a month, up to 10.
- 50 projects
- 5,000 tracked keywords
- 1,500,000 crawl credits a month
- Unlimited credits per user
Enterprise
$1,499
per month, annual commitment
Unlimited extra users at $100 a month.
- Uncapped API access
- Unlimited historical data
- Customised higher limits
- Priority support
Pricing checked against the official Ahrefs pricing page on 5 September 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm before you buy.
What Ahrefs actually does
- Site Explorer for backlink and traffic analysis
- Keywords Explorer with difficulty and traffic potential
- Site Audit for technical SEO
- Rank Tracker for daily positions
- Content Gap analysis against competitors
- Web Explorer across the full index
- Brand Radar for AI search visibility
- Free tools including Webmaster Tools
Pros and cons
What works well
- Best backlink index of any SEO tool
- Starter at $29 is a real entry point
- Unlimited credits from the Standard plan
- Free Webmaster Tools for your own site
- Strong technical audit and rank tracking
What to watch out for
- Only one user included below Enterprise
- Extra seats cost $40 to $80 a month each
- API units run out fast on lower plans
- Standard and above get expensive quickly
- Credit system is opaque until you hit a limit
Ahrefs FAQs
Is there a free version of Ahrefs?
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for sites you verify, giving Site Audit and limited Site Explorer data for your own domain. The full toolset is paid.
How much does Ahrefs cost?
Starter is $29 a month, Lite $129, Standard $249, Advanced $449 and Enterprise $1,499 on an annual commitment.
How many users are included?
One on every plan below Enterprise. Extra seats cost $40 a month on Lite, $60 on Standard and $80 on Advanced.
What are credits?
A metering unit for data-heavy reports. Lite includes 1,000 per user a month, and Standard and above are uncapped.
Is Ahrefs or Semrush better?
Ahrefs has the stronger backlink index. Semrush covers more ground, including paid search and social. Most agencies that can afford both use both.
Is there an API?
Yes, with units metered per call. API access is uncapped only on Enterprise, and heavy programmatic use exhausts lower plans quickly.
Does annual billing save money?
Yes, up to 17% against monthly.
Can I cancel any time?
Monthly plans can be cancelled at any point. Enterprise requires an annual commitment.
Where does the 4.5 rating come from?
It is the aggregate score from 712 reviewers on G2, checked 12 August 2026. It is not our own hands-on test score.
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Ready to try Ahrefs?
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