Ahrefs: AI marketing for small teams
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Ahrefs helps you run marketing and follow-ups by starting with an SEO and AI search platform for backlinks, keywords, site audits and rank tracking. It is best for marketers, SEO consultants and content teams who rely on backlink and keyword data. People also use it to find answers you can check. A free plan is available.
What it does
- Site Explorer for backlinks and organic traffic
- Keywords Explorer with clusters, intents and AI suggestions
- Always-on Site Audit and Rank Tracker
- Brand Radar for AI chatbot mentions and citations
- API and MCP server access from Lite
- Semrush: SEO and AI search platform
- Moz: Moz Pro SEO suite
- SE Ranking: SEO suite for smaller teams
Editorial note
Ahrefs is an SEO and marketing platform known for its backlink and keyword data. Site Explorer shows any site’s backlinks and traffic, Keywords Explorer finds topics, Site Audit catches technical issues and Rank Tracker follows positions. Brand Radar tracks mentions, citations and sentiment across AI chatbots, and an API and MCP server are included from Lite.
Who it’s for
- SEO consultants and agencies doing link and competitor research
- Content teams planning topics from keyword data
- Site owners auditing and monitoring their own site for free
- Not ideal for: people who want a single low-cost tool for occasional keyword checks across many sites.
Key use cases
- Marketing & CRM
- Research & answers
What you can do with it
Ahrefs gives you data to grow search and AI visibility. You analyze competitors’ backlinks and highest-traffic pages, research keywords with clusters and search intent, audit your site continuously and track rankings. Brand Radar and tracked AI prompts show how AI answers mention your brand. Web Analytics, Report Builder and a social media manager in beta round out the dashboard. Site owners can use Ahrefs Free on their own sites.
How to use Ahrefs: step-by-step tutorial
Five to eight steps from the account to a first useful result. Where the official guide names a control, the step uses that name. Where it does not, the step stays general.
- Sign up for Ahrefs Free and verify your website.
- Run Site Audit and fix the biggest technical issues.
- Use Site Explorer to see who links to you and your competitors.
- Research keywords for your next pages.
- Upgrade to a paid plan for rank tracking and full competitor data.
These steps follow the official guide: Ahrefs pricing.
Related
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Frequently asked questions
What is Ahrefs used for?
Backlink research, keyword research, technical site audits, rank tracking, competitor analysis and tracking brand mentions in AI answers.
Does Ahrefs offer a free trial or discounts?
Ahrefs says it never runs discounts. Instead, website owners can sign up for Ahrefs Free for limited Site Explorer and Site Audit access.
Does Ahrefs have an API?
Yes. The pricing page lists API and MCP access on Lite, Standard and Advanced.
Is Ahrefs free?
Ahrefs Free covers your own verified sites. Paid plans start at $29 a month for Starter and $129 for Lite, with annual billing saving up to 17%.
Pricing
Prices checked on the official pricing page.
- Ahrefs Free
-
Free
Limited Site Explorer and Site Audit for sites you own
- Starter
-
$29/month
Entry plan listed on the pricing page
- Lite
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$129/month
5 non-verified projects, 6 months of history, 750 tracked keywords, 150 AI prompt checks, API and MCP access, 1 user
- Standard
-
$249/month
20 projects, 2 years of history, 2,000 tracked keywords, 300 AI prompt checks, Content Explorer, Portfolios
- Advanced
-
$449/month
50 projects, 5 years of history, 5,000 tracked keywords, 600 AI prompt checks, Looker Studio integration
- Paid plans are priced per user with credit or data limits, and extra users cost $40 to $80 a month each.
- Vendors change plans; confirm on the official page before you buy.
Facts
- Access
- Ongoing free plan
- Paid plans from
- $29/month
- Checked
- Category
- Category: Marketing tools (49 in the library).
- On the record
- Ahrefs Free gives website owners free limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for their own sites. Ahrefs says it does not run discounts.