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Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs SISTRIX

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
SISTRIX logo

SISTRIX

SEO

German SEO toolbox built around a domain Visibility Index measured weekly since 2008

From
On request
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.; SISTRIX coverage is deepest in German-speaking Europe and thinner in the United States and Asia, so international teams still need Ahrefs or Semrush alongside it.
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, SISTRIX covers Visibility Index.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and SISTRIX actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and SISTRIX differ
AttributeAhrefsSISTRIX
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer month by credits and usage limitsquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, REST API
CategoryMarketingSEO
Founded2010Unknown

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 SISTRIX

  • Visibility Index
  • Competitor discovery
  • SERP feature tracking
  • Link module
  • Optimizer
  • Country coverage

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

SISTRIX

  • Reporting search visibility to a board in Germany where the Visibility Index is the expected metricnot Ahrefs
  • Comparing a domain against competitors over years, including before you started tracking anythingnot Ahrefs
  • Due diligence on an acquisition target where you need visibility history you did not collect yourselfnot Ahrefs
  • Diagnosing whether a traffic drop coincided with a core update by comparing against the whole measured marketnot 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.

SISTRIX

  • Coverage is deepest in German-speaking Europe and thinner in the United States and Asia, so international teams still need Ahrefs or Semrush alongside it.
  • The Visibility Index is domain-level, so a dramatic chart movement can come entirely from pages that carry no commercial value and requires drilling down before it means anything.
  • The link index is smaller than the market leaders, which matters if backlink discovery rather than visibility measurement is your main use.
  • Modules are priced individually, so a team that needs SEO, links and the Optimizer pays a multiple of the entry price for one module.
  • Documentation, community material and support are German-first, and while English is available the depth of the two is not equal.

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

SISTRIX

On request
  • SISTRIX Toolbox$undefined/month
    • Sold as monthly modules rather than one bundled plan
    • Additional countries and Optimizer projects priced on top
    • Monthly term without long commitment

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 SISTRIX if

  • You need visibility index.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want competitor discovery.
SISTRIX review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or SISTRIX better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at Free and SISTRIX at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or SISTRIX?
Ahrefs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ahrefs and On request for SISTRIX.
Does Ahrefs or SISTRIX run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. SISTRIX runs on Web, REST API.
Can I use Ahrefs for free?
Yes. Ahrefs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SISTRIX starts at On request.
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 SISTRIX is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that SISTRIX cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. SISTRIX covers Visibility Index, Competitor discovery, SERP feature tracking, Link module.

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.

SISTRIX: What is the Visibility Index actually measuring?

Rankings for a large fixed keyword set per country, weighted by expected traffic, measured weekly. It is not your keyword list, which is what makes it comparable.

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.

SISTRIX: Can it replace Ahrefs or Semrush?

For German-language visibility reporting and competitor history, yes. For global keyword research and backlink analysis it is a complement rather than a replacement.

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.

SISTRIX: How far back does the data go?

To 2008 for the earliest supported countries, which is longer than any rank tracker can offer on your own keyword list.

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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