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Ahrefs vs Chartbeat

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Software

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Chartbeat logo

Chartbeat

Software

Real-time analytics for publishers

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ahrefs the entry Lite plan is $129 a month and caps projects at 5 and tracked keywords at 750; Chartbeat pricing is customized by website and native app pageviews across four tiers, Essentials, Plus, Premium and Enterprise, and the pricing page publishes no figures, directing visitors to Talk to Sales or Get a Demo
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Chartbeat covers Real-time analytics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Chartbeat actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Chartbeat differ
AttributeAhrefsChartbeat
Starting price$29/month$1000/month
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Founded20102009

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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 Ahrefs

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

Only in Chartbeat

  • Real-time analytics
  • Audience insights
  • Content metrics
  • Traffic tracking
  • GDPR

Both cover

  • Google Analytics
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • English language support

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

  • SEO researchnot Chartbeat
  • Competitor analysisnot Chartbeat
  • Content planningnot Chartbeat
  • Backlink analysisnot Chartbeat
  • Rank trackingnot Chartbeat

Chartbeat

  • Publisher analyticsnot Ahrefs

Where each one falls short

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

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

Chartbeat

  • Pricing is customized by website and native app pageviews across four tiers, Essentials, Plus, Premium and Enterprise, and the pricing page publishes no figures, directing visitors to Talk to Sales or Get a Demo

Pricing, plan by plan

Ahrefs

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

Chartbeat

$1000/month
  • Professional$1000/month
    • Real-time analytics
    • Audience insights

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose Chartbeat if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You also want audience insights.
Chartbeat review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Chartbeat better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Chartbeat at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Chartbeat?
Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Chartbeat at $1000/month.
Does Ahrefs or Chartbeat run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Ahrefs best used for?
Ahrefs is most often used for seo research, competitor analysis, content planning, backlink analysis. Of those, seo research and competitor analysis are not what Chartbeat is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Chartbeat cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Chartbeat covers Real-time analytics, Audience insights, Content metrics, Traffic tracking. Both handle Google Analytics, Cloud deployment, Web support, English language support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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