Ahrefs vs SE Ranking
Updated onCompare Ahrefs and SE Ranking side-by-side. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and target market.
Ahrefs
Comprehensive SEO platform known for its large backlink index, site explorer, rank tracker and related tools.
Starts at $29 / month
vs
SE Ranking
Cloud SEO platform with rank tracking, site audit, keyword research and white‑label reporting aimed at freelancers and agencies.
Starts at $65 / per month / monthly
Which should you choose?
Ahrefs
You need the deepest backlink and keyword datasets with enterprise controls (SSO, audit logs) and emerging AI-search coverage like Brand Radar—and you’re comfortable paying for higher-tier plans and add‑ons.
SE Ranking
You want an affordable, agency‑friendly suite with daily rank tracking, white‑label reporting and client seats (via the Agency Pack), plus a 14‑day free trial for quick onboarding.
Typical cost comparison
Scenario: Entry-level plan, billed monthly (1 user), no add-ons
Ahrefs
$29 per month
SE Ranking
$65 per month
Ahrefs saves you $36 per month in this scenario.
Key differences
| Category | Ahrefs | SE Ranking | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | SE Ranking emphasizes quick time‑to‑value with a 14‑day free trial and a built‑in SEO task manager that helps freelancers and agencies get productive fast. | ||
| Feature Depth | Ahrefs typically offers richer backlink and SERP data and more mature competitive analysis, supported by a very active crawler and fast index updates. | ||
| Integrations | SE Ranking enables Looker Studio integration on mid‑tier plans and includes API access at the Business tier, whereas Ahrefs gates Looker Studio to Advanced and API to Enterprise. | ||
| Pricing | SE Ranking’s tiers are generally lower‑priced and include daily rank tracking, while similar usage in Ahrefs often requires higher tiers and paid add‑ons (even though Ahrefs has a $29 Starter with tighter limits). | ||
| Scalability | Ahrefs scales well for larger teams via higher limits, add‑ons like daily Rank Tracker updates, and enterprise governance features such as SSO and access management. |
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