Guide Research

7 Ahrefs Alternatives in 2026, Including Free Options

Anna · Designer & web developerUpdated 2026-11-06 · How we test

Cheaper Ahrefs alternatives compared: Semrush, SE Ranking, Mangools, Ubersuggest and free Google tools, with November 2026 prices and limits.

The best Ahrefs alternative for most people is SE Ranking: it covers rank tracking, audits, keyword research and backlinks from $103.20 a month on annual billing, with 2,000 tracked keywords. Semrush is the closest match to Ahrefs in depth of data. Mangools and Ubersuggest are the budget picks for keyword research. If your site is new, Google Search Console, Keyword Planner and Ahrefs' own free account cost nothing and cover the basics.

Why look elsewhere at all? Ahrefs Lite costs $129 a month and tracks 750 keywords, with one user and 6 months of history. Standard is $249 a month. For a freelancer or a small business site, that's a lot for a tool you open twice a week.

I'm Anna, a web designer and developer. I haven't used these tools on client projects, so this is a research piece based on official pricing pages, docs and independent reviews. Figures are as of November 2026; SEO tools reprice often, so check the checkout. Some links here are affiliate links.

What Ahrefs costs now

Prices from ahrefs.com/pricing, November 2026. Annual billing saves up to 17%.

Ahrefs is still the reference tool for backlink data, and independent reviews keep rating its link index among the best. If backlinks are your main job, you may end up back here. For everything else, the options below are cheaper.

Quick comparison

1. SE Ranking: best all-round alternative

SE Ranking Core costs $129 a month, or $103.20 on annual billing. You get 10 projects, 2,000 keywords tracked daily and one manager seat. Growth is $279 a month ($223.20 yearly) with 30 projects, 5,000 keywords and three seats. Extra seats start at $16.

That's 2,000 tracked keywords for less than Ahrefs Lite charges for 750. SE Ranking also includes a site audit, backlink checker, keyword research and 25 AI search prompts a day. Agencies can add white-label reports and 30 client seats with the $69 Agency Pack.

Trade-off: reviewers describe its databases as smaller than Ahrefs and Semrush, which matters most for big markets and competitive niches.

2. Semrush: closest in depth

If you want Ahrefs-level data without Ahrefs, Semrush is the usual answer. The SEO plan costs $139 a month ($117.33 yearly) for 5 websites and 500 tracked keywords. Starter ($199) adds AI search visibility. Pro+ ($299) raises limits to 15 websites and 1,500 keywords.

Semrush is strongest on competitor research: which keywords a domain ranks for, where its traffic comes from and what it spends on ads. It also has a free plan with 10 reports a day.

Trade-off: it isn't cheaper than Ahrefs, just different. Extra users start at $45 a month. Read our full Semrush vs SE Ranking comparison if you're deciding between the two.

3. Mangools: easiest for beginners

Mangools bundles five small tools: KWFinder for keywords, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher for rank tracking, LinkMiner for backlinks and SiteProfiler. Independent reviews praise how readable it is. You type a keyword and get a difficulty score you can understand in a second.

Plan limits are consistent across sources: Basic gives 100 keyword lookups per 24 hours and 200 tracked keywords, Premium 500 lookups and 700 keywords, Agency 1,200 lookups and 1,500 keywords. Rank tracking updates daily only on Agency. Prices I found in third-party listings conflict, and the official page didn't show them to me, so check the checkout. Mangools gives a full refund within 48 hours of payment.

Trade-off: fewer features and smaller data than the big suites. Great for bloggers and small sites, not for agencies with big clients.

4. Ubersuggest: cheapest paid option

Ubersuggest, from Neil Patel, is the low-cost tool that people often start with. Its pricing page lists:

The lifetime option is unusual: pay once, use it for as long as the tool exists. Lifetime purchases are final and non-refundable. There's a 7-day trial on monthly plans. Website: ubersuggest.com.

Trade-off: tracked keywords are low (125 per project on Individual), and reviewers rate its data as less accurate than the bigger suites.

5. Google Search Console: free and essential

Search Console doesn't estimate anything. It shows the real queries people type before they click on your site, your clicks, impressions and average position, plus indexing errors and Core Web Vitals. It only covers sites you own, so it can't spy on competitors.

Every site should have it from day one, paid tool or not. Set it up at search.google.com/search-console. Our website launch checklist includes it.

6. Google Keyword Planner and Trends: free keyword research

Keyword Planner lives inside Google Ads. You need an Ads account, but you don't have to run ads. Without active spend, it shows volume ranges like "1K–10K" instead of exact numbers. That's still enough to compare ideas.

Google Trends adds the direction: is interest rising, flat or seasonal? Together they cover basic keyword research for a new site.

7. Ahrefs free account

Ahrefs has a free tier for site owners. You verify your site and get Ahrefs data on your own domain: backlinks, a site audit and issues to fix. It doesn't let you research competitors, but if you already like Ahrefs' interface, it's the cheapest way to keep using it.

Bing Webmaster Tools is another free option worth adding. It shows Bing search data and has its own site scan.

Which alternative should you pick

• New site, no budget: Search Console, Keyword Planner and the free Ahrefs account.
• Blogger or small business on a budget: Mangools or Ubersuggest.
• Freelancer or small agency doing SEO for clients: SE Ranking.
• Content site that lives on competitor research: Semrush.
• Link building is the job: stay with Ahrefs.

If you're building a site right now, sort the site first and the tools later. The SEO tools page and our launch toolkit list the rest.

FAQ

What is the best alternative to Ahrefs?

For most freelancers and small businesses, SE Ranking is the best Ahrefs alternative. As of November 2026, its Core plan costs $103.20 a month on annual billing and tracks 2,000 keywords across 10 projects. Ahrefs Lite costs $129 a month and tracks 750. Semrush is the closest match to Ahrefs in depth of competitor data.

Is there a free alternative to Ahrefs?

Yes, several. Google Search Console shows your site's real queries, clicks and positions. Google Keyword Planner gives volume ranges for free with a Google Ads account, and Google Trends shows seasonal interest. Ahrefs also has a free account for verified site owners, with backlink data and a site audit for your own domain.

Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?

Only slightly at the entry level. As of November 2026, Semrush's SEO plan costs $139 a month, or $117.33 on yearly billing, for 5 websites and 500 tracked keywords. Ahrefs Lite costs $129 a month for 750 tracked keywords. Semrush has a free plan with 10 reports a day, which Ahrefs doesn't match.

Is Ubersuggest worth it?

Ubersuggest is worth it for beginners on a tight budget. As of November 2026, Individual costs $29 a month, $192 a year or $290 once for lifetime access, with 1 project and 150 searches a day. Reviewers rate its data as less accurate than the bigger suites, and lifetime purchases are non-refundable.

Is Mangools good for beginners?

Yes. Independent reviews rate Mangools as one of the easiest SEO tools to read, with a clear difficulty score in KWFinder. Basic gives 100 keyword lookups per 24 hours and 200 tracked keywords. Rank tracking updates daily only on the Agency plan. Mangools refunds in full within 48 hours of payment.

Why is Ahrefs so expensive?

Ahrefs prices for agencies and in-house teams. As of November 2026, Lite costs $129 a month with one user, 750 tracked keywords and 6 months of history. Standard is $249 and Advanced $449. Extra users cost $40 to $80 a month each. Its backlink index is among the best rated, which keeps demand high.

Bottom line

Ahrefs is excellent and expensive. SE Ranking gives most small businesses the same daily jobs for less money, Semrush matches its depth for competitor research, and Mangools or Ubersuggest cover keyword research on a small budget. If your site is new, start free with Search Console and Keyword Planner, and pay for a tool once you have traffic worth tracking.