Best ahrefs alternatives for cheaper SEO tools — Reddit picks

Based on Reddit: a guide to the best ahrefs alternatives for cheaper SEO tools

This article summarizes and expands on a lively Reddit thread where SEOs compared cheaper substitutes for Ahrefs. Below you’ll find the community consensus, points of disagreement, practical tips shared by users, and expert commentary that pulls it all together into a decision-ready workflow.

What Redditors generally agreed on

• Ahrefs is excellent but expensive: Many users said Ahrefs is a premium, time-saving platform with a strong backlink index and user-friendly UI — but the price pushes people to seek alternatives.
• Tool selection depends on needs: Most contributors recommended choosing a tool based on the primary use case (backlinks, keyword research, rank tracking, or site auditing) rather than looking for a single one-size-fits-all replacement.
• Mix-and-match works well: Combining lower-cost tools plus Google-native data (Search Console, Keyword Planner) delivers 80–90% of Ahrefs’ value at a fraction of the cost.
• Use trials and exports: Try free trials, download CSVs, and compare raw data samples before committing to an annual plan.

Major ahrefs alternatives mentioned on Reddit (what people recommended)

• SEMrush — Often suggested as feature-comparable to Ahrefs with strong keyword tools and competitive intel. People pointed out it can be similarly priced, but frequently available discounts or lighter plans make it an option.
• Mangools (KWFinder) — A favorite for budget-conscious users. Praised for a clean UI, solid keyword research and decent rank tracking at a much lower price point than Ahrefs.
• SE Ranking — Recommended for scalable, affordable rank tracking and basic site audits; popular with agencies and freelancers due to flexible plan tiers.
• Majestic — Several users recommended Majestic specifically for backlink research. It’s more affordable and provides unique metrics like Trust Flow/Citation Flow, though its index and UI differ from Ahrefs.
• Serpstat — Cited as a cheaper all-in-one tool that handles keyword research, backlink checks and site audits; many considered it a solid mid-tier option.
• Ubersuggest — Suggested as a low-cost starter tool for keyword ideas and basic backlink checks, especially useful for solopreneurs and small sites.
• SEO PowerSuite — Praised for one-time purchase options (or low-cost yearly licensing), great crawlers, and rank tracking without recurring per-seat costs.
• Moz Pro — Recommended by some for local SEO and on-page insights; users noted Moz’s data can be different but useful when combined with other tools.
• Google Search Console + Keyword Planner — A frequent suggestion: leverage Google-native data for free baseline insights, then augment with a paid tool where you need extra scale or convenience.
• Screaming Frog — Voted as indispensable for technical audits; many combine it with a cheaper backlink or keyword tool rather than paying full price for an all-in-one suite.

Where Redditors disagreed

• Backlink index quality: Some users felt Majestic and Moz were enough for backlink analysis; others insisted Ahrefs’ fresh index is superior and worth the cost for link research. Expect variations in link discovery, dates, and link valuation across tools.
• Semrush vs Ahrefs parity: Several commenters argued Semrush is the closest feature-for-feature alternative, but some pushed back that Semrush can be as expensive once you add extra projects or seats.
• One tool vs toolkit: A portion of the community preferred a single all-in-one, while another portion recommended a toolkit approach (cheap rank tracker + Majestic for links + Screaming Frog for crawling).

Community tips and practical hacks

• Use multiple free trials concurrently to compile a hand-checked dataset before buying. Export CSVs to compare metrics like referring domains and estimated organic traffic.
• Pair Google Search Console and Google Analytics with a cheap keyword tool to find low-hanging fruit and validate volume estimates — GSC gives high-fidelity keyword and CTR signals.
• Buy annual plans or look for promo codes to lower monthly costs; some users recommended switching tools seasonally to catch promotions.
• For agencies, buy agency/whitelabel plans that allow multiple client projects without a huge per-site cost. Also consider reseller/agency licenses in SEO PowerSuite or SE Ranking.
• Use browser extensions (like MozBar, SEOquake) for quick on-page checks so you don’t have to open a full paid UI for every quick lookup.
• Leverage Screaming Frog for deep crawls and on-page issues instead of relying solely on SaaS site audits to save money.

How to choose the right ahrefs alternative for your needs

Redditors emphasized that the best alternative depends on what you use Ahrefs for. Below is a quick decision guide:

• Backlink research: Try Majestic for link graphs and TF/CF metrics; combine with Serpstat or Semrush if you need anchor text and referring domain lists.
• Keyword research and competitive analysis: Mangools (KWFinder) or Serpstat for lower budgets; Semrush if you want the closest all-in-one replacement and can pay more.
• Rank tracking: SE Ranking and Mangools both offer accurate, affordable rank trackers with notification options.
• Site audits / technical SEO: Screaming Frog for crawling plus SE Ranking or Serpstat for periodic automated audits.
• Enterprise-scale tasks: Ahrefs or Semrush still win for the most comprehensive datasets; consider sharing or rotating access if budget is limited.

Expert Insight — Building a hybrid workflow (save money, keep accuracy)

From an expert perspective, you can replicate most Ahrefs workflows by using a hybrid stack:

• Start with Google Search Console and Analytics to identify pages and keywords with potential.
• Use a budget-friendly keyword tool like Mangools or Serpstat for volume and difficulty estimates and to expand keyword lists.
• For backlinks, pair Majestic (for breadth) and SEMrush or Moz for contextual link and anchor insights.
• Run regular crawls with Screaming Frog or SEO PowerSuite for technical issues and export the data into Google Sheets for tracking.
• Automate reports by stitching CSVs together with simple scripts or Google Sheets add-ons to replace expensive UI reporting.

This approach reduces recurring SaaS spend and still produces actionable insights. It does require more hands-on data stitching, but that may be a worthwhile tradeoff for budget teams.

Expert Insight — What to test before you commit

Before buying an annual plan, do this quick checklist:

• Run a sample backlink check for 10 competitor domains across two tools and compare referring domains and historical link data.
• Export keyword suggestions for core topics and compare volume and KD (keyword difficulty) scores between tools and Keyword Planner.
• Test rank tracking accuracy for 1–2 important keywords across weeks to ensure the provider’s SERP sampling matches your expectations.
• Check API limits and export caps if you plan to automate—some affordable plans throttle exports heavily.

Budget-friendly tool combos recommended by Redditors

• Freelancer / Solo SEO: Mangools + Screaming Frog + Google Search Console.
• Small agency: SE Ranking (for tracking and audits) + Majestic (backlinks) + Google tools.
• Content-focused teams: Serpstat + SurferSEO (for on-page optimization) + GSC.
• Technical SEO focus: SEO PowerSuite + Screaming Frog + Majestic.

Final Takeaway

If Ahrefs is out of budget, there are many capable ahrefs alternatives depending on your primary needs. The Reddit community leaned toward a pragmatic, modular approach: use Google’s free data as a foundation, choose one affordable tool for keywords and tracking, and pick a specialized tool like Majestic or Screaming Frog for backlinks and technical audits. Always run trials and compare exports so you know what you’re buying. For many teams, a stitched-together toolkit gets you close to Ahrefs’ functionality at a fraction of the cost—if you’re willing to do a little extra data work.

Read the full Reddit discussion here.