Cheap Ahrefs Alternatives for Freelancers (2026 Prices)

Short answer: Ahrefs Lite costs $129 a month, which is a lot for a freelancer or a two-person agency. The best cheaper options are Ubersuggest (about $29/month) for simple keyword research, SpyFu ($39/month) for competitor and PPC research, Moz Pro Starter ($39/month) for a trusted backlink index, and Mangools for an easy all-in-one toolkit. If you mainly need Ahrefs-style backlink data, also look at Ahrefs’ own $29 Starter plan and its free tools before switching.

Cheap Ahrefs alternatives at a glance

Tool	Entry price (monthly)	Free trial or plan	Best for
Ahrefs Lite (for comparison)	$129	Free limited tools for your own site	Backlinks, full SEO suite
Ahrefs Starter	$29	–	Light use of Ahrefs data
Ubersuggest	About $29 (US)	Limited free searches, 7-day trial	Keyword ideas for bloggers
SpyFu Basic	$39	30-day money-back guarantee	Competitor and Google Ads research
Moz Pro Starter	$39	30-day free trial	Domain Authority and link data
Mangools Basic	About $37 to $61 depending on billing	Free account with a few lookups	Beginners who want a simple interface
SE Ranking Core	$129	14-day free trial	Rank tracking for several clients

Prices are in US dollars and were checked in October 2026 using the vendors’ pricing pages where available and independent pricing trackers otherwise. Taxes may be added in the UK, EU and Canada. Always confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.

What you lose when you leave Ahrefs

Ahrefs is known for one of the largest and freshest backlink indexes, plus strong keyword and content research. Cheaper tools usually have smaller link databases, fewer daily lookups and less historical data. For most freelancers and small agencies that is fine: you need good keyword ideas, a view of competitors, a site audit and rank tracking, not every link on the web.

1. Ubersuggest: cheapest for keyword research

Ubersuggest gives keyword ideas with volume and difficulty, content ideas, a simple site audit and rank tracking. The Individual plan costs about $29 a month in the US, and prices are lower in some countries. Its backlink data is thinner than Ahrefs, so treat it as a keyword and content tool first.

Choose it if: you run a blog or a small client site and mainly need topics and keywords. Read our Semrush vs Ubersuggest comparison for details.

2. SpyFu: best for spying on competitors

SpyFu shows the keywords competitors rank for and, unusually, years of their Google Ads keywords and ad copy. The Basic plan is $39 a month (about $33 billed yearly) with 5,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings and six months of history. Professional costs $79 a month and adds 10+ years of history and API access. SpyFu offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Choose it if: you do PPC as well as SEO, or you pitch clients by showing what their competitors are doing.

3. Moz Pro: a trusted link metric on a budget

Moz created Domain Authority, still one of the most quoted link metrics in client reports. Moz Pro Starter costs $39 a month but is small: 1 campaign and about 100 tracked keywords. Standard is $99 a month. A 30-day free trial is available.

Choose it if: clients ask for Domain Authority, or you want link data and on-page suggestions for a single site.

4. Mangools: easiest for beginners

Mangools bundles KWFinder (keywords), SERPChecker, SERPWatcher (rank tracking), LinkMiner (backlinks) and SiteProfiler in one clean interface. The Basic plan costs roughly $37 a month billed yearly or more on monthly billing, with about 100 keyword lookups a day. A free account gives a handful of lookups to try it.

Choose it if: you are new to SEO and want results without learning a complex dashboard.

5. SE Ranking: more limits for the same price

SE Ranking is not cheaper than Ahrefs Lite, but at $129 a month (about $103 billed yearly) the Core plan gives 10 projects and 2,000 keywords tracked daily, compared with 5 projects and 750 keywords on Ahrefs Lite. A 14-day free trial is available.

Choose it if: you manage several small clients and rank tracking matters more than the size of the backlink index.

Free options worth using first

Google Search Console: the most accurate data on the keywords and pages that already bring you clicks. Free.
Ahrefs free tools: verified site owners get limited free Site Explorer and Site Audit data for their own websites.
Free accounts: Semrush, Ubersuggest and Mangools all allow a small number of free searches per day.

The shared access option

If you want premium tools without a premium bill, SEO BD Tools gives shared access to Semrush, Ubersuggest and Kwhero, plus 100+ AI, writing and video tools, from $5 a month, paid by crypto (Cryptomus) or bank transfer. Semrush covers most of what people use Ahrefs for: keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink analytics and site audits.

Shared access has trade-offs. Projects and saved lists may be limited or visible to other members, daily limits are shared, and access runs through a browser extension rather than your own login. Keep private client data out of shared tools. If you need white-label client reports or API access, buy a direct plan instead. Compare what is included on our SEO tools subscription page or see all plans.

Which Ahrefs alternative should you choose?

Blogger or affiliate site: Ubersuggest or Mangools.
Freelancer doing SEO and Google Ads: SpyFu.
Clients ask for Domain Authority: Moz Pro.
Agency tracking many keywords: SE Ranking.
Want Semrush-level data for the lowest cost: shared access, with the limits above in mind.

FAQ

What is the cheapest alternative to Ahrefs?

Among full paid tools, Ubersuggest at about $29 a month is one of the cheapest. Ahrefs’ own Starter plan is also $29. For free data on your own site, use Google Search Console and Ahrefs’ free tools.

Is there a free version of Ahrefs?

Yes, a limited one. Verified website owners can use parts of Site Explorer and Site Audit for their own sites for free. Researching competitors requires a paid plan.

Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?

Not really. Semrush Pro is $139.95 a month and Ahrefs Lite is $129. The limits differ, so compare by the features you use. See our Semrush pricing guide.

Which Ahrefs alternative has the best backlink data?

Among the cheaper tools, Moz Pro and Semrush have the most established link indexes. Ubersuggest and Mangools are fine for spot checks but have smaller databases.

Sources

Prices change often. Last checked October 2026.

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