Comparison
AhrefsvsSE Ranking
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ahrefs | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| AI features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Backlink analysis | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competitor analysis | ✓ | ✓ |
| Content optimization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| Keyword research | ✓ | ✓ |
| Local SEO | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rank tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✓ |
| SERP analysis | ✓ | ✓ |
| Site audit | ✓ | ✓ |
Ahrefs Pricing
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
Free for verified sites: limited Site Explorer, Site Audit (5K crawl credits/project), Web Analytics (1M events), no Keywords Explorer or Rank Tracker
Free
Starter
200 credits/mo, 1 unverified project, 50 tracked keywords, 1 mo historical data, no additional users
$29.00/mo
Lite
1000 credits/mo, 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 6 mo historical data, 1+2 users ($40 ea), 100K crawl credits
$129.00/mo
Standard
Unlimited credits, 20 projects, 2000 tracked keywords, 2 yr historical data, 1+5 users ($60 ea), 500K crawl credits
$249.00/mo
Advanced
Unlimited credits, 50 projects, 5000 tracked keywords, 5 yr historical data, 1+10 users ($80 ea), 1.5M crawl credits
$449.00/mo
Enterprise
Unlimited everything, custom users/support/API
$1499.00/mo
SE Ranking Pricing
Core
$103.20/mo
Growth
$223.20/mo
Enterprise
Custom
Ahrefs
Pros
- Industry-leading backlink database and analysis
- Accurate keyword research with traffic potential estimates
- Comprehensive site audits identifying 170+ issues
- Generous limits on verified own sites even free plan
- Intuitive interface with clean navigation
- Excellent for competitor keyword and content gap analysis
Cons
- High pricing especially for small teams and freelancers
- Credit system on lower plans limits heavy usage
- Steep learning curve for beginners with overwhelming data
- No free trial, restrictive refund policy
- Slow data refresh rates on rank tracking for lower plans
SE Ranking
Pros
- Comprehensive all-in-one platform
- Affordable pricing
- 14-day free trial
- Accurate data and tracking
Cons
- Keyword tracking limits on lower plans
- Interface learning curve
- Add-ons increase costs
The Verdict
Ahrefs takes this one with a DuelStack Score of 6.4/10 vs 5.7/10. It particularly excels at industry-leading backlink database and analysis. That said, SE Ranking is the better pick if you need accurate data and tracking.