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Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs Madgicx

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Marketing

Backlink and keyword research platform run on its own web crawler, metered by credits since 2024

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Madgicx logo

Madgicx

Marketing

AI ad management and analytics platform for Meta, Google, and TikTok advertising

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ahrefs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ahrefs the April 2024 move from unlimited usage to credits was a real downgrade for existing customers: Lite meters 1,000 credits per user per month and the data tools lock when they are gone, so heavy research on the entry plan now forces an upgrade to Standard at 249 USD.; Madgicx core plan pricing is not published upfront and instead scales with monthly ad spend, making cost comparison difficult before signing up.
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Madgicx covers AI automation rules.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Madgicx actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Madgicx differ
AttributeAhrefsMadgicx
Starting priceFree$49/month
Pricing modelPer month by credits and usage limitsusage-based
Free tierYesNo
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Madgicx

  • AI automation rules
  • Cross-channel reporting
  • Server-to-server tracking
  • One-Click Reports
  • Audience and targeting tools

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

Madgicx

  • E-commerce brands automating Meta and Google ad budgetsnot Ahrefs
  • Agencies needing unified reporting across multiple ad channelsnot Ahrefs
  • Improving conversion attribution after iOS tracking changesnot Ahrefs
  • Building shareable client-facing ad performance dashboardsnot Ahrefs

Where each one falls short

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

Ahrefs

  • The April 2024 move from unlimited usage to credits was a real downgrade for existing customers: Lite meters 1,000 credits per user per month and the data tools lock when they are gone, so heavy research on the entry plan now forces an upgrade to Standard at 249 USD.
  • Pay-as-you-go credits are charged automatically once enabled, so a busy research month can produce an unbudgeted overage bill rather than a hard stop.
  • Every paid tier includes exactly one user, and additional seats cost 40, 60 or 80 USD a month by tier, so a three-person team on Standard pays 369 USD a month rather than 249.
  • Row caps bind before credit caps for many jobs: Lite returns at most 2,500 rows per report, which is not enough to export a mid-sized site backlink profile in one pass.
  • Ahrefs states plainly that it never runs discounts and offers no free trial of the paid plans, so evaluation means paying a full month or working from the ownership-verified free tier.
  • Rank Tracker updates weekly on every tier including Enterprise, so teams needing daily positions have to buy a separate tracker such as SE Ranking or Semrush.
  • A growing share of capability is sold as add-ons rather than included: Report Builder at 99 USD a month, Content Kit from 99 USD, Project Boost at 20 or 200 USD per project, and Brand Radar from 199 USD.

Madgicx

  • Core plan pricing is not published upfront and instead scales with monthly ad spend, making cost comparison difficult before signing up.
  • Server-to-server tracking and enhanced attribution are gated behind a separate $49/month Tracking Pro add-on rather than included by default.
  • The free trial is limited to 7 days, shorter than the 14-day trials common among competing ad platforms.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ahrefs

Free
  • Ahrefs FreeFree
    • Limited Site Explorer and Site Audit for sites you verify ownership of
    • No access to competitor data
    • Where paid subscriptions land after cancellation
  • Starter$29/month
    • Search and competitor data with reduced row limits
    • No projects tier of the main plan ladder
    • Sits below Lite on the published pricing page
  • Lite$129/month
    • 1 user included, up to 2 more at 40 USD each per month
    • 1,000 credits per user per month, the only tier with a credit cap
    • 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 6 months of historical data
  • Standard$249/month
    • 1 user included, up to 5 more at 60 USD each per month
    • Unlimited report credits under fair use
    • 20 projects, 2,000 tracked keywords, 2 years of historical data

Madgicx

$49/month
  • Madgicx Pro Complete with AI$undefined/month
    • Pricing scales with monthly ad spend
    • Automation, targeting, analytics, ad management
    • Up to 5 dashboards
  • Tracking Pro Add-On$49/month
    • Advanced tracking and attribution
    • Server-to-server tracking
    • Enhanced conversions with Facebook Click ID support

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

  • You need site explorer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want keywords explorer.
Ahrefs review

Choose Madgicx if

  • You need ai automation rules.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want cross-channel reporting.
Madgicx review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Madgicx better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at Free and Madgicx at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Madgicx?
Ahrefs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ahrefs and $49/month for Madgicx.
Does Ahrefs or Madgicx run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. Madgicx runs on web.
Can I use Ahrefs for free?
Yes. Ahrefs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Madgicx starts at $49/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 Madgicx is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Madgicx cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Madgicx covers AI automation rules, Cross-channel reporting, Server-to-server tracking, One-Click Reports.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ahrefs: How much does Ahrefs cost?

Starter is 29 USD a month, Lite 129, Standard 249, Advanced 449 and Enterprise 1,499 with an annual commitment. Paying annually saves up to 17 percent, which Ahrefs describes as two months free, and it is arranged through support rather than on the site.

Madgicx: How is Madgicx priced?

The core plan's price scales with a business's monthly ad spend rather than a flat fee, with monthly, quarterly, or annual billing options.

Source
Ahrefs: What are Ahrefs credits and when did they start?

Ahrefs replaced unlimited report usage with credits in April 2024. It meters report credits, crawl credits and API units. Lite includes 1,000 credits per user per month; Standard and above are unlimited under a fair use policy. Purchased pay-as-you-go credits last three billing months.

Madgicx: Is there a free trial?

Madgicx offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required, including access to all features and up to 5 report dashboards.

Source
Ahrefs: Is Ahrefs or Moz better?

Ahrefs has the deeper and fresher link index and stronger competitive research, and it is the default for link work. Moz is cheaper at entry, owns Domain Authority as a reportable metric, and has a real local listings product. If you report DA to clients or manage multi-location listings, Moz earns its place; otherwise Ahrefs wins on data.

Madgicx: What does Madgicx integrate with?

One-Click Reports pull data from Meta Ads, Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, Shopify, Klaviyo, and TikTok across unlimited ad accounts.

Source
Ahrefs: Is there a free version or a trial?

There is Ahrefs Free, limited to Site Explorer and Site Audit on sites you verify you own, so it gives you no competitor data. Ahrefs states it never runs discounts and does not offer a trial of the paid plans.

Madgicx: Can I cancel the trial anytime?

The free trial can be cancelled anytime with no penalties mentioned on the pricing page.

Source
Ahrefs: How many users are included?

One, on every paid tier up to Advanced. Extra seats cost 40 USD a month on Lite, 60 on Standard, 80 on Advanced and 100 on Enterprise, and unpaid additional users are billed automatically as pay-as-you-go.

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