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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Ahrefs

    Score8.8 out of 10
    N/AAhrefs 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.”

    $127

    per month

    Link Detox

    Score9.2 out of 10
    N/ALink Detox is a search engine optimization tool focused not only on building safe backlinks but also recovering rankings and protecting user websites from bad SEO.N/A

    SpyFu

    Score7 out of 10
    N/ASpyFu is the eponymous SEO and PPC research platform from the company in Scottsdale, Arizona focused on "spying" on competitors, or basically using their behaviors to refine your own through keyword and content analysis, and backlink poaching. This positional search engine optimization and paid listings management platform touts the ability to lower costs and raise rankings via a Kombat-oriented approach... basically a cute way of saying "it makes comparisons" of how well your site does in niche…

    $39

    per month

    Pricing
    AhrefsLink DetoxSpyFu
    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
    Basic
    $39
    per month
    Professional
    $79
    per month
    Team
    $299
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    AhrefsLink DetoxSpyFu
    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
    AhrefsLink DetoxSpyFu
    Considered Multiple Products
    Ahrefs
    Chose Ahrefs
    Ahrefs and SpyFu compliment each other. Ahrefs is better for backlinks and overall performance tracking. SpyFu is the leader for keyword analysis, especially with their combat tool. Conductor strives to replace or supplement Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics and build custom …
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Chose Ahrefs
    SEMRush is the clear competitor and beats Ahrefs for keyword position tracking and keyword competitive analysis. However, Ahrefs is a clear winner in the quality and timeliness of their backlink database. Both should be used in conjunction.
    Incentivized
    Chose Ahrefs
    I like these other softwares too. If you work in an agency you will likely have uses for many different platforms. I do like the way that ahrefs indexes and tracks links more than anything else I have used though. I think it is very effective with competitive research as well.
    Incentivized
    LinkResearchTools
    No answer on this topic
    SpyFu
    Chose SpyFu
    SpyFu is a good tool and it certainly provides a good starting point for any basic PPC or SEO campaign. I dont believe it has the comprehensive features that a tool like Ahrefs has, as it doesnt have the granular data these tools possess. However, it is still well worth using …
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    I use Ahrefs for Site audit, Keyword Research, Backlink analysis, and some parts of competitor analysis. SpyFu I always wanted to keep primary, but it's not doable with the limitation of their database, which forces me to use Ahrefs for that reason.
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    SpyFu is more cost-effective than both (Ahrefs and Semrush), but we have to compromise on the data's accuracy. However, the data reporting and user interface of SpyFu make it easy to decipher. For Paid Ads keyword lookup, we prefer SpyFu to any other tool maybe, because it's …
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    I've used Semrush as well. Semrush does organic SEO analysis better than SpyFu and backlink research. I find the data more intuitive. I much prefer SpyFu for their advertising/PPC analysis and use SpyFu when researching competitors' advertising campaigns. These are the main two …
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    Compared to Semrush or Ahrefs, neither of the competitors stacks up against SpyFu in terms of competitor insight of paid ad performance. It can even identify specific ad copy changes, which can be crucial for high-demand periods like Black Friday. In my opinion, SpyFu is an …
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    Spyfu fails to hit the mark at least when it comes to SEO since both Ahrefs and Semrush has a bigger directory and fetches data from more countries than Spyfu does, however Spyfu offers a great deal when it comes to cost effective solution to almost every digital marketing …
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    It's a great little tool that offers pretty much everything you can get from Moz or Semrush at a fraction of the cost. My company uses a few different tools but I always come back to SpyFu because it is so easy to use and their build-in reporting is great.
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    Personally, the only tool I use as often as SEMRush. If you have the SEMRush paid version, I personally choose to use that over SpyFu. SpyFu is the best free search analytics tool online though. It has the greatest offerings in its free pack and allows you to have the most …
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    I would say that the above tools each offer their own unique skillset to be able to enhance what we find with SpyFu. For competitive analysis at a low cost point SpyFu really follows through on the promise of delivering actionable competitive insights with additional tools that …
    Incentivized
    Chose SpyFu
    I think that these are both really good products. If you are in an agency there is probably room for both in your budget because you will want to use them with different clients. If you are at a smaller company or a start up I would go with SpyFu. Much more affordable and very …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    95%
    Would buy again
    38 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    97%
    Would buy again
    28 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    34 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    27 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    39 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    29 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    33 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    21 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    36 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    22 Answers
    Features
    AhrefsLink DetoxSpyFu
    SEO
    Comparison of SEO features of Ahrefs and Link Detox and SpyFu
    Feature
    Ahrefs
    8.3
    72 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Link Detox
    8.7
    3 Ratings
    12% above category average
    SpyFu
    6.6
    52 Ratings
    15% below category average
    Keyword analysis9.869 Ratings00 Ratings7.052 Ratings
    Backlink management9.470 Ratings9.03 Ratings6.040 Ratings
    SERP ranking tracking8.668 Ratings00 Ratings6.044 Ratings
    Page grader7.462 Ratings8.01 Ratings7.829 Ratings
    Competitive analysis9.270 Ratings8.01 Ratings7.051 Ratings
    Site audit / diagnostics7.465 Ratings9.01 Ratings7.232 Ratings
    Site recommendations7.461 Ratings9.02 Ratings6.031 Ratings
    Task management7.033 Ratings9.11 Ratings6.120 Ratings
    SEO Channels
    Comparison of SEO Channels features of Ahrefs and Link Detox and SpyFu
    Feature
    Ahrefs
    6.5
    63 Ratings
    16% below category average
    Link Detox
    8.7
    2 Ratings
    14% above category average
    SpyFu
    5.8
    39 Ratings
    27% below category average
    Local SEO6.751 Ratings8.32 Ratings5.033 Ratings
    Social SEO6.048 Ratings9.11 Ratings5.028 Ratings
    Mobile SEO6.047 Ratings8.32 Ratings8.029 Ratings
    Global SEO7.157 Ratings9.02 Ratings5.035 Ratings
    SEO Platform & Account Management
    Comparison of SEO Platform & Account Management features of Ahrefs and Link Detox and SpyFu
    Feature
    Ahrefs
    7.4
    60 Ratings
    13% below category average
    Link Detox
    9.0
    3 Ratings
    7% above category average
    SpyFu
    7.2
    28 Ratings
    16% below category average
    Multi-domain support6.457 Ratings9.03 Ratings6.028 Ratings
    Integration with web analytics tools8.429 Ratings9.03 Ratings8.518 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    AhrefsLink DetoxSpyFu
    Small Businesses
    Serpstat
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Serpstat
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Serpstat
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Yoast
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Yoast
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Yoast
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Google Trends
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Google Trends
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Google Trends
    Score8.6 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    AhrefsLink DetoxSpyFu
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.2
    (77 ratings)
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.0
    (62 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (10 ratings)
    Usability
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.8
    (14 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.6
    (13 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    AhrefsLink DetoxSpyFu
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Ahrefs
    Ahrefs is a must have in the SEO toolbox. It is one of the leading tools in the industry for serious SEO research. It can do almost everything you need on the non-technical side of SEO. In my opinion, it is not great if you need a detailed technical tool that identifies errors and helps with fix suggestions. In that instance, I think there are better tools on the market. But - for content and keyword related tasks, I think it's must have.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    LinkResearchTools
    The go-to link risk management tool
    Read full review
    SpyFu
    If you have a Google ads PPC campaign and then I would say this is more or less essential if you want to know what your competitors are doing. You can get very useful data out of it even if you subscribe for one month. And the pricing is very reasonable. Even if you don't use Google ads, I would say this is still useful for your SEO/SMO team since it gives you a great idea of what keywords and traffic your competitors are working on.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Ahrefs
    • I have been using this platform in my organization to develop several SEO tools to help to grow our website much.
    • It has all the main features which include competitor research, keyword research, website audit, content research, and rank tracking.
    • I have been using all these functions in the organization for several purposes. It provides complete information and complete performance details of the SEO.
    • It provides us the detailed keyword research with volume, CPC, and other information.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    LinkResearchTools
    • Clean up the link profile of a website.
    • User-friendly interface to go through a list of websites.
    • Easily create a disavow file.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SpyFu
    • Keeping a tab on competitors organic and inorganic activities
    • Helps identify where the competitor is getting the backlinks from.
    • Identify competitors top content and the keywords that's bringing them traffic
    • Get proper information of their current and past ADS run on Google.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Ahrefs
    • Can't export graphs: some graphs within the tool would be useful as an export. Unfortunately, exporting them is not an option.
    • No "blanket" reporting options: though Ahrefs is excellent for gathering and exporting intel/data, there are no blanket SEO reports provided. Exporting data is great, but simple report exporting would make it better.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    LinkResearchTools
    • None that I can think of.
    Read full review
    SpyFu
    • As with any database, their keyword database has limits, so the data returned is relative to their database, not necessarily the full picture.
    • When SpyFu database or scoring chances, the data provided can spike, thus causing confusion among stakeholders, we're reporting to.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Ahrefs
    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
    LinkResearchTools
    No answers on this topic
    SpyFu
    Love this tool but would like insights from all 3 major search engines not just Google. I would also like deeper understanding of the placement for local businesses on Google Places/Maps. Insight into mobile search rankings and best landing pages per industry would also help :) Overall, SpyFu is a necessity for serious search marketers.
    Read full review
    Usability
    Ahrefs
    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
    LinkResearchTools
    No answers on this topic
    SpyFu
    SpyFu is an easy to use tool, and has a self -explanatroy dashborad to generate the data needed to provide insights into any B2B SEO and PPC campaign. It is not comprehensive, but it certainly provides good enough insight to make it a valuable part of any agency tool stack
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Ahrefs
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    LinkResearchTools
    No answers on this topic
    SpyFu
    SpyFu comes with a link to tutorial videos. I recommend you watch them. The software is capable of so much you really need to watch the videos and learn how to get the most out of it. When I have a question 90% of the time it's there. When it isn't, and I reach out to them, support is always quick and concise.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Ahrefs
    Majestic and Ahrefs are really close in terms of tool. Ahrefs does offer competitive comparison and they do have a more up to date data base. Majestic however has a more comprehensive historical view of sites which is also extremely valuable. Majestic also offers a link velocity chart that is missing on Ahrefs. Ahrefs makes up for this with their links gained/lost calendar which Majestic is missing.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    LinkResearchTools
    Link Detox has no alternatives
    Read full review
    SpyFu
    I was surprised to find I preferred Semrush when it comes to keyword research. SpyFu is great (and less expensive than Semrush), but I felt the data Semrush provided was vaster than SpyFu. I was able to get more competitors spending insights in Semrush than SpyFu. Overall, I liked the ability to use both in our keyword research for both paid and organic marketing.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Ahrefs
    • Ahrefs Site Explorer has helped with any comprehensive backlink analysis and backlink profile management we've had.
    • Ahrefs Site Explorer has helped tremendously in getting manual penalties lifted for certain sites.
    • Aherfs Site Explorer has been helpful in identifying 404 error pages.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    LinkResearchTools
    • It helped me remove manual penalties which makes a huge impact on rankings
    • Keeping the websites safe for future penalty reviews and updates
    • Having the websites rank good and protect them from penalties is a big ROI
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SpyFu
    • Helping us track our ranking.
    • It helps solve the problem of ambiguity when it comes to Google Ads. It makes the strategy more clear.
    • You can sift through lots of different online analytics to find the information, but it takes way too long. SpyFu has it all in one place!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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