Softwr

Software · head to head

Ahrefs vs SE Ranking

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Software

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SE Ranking logo

SE Ranking

Software

Grow your visibility with AI SEO

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Ahrefs the entry Lite plan is $129 a month and caps projects at 5 and tracked keywords at 750; SE Ranking core plan caps keyword tracking at 2,000 keywords and 10 projects; Growth caps at 5,000 keywords and 30 projects

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and SE Ranking actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and SE Ranking differ
AttributeAhrefsSE Ranking
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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 SE Ranking

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 SE Ranking
  • Competitor analysisnot SE Ranking
  • Content planningnot SE Ranking
  • Backlink analysisnot SE Ranking
  • Rank trackingnot SE Ranking

SE Ranking

No use cases recorded yet. See the SE Ranking 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

SE Ranking

  • Core plan caps keyword tracking at 2,000 keywords and 10 projects; Growth caps at 5,000 keywords and 30 projects
  • The 20 percent discount requires paying annually upfront rather than monthly
  • AI prompt tracking is capped at 100 prompts daily on Core and 250 on Growth

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

SE Ranking

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the SE Ranking review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose SE Ranking if

Nothing in the data separates SE Ranking from Ahrefs on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

SE Ranking review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or SE Ranking better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and SE Ranking at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or SE Ranking?
Ahrefs starts at $29/month and SE Ranking at On request.
Does Ahrefs or SE Ranking run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 SE Ranking is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that SE Ranking 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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Ahrefs

More on SE Ranking

Keep looking

Other head to heads