Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Ahrefs
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Ahrefs is an SEO tool providers. Ahrefs Site Explorer provides a suite of tools including a component for backlink & on-page SEO analysis, online brand mentions tracking, and domain comparison tool for competitor analysis, etc. They refer to themselves as “the largest index of live backlinks.”
$129
per month
Google Search Console
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Google Search Console is a search engine optimization software solution offered by Google.N/A
Microsite Masters
Score 0.0 out of 10
N/A
Microsite Masters is a search engine optimization software solution offered by MicrositeMasteres.com.N/A
Pricing
AhrefsGoogle Search ConsoleMicrosite Masters
Editions & Modules
Lite
$129.00
per month
Standard
$249.00
per month
Advanced
$449.00
per month
Enterprise
$1499.00
per month
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
AhrefsGoogle Search ConsoleMicrosite Masters
Free Trial
NoNoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsDiscount available for annual billing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AhrefsGoogle Search ConsoleMicrosite Masters
Considered Multiple Products
Ahrefs
Chose Ahrefs
The User Interface and usability of the tool makes it very pleasant experience to use on a regular basis. Keyword research and topical clustering on the fly is really easy with SERP overviews and competitor keywords/traffic insights. SEMrush is a little less user friendly and …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is easier to use, their features deliver understandable and logical recommendations, and in my opinion and most importantly — they list parent topics, which is huge when designing/redesigning a website.
Chose Ahrefs
It's competitive with SEMRush, Moz and other tools of that same ilk. It's great for serious SEO work - not at the Enterprise level - but at the small business, small agency level. I would not consider it competitive with BrightEdge, Conductor, SEOClarity, etc. - but it IS …
Chose Ahrefs
We found the user interface of Ahrefs slightly better than the rest. Also, the details involved in the outputs we more informative. For example, once an audit is done, the steps that are involved in fixing that issue are well explained in Ahrefs. Also, I found Ahrefs backlink …
Chose Ahrefs
Screaming Frog is a handy tool when it comes to performing technical SEO audits and improving technical aspects of SEO. But Ahrefs on the contrary is a strategic SEO tool that can help you do holistic SEO. This includes features like performing keyword research, building links, …
Chose Ahrefs
In my experience, Ahrefs and SEMrush are both powerful tools for improving SEO and content marketing efforts. However, I chose to use Ahrefs over SEMrush for a few reasons. Firstly, Ahrefs has a stronger focus on backlink analysis and identifying potential link building …
Chose Ahrefs
In my organizaion we are also using Semrush, but prefer Ahrefs as Semrush sometimes doesn't show keywords where there are low search rates.
Chose Ahrefs
With the digital initiatives we have currently underway, both are really valuable so we keep them both. The digital ecosystem changes so rapidly that only relying on one SEO tool is, in my opinion, not a great idea, as each has its own strengths and weaknesses. And the cost is …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs provides more accurate and important data compared to other services. It has become a very trusted service among the SEO community and collected tremendous amount of data over the years of operation. Ahrefs is designed to meet the needs of a very demanding SEO expert, …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is one of the best platforms available in the market dealing in developing online SEO tools and free educational material for marketing professionals. It has all the best features related to SEO and gives all the performance and analytics based on digital presence.
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is the most comprehensive tool we've used for providing SEO and performance analysis for our website clients. It's an essential part of our analytics stack, along with Google products. It doesn't require downloading and installing software, and it's more robust and user …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is more flexible for a large organization and overall has more features than competitors packed within a single tool. Other tools just don't have as much ability as the Ahrefs tool does. We also found the UI to be overall better on Ahrefs and easier to understand than …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs has the best backlink data even compared to funded competitors. On top of that, their analysis and tutorials make it possible to get value easily. Monitoring your website, your competitors, and finding SEO opportunities is very easy and there are some sophisticated …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is one of the many tools that I use but on it's own it's great. Many back link analysis tools don't have that many results and many test have shown that Ahrefs has some of the largest datasets in the industry. So compared to other tools, its one of the best, if not the …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is my clear choice when I need to better understand the link profile of my clients' websites as its database is unmatched. However, when it comes to keyword research, it is second only to SEMrush. I wouldn't say that it's worse than SEMrush as each is focused on …
Chose Ahrefs
I used to use Moz a lot and it is also a great tool. However, I found the Ahrefs UI was much friendlier and easier to navigate. I also like the specific use cases shown in the Ahrefs blog, which are much easier to follow and implement when using the Ahrefs tool itself. This …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs provides a lot more data, in a lot more detail - and tells you exactly why it matters.
Moz is a nice tool - the UI is easier to navigate and there are more prompts for new users - but anyone doing serious work will do better with Ahrefs.
Chose Ahrefs
Sadly we are coming [to] terms that even trough there are more and more options that Ahrefs has they are still incomplete or not working good enough. And the most important options (like frequent updates on rankings) are behind the most expensive membership.

Right now we mainly …
Chose Ahrefs
Semrush and BuzzSumo are also good tools. Semrush is hardcore and technical; if you outgrew Ahrefs as an SEO practitioner and were doing intense work for one big client, I'd highly recommend it. BuzzSumo is more for a social media manager; it provides huge shortcuts for …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs has more features and more accurate data than its competitors. While both Moz and Majestic are great tools and can be used as complimentary to Ahrefs, if you have to choose one tool, definitely choose Ahrefs. It has the biggest database of links and better stats for …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs Site Explorer gives us an easier way of obtaining backlinks when we're doing link building, whereas with other products I have a more difficult time finding viable backlinks. The keyword list you can export from Ahrefs is also a lot more clear than in other products …
Google Search Console
Chose Google Search Console
I think these tools are a lot better than GSC, to be honest, because they bring everything together in one place and offer better keyword analysis capabilities. However, I would select GSC over these tools because it is Google's proprietary data, and ultimately, I am optimizing …
Chose Google Search Console
It's a product from the same team as the no. 1 search engine. It's free, so there's no burden, and you can use it for as long as you want and for as big a company as possible. Others are very expensive, and data can be inaccurate sometimes. Google Analytics serves a different …
Chose Google Search Console
GSC does not give you as much information as a paid tool, but it does give you direct clicks to keywords which these other tools have no way of knowing.
Chose Google Search Console
Semrush, Ahrefs, Botify and Sistrix
Chose Google Search Console
Google Search Console needs to be used alongside other tools like that ones I mentioned. By itself, it's only able to provide basic information for baseline issues. Thankfully, it does integrate well with a lot of other services and can be useful when linked up to those tools. …
Chose Google Search Console
The best part about Google Search Console is it is FREE to use. However, the performance report shared by Google Search Console may not be as detailed as the one shared by Ubersuggest. Ubersuggest also has tons of other additional features and they have a free version too. I …
Chose Google Search Console
Bing helps us to submit websites to our bing search engine, manage sitemaps crawl status help to disallow URLs. However it is only for the Bing search engine, obviously, we need to use the Google search console for Google indexing.
Chose Google Search Console
The search console provides more detailed data on actual real-world performance. The search console also helps with submitting new websites for indexing whereas other tools only analyze existing SERP results. The search console also gives additional data of keywords that a page …
Chose Google Search Console
All of these other tools have positives and negatives. We use Google Search Console along with SEMRush in the past and are using it with Ahrefs right now. Search Console is like the foundation of monitoring our search presence and these other tools are what lets us do the heavy …
Chose Google Search Console
Semrush costs money to obtain the full range of data that Google Search Engine doesn't supply. Start with GSC and then move to Semrush, is my opinion.
Chose Google Search Console
Google uniquely provides specific data that is important for optimizing SEO and performance for websites. While it doesn't provide as comprehensive an analysis as other tools like Ahrefs and Moz, it provides Google performance-specific data that can't be found elsewhere. When …
Chose Google Search Console
I don't know other such tools.
Chose Google Search Console
The data is more accurate in Google Search Console and you can communicate back with Google using this tool.
Chose Google Search Console
If you need advanced SEO information, then of course you need to use expensive tools. Google console will give basic information, but most importantly, it will give promptly and free of charge. So do not ignore the possibilities of this great free tool, because all webmasters …
Chose Google Search Console
There is a lot to learn on how to do SEO properly. As a freelance photographer, I don't have enough time to do this properly. I usually use the options and tips that my web host (Squarespace) provides. It is much easier and simpler to use, but I am sure the results will not be …
Chose Google Search Console
We use both SEMrush and Google Search Console. Google Search Console and SEMrush share some similar features, but they're two very different software suites. SEMRush is a more robust platform for SEO and SEM. It offers a lot more features than Google Search Console, …
Chose Google Search Console
Although Statcounter is more like Google Analytics than Search Console, it still has a lot of overlap. Statcounter is relatively small, so it does not provide anywhere near the functions of SC. But, it's good to have a secondary source of traffic and other related data, one …
Chose Google Search Console
We are using Ahrefs and SEMRush along with the search console. Ahrefs helps in creating our backlink strategy while SEMRush for content gaps and opportunities. Search console is more preferred as it is completely free and data comes straight from Google. But you cannot see …
Chose Google Search Console
We also use SEMrush for our sites to get a better overall picture of our backlinks, keywords, rankings, etc for all our search engine optimization needs, but at a cost of $99/month, it can be quite expensive and does what Google Search Console does for free, albeit in a more …
Chose Google Search Console
Google Search Console offers more information than Google Analytics alone (though they can be integrated together). Google Search Console is also a free tool, so that can be an attractive facet when compared to Moz or other SEO programs (though the information provided is …
Chose Google Search Console
Google Search Console is obviously not as robust as a paid service like SEMRush, but it provides quick, easy, at-a-glance insights to make our jobs easier.
Chose Google Search Console
I wouldn't really call Google Search Console a competitor of these major SEO software that has backlink management, competitive research, keyword research, PPC research, and so much more a part of them. It's just a bare-bones SEO tool and sitemap submission specifically for …
Chose Google Search Console
Google Search Console does a lot more than most webmaster tools and is easier to navigate than Bing Webmaster Tools. One other tool that we predominately use is SerpCheetah, which provides real-time organic keyword positioning rank in the SERP and can be broken down by device, …
Microsite Masters

No answer on this topic

Features
AhrefsGoogle Search ConsoleMicrosite Masters
SEO
Comparison of SEO features of Product A and Product B
Ahrefs
8.2
Ratings
7% above category average
Google Search Console
4.8
Ratings
46% below category average
Microsite Masters
-
Ratings
Keyword analysis9.80 Ratings7.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Backlink management9.30 Ratings5.90 Ratings00 Ratings
SERP ranking tracking8.70 Ratings6.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Page grader7.10 Ratings3.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Competitive analysis9.20 Ratings1.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Site audit / diagnostics7.40 Ratings7.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Site recommendations7.20 Ratings5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Task management7.00 Ratings1.00 Ratings00 Ratings
SEO Channels
Comparison of SEO Channels features of Product A and Product B
Ahrefs
6.6
Ratings
14% below category average
Google Search Console
7.2
Ratings
5% below category average
Microsite Masters
-
Ratings
Local SEO6.90 Ratings6.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Social SEO6.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile SEO6.00 Ratings7.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Global SEO7.40 Ratings7.60 Ratings00 Ratings
SEO Platform & Account Management
Comparison of SEO Platform & Account Management features of Product A and Product B
Ahrefs
7.5
Ratings
12% below category average
Google Search Console
8.0
Ratings
5% below category average
Microsite Masters
-
Ratings
Multi-domain support6.70 Ratings7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with web analytics tools8.40 Ratings8.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
AhrefsGoogle Search ConsoleMicrosite Masters
Small Businesses
Nozzle
Nozzle
Score 10.0 out of 10
Nozzle
Nozzle
Score 10.0 out of 10
Nozzle
Nozzle
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Advanced Web Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking
Score 8.2 out of 10
Advanced Web Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking
Score 8.2 out of 10
Advanced Web Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking
Score 8.2 out of 10
Enterprises
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Score 8.5 out of 10
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Score 8.5 out of 10
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
AhrefsGoogle Search ConsoleMicrosite Masters
Likelihood to Recommend
9.3
(0 ratings)
9.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.8
(0 ratings)
6.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
AhrefsGoogle Search ConsoleMicrosite Masters
Likelihood to Recommend
It gives the best report to us which helps us to find the opportunity to build backlinks. Another main feature that makes Ahrefs a safe and sound approach to SEO is that it provides information about duplicate content, URLs, redirects along with other errors that can be dangerous to the website.
Read full review
If you just want to understand how much traffic you're getting from Google organic search results, and study the queries and landing pages that make up this traffic, this is a great tool. If you also want to figure out where you may be missing opportunities or making it hard for people to find your site, this can help with that. However, GSC is not going to give you step by step instructions for how to fix SEO issues, and won't help prioritize anything either. It's essentially like a car dashboard, but doesn't do any driving or tell you how to drive.
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Pros
  • Their backlink database is still one of the most up to date we've seen when compared to similar tools.
  • The user interface is very intuitive and easy to learn.
  • They provide you with a lot of great information and the ability to set a date range can really help you narrow things down.
Read full review
  • Provides details on what other sites contain backlinks to your site, along with the page they direct to within your site
  • Displays impressions and click throughs for Google search queries
  • Individual page performance by location and device category as it pertains to generating clicks leading to your site
  • Basic indexing and readability issues within your site
  • The new interface that just rolled out is much easier on the eyes
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Cons
  • Ahrefs Site Explorer provides an overview of domain health and the issues that can be fixed, and sometimes the suggested "critical issues" can be an astronomical number and not accurate.
  • For certain features on Ahrefs Site Explorer, there can a more elaborate description/guide on how to utilize the feature.
Read full review
  • It can be a little difficult to navigate
  • More training resources would be an asset. A beginner is given the power to completely destroy a sites search results at the push of a button. Likewise it is a powerful tool to enhance search results also.
  • An option to take care of multiple versions of the same site simultaneously would be helpful. An option to use the same validation script across all versions and administer them simultaneously would be a time save (i.e. non-www, www, http://, and https:// versions of the same site).
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Likelihood to Renew
Their index is too vast to ignore when looking at a complete backlink profile. We find links in Ahrefs that do not appear in any other link detection tool. For this reason, it's a must for our agency to use for the foreseeable future. Plus, it's very affordable considering the data you get
Read full review
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Usability
Ahrefs is very easy to use - you can jump right in and understand most of the assets. Overall, the dashboard snapshots give a very good picture of inbound link activity. For deeper analysis of historical trends, the system can become cumbersome, making it hard to do full work without exporting and reformatting the data.
Read full review
It's easy to use, but some features are lacking a clear explanation. Somethings don't always match up. For example, the Core Web Vitals often doesn't match what you would see in the Chrome Lighthouse report or the Google Page Speed Insights tool. The tool itself is a little too basic and has to be used alongside other SEO tools and other Google properties such as Analytics
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Ahrefs has always been responsive when there's been a technical issue with the site. There are usually very little problems, but if there are, they announce it on their social media accounts which keeps its customers informed. Email support is prompt and the customer service people are very helpful, knowledgable and friendly.
Read full review
As with all Google software, your primary source of help is their forums, their knowledge base articles, or whatever tutorials you can find on the web. Often answers on their forums are not straightforward and may not address the actual issue you're experiencing. The KB articles are typically written like instruction manuals - for better or for worse. Tutorials on the web may vary, but the odds are good someone out there had the same questions as you and was kind enough to document their experience.
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
It's competitive with Semrush, Moz and other tools of that same ilk. It's great for serious SEO work - not at the Enterprise level - but at the small business, small agency level. I would not consider it competitive with BrightEdge, Conductor, SEOClarity, etc. - but it IS competitive and on par with the tools that are one level below those big enterprise tools.
Read full review
It's a product from the same team as the no. 1 search engine. It's free, so there's no burden, and you can use it for as long as you want and for as big a company as possible. Others are very expensive, and data can be inaccurate sometimes. Google Analytics serves a different usecase altogether.
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • Ahrefs has helped save hours of work because it functions as an all-in-one SEO tool. Before Ahrefs, I would have to switch toolsets multiple times, compile the reports, then organize data. Ahrefs as an all in one helped managed the chaos that having too many tools create.
  • Backlink data is crucial to predicting content success. Ahrefs has provided us with better backlink data, allowing our predictions to be more accurate.
  • Ahrefs has helped us cut away from having another rank tracker subscription. Their rank tracking tool is good enough to not warrant a dedicated rank tracker, helping us save on costs.
Read full review
  • It has helped a lot in optimizing our webpages for the right keywords.
  • It has an overall positive impact on our business in terms of better rankings and CTR.
  • After the successful submission of our sitemap, we saw a sudden boost in our SERPs.
Read full review
No answers on this topic
ScreenShots

Ahrefs Screenshots

Screenshot of Analyze backlinks and keywords of any website to find opportunities for your organic traffic growthScreenshot of Check your website for 100+ pre-defined SEO issuesScreenshot of Get relevant keyword ideas supported by accurate SEO metricsScreenshot of Find the most shared and linked-to content on any topicScreenshot of Track your and your competitors' search rankings