Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs Formstack

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Marketing

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Formstack logo

Formstack

Surveys

Form builder with document generation and e-signature

From
On request
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; Formstack more expensive than form builders that only collect, which is the fair comparison for simple use
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Formstack covers Form builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Formstack actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Formstack differ
AttributeAhrefsFormstack
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownTiered monthly subscription published on the vendor site; HIPAA-capable plans priced separately
PlatformsWebWeb, Cloud
CategoryMarketingSurveys
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Formstack

  • Form builder
  • Document generation
  • E-signature
  • Workflow routing
  • Salesforce integration
  • Compliance features

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

Formstack

  • Processes where a submitted form must become a signed documentnot Ahrefs
  • Regulated intake needing HIPAA-capable handlingnot Ahrefs
  • Salesforce shops wanting forms and documents inside the CRMnot 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

Formstack

  • More expensive than form builders that only collect, which is the fair comparison for simple use
  • Document generation and signature sit in higher tiers, so the headline price is not the working price
  • The interface has accumulated features over a long life and shows it
  • Overkill where a form only needs to collect an answer

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

Formstack

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Formstack review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose Formstack if

  • You need form builder.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want document generation.
Formstack review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Formstack better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Formstack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Formstack?
Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Formstack at On request.
Does Ahrefs or Formstack run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. Formstack runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Formstack is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Formstack cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Formstack covers Form builder, Document generation, E-signature, Workflow routing.

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
Formstack: What does Formstack cost?

It publishes tiered monthly pricing; document generation and e-signature sit in higher tiers, and HIPAA-capable plans are priced separately.

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
Formstack: What makes it different from a plain form builder?

It generates documents from submissions and collects signatures on them, which is the step that otherwise involves retyping form data into a template.

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
Formstack: Is it HIPAA compliant?

It offers HIPAA-capable plans for regulated data. That is a plan-level feature, not the default.

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