Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs Ghostery

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Marketing

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ghostery logo

Ghostery

Browser Extensions

Block ads and stop trackers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ghostery 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; Ghostery database of trackers requires regular updates to remain current
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Ghostery covers Tracker blocking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Ghostery actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Ghostery differ
AttributeAhrefsGhostery
Starting price$29/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebFirefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera
CategoryMarketingBrowser Extensions
Founded20102009

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Ghostery

  • Tracker blocking
  • Ad blocking
  • Privacy dashboard
  • Enhanced anti-tracking
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

Ghostery

  • Blocking ads and sponsored content before they loadnot Ahrefs
  • Preventing tracker profiling by replacing identifying data with random valuesnot Ahrefs
  • Automatically rejecting non-essential cookie consentnot Ahrefs
  • Seeing which companies track a given site through WhoTracks.Menot 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

Ghostery

  • Database of trackers requires regular updates to remain current
  • Some sites break functionality when trackers are aggressively blocked

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

Ghostery

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Ghostery review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose Ghostery if

  • You need tracker blocking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera.
  • You also want ad blocking.
Ghostery review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Ghostery better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Ghostery at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Ghostery?
Ghostery has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Ahrefs and Free for Ghostery.
Does Ahrefs or Ghostery run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. Ghostery runs on Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera.
Can I use Ghostery for free?
Yes. Ghostery 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 Ghostery is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Ghostery cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Ghostery covers Tracker blocking, Ad blocking, Privacy dashboard, Enhanced anti-tracking.

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
Ghostery: Is Ghostery completely free?

Yes. Ghostery is a free ad blocking browser extension that you can install without paying a subscription. All of Ghostery's features are completely free to use, including ad blocking, tracker blocking, and cookie consent banner handling.

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
Ghostery: What browsers does Ghostery support?

Ghostery is available for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge and Safari as a browser extension.

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
Ghostery: What data does Ghostery collect?

Ghostery collects no personal information, ensuring your privacy remains protected while using the extension.

Source
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