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Free Ahrefs alternatives

Top SEO Tools like Ahrefs

The most popular alternative to Ahrefs is Semrush, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Ahrefs are Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Ubersuggest, Google Search Console, and SpyFu.

Most alternatives to Ahrefs are in the SEO Tools category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Ahrefs alternatives
AllFree
5 apps

All Ahrefs alternatives

  1. Semrush

    Semrush covers SEO, content marketing, competitor research, advertising and social media, with an AI toolkit for search visibility.

    17 Semrush alternatives

    Pros

    • Covers SEO, content, ads and social in one platform
    • In-depth competitor research on keywords, traffic and ads
    • AI toolkit to monitor visibility in search

    Cons

    • Expensive, especially with extra users and add-ons
    • The breadth of tools makes the interface overwhelming at first
    • The free account allows only a few searches per day
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    SEO ToolsAI Search Visibility
    Platforms
    Web
    Features
    API accessBacklink analysisCompetitor benchmarkingKeyword research
    Visit websiteMore about Semrush

  2. Screaming Frog SEO Spider

    Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a desktop crawler that scans a website the way a search engine bot does and reports technical SEO issues such as broken links, redirects, duplicate titles, missing meta data and canonical problems. It can render JavaScript, check spelling and grammar, generate XML sitemaps and connect to Google Analytics, Search Console and PageSpeed Insights. The free version crawls up to 500 URLs.

    6 Screaming Frog SEO Spider alternatives

    Pros

    • Thorough crawl that finds broken links, redirects and duplicates
    • Renders JavaScript and connects to Analytics, Search Console and PageSpeed
    • Runs locally on Windows, Mac and Linux

    Cons

    • The free version is capped at a small number of URLs
    • Dense, technical interface for non-specialists
    • Large crawls consume a lot of memory
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    SEO Tools
    Platforms
    WindowsMacLinux
    Features
    Grammar and spell checkIntegrationsSite audit
    Visit websiteMore about Screaming Frog SEO Spider

  3. Ubersuggest

    Ubersuggest is an SEO tool from Neil Patel's agency that offers keyword ideas with search volume and difficulty, content ideas, site audits, rank tracking and basic backlink data. Its interface is aimed at small business owners and bloggers rather than SEO specialists, and a Chrome extension shows keyword data on search results. A limited number of free searches is available before upgrading.

    8 Ubersuggest alternatives

    Pros

    • Simple interface aimed at small businesses and bloggers
    • Keyword ideas with volume, difficulty and content suggestions
    • Chrome extension shows keyword data on search results

    Cons

    • Free searches are capped at a few per day
    • Data is less precise than in professional SEO suites
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    SEO Tools
    Platforms
    WebBrowser extension
    Features
    Backlink analysisKeyword researchRank trackingSite audit
    Visit websiteMore about Ubersuggest

  4. Google Search Console

    Google Search Console is a free service from Google that shows how a website appears in Google Search: the queries that bring clicks and impressions, average positions, the indexing status of pages and Core Web Vitals. Site owners use it to submit sitemaps, inspect URLs, fix crawl and structured data issues and get alerts about security problems or manual actions. Its data can be exported through an API.

    7 Google Search Console alternatives

    Pros

    • Free, first-party data on queries, clicks and impressions
    • URL inspection and indexing reports straight from Google
    • Alerts for security issues and manual actions

    Cons

    • Covers only Google Search, not other search engines
    • Performance history is limited, so long-term data must be exported
    • Some queries are hidden for privacy reasons
    Cost / License
    FreeProprietary
    Categories
    SEO ToolsWeb & Product Analytics
    Platforms
    Web
    Features
    AnalyticsAPI accessSite audit
    Visit websiteMore about Google Search Console

  5. SpyFu

    SpyFu is a competitive intelligence tool focused on search: enter a competitor's domain to see the organic keywords it ranks for and the Google Ads keywords it has bought, along with historical ad copy and estimated budgets. It also offers keyword research, rank tracking, backlink prospecting and reports. It suits marketers and PPC specialists who want to learn from competitors' search strategies.

    7 SpyFu alternatives

    Pros

    • Reveals the organic and Google Ads keywords of competitors
    • Historical ad copy shows how campaigns evolved
    • Straightforward reports suited to PPC specialists

    Cons

    • Traffic and ad budget estimates can be inaccurate
    • Data coverage is strongest for the US and UK
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    SEO Tools
    Platforms
    Web
    Features
    Backlink analysisCompetitor benchmarkingKeyword researchRank tracking
    Visit websiteMore about SpyFu

Ahrefs vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Ahrefs, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Ahrefs vs its alternatives at a glance
AppPricingPlatformsAPI accessBacklink analysisCompetitor benchmarkingKeyword research
AhrefsFreemiumWeb
SemrushFreemiumWeb
Screaming Frog SEO SpiderFreemiumWindows, Mac, Linux
UbersuggestFreemiumWeb, Browser extension
Google Search ConsoleFreeWeb
SpyFuFreemiumWeb

Ahrefs alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Ahrefs?

The most popular alternative to Ahrefs is Semrush: Online visibility management and SEO platform. Other great alternatives are Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Ubersuggest, Google Search Console, and SpyFu.

Is there a free alternative to Ahrefs?

Yes, 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Semrush, Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Ubersuggest, and Google Search Console.

Is there an open source alternative to Ahrefs?

No open source alternative to Ahrefs is listed yet.

Is Ahrefs free?

Ahrefs has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features.

Compare Ahrefs with its alternatives

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