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Ahrefs vs uBlock Origin

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Software

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
uBlock Origin logo

uBlock Origin

Software

Free, open-source ad content blocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only uBlock Origin 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; uBlock Origin cNAME uncloaking of third-party trackers disguised as first-party is only available on Firefox, because the required DNS API does not exist in Chromium
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, uBlock Origin covers Ad blocking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and uBlock Origin actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and uBlock Origin differ
AttributeAhrefsuBlock Origin
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebChrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
Founded20102014

Identical on both: 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 uBlock Origin

  • Ad blocking
  • Tracker blocking
  • Malware domain blocking
  • Custom filter lists
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Opera support

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

  • SEO researchnot uBlock Origin
  • Competitor analysisnot uBlock Origin
  • Content planningnot uBlock Origin
  • Backlink analysisnot uBlock Origin
  • Rank trackingnot uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin

  • Blocking advertisements and third-party trackers in the browsernot Ahrefs
  • Running a default-deny policy on third-party scripts and resourcesnot Ahrefs
  • Element picking and cosmetic filtering of unwanted page contentnot 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

uBlock Origin

  • CNAME uncloaking of third-party trackers disguised as first-party is only available on Firefox, because the required DNS API does not exist in Chromium
  • HTML filtering of response bodies requires the webRequest.filterResponseData API, which is only available in Firefox
  • On Chromium-based browsers uBO is not reliably ready at browser launch, so tracker and advertisement payloads can reach already-open tabs before filtering starts
  • Pre-fetch blocking is not reliable on Chromium-based browsers because they give websites precedence over user settings
  • The Chromium build does not use the WebAssembly filtering code paths, because the extra manifest permission would create friction publishing to the Chrome Web Store
  • LZ4 storage compression is Firefox only, and on Chromium in incognito mode IndexedDB resets, so uBO launches with out-of-date filter lists

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

uBlock Origin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Ad blocking
    • Tracker blocking
    • Custom filter lists

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose uBlock Origin if

  • You need ad blocking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
  • You also want tracker blocking.
uBlock Origin review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or uBlock Origin better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and uBlock Origin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or uBlock Origin?
uBlock Origin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Ahrefs and Free for uBlock Origin.
Does Ahrefs or uBlock Origin run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. uBlock Origin runs on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.
Can I use uBlock Origin for free?
Yes. uBlock Origin 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 uBlock Origin is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that uBlock Origin cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. uBlock Origin covers Ad blocking, Tracker blocking, Malware domain blocking, Custom filter lists.

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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