What is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs is one of the two big SEO suites on the market, best known for its backlink index, the most complete in the industry. It covers keyword research, competitor analysis, technical audits and rank tracking, and its Brand Radar module measures how your brand appears in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews.
Pros
- The best backlink index on the market
- Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for your own verified site
- Brand Radar measures your visibility in AI answers
- A $29/month Starter plan for those who only need the basics
Cons
- No full free plan: the entire suite is paid
- Brand Radar's AI indexes cost extra ($199/month per platform)
- The good plans require an annual commitment
Frequently asked questions
Does Ahrefs have a free version?
Not of the full suite. It offers standalone free tools and Ahrefs Webmaster Tools free for sites you own and verify. The cheapest paid plan is Starter at $29/month.
Ahrefs or Semrush?
Ahrefs leads on backlinks and link data; Semrush is broader on advertising, content and social media. For pure SEO they are equivalent; most professionals choose based on the module they use most.
What is Brand Radar?
The module that measures how your brand appears in answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews. It is available to all users, but the advanced AI indexes are billed separately.