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Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs Countly

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Marketing

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Countly logo

Countly

Marketing

Product analytics for mobile and web

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Countly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ahrefs the entry Lite plan is $129 a month and caps projects at 5 and tracked keywords at 750; Countly the private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Countly covers Event tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Countly actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Countly differ
AttributeAhrefsCountly
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile, Api
Founded20102012

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

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 Countly

  • Event tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Analytics dashboard
  • User retention
  • Open-source
  • On-premise deployment
  • Mobile support
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

Countly

  • Product analytics for mobile and web applicationsnot Ahrefs
  • Self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisationnot 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

Countly

  • The private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • No event cap, data point limit or user limit is published for either paid plan
  • The self hosted Enterprise edition is custom priced and billed annually
  • Adaptivity and intelligence features are separately priced add ons on the cheaper plan

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

Countly

Free
  • Flex (Private Cloud)$175/month
    • Usage-based pricing (not seat-based)
    • Advanced Analytics included
    • Adaptivity and Intelligence available as add-ons
  • Enterprise (Self-Hosted)$null/mo
    • Custom pricing, requires demo booking
    • All capabilities included
    • Deploy on your infrastructure

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose Countly if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Countly better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Countly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Countly?
Countly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Ahrefs and Free for Countly.
Does Ahrefs or Countly run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. Countly runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
Can I use Countly for free?
Yes. Countly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ahrefs starts at $29/month.
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 Countly is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Countly cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Countly covers Event tracking, Crash reporting, Analytics dashboard, User retention. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web 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
Countly: How much does Countly cost?

Countly's Flex plan (private cloud) starts at $175/month with pay-as-you-go cancellation. Enterprise (self-hosted) requires custom pricing and annual billing. Both plans include advanced analytics, and Flex offers a 14-day free trial.

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
Countly: What is the difference between Countly Flex and Enterprise plans?

Flex uses usage-based pricing on Countly's cloud with monthly billing. Enterprise requires custom pricing and annual billing, but allows self-hosting on your infrastructure with zero vendor access to data, dedicated support, and included SLA.

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
Countly: Can I add Adaptivity and Intelligence to Countly Flex?

Yes, Adaptivity and Intelligence suites can be added to Flex as needed. Both are included standard with Enterprise plans.

Source
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