What is Ahrefs and how does it compare to other SEO tools?
Ahrefs is an SEO platform best known for maintaining the world's largest index of live backlinks, with over 14 trillion indexed. While competitors like Semrush and Keywords Everywhere position themselves as comprehensive marketing suites, Ahrefs stays laser focused on SEO, offering keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and competitor analysis. Users tend to choose Ahrefs for its superior backlink indexing capabilities. Ahrefs competes directly with tools like Semrush, Keywords Everywhere and Moz, but its proprietary web crawler is second only to Google, giving it an edge in data freshness and accuracy for backlink intelligence.
Why do SEO professionals like Ahrefs?
SEO professionals frequently cite Ahrefs' deep and accurate data on backlinks as their major strength, which help shape effective link building strategies. Its keyword research tools and clear competitor insights make it easier to identify opportunities for content optimization and traffic growth, and the platform's interface is widely regarded as intuitive compared with some rivals. Users also appreciate features like Site Explorer and detailed ranking reports that streamline analysis and campaign planning.
What are the biggest complaints about Ahrefs from real users?
The most common complaints center on Ahrefs high pricing and restrictive feature limitations - the $129/month Lite plan caps users at 500 reports monthly and 2,500 rows per report, while similarly priced competitors offer significantly higher limits style. Users also report slow data updates, with some noting it can take three months for the platform to reflect changes like removed backlinks. The interface's complexity presents another barrier - multiple reviewers note that training new employees to use the platform's full capabilities takes excessive time, making it challenging for teams without dedicated SEO expertise.
Sources: Capterra, Trust Pilot & G2