Ahrefs

Starting at: $29/mo
Free trial: Yes
Founded: 2010

About

Ahrefs is an SEO software company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Singapore. It is best known for one of the largest backlink databases on the web and is widely used by SEO professionals and agencies.

Marketers use Ahrefs to research keywords, analyse competitors’ backlinks and traffic, audit websites, track rankings and find content ideas. Brand Radar tracks how brands appear in AI answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and Google AI Overviews, and AI Content Helper assists with optimising content.

As of October 2026, Ahrefs offers free Webmaster Tools, Starter at $29 a month, Lite at $129, Standard at $249, Advanced at $449 and Enterprise at $1,499 a month, with about 17% off annually. Brand Radar AI and AI content tools are paid add-ons.

Features and integrations

Site Explorer: Analyse any website's backlinks, organic traffic and top pages.
Keywords Explorer: Research keywords with volume, difficulty, intent and AI-powered clustering.
Brand Radar: Track brand mentions and share of voice in AI answers from major AI assistants.
Site Audit: Find and fix technical SEO issues across your website.
Rank Tracker: Monitor keyword rankings over time against competitors.
AI Content Helper: Optimise content for topics and search intent with AI guidance.

Pros and cons

Pros

Industry-leading backlink data: One of the largest and freshest link indexes.
Clear, fast interface: Reports are easy to read and navigate.
AI search visibility tracking: Brand Radar covers major AI assistants.
Free webmaster tools: Site owners can audit their own sites at no cost.

Cons

Expensive add-ons: Brand Radar and AI content tools cost extra.
Credit limits on lower plans: Lite and Starter cap usage.
High entry cost for full features: Most professionals need Lite or higher.

Founder

Dmitry Gerasimenko

Founder, Ahrefs

Dmitry Gerasimenko founded Ahrefs in 2010 and serves as its CEO. The company grew largely bootstrapped from Singapore into one of the best-known SEO software providers.