Ahrefs vs SE Ranking
Ahrefs and SE Ranking are both powerful SEO toolkits, but they target very different markets. Ahrefs excels in massive data infrastructure and enterprise needs. SE Ranking offers market-leading value and superior agency-focused features. Decide if vast data justifies Ahrefs' steep, unpredictable cost.
Premier SEO Data, Steep Pricing Hurdles.
Ahrefs provides robust, industry-leading data, essential for comprehensive competitive and keyword research across global markets. We found that the steep pay-per-use model and reported poor user experience might unfairly restrict access for smaller teams. Overall, Ahrefs remains a highly powerful but expensive data investment.
Pros
- Access to reliable and massive SEO data structure (trusted by Fortune 500).
- Excellent toolset for competitive analysis and deep keyword research.
- High limits on historical data (up to 5 years) in advanced tiers.
- Specific support staff are commended for their prompt assistance.
Cons
- High cost coupled with restrictive, usage-based credit pricing model.
- Significant user frustration over changes to grandfathered plans and feature removal.
- Reported outdated and confusing user experience (UX/UI).
- Value proposition decreasing severely for small websites and low-volume users.
Excellent Value and Agency-Focused SEO Toolkit
We found SE Ranking to be an extremely robust and flexible platform, offering substantial agency features like White Label reporting and consistently exceptional technical support. Overall, the tool provides market-leading value by bundling essential metrics and innovative tracking capabilities into highly scalable plans.
Pros
- Offers an exceptionally high cost-to-value ratio compared to larger competitors.
- Customer support is consistently praised as responsive, friendly, and highly efficient.
- Highly intuitive and user-friendly interface simplifies the management of complex SEO data.
- Comprehensive toolkit includes reliable keyword tracking, audits, and competitor analysis.
Cons
- Some users found that the subscription cancellation process required additional clarity.
- Certain advanced features (like On-page analysis) may require add-ons, depending on the plan.
- Interface design occasionally receives comments suggesting further refinement.
AboutAhrefs
Ahrefs is recognized as an AI Marketing Platform built specifically for success in search and AI. It’s powered by massive data infrastructure, including the #1 SEO crawler, so you get reliable insights. The platform helps modern marketers deliver across their entire marketing stack. Whether you focus on SEO, content, or brand, Ahrefs gives you the data foundation you need to move faster. It’s like having a reliable, tireless data analyst agency at your disposal 24/7. 💡
AboutSE Ranking
SE Ranking is robust, agency-tailored SEO software built specifically for professional users. It's an all-in-one platform providing crucial support for your core SEO activities. The entire tool is designed to embrace innovation.
It helps you build winning strategies using unique keyword, traffic, and backlink datasets. This data is powered by advanced AI and machine learning technologies. SE Ranking quickly positions itself as a tool that can replace several others in your existing SEO toolbox. 💡
Highlights
Feature Comparison
Features Overview
We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.
Data Depth & Scale
Ahrefs offers market-leading historical depth and data volume. SE Ranking uses AI technology but lacks Ahrefs' famous dataset scale.
Ahrefs relies on the industry's single largest SEO crawler for its data. It filters over 28.7 billion keywords globally, offering massive scale. Advanced Ahrefs plans access vast metrics across five years of historical data. SE Ranking utilizes advanced AI and Machine Learning for reliable, unique datasets. Its Business plan offers historical data marked as 'All Time.' It efficiently replaces several other SEO tools in one clean platform. Ahrefs is the clear choice if your strategy requires complex, long-term historical analysis. However, SE Ranking's data is more than sufficient for 95% of growth strategies. Ahrefs excels at competitive analysis powered by sheer data superiority.
Pricing Structure
SE Ranking offers transparent, predictable, fixed-rate pricing. Ahrefs utilizes a costly, confusing usage-based credit model.
Ahrefs pricing is high and includes restrictive, usage-based credit pricing. Exceeding limits means automatic, frustrating pay-as-you-go (PAYG) charges. Ahrefs users report significant backlash due to these complex, unexpected credit costs. SE Ranking provides fixed, transparent monthly subscriptions starting at $52/month annually. Pricing is based cleanly on fixed keyword quotas and manager seats. SE Ranking offers significantly better cost predictability for managing client marketing budgets. SE Ranking is financially superior and offers far better value for money. Ahrefs users must budget carefully for unpredictable activity spikes.
Agency Toolset
SE Ranking is built specifically for agencies and features White Label reporting. Ahrefs lacks necessary White Label branding features.
SE Ranking is tailored for professionals, featuring robust White Label capabilities. Agencies can customize the SE Ranking platform to match their brand book exactly. This feature helps boost client trust and professionalism significantly. SE Ranking also offers dedicated Client Seats for transparent project sharing. You can control access, letting clients view specific project data seamlessly. Ahrefs provides solid Report Builders and Portfolio features for managing multiple sites. Ahrefs does not offer the native White Label functionality essential for client-facing agencies. SE Ranking’s focus on White Labeling and transparency makes it the agency favorite.
User Experience (UX)
SE Ranking is highly intuitive and easy to use for new users. Ahrefs' interface is frequently criticized as being outdated and confusing.
SE Ranking is consistently praised by users for its highly intuitive interface. Complex SEO data is presented cleanly and is easy to navigate instantly. Fast user adoption is a key selling point for SE Ranking. Ahrefs reviews frequently complain that the platform’s UX is frustrating and looks severely outdated. Users struggle with confusing navigation and non-standard tool language. A difficult interface slows down training and everyday SEO tasks. SE Ranking makes complex SEO accessible, streamlining daily workflow immediately. A better user experience means lower training costs and faster results adoption.
Our Verdict
The decision between these two robust platforms comes down to budget versus data volume requirements. While Ahrefs possesses a massive data advantage, SE Ranking provides phenomenal value and user predictability. For most agencies, SE Ranking is the clear winner due to transparent pricing and usability. Ahrefs’ ultimate superpower is its massive, reliable data infrastructure. It leverages the #1 SEO crawler to offer five years of serious historical data. If you truly need maximal competitive intelligence used by large Fortune 500 teams, Ahrefs delivers. The Enterprise plan includes over 100 API endpoints for massive data automation. SE Ranking shines with superior affordability, pricing transparency, and agency functionality. Its integrated White Label tools are perfect for boosting client trust and professional branding. SE Ranking’s fixed monthly rates offer essential budget predictability lacking in Ahrefs’ model. Users also love SE Ranking's highly intuitive, modern interface. Pricing complexity is the single key differentiator between them. Ahrefs' restrictive, usage-based credits cause unexpected cost inflation and deep user frustration. SE Ranking’s fixed subscription rates and support for unlimited projects are highly scalable and affordable. Choose Ahrefs only if your budget is unlimited and you need maximum historical data depth. We strongly recommend SE Ranking for freelancers, agencies, and value-conscious businesses. SE Ranking offers everything needed—plus better UX—at a fraction of Ahrefs' cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tool is better for agencies that need White Label reports?
SE Ranking is explicitly designed for agencies and includes robust White Label features. You can customize SE Ranking to match your agency branding and domain. Ahrefs does not offer native White Labeling capabilities.
Does Ahrefs offer a free trial like SE Ranking?
No, Ahrefs does not provide a free trial for its paid subscription tiers. You can use the free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for limited access. SE Ranking, however, offers a full-featured free trial with no credit card required.
Which is cheaper: Ahrefs or SE Ranking?
SE Ranking is significantly cheaper, starting at $52/month annually. Ahrefs starts at $129/month, and its usage-based credit model means costs can rise unexpectedly. SE Ranking provides superior value for money.
How do the pricing models of Ahrefs and SE Ranking differ?
Ahrefs uses a subscription model combined with costly pay-as-you-go (PAYG) usage credits. SE Ranking utilizes fixed monthly subscriptions with transparent, predictable keyword limits. SE Ranking is much easier to budget for.
Which tool has a better user interface?
SE Ranking is consistently rated higher for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Ahrefs' UX is widely criticized in user reviews for being confusing and severely outdated.
Can SE Ranking handle enterprise-level data like Ahrefs?
SE Ranking's Business plan supports unlimited projects and 5,000 tracked keywords daily. While Ahrefs has slightly deeper historical data access, SE Ranking offers great scalability and API access for large teams.
Ready to Choose?
Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.