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Marketing · head to head

Ahrefs vs VWO

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

Marketing

Everything you need to rank higher & get more traffic

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VWO logo

VWO

Marketing

Experience Optimization Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only VWO 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; VWO growth plan restricted to 1 workspace and 0 custom attributes
  • They diverge on capability: Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, VWO covers A/B testing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ahrefs and VWO actually diverge.

Attributes where Ahrefs and VWO differ
AttributeAhrefsVWO
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, Server-side
Founded20102007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Marketing).

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 VWO

  • A/B testing
  • Multivariate testing
  • Heatmaps
  • Session recordings
  • Analytics
  • Slack
  • SSL encryption
  • 20+ languages language support

Both cover

  • Google Analytics
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Ahrefs

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

VWO

  • A/B testing and multivariate testingnot Ahrefs
  • Conversion rate optimisationnot Ahrefs
  • Behavioural analytics and session recordingsnot Ahrefs
  • Feature experimentation and progressive rolloutsnot 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

VWO

  • Growth plan restricted to 1 workspace and 0 custom attributes
  • Single Sign-On (SSO) and API access limited to Enterprise tier only
  • Growth plan offers only 8-hour first response time for support

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

VWO

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the VWO review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ahrefs if

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

Choose VWO if

  • You need a/b testing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Server-side.
  • You also want multivariate testing.
VWO review

Questions people ask

Is Ahrefs or VWO better?
Neither clearly leads. Ahrefs starts at $29/month and VWO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or VWO?
VWO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Ahrefs and Free for VWO.
Does Ahrefs or VWO run on more platforms?
Ahrefs runs on Web. VWO runs on Web, iOS, Android, Server-side.
Can I use VWO for free?
Yes. VWO 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 VWO is typically brought in for.
What can Ahrefs do that VWO cannot?
Ahrefs covers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker. VWO covers A/B testing, Multivariate testing, Heatmaps, Session recordings. Both handle Google Analytics, Cloud deployment, Web support.

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
VWO: Is there a free trial available?

Free for 30 days. No credit card required to start the trial.

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
VWO: Are there limits on users or metrics?

Run unlimited optimization at scale with no limit on variations, account users, metrics, session recordings, or integrations.

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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