Ahrefs

Ahrefs

An AI Marketing Platform powered by Big Data.

#8 dans SEO
2 min read · Updated 10/5/2025
Ahrefs homepage screenshot

At a glance

Quick overview for Ahrefs: rating, pricing summary, key features, and highlights.

Ciroapp review

3.7
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

  • Pro:Access to reliable and massive SEO data structure (trusted by Fortune 500).
  • Pro:Excellent toolset for competitive analysis and deep keyword research.
  • Pro:High limits on historical data (up to 5 years) in advanced tiers.
  • Pro:Specific support staff are commended for their prompt assistance.

Cons

  • Con:High cost coupled with restrictive, usage-based credit pricing model.
  • Con:Significant user frustration over changes to grandfathered plans and feature removal.
  • Con:Reported outdated and confusing user experience (UX/UI).
  • Con:Value proposition decreasing severely for small websites and low-volume users.
Money-back guarantee
Yes
Range: $129–$449/monthFree plan, Monthly subscription, Yearly subscription, Per seat pricing, Usage-based pricing
This section is a summary. Detailed sections about features, use cases, pricing, and reviews follow below.

Ahrefs review, pricing, features, pros & cons

Facing frustration trying to figure out what customers want or how competitors are winning? That guessing game often holds back crucial growth. Ahrefs solves this by using Big Data to show you what people are searching for.

✨ You can monitor your website's health, anticipate market shifts, and ultimately track your success.

What is Ahrefs?

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. 💡

Ahrefs Key Features

✨ Unrivaled Data Foundation and AI Integration

Ahrefs is built on a massive Big Data infrastructure that provides reliable insights. We rely on the world’s #1 SEO crawler to continuously gather data. This infrastructure constantly expands our databases and covers 217+ countries globally. We filter billions of keywords, giving you the deepest market perspective available.

AI is seamlessly integrated behind your most critical marketing tasks. This acceleration helps you turn raw data into actionable insights in seconds. You can move much faster, reduce unnecessary manual work, and make confident decisions at scale. For global teams, the platform also offers AI-powered localization to optimize content for diverse markets.

✨ Competitive Intelligence and Keyword Mastery

You can gain a true market edge by studying what your competitors are doing online. Use Site Explorer to analyze their websites thoroughly. This process reveals their successful PPC strategies immediately.

Keywords Explorer is essential for understanding exactly what customers are searching for. It helps you uncover high-intent keyword opportunities, leading to a better return on investment. PPC Specialists can also benchmark ad performance accurately. They can analyze competitor ad copy directly within the tool to refine their strategies. Use this feature to identify ranking gaps and anticipate market shifts effectively.

✨ Brand Visibility Across Search and AI

Tracking your brand presence means monitoring more than just traditional search results. Ahrefs helps you track visibility across the emerging landscape of AI search. The Brand Radar tool tracks brand mentions, citations, and overall sentiment. This includes tracking performance across AI chatbots and Large Language Models (LLMs).

Brand Specialists can monitor their share of voice in these new search spaces closely. You can also watch visibility in traditional SERPs and across the wider web. This proactive monitoring helps you spot growth opportunities quickly. It ensures you can actively protect your brand presence online against emerging threats.

✨ Technical Website Health and Scaling Audits

Monitoring your website’s overall health is crucial for achieving continuous traffic growth. The Site Audit feature allows you to automate site checks regularly. This ensures you can scale your organic growth efforts efficiently and reliably. The audit helps you surface top backlink opportunities and identify ranking gaps quickly.

Critically, you can deploy necessary technical SEO fixes directly to your website. This capability means you don't always need to involve developers for common issues. Paired with Web Analytics, you get real-time insights about traffic and visitor behavior.

  • Monitor website health 24/7.
  • Automate site audits for efficiency.
  • Deploy technical fixes directly.

✨ Content Creation and AI-Powered Workflows

Ahrefs helps you create high-impact content that matches search intent and actually ranks. Tools like the AI Content Helper significantly improve content quality. Marketers can accelerate content production workflows using AI-powered assistance.

The AI Content Grader helps strengthen your topical coverage effectively. It ensures you fill content gaps by targeting key topics your audience searches for. Furthermore, Ahrefs helps you maintain editorial integrity easily by detecting AI-written content. Meanwhile, Content Explorer tracks your web mentions across the internet, helping you quickly find new link prospects.

✨ Reporting and Advanced Portfolio Management

You need clear metrics and customizable reports to showcase your work’s impact. The Reporting suite gives you a comprehensive, high-level view of all your projects. You can use the central Dashboard to track your performance and overall project progress efficiently.

If you oversee several websites, Portfolios let you monitor the collective performance of multiple URLs at once. The Report Builder allows you to create customizable reports using Ahrefs data. For Advanced plan users, Looker Studio integration further streamlines client and executive reporting beautifully.

✨ Enterprise Data Access and Customization

For teams operating at significant scale, Ahrefs offers tailored Enterprise solutions. These plans unlock API access with over 100 flexible API endpoints. Users can power custom dashboards, internal tools, and automate their reporting infrastructure.

Enterprise access also allows you to connect Ahrefs data directly to AI chatbots. You can turn tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot into a personal marketing analyst. This provides real-time access to fresh Ahrefs data. Whether you need advanced customization or complex controls, the platform supports highly tailored solutions for large organizations.

Use Cases

💡 Mastering Competitive Intelligence

Are you struggling to figure out how your competitors are winning? Ahrefs lets you study what they are doing online. Use Site Explorer to analyze their websites and reveal their PPC advertising strategies.

By anticipating market trends, you can target high-intent keywords they missed. This comprehensive view helps you benchmark ad performance and back every go-to-market decision with real search data.

⚙️ Scaling Organic Growth with Automated Audits

Maintaining website health 24/7 is essential for continuous traffic growth. The Site Audit tool automates this process for you. It efficiently identifies ranking gaps and technical errors on your site.

We put AI behind these critical marketing tasks to accelerate your workflow. You can easily deploy necessary technical SEO fixes directly—no developer help is needed.

✨ Tracking Your Brand's Share of Voice in AI Search

Brand visibility now extends beyond traditional search engines to AI chatbots and LLMs. Use Brand Radar to dominate this new landscape. It tracks your brand’s mentions, citations, and overall sentiment.

This crucial data helps you protect your brand presence and spot growth opportunities. You're ensured maximum visibility across all cutting-edge search platforms.

✍️ Accelerating High-Quality Content Production

Content Marketers need to match search intent and fill content gaps efficiently. Start by uncovering insights using Keywords Explorer and reliable traffic forecasts. This ensures you plan for high-impact content.

The AI Content Helper is built to accelerate production and streamline optimization. This allows you to create great content that ranks faster than ever.

📈 Streamlining Performance Reporting for Clients

Agencies and in-house teams must measure work impact and showcase value clearly. The Dashboard gives you a high-level view of your websites. You can use Portfolios to monitor performance across multiple client URLs easily.

Use the customizable Report Builder to measure your progress. Advanced users benefit from Looker Studio integration for beautifully streamlined executive reports.

📍 Local SEO: Attracting Customers Nearby

If you rely on local foot traffic, dominating local rankings is vital. The GBP Monitor helps you manage your Google Business Profiles (GBP) efficiently and at scale. By optimizing these profiles, you ensure accurate, consistent information is shown.

This focus on Local SEO helps you attract more local customers. Use the integrated Rank Tracker to monitor how well you are performing in specific local searches.

Pricing Overview for Ahrefs

Pricing range
$129–$449/month
Pricing types
Free plan, Monthly subscription, Yearly subscription, Per seat pricing, Usage-based pricing
Money-back guarantee
Yes

Ahrefs offers four tiers: Lite ($129/month), Standard ($249/month), Advanced ($449/month), and a custom Enterprise option. Pricing is monthly, typically paid annually to secure up to 17% savings.

Plans & Pricing

Lite

Monthly$129
YearlyNot explicitly stated
Add 2 more users at $40/mo each
  • 5 projects
  • 6 months of historical data
  • 750 tracked keywords
  • 100,000 crawl credits
  • 500 credits per user
  • 1 user included

Standard

Monthly$249
YearlyNot explicitly stated
Add 5 more users at $60/mo each
  • 20 projects
  • 2 years of historical data
  • 2,000 tracked keywords
  • 500,000 crawl credits
  • Unlimited credits per user
  • 1 user included
  • All Lite features, plus Portfolios

Advanced

Monthly$449
YearlyNot explicitly stated
Add 10 more users at $80/mo each
  • 50 projects
  • 5 years of historical data
  • 5,000 tracked keywords
  • 1,500,000 crawl credits
  • Unlimited credits per user
  • 1 user included
  • All Standard features, plus Looker Studio integration

Enterprise

Contact for pricing
Tailored solutions, contact sales
  • Advanced customization, automation, and controls
  • Trusted by Fortune 500 teams
  • API access available

Ahrefs costs between $129 and $449 per month with three main plans: Lite at $129/month, Standard at $249/month, and Advanced at $449/month.

Paying annually saves you up to 17% on these rates. Let's look closely at what each plan tier offers for your marketing needs.

Lite

Price: $129/month (when paying annually) Websites Supported: 5 projects Best For: Essential data for small businesses and personal projects. Refund Policy: A refund may be requested for monthly subscriptions if the service hasn't been used; refunds are not issued in general. Other Features:

  • 6 months of historical data
  • 750 tracked keywords
  • 100,000 crawl credits
  • 500 shared credits per user
  • Dashboard access

The Lite plan is a great starting place for individuals or small operations. If you only need essential features and shorter data history, this plan fits the bill. It's built for those running modest personal projects or needing basic SEO insights.

Standard

Price: $249/month (when paying annually) Websites Supported: 20 projects Best For: Perfect for freelance SEOs and marketing consultants. Refund Policy: A refund may be requested for monthly subscriptions if the service hasn't been used; refunds are not issued in general. Other Features:

  • 2 years of historical data
  • 2,000 tracked keywords
  • 500,000 crawl credits
  • Unlimited shared credits per user
  • Includes all Lite features, plus Portfolios

This Standard plan offers a significant boost in limits and features. Freelancers managing several client websites will appreciate the higher project limit (20) and deeper historical data (2 years). Plus, you get unlimited credits per user, which is a big benefit for consultants.

Advanced

Price: $449/month (when paying annually) Websites Supported: 50 projects Best For: More tools and data for lean in-house marketing teams. Refund Policy: A refund may be requested for monthly subscriptions if the service hasn't been used; refunds are not issued in general. Other Features:

  • 5 years of historical data
  • 5,000 tracked keywords
  • 1,500,000 crawl credits
  • Unlimited shared credits per user
  • Includes all Standard features, plus Looker Studio integration

This tier is designed for established marketing teams who need extensive data capabilities. With 50 projects and five years of historical data, Advanced users can run large-scale operations. The Looker Studio integration helps streamline client or executive reporting beautifully. 🚀

Enterprise

Price: Not explicitly stated (Contact Sales) Websites Supported: Not explicitly stated Best For: Enterprise Scale with advanced customization, automation, and controls. Refund Policy: A refund may be requested for monthly subscriptions if the service hasn't been used; refunds are not issued in general. Other Features:

  • Advanced customization options
  • Automation and complex controls
  • Backed by data trusted by Fortune 500 teams
  • Supports wire transfers on request

If your organization requires maximum controls and tailored solutions, you'll need the custom Enterprise plan. This is a robust package for the largest corporations needing dedicated support and infrastructure. Simply contact the Ahrefs sales team directly to arrange a plan that fits your significant scale and needs.

You can try Ahrefs tools with no financial risk through the free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools plan. This provides free limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit. You should note that Ahrefs generally does not issue refunds. For monthly subscriptions, you can request a refund if your account shows no material activity. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel any paid subscription easily through your account settings without contracts or setup fees. 👍

User Reviews

Ahrefs generates highly divided feedback, reflected in its low Trustpilot score (2.1/5.0). Historically, users praised the platform for providing reliable SEO data, especially for keyword research and competitive analysis. However, recent changes emphasizing usage-based credits have caused significant user backlash. Many long-time users feel the company has become "greedy," reporting that complex new credit systems drain accounts quickly or that essential features, like batch analysis, were removed from existing grandfathered plans, effectively forcing expensive upgrades.

While the product is still considered profoundly powerful for enterprises and those with large budgets, small-to-medium users feel the value has steeply declined. Adding to the frustration, several reviews describe the user experience (UX) as terrible and confusing, looking "20 years ago." Despite these operational complaints, the support team receives specific praise from some customers for being genuinely helpful and responsive, though others report encountering an "elitist attitude" or lack of technical knowledge. The consensus is that Ahrefs offers industry-leading data, but its high cost and restrictive pay-per-click model are major pain points 📉.

What users say elsewhere

Alex S.
· Trustpilot
4.0 / 5

Ahrefs gives us extremely reliable data for our SEO strategy. It’s effective for competitive analysis and identifying market opportunities, though the cost is certainly high. It is a powerful tool when you need deep, consistent metrics.

Ben M.
· Trustpilot
1.0 / 5

The credit system is a huge drawback on an already expensive plan. Every single click consumes credits, turning it into a total rip-off almost immediately. They need to rethink this pay-per-action model; it humilates the clients.

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Why use Ahrefs?

To gain a true edge in today’s digital world, you need data that sees further and performs faster than the competition. Ahrefs helps you turn raw data into insights fast, letting you reduce manual work and make better decisions at scale.

Here’s why modern marketers choose Ahrefs:

  • Unmatched Data Reliability: You rely on data sourced from the #1 SEO crawler, filtering over 28.7 billion keywords globally.
  • AI Integration: Ahrefs puts AI seamlessly behind your most critical tasks, accelerating content production and reducing manual effort.
  • Leading Competitive Intelligence: Study what your competitors are doing, reveal their PPC strategies, and anticipate market trends before they happen.
  • Protect Your Brand Presence: Track brand visibility and sentiment, not just in search, but also across AI chatbots and LLMs using Brand Radar.
  • Maximize Efficiency and ROI: Automate site audits and efficiently identify ranking gaps to ensure reliable traffic growth and a higher return on investment.
  • World-Class Support: Benefit from free video courses in the Academy, detailed guides, and responsive, multilingual customer support with a 90% satisfaction rating. ✅

If your goal is better ROI, higher efficiency, and continuous traffic growth, Ahrefs offers the robust data and tools to get there. Marketers at 44% of the Fortune 500 companies use Ahrefs to stay ahead. Find out how Ahrefs can help you lead. Start today! 🚀

Ready to transform your workflow with Ahrefs?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ahrefs offer a traditional free trial for paid plans?

Ahrefs does not offer a traditional free trial for its paid subscription tiers. You can, however, use the free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to get limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit features.

How does the pricing work for adding extra team members or users?

All paid plans include one user initially. Additional users are charged monthly on a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) basis. The per-seat cost varies by plan, ranging from $40/month on Lite to $80/month on Advanced.

What happens if I exceed my plan's limits, such as crawl credits or API units?

If you exceed predefined limits, you will be automatically charged on a pay-as-you-go basis for the consumption. This applies to usage like API units, report exports, and web crawl credits.

If I purchase extra pay-as-you-go consumption credits, when do they expire?

PAYG purchases, such as API units, crawler credits, or export rows, remain valid for three billing months, including the month they were purchased. Pre-paid plan limits are always consumed before PAYG credits.

Can I get a refund if I decide Ahrefs isn't the right fit after subscribing?

Ahrefs generally does not issue refunds. For a monthly subscription, you may request a refund if you haven't used the service at all, but they may deny the request if they see any material activity in your account.

What external integrations are supported by Ahrefs?

The platform supports data access through Ahrefs Connect, a new API system for select third-party tools. Users on the Advanced plan also specifically benefit from a built-in Looker Studio integration for reporting.

How quickly can I expect a response from Ahrefs customer support?

Support is responsive and available five days a week from a multilingual team. The median first response time is reported to be 6 minutes and 41 seconds, with a 90% satisfaction rating.

How do I cancel my subscription and what happens to my data afterward?

You can cancel your plan easily through your Account Settings at any time. You retain access to your paid features until the end of your current billing period, after which your account reverts to the free Webmaster Tools plan.

Who is the Standard plan ($249/mo) best suited for?

The Standard plan is perfect for freelance SEO consultants and marketing consultants. It offers 20 projects, two years of historical data, and unlimited credits per user, which is beneficial for client work.

Can I purchase individual tools separately, or must I buy a full plan?

Ahrefs plans include access to all their tools as an integrated suite. You cannot purchase individual tools separately.

What payment types does Ahrefs accept for subscriptions?

Ahrefs accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and UnionPay. Enterprise plan customers also have the option to arrange payment via wire transfer.

Do I have to sign a long-term contract when starting an Ahrefs plan?

No, there are no contracts or setup fees for any of the standard plans. You are free to switch your plan or cancel your subscription at any time.

How far back does Ahrefs historical data track for users?

Historical data depth depends on your plan tier. Lite gives you six months, Standard provides two years, and the Advanced plan offers comprehensive access to five years of data.

How can I access real-time data from Ahrefs for custom applications?

Enterprise customers can unlock API access, which includes over 100 flexible endpoints. This allows for powering custom dashboards, internal tools, and connecting data to AI chatbots.

Ready to try Ahrefs? Check out the official site or pricing.