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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

    SE Ranking

    Score9 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    An SEO toolset for agency and in-house pros.

    $65

    per month

    VisibleThread

    Score8 out of 10
    N/AVisibleThread RFP Platform is an end-to-end pursuit intelligence solution purpose-built for organizations operating in highly regulated sectors like defense, government contracting, and aerospace. The platform leverages a unique combination of deterministic analysis and traceable AI to automate the most complex phases of the proposal lifecycle. Unlike generic tools, VisibleThread provides deep linguistic and structural insights, allowing teams to "shred" documents for compliance, track…N/A
    Pricing
    AhrefsSE RankingVisibleThread
    Editions & Modules
    Lite
    $129.00
    per month
    Standard
    $249.00
    per month
    Advanced
    $449.00
    per month
    Enterprise
    $1499.00
    per month
    Essential
    $65
    per month
    Pro
    $119
    per month
    Business
    $259
    per month
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    AhrefsSE RankingVisibleThread
    Free Trial
    NoYesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsDiscount available for annual billing.SE Ranking’s subscription plans are available at a 20% discount for annual pricing.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    AhrefsSE RankingVisibleThread
    Considered Multiple Products
    Ahrefs
    Chose Ahrefs
    Ahrefs is the oldest of the tools and its index is gigantic in comparison. It also distinguishes between live and historical links which is important for determening the current value of a website.

    It lacks some of the onsite auditing tools which Serpstat Moz and even SE Ranking
    Incentivized
    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, …
    Incentivized
    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 …
    Incentivized
    Chose Ahrefs
    After trying multiple premium and more affordable all-in-one SEO tools, alike, I'm confident that Ahrefs Site Explorer is the best value for the money with the most useful data for my SEO content projects.
    Incentivized
    SE Ranking
    Chose SE Ranking
    Backlink checker seems to be far less thorough than Ahrefs. It's also less thorough than Screaming Frog. But we got it for rank tracking and it does as a decent job at that.
    Incentivized
    Chose SE Ranking
    SE Ranking is better than Serpstat or MOZ or Ahrefs when it comes to tracking keyword rankings, but it lacks in every other SEO category, such as onsite and offsite SEO metrics, content analysis, etc...

    It's a good choice for agencies that are interested in tracking keywords for …
    Incentivized
    Chose SE Ranking
    SE Ranking is way more budget-friendly and suitable for less demanded SEO projects.
    Incentivized
    Chose SE Ranking

    The interface is much more friendly. The databases for the backlinks database seems to be bigger and more qualitative.


    Incentivized
    Chose SE Ranking
    We chose SE Ranking because of the price as it was very affordable and also helped us cover our needs.
    Incentivized
    VisibleThread
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    95%
    Would buy again
    38 Answers
    100%
    Would buy again
    10 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    34 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    7 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    39 Answers
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    10 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    33 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    8 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    36 Answers
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    10 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    AhrefsSE RankingVisibleThread
    SEO
    Comparison of SEO features of Ahrefs and SE Ranking and VisibleThread RFP Platform
    Feature
    Ahrefs
    8.3
    72 Ratings
    8% above category average
    SE Ranking
    7.9
    16 Ratings
    3% above category average
    VisibleThread RFP Platform
    -
    Ratings
    Keyword analysis9.869 Ratings7.99 Ratings00 Ratings
    Backlink management9.470 Ratings7.316 Ratings00 Ratings
    SERP ranking tracking8.668 Ratings7.915 Ratings00 Ratings
    Page grader7.462 Ratings7.611 Ratings00 Ratings
    Competitive analysis9.270 Ratings7.915 Ratings00 Ratings
    Site audit / diagnostics7.465 Ratings7.916 Ratings00 Ratings
    Site recommendations7.461 Ratings8.412 Ratings00 Ratings
    Task management7.033 Ratings7.910 Ratings00 Ratings
    SEO Channels
    Comparison of SEO Channels features of Ahrefs and SE Ranking and VisibleThread RFP Platform
    Feature
    Ahrefs
    6.5
    63 Ratings
    16% below category average
    SE Ranking
    8.1
    14 Ratings
    6% above category average
    VisibleThread RFP Platform
    -
    Ratings
    Local SEO6.751 Ratings8.111 Ratings00 Ratings
    Social SEO6.048 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile SEO6.047 Ratings8.112 Ratings00 Ratings
    Global SEO7.157 Ratings8.213 Ratings00 Ratings
    SEO Platform & Account Management
    Comparison of SEO Platform & Account Management features of Ahrefs and SE Ranking and VisibleThread RFP Platform
    Feature
    Ahrefs
    7.4
    60 Ratings
    13% below category average
    SE Ranking
    8.4
    14 Ratings
    0% below category average
    VisibleThread RFP Platform
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-domain support6.457 Ratings8.512 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration with web analytics tools8.429 Ratings8.413 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    AhrefsSE RankingVisibleThread
    Small Businesses
    Serpstat
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Serpstat
    Score9.9 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Yoast
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Yoast
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Responsive
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Google Trends
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Google Trends
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Responsive
    Score8.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    AhrefsSE RankingVisibleThread
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.2
    (77 ratings)
    8.0
    (16 ratings)
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    7.3
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.8
    (14 ratings)
    7.3
    (6 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    AhrefsSE RankingVisibleThread
    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
    SE Ranking
    SE Ranking is a fantastic tool if you are a marketing agency or freelancer looking for a single tool for the majority of your SEO work. It also includes B2B tools like their lead generation widget and white label reports that can help you generate new leads for your business. It would get 10 stars if their database was larger to accommodate research for small geographic areas, but they are always expanding their database so it may just be a matter of time. Research SE Ranking has pricing plans available for every budget.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VisibleThread
    Having used VisibleThread VT Writer for both internal knowledge base documentation and external communications, I would highly recommend it to any writer who wants to simplify their content. VisibleThread VT Writer makes content way more digestible for a wider audience. VisibleThread VT Writer is great at identifying passive voice, long sentences and complex words. It will ensure that whatever you write is simple enough that a young kid can read and understand your content.
    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
    SE Ranking
    • Rank racking. It’s really important for us that the ranks are tracked accurately.
    • Monitoring of changes made on the website. We’ve found this feature really useful.
    • Reports. This includes auto reports and manuals. We can easily and quickly create reports to check our SEO progress month by month.
    Read full review
    VisibleThread
    • Acronym finder - the best acronym finder I have used! This creates an Excel spreadsheet with the acronyms and their definitions in an alphabetically sorted worksheet ... AND this worksheet includes actual sentences from the document showing how and where the acronym was used.
    • Compare documents - WOW! what a wonderful update! You get an Excel worksheet with the 2 compared documents side-by-side showing differences in red and statements with no changes in blue.
    • Starter compliance matrix (SCM) - again, one of the best SCM-creators I have used. This choice is quick, concise, and the resulting Excel worksheet is easy to manipulate and change.
    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
    SE Ranking
    • I really don't think SE Ranking has many flaws. They are also rolling out an app at the moment - SE Ranking Pro - need to test that one.
    • Some more video tutorials on the site on how to use some tools would be helpful.
    • More in-system popups would be more helpful too.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VisibleThread
    • More automation, other software in this space is able to completely rewrite content and even provide multiple iterations at once
    • Ability to tailor results and desired output based on target audience, i.e. desired grade level might vary based on audience
    • Would be nice if VT can start writing content based on bullet points, again more automation
    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
    SE Ranking
    No answers on this topic
    VisibleThread
    No answers on this topic
    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
    SE Ranking
    They had a huge update recently and the platform is now even better. Although not all the tools are yet in the new design.
    Read full review
    VisibleThread
    No answers on this topic
    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
    SE Ranking
    The support is great but they don't have 24/7 support. And time zones can also be an issue sometimes. On the other hand there are plenty of guides and videos around to get yourself started. I never really needed support for "big" issues. And the help I got was good enough.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VisibleThread
    No answers on this topic
    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
    SE Ranking
    SE Ranking is better than Serpstat or MOZ or Ahrefs when it comes to tracking keyword rankings, but it lacks in every other SEO category, such as onsite and offsite SEO metrics, content analysis, etc... It's a good choice for agencies that are interested in tracking keywords for their clients, but other than that it underperforms in every other SEO category.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VisibleThread
    We reviewed many other products but found all of them did not have the extent of tasks that VT had. These searches were over 5 years ago and many of the products reviewed are no longer available. In addition, some software still in existence have merit, just not to the extent we need. I do not want to give anyone a bad rating just because we did not choose them. Again, choose the right software for the right job!
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    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
    SE Ranking
    • The website "health" report has allowed us to fix things that Google might find strange or cause us to lose rankings, which has been very helpful.
    • It's given us more visibility into what exactly our SEO management company is doing and how they are performing, and if things are changing or not. It's very easy to see right from the dashboard.
    • Being able to see how our competitors stack up against us has helped us know where to improve, what to focus on, and how to be even better.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VisibleThread
    • It has made our content more readable
    • It makes us sound relevant to our clients
    • Ensures the content everyone writes is consistent
    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

    SE Ranking Screenshots

    Screenshot of SE Ranking main dashboardScreenshot of SE Ranking keyword researchScreenshot of SE Ranking website auditScreenshot of SERP CompetitorsScreenshot of Organic SERP HistoryScreenshot of Content tool

    VisibleThread Screenshots

    Screenshot of RFP Software for Analyzing Solicitations and Contracts​. This automates tedious, manual doc review steps and improve quality throughout the lifecycle.Screenshot of the Shred Compliance Matrix with Simple Shred. Shreds RFPs and SOWs for words like: “WILL”, “SHALL”, “MUST”, and any other custom keywords.Screenshot of Extract Acronyms, the tool used to check for acronym usage. This scans documents to identify incorrect and inconsistent use of acronyms or acronyms defined in different ways.