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Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs Modash

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
Modash logo

Modash

Influencer Marketing

Find any influencer on Earth

From
$199/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.; Modash essentials plan at $199 per month includes only 2 team members and 300 profile opens per month
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Modash covers 250M+ creator database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Modash actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Modash differ
AttributeAhrefsModash
Starting priceFree$199/month
Pricing modelPer month by credits and usage limitssubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
CategoryMarketingInfluencer Marketing
Founded20102018

Identical on both: 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 Modash

  • 250M+ creator database
  • Audience demographics
  • Fake follower detection
  • Lookalike discovery
  • Campaign monitoring
  • Influencer CRM
  • Data export
  • Email finder

Both cover

  • Data encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • English language support

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

Modash

  • Searching a creator database for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube influencersnot Ahrefs
  • Vetting influencer audience quality before outreachnot Ahrefs
  • Tracking creator content and campaign performancenot Ahrefs
  • Paying creators and running affiliate programmes from one platformnot 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.

Modash

  • Essentials plan at $199 per month includes only 2 team members and 300 profile opens per month
  • Essentials plan excludes creator payments and affiliate features entirely
  • Tracked creators are capped at 100 on Essentials and 250 on Performance
  • Email unlocks are capped at 150 per month on Essentials and 400 per month on Performance
  • Exceeding a plan limit requires upgrading the plan rather than paying an overage
  • Payments and affiliate payouts are charged 5% above the free threshold of $10,000 per year on Performance
  • Enterprise starts at $14,700 per year and is the only plan with customisable quotas
  • The 14 day free trial is capped at 20 profile opens, 6 email unlocks and 10 tracked creators

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

Modash

$199/month
  • Essentials$199/month
    • 300 opened profiles/month
    • 150 creator email unlocks/month
    • 100 tracked creators
  • Essentials Annual$2388/year
    • 25% discount from monthly billing
  • Performance$499/month
    • 800 opened profiles/month
    • 400 creator email unlocks/month
    • 250 tracked creators
  • Performance Annual$5988/year
    • 14% discount from monthly billing

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 Modash if

  • You need 250m+ creator database.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want audience demographics.
Modash review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Modash better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at Free and Modash at $199/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Modash?
Ahrefs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ahrefs and $199/month for Modash.
Does Ahrefs or Modash run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. Modash runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Ahrefs for free?
Yes. Ahrefs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Modash starts at $199/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 Modash is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Modash cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Modash covers 250M+ creator database, Audience demographics, Fake follower detection, Lookalike discovery. Both handle Data encryption, Cloud deployment, Web support, English language support.

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.

Modash: How much does Modash cost?

Modash costs 199 USD/month (Essentials), 499 USD/month (Performance), or 14,700 USD/year minimum (Enterprise). Annual plans provide 14-25% discounts.

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.

Modash: Is there a free trial?

Yes, a 14-day free trial is available without requiring a credit card, with limited access to 20 profile views, 6 email unlocks, and 10 tracked creators.

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.

Modash: What are the usage limits per plan?

Essentials includes 300 opened profiles/month, 150 email unlocks/month, 100 tracked creators, and 2 team members. Performance increases to 800 profiles, 400 unlocks, 250 creators, and 5 team members.

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.

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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