Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs Smartsheet

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Marketing

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartsheet logo

Smartsheet

Construction

The platform for dynamic work

From
$9/month
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; Smartsheet formulas lack Excel robustness; complex data manipulation hits performance limits
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and Smartsheet actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and Smartsheet differ
AttributeAhrefsSmartsheet
Starting price$29/month$9/month
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryMarketingConstruction
Founded20102005

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), 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 Smartsheet

  • Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views
  • Automated workflows
  • Forms & data collection
  • Resource management
  • Dashboards & reporting
  • Proofing & approvals
  • Document generation
  • Integration platform

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

Smartsheet

  • Project portfolio managementnot Ahrefs
  • IT project managementnot Ahrefs
  • Marketing campaignsnot Ahrefs
  • Product launchesnot Ahrefs
  • Process automationnot Ahrefs

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

Smartsheet

  • Formulas lack Excel robustness; complex data manipulation hits performance limits
  • Gantt chart customization is limited with poor handling of part-time resource allocation
  • Expensive pricing compared to other project management tools; collaboration features are paid-only
  • Limited offline access and minimal mobile functionality compared to modern competitors

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

Smartsheet

$9/month
  • Pro$9/month
    • Core project management
    • Automation
    • 1-10 members
  • Business$19/month
    • Advanced automation
    • Portfolio management
    • 3+ members

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose Smartsheet if

  • You need grid, card, gantt & calendar views.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated workflows.
Smartsheet review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or Smartsheet better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Smartsheet at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Smartsheet?
Ahrefs starts at $29/month and Smartsheet at $9/month.
Does Ahrefs or Smartsheet run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. Smartsheet runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Smartsheet is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that Smartsheet cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views, Automated workflows, Forms & data collection, Resource management.

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
Smartsheet: What is Smartsheet pricing for a construction team?

Smartsheet Pro starts at $9 per user per month (annual billing) for 1-10 members. A construction company can deploy Business plan for 18 licensed users at $19 per user plus unlimited free collaborators (subcontractors, clients) for a typical monthly cost around $576.

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
Smartsheet: Does Smartsheet work offline?

No. Smartsheet has minimal offline access and requires internet connectivity for full functionality.

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
Smartsheet: What integrations does Smartsheet support?

Smartsheet integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Jira, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, Tableau, Power BI, DocuSign, Box, Dropbox, plus Zapier and Make for no-code automation.

Source
Smartsheet: Can I use Smartsheet formulas like Excel?

Smartsheet formulas lack the robustness of Excel. Complex nested functions or large-scale data manipulation often hit performance limits, requiring multiple helper columns.

Source
Smartsheet: Does Smartsheet have a free plan?

No. Smartsheet Pro starts at $9 per user per month (annual billing). There is a free trial available, but no perpetual free plan.

Source
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