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Software · head to head

Ahrefs vs Lighthouse

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Software

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lighthouse logo

Lighthouse

Software

Audit web page performance and quality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lighthouse 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; Lighthouse described by the vendor as an open-source, automated tool with community contributions welcomed, no commercial edition
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Lighthouse covers Performance scoring.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Lighthouse actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Lighthouse differ
AttributeAhrefsLighthouse
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebChrome, Edge
Founded20101998

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 Ahrefs

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

Only in Lighthouse

  • Performance scoring
  • Accessibility audit
  • SEO check
  • PWA validation
  • Chrome support
  • Edge support

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

Lighthouse

No use cases recorded yet. See the Lighthouse review.

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

Lighthouse

  • Described by the vendor as an open-source, automated tool with community contributions welcomed, no commercial edition

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

Lighthouse

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Performance audit
    • Accessibility check
    • SEO analysis

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose Lighthouse if

  • You need performance scoring.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Edge.
  • You also want accessibility audit.
Lighthouse review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Lighthouse better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Lighthouse at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Lighthouse?
Lighthouse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Ahrefs and Free for Lighthouse.
Does Ahrefs or Lighthouse run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. Lighthouse runs on Chrome, Edge.
Can I use Lighthouse for free?
Yes. Lighthouse 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 Lighthouse is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Lighthouse cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Lighthouse covers Performance scoring, Accessibility audit, SEO check, PWA validation.

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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