Source-backed analysis7
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
7 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
Ahrefs Review
SEO suite strong on backlinks and keywords, pricey, with account-block complaints
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Web
- Browser extension
- API
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Ahrefs suits SEO specialists and agencies that need backlink, keyword, competitor and rank-tracking data at scale, and site owners get a free tier for their own site. The trade-off is main plans from $129/month, separately priced extra users and Trustpilot complaints about accounts blocked for "suspicious activity".
Best for: SEO specialists and agencies working heavily with backlinks and competitor research
Skip it if: Individuals or very small businesses needing a low-cost SEO tool
Pros
- Large crawl data: the homepage cites a 100B-page index and 8B pages crawled daily
- Broad toolset: Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Rank Tracker, Site Audit, Brand Radar
- Ahrefs Free for your own site and a $29/month Starter plan
Cons
- Lite starts at $129/month, with extra users at $40-80/month each
- Trustpilot 2.1/5: many report accounts restricted for "suspicious activity"
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- API and MCP access on Lite and above
Cons
- Terms do not commit to refunds; the privacy policy permits machine-learning training
Best for
- Site owners who want Ahrefs data for their own site for free
Skip it if
- Teams planning to share one account without paying for extra seats
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
What Ahrefs is
Ahrefs is an SEO and marketing toolset that Dmitry Gerasimenko began building in 2010. The company is headquartered in Singapore, describes itself as bootstrapped (no outside investment) and lists 148 teammates on its about page. An August 2021 AIN.UA article cited about $100 million in annual revenue.
Key features
The homepage lists Site Explorer, Traffic Analytics, Keywords Explorer, Rank Tracker, Site Audit, Content Explorer and Report Builder. The AI side includes Brand Radar for brand visibility in AI answers, the Ask Ahrefs assistant, an SEO API and MCP. The homepage also lists other products such as Letaido, Firehose and Yep.
Pricing and terms
The pricing page lists Starter $29, Lite $129, Standard $249 and Advanced $449 per month; it says annual billing saves up to 17% but does not show annual prices. Brand Radar is an add-on from $199/month. The terms say plans renew automatically, upgrades and downgrades take effect after the current period, and Ahrefs has no obligation to refund.
More analysis
Versus alternatives
Ahrefs and Semrush sit in the same all-in-one SEO tier; Semrush adds advertising and social toolkits, while Ahrefs stresses crawl and backlink data. Moz Pro is another long-standing option. Teams should budget for extra-user fees and read the account-restriction terms before buying.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Ahrefs Free
BusinessFree
Free Ahrefs data for sites you own.
Starter
Business$29/mo
$29/month, aimed at keyword and competitor research.
Lite
Business$129/mo
5 non-verified projects (unlimited verified), 6 months of history, 750 tracked keywords, 150 AI prompt checks, 100,000 crawl credits. Includes 1 user; up to 2 more at $40/month each.
Standard
Business$249/mo
20 non-verified projects, 2 years of history, 2,000 tracked keywords, 300 AI prompt checks, 500,000 crawl credits. Up to 5 more users at $60/month each.
Advanced
Business$449/mo
50 non-verified projects, 5 years of history, 5,000 tracked keywords, 600 AI prompt checks, 1,500,000 crawl credits. Up to 10 more users at $80/month each.
Enterprise
BusinessContact sales
Custom pricing via sales: SSO, audit log, uncapped API and no training on customer data.
- Free plan limits
- Ahrefs Free covers data for sites you own. The homepage also lists free SEO tools and an AI Visibility Checker.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
The terms say Ahrefs has "no obligation to provide refunds in any instance" unless law requires it; you may email to request a refund for non-use, decided at its discretion. Plans renew until cancelled, and cancellation takes effect at the end of the period.
Privacy
The privacy policy (updated 4 August 2026) lists collected data as device, IP and cookie data, registration and payment details, content users enter and data from linked accounts. Ahrefs is the controller. The policy allows data to be used to improve AI products, including "training of our machine learning models", and de-identified or aggregated data for any business purpose; only the Enterprise plan promises no training on customer data. Ahrefs states it did not "sell" or "share" personal information under the CCPA in the past 12 months. Data is stored in the United States and no specific retention periods are given.
Ahrefs alternatives
7.3/10HubSpot
A CRM with a free tier that scales into marketing, sales and service
7.2/10Google Analytics
Google's free web and app measurement tool: powerful, with a learning curve
Frequently asked questions
Does Ahrefs have a free version?
Yes. Ahrefs Free shows data for sites you own, and the homepage lists additional free SEO tools.
Does Ahrefs offer refunds?
The terms say Ahrefs has no obligation to refund, though you can email a request for non-use and Ahrefs decides at its discretion.
Why do Ahrefs accounts get restricted?
The terms allow restricting or suspending accounts for security risk, fraud, unauthorised use or circumventing limits. Many Trustpilot reviewers report blocks for "suspicious activity"; Ahrefs replies that restrictions are automatic.
Does Ahrefs have an API?
Yes. The pricing page says API and MCP access is included on Lite, Standard and Advanced; Enterprise adds uncapped API access.
Review evidence & sources7
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.5
- Features
- 9.0
- Value for money
- 6.0
- Performance
- 7.5
- Support
- 6.0
- Privacy & security
- 6.0
Why this score
Some Trustpilot reviewers call the interface straightforward once learned, but the toolset is large. The sources read list no interface language other than English.
Why this score
The homepage lists Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Rank Tracker, Site Audit, Content Explorer, Brand Radar, Report Builder, API and MCP. Breadth and backlink data are among the strongest in SEO tooling.
Why this score
Lite is $129, Standard $249 and Advanced $449 per month, with extra users and add-ons such as Report Builder at $99/month charged separately. Starter at $29 and the free tier lower the barrier but are limited.
Why this score
Ahrefs claims the top SEO-crawler spot on Cloudflare Radar, a figure it cites itself. Some Trustpilot reviewers say traffic estimates and some keyword data are unreliable.
Why this score
The homepage reports 91.2% satisfaction, a median first response of about 6 minutes and support five days a week. Many Trustpilot reviewers (2.1/5), however, say support could not lift account restrictions, and Ahrefs replies to only 60% of negative reviews.
Why this score
The policy allows data for machine-learning training and only Enterprise promises no training; no retention periods are stated. Ahrefs says it does not sell or share data under the CCPA.
What users say
- Trustpilot2.1/5 · 322
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial pricing pageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial homepageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial about pageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial privacy policyNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial terms of serviceNov 10, 2026
- review-siteTrustpilot reviewsNov 10, 2026
- pressAIN.UA (2021-08-30): Ahrefs creates a search engineNov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Ahrefs Pte. Ltd.
- Headquarters
- Singapore
- Launched
- 2010
- Category
- Business
Capabilities
- Public API
- AI features
- Integrations
- Real-time collaboration
Platforms
- Web
- Browser extension
- API
Interface languages
- English
Integrations
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics
- Looker Studio
Support
- Help center
- Live chat
- Community forum
- Video tutorials
Change history
- Update.Ahrefs' privacy policy is last updated.
- Update.AIN.UA reports Ahrefs has invested about $40 million in the search engine project.
- Update.Gerasimenko first publicly describes a search engine project that would share 90% of profits with content creators.
About the author
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