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Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs Mouseflow

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
Mouseflow logo

Mouseflow

Research

Session replay and heatmaps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Mouseflow the free plan is 500 sessions a month, one website and one month of data retention
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Mouseflow covers Session Replay.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Mouseflow actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Mouseflow differ
AttributeAhrefsMouseflow
Pricing modelPer month by credits and usage limitssubscription
CategoryMarketingResearch
Founded20102009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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 Mouseflow

  • Session Replay
  • 6 Types of Heatmaps
  • Funnels
  • Form Analytics
  • User Feedback
  • Segment
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Google Analytics
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

Mouseflow

  • Session replay to watch how visitors use a pagenot Ahrefs
  • Click, scroll and geographic heatmapsnot Ahrefs
  • Conversion funnel and form analyticsnot Ahrefs
  • Friction detection on problem pagesnot Ahrefs
  • On-site feedback surveysnot 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.

Mouseflow

  • The free plan is 500 sessions a month, one website and one month of data retention
  • Data retention is tiered, from 1 month on free to 12 months on Premium at $319 a month
  • Essential at $25 a month covers a single website project
  • SSO, custom privacy settings and priority support are on the higher tiers only
  • The 14 day money-back guarantee applies to annual subscriptions and excludes Enterprise

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

Mouseflow

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 500 monthly sessions
    • 1 website project
    • 1 conversion funnel
  • Essential$25/month
    • 5,000 monthly sessions
    • 1 website project
    • 1 conversion funnel
  • Advanced$109/month
    • 25,000 monthly sessions
    • 2 website projects
    • 5 conversion funnels
  • Premium$319/month
    • 100,000 monthly sessions
    • 5 website projects
    • 10 conversion funnels

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 Mouseflow if

  • You need session replay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want 6 types of heatmaps.
Mouseflow review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Mouseflow better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at Free and Mouseflow at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Mouseflow?
Ahrefs starts at Free and Mouseflow at Free.
Does Ahrefs or Mouseflow run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Ahrefs for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Mouseflow is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Mouseflow cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Mouseflow covers Session Replay, 6 Types of Heatmaps, Funnels, Form Analytics. Both handle Google Analytics, Web 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.

Mouseflow: Is there a free version of Mouseflow?

Yes, Mouseflow offers a free plan with up to 500 monthly sessions, 1 website project, and 1-month data retention.

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.

Mouseflow: What is the most popular Mouseflow plan?

The Advanced plan at $109/month is marked as most popular, offering 25,000 monthly sessions and 6 months of data retention.

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.

Mouseflow: Does Mouseflow offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, Mouseflow offers up to 35% savings when billed annually instead of monthly, and provides a 14-day money-back guarantee.

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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