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Software · head to head

AdBlock Plus vs Ahrefs

AdBlock Plus logo

AdBlock Plus

Software

The world's most popular ad blocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Software

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AdBlock Plus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AdBlock Plus acceptable Ads allowlist model generates controversy over ad filtering conflicts of interest; Ahrefs the entry Lite plan is $129 a month and caps projects at 5 and tracked keywords at 750
  • They diverge on capability: AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Ahrefs covers Site Explorer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AdBlock Plus and Ahrefs actually diverge.

Attributes where AdBlock Plus and Ahrefs differ
AttributeAdBlock PlusAhrefs
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsChrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex BrowserWeb
Founded20062010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AdBlock Plus

  • Ad blocking
  • Acceptable Ads
  • Custom filters
  • Social media blocking
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

Only in Ahrefs

  • Site Explorer
  • Keywords Explorer
  • Site Audit
  • Rank Tracker
  • Content Explorer
  • Competitive analysis
  • Backlink checker
  • Keyword research

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AdBlock Plus

No use cases recorded yet. See the AdBlock Plus review.

Ahrefs

  • SEO researchnot AdBlock Plus
  • Competitor analysisnot AdBlock Plus
  • Content planningnot AdBlock Plus
  • Backlink analysisnot AdBlock Plus
  • Rank trackingnot AdBlock Plus

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AdBlock Plus

  • Acceptable Ads allowlist model generates controversy over ad filtering conflicts of interest
  • Smaller feature set compared to open-source alternatives like uBlock Origin
  • Less customization and dynamic filtering compared to uBlock Origin
  • Mobile version less comprehensive than desktop extension
  • Chrome version increasingly limited due to Manifest V3 migration

Ahrefs

  • The entry Lite plan is $129 a month and caps projects at 5 and tracked keywords at 750
  • Crawl credits are metered by tier, from 100,000 on Lite to 1,500,000 on Advanced
  • Enterprise at $1,499 a month requires an annual commitment
  • Brand Radar AI, custom prompts and Content Kit are separate add-ons starting at $199, $50 and $99 a month
  • The $29 Starter plan covers search and competitive research basics rather than the full toolset

Pricing, plan by plan

AdBlock Plus

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Ad blocking
    • Acceptable Ads option
    • Custom filters

Ahrefs

$29/month
  • Starter$29/month
    • Core keyword research
    • Backlink analysis
    • Competitor research
  • Lite$129/month
  • Standard$249/month
  • Advanced$449/month

Which should you pick?

Choose AdBlock Plus if

  • You need ad blocking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser.
  • You also want acceptable ads.
AdBlock Plus review

Choose Ahrefs if

  • You need site explorer.
  • You also want keywords explorer.
Ahrefs review

Questions people ask

Is AdBlock Plus or Ahrefs better?
Neither clearly leads. AdBlock Plus starts at Free and Ahrefs at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AdBlock Plus or Ahrefs?
AdBlock Plus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AdBlock Plus and $29/month for Ahrefs.
Does AdBlock Plus or Ahrefs run on more platforms?
AdBlock Plus runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser. Ahrefs runs on Web.
Can I use AdBlock Plus for free?
Yes. AdBlock Plus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ahrefs starts at $29/month.
What can AdBlock Plus do that Ahrefs cannot?
AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Acceptable Ads, Custom filters, Social media blocking. Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AdBlock Plus: What does Adblock Plus block?

Adblock Plus blocks banner ads, pre-roll and mid-roll video ads on YouTube, pop-ups, sidebar ads, and most standard display formats. With Acceptable Ads disabled and EasyPrivacy enabled, it achieved a 100/100 score on AdBlock Tester in April 2026.

Source
Ahrefs: What are Ahrefs' main features?

Ahrefs' three main features are Site Explorer (for organic performance), Keywords Explorer (for keyword research), and Content Explorer (for content discovery). The platform includes backlink analysis, competitor research, technical SEO audits, rank tracking, and content workflows.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What browsers does Adblock Plus support?

Adblock Plus is available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Yandex Browser.

Source
Ahrefs: What is the size of Ahrefs' backlink database?

Ahrefs maintains a database of 28 trillion internal backlinks and 35 trillion external backlinks that are updated frequently, providing the depth and freshness of link data that differentiates it from competitors.

Source
AdBlock Plus: Is there a premium version of Adblock Plus?

Yes. Adblock Plus Premium costs $40 annually or $4 per month and allows users to block cookie consent pop-ups, while the free version includes core ad blocking.

Source
Ahrefs: What is Ahrefs' pricing?

Ahrefs pricing starts at $29/month for Starter plan, $129/month for Lite, $249/month for Standard, $449/month for Advanced, and $1,499/month for Enterprise, with annual discounts available.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What is Acceptable Ads?

Acceptable Ads is an opt-in setting that allows advertising Adblock Plus deems unobtrusive to display on websites; it is disabled by default but can be toggled in Settings.

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Related pages

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