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Ahrefs vs Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Marketing

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Screaming Frog SEO Spider logo

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

SEO & Website Optimization

Crawl websites for SEO issues

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Screaming Frog SEO Spider 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; Screaming Frog SEO Spider free version caps crawling at 500 URLs; unlocking unlimited crawling requires a paid licence at 245 EUR per year

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Screaming Frog SEO Spider actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Screaming Frog SEO Spider differ
AttributeAhrefsScreaming Frog SEO Spider
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
CategoryMarketingSEO & Website Optimization
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Nothing recorded that Ahrefs does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

  • SEO researchnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider
  • Competitor analysisnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider
  • Content planningnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider
  • Backlink analysisnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider
  • Rank trackingnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

No use cases recorded yet. See the Screaming Frog SEO Spider 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

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

  • Free version caps crawling at 500 URLs; unlocking unlimited crawling requires a paid licence at 245 EUR per year
  • Licence is annual only and must be renewed yearly to keep working

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

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Screaming Frog SEO Spider review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose Screaming Frog SEO Spider if

  • You want to start without paying.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Screaming Frog SEO Spider better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Screaming Frog SEO Spider at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
Screaming Frog SEO Spider has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Ahrefs and Free for Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
Does Ahrefs or Screaming Frog SEO Spider run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Screaming Frog SEO Spider for free?
Yes. Screaming Frog SEO Spider 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 Screaming Frog SEO Spider is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Screaming Frog SEO Spider cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker.

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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