Ahrefs has been a household name in the SEO industry for over a decade. Known for its massive backlink database, keyword data, and powerful competitor research, Ahrefs often sits at the top of “best SEO tool” lists.
But as the digital marketing landscape evolves—with AI search engines, real-time assistants, and SERP features like featured snippets reshaping the way traffic flows—the question remains: is Ahrefs still the best SEO tool in 2025?
In this review, we’ll cover Ahrefs’ core features, pricing plans, and usability, while also looking at how it compares to modern AI-era SEO platforms. Let’s dive in.
What Is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs is an all-in-one search engine optimization (SEO) platform. Its mission is to help businesses, SEO professionals, and agencies grow their organic search traffic by analyzing web pages, backlinks, referring domains, organic keywords, anchor text, and more.
Ahrefs is built around one of the largest crawlers on the web (second only to Google), making its backlink database and keyword index some of the most trusted sources for SEO strategy.
Ahrefs Features Overview
Site Explorer Tool
The Ahrefs Site Explorer is the first thing most users try—and for good reason. It shows:
- Domain Rating (DR) and URL Rating (UR) for authority benchmarking.
- Organic traffic estimates and ranking pages for competitor research.
- Referring domains, outgoing links, number of backlinks, anchor text distribution.
- Traffic value (estimated paid value of the traffic a domain ranks for).
This tool is essential for analyzing competitors and discovering link building opportunities.
Keywords Explorer
Ahrefs’ keyword database is one of the largest. For any target keyword, you’ll see:
- Keyword difficulty score (KD)
- Search volume & click-through rate (CTR)
- Keyword suggestions & related queries
- SERP features (featured snippets, People Also Ask, etc.)
- Organic keyword rankings across countries
This makes it a strong keyword research and content strategy tool.
Site Audit & SEO Health
The Site Audit checks your site’s SEO health score by crawling for issues like broken links, duplicate content, missing meta descriptions, or weak on-page SEO. With new real-time monitoring, it’s easier to keep track of your SEO efforts.
Rank Tracker & Position Tracking
Ahrefs’ Rank Tracker allows you to follow specific keywords, track position changes, and see competitor performance over time. Daily updates require the “Project Boost” add-on.
Content Explorer & Content Research
Use Content Explorer to find blog posts, content ideas, and link opportunities. It helps uncover trending topics, top-ranking pages, and content gaps in your niche.
Backlink Analysis Tool & Database
The core of Ahrefs is its backlink data. You can explore:
- Ahrefs’ backlink index (billions of links updated constantly)
- Backlink quality via Domain Rating
- New backlinks, lost backlinks, and broken links
- Anchor text usage and outgoing links
This is a goldmine for link building strategies and analyzing competitors’ SEO efforts.
Batch Analysis, Domain Comparison, and Link Intersect
- Batch Analysis: analyze SEO metrics for up to 200 domains/URLs at once.
- Domain Comparison: compare domain authority, backlink data, traffic value across competitors.
- Link Intersect: find link opportunities by seeing which sites link to competitors but not you.
Free Tools & Free Trial Options
Ahrefs offers free tools like Keyword Generator, SERP Checker, and Backlink Checker. While Ahrefs doesn’t offer a full free plan, the Lite plan is the most affordable starting point.
Data Quality: Keywords, Backlinks, and Traffic Value
Ahrefs is known for accurate keyword data and a massive backlink database. You’ll see:
- Organic keywords driving the most traffic.
- Traffic value of ranking pages.
- SEO metrics like Domain Rating, URL Rating, and Health Score.
SEO professionals often pair this data with Google Search Console for validation.
Pricing Plans (Ahrefs Pricing)
Ahrefs offers four main pricing plans:
- Lite Plan – $129/mo: basic features, limited projects.
- Standard – $249/mo: more history, better limits.
- Advanced – $449/mo: larger scale for agencies.
- Enterprise Plan – custom: tailored for big SEO agencies and enterprises.
Compared to competitors, Ahrefs is on the expensive side, especially when factoring add-ons.
User Experience & Learning Curve
The user interface (UI) is clean but has a learning curve due to the platform’s depth. Beginners may feel overwhelmed, but SEO experts and agencies appreciate the advanced features.
Ahrefs for SEO Agencies, Professionals & Small Businesses
- SEO agencies benefit from features like Batch Analysis, API access, and reporting.
- Small businesses can use the Lite plan, though it may feel expensive.
- SEO professionals value Ahrefs’ blend of keyword tracking, backlink data, and competitor research for campaigns.
Case Study: Using Ahrefs for an SEO Campaign
An SEO expert running a campaign might:
- Start with Site Explorer for competitor analysis.
- Use Keywords Explorer for keyword suggestions and targeting.
- Audit with Site Audit to fix technical SEO.
- Plan content creation with Content Explorer.
- Build backlinks using Link Intersect and broken link analysis.
- Track progress with Rank Tracker and monitor SEO performance.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Excellent backlink database and competitor research.
- Accurate keyword rankings and search results data.
- Great for SEO strategy and discovering content ideas.
- Trusted by SEO agencies and experts worldwide.
Cons
- No real free trial (just free tools).
- Pricing plans are high, especially with add-ons.
- Learning curve for beginners.
- New features like Brand Radar are limited compared to AI-first tools.
Is Ahrefs Worth It in 2025?
Yes—if your SEO efforts rely heavily on backlink analysis, keyword data, and competitor research. Ahrefs remains one of the best SEO tools for link building and organic traffic growth.
But if your SEO needs include AI search visibility, real-time monitoring, and client-friendly reporting, you may need a modern alternative.
Best Ahrefs Alternative: Rankability
Rankability is the AI-era SEO platform that bridges the gap Ahrefs leaves open.
- AI Analyzer: tracks your brand across AI search engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot) and Google’s AI Overviews/AI Mode.
- Content Optimizer: transforms keyword insights into actionable content briefs and updates.
- Pricing starts at $149/mo, making it competitive for SEO professionals and agencies.
If you want to prove SEO performance beyond traditional search engine rankings and measure how much traffic you’re capturing in AI-powered results, Rankability is the best alternative to Ahrefs.
Other Alternatives Worth Considering
- Semrush — best for all-in-one digital marketing (SEO + PPC + social).
- SE Ranking — more affordable, good for small businesses and agencies.
- Moz & Majestic — niche tools with strong link metrics or simplicity.
Verdict
Ahrefs is still a top-tier SEO tool in 2025, ideal for backlink analysis, competitor research, and keyword tracking. But as AI transforms search results and SEO performance measurement, Ahrefs shows its limits.
If your SEO campaign depends on tracking both organic search traffic and AI search visibility, Rankability is the smarter choice.