Ahrefs vs SE Ranking
Which seo & content tool is right for you? Compare features, pricing, and user reviews to make the best choice.
Ahrefs
SEO teams and link builders who use backlink research every day and can justify the Standard plan or higher.
SE Ranking
Freelancers and small agencies that want daily rank tracking, audits and local SEO for the price of Ahrefs Lite.
Side by side
| Ahrefs | SE Ranking | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free for your own sites; paid from $29/month (Starter) | From $129/month ($103.20/mo billed annually) |
| G2 Rating | 4.5 (720 reviews) | 4.7 (1,615 reviews) |
| Best For | SEO teams and link builders who use backlink research every day and can justify the Standard plan or higher. | Freelancers and small agencies that want daily rank tracking, audits and local SEO for the price of Ahrefs Lite. |
Pros and cons
Ahrefs
Pros
- One of the largest vendor-stated backlink indexes, with 16 years of history
- Unlimited credits from Standard
- API and MCP access included from Lite
- Free plan for your own verified sites
Cons
- No free trial, no discounts and refunds generally not issued
- Lite caps each user at 1,000 credits a month
- One user on Lite to Advanced; extra seats cost $40 to $80/month and are capped
- Rank Tracker updates weekly on every plan
SE Ranking
Pros
- 14-day free trial with no credit card
- Core tracks 2,000 keywords daily for $129/month
- Local Marketing and Content Marketing now included in both plans
- Extra manager seats from $16
Cons
- Backlink index is much smaller than Ahrefs by vendor figures (2.7T)
- Core keeps 6 months of history; all-time needs Growth
- White label requires an annual-only add-on
- Only one active session per login
Related comparisons
Ahrefs alternatives
SE Ranking is the best Ahrefs alternative for most people: the same $129/month as Ahrefs Lite buys daily tracking of 2,000 keywords across 10 projects, with a 14-day trial and no card. Pick Semrush if backlink data volume matters most, Mangools if you work alone on a small budget, and Moz Pro if you need three seats without paying per user.
Sarah ChenUpdated October 2026Best SEO Software for Agencies
SE Ranking is the best SEO software for most agencies: Growth plus the Agency Pack covers 30 projects, 5,000 daily keywords, 3 staff and full white label for $292.20/month billed annually. Semrush has deeper data but charges per user and has no published price above 15 projects. Add AgencyAnalytics if clients want one branded portal for all channels.
Sarah ChenUpdated October 2026Semrush alternatives
SE Ranking is the best Semrush alternative for most teams: its $129/month Core plan tracks 2,000 keywords daily and includes local and content tools. Pick Ahrefs for backlink research, Moz Pro for small teams that want users included, and Mangools, Serpstat or Ubersuggest when budget comes first.
Sarah ChenUpdated October 2026