Best Ahrefs alternatives

Ahrefs is best known for its backlink index and Keywords Explorer, with Site Audit, rank tracking and add-ons such as AI Content Helper and Brand Radar. An alternative makes sense when your bottleneck is not data but doing something with it.

Last reviewed September 30, 2026. Written by the LazySEO team, so we include ourselves; product details for other tools come from their own websites.

Who Ahrefs is built for

SEOs and consultants who analyse backlinks, competitors and keyword opportunities
In-house teams with writers who need research to brief them
Brands that want to monitor mentions across AI Overviews, ChatGPT and other assistants via Brand Radar

Why teams look for an alternative

They have the keyword data but nobody to write the content
They want content creation included rather than as a paid add-on
They want a comparable suite with a different feature mix, such as Semrush’s bundled toolkits

3 Ahrefs alternatives compared

1. LazySEO
$39/mo per site after a $1, 3-day trial
Best for: teams who want content published, not more research
LazySEO takes the step Ahrefs leaves to you: writing and publishing. It researches keywords for your site automatically, writes long-form articles with internal links and publishes them to your CMS. It does not offer backlink research; its link feature is a backlink exchange between LazySEO sites.
LazySEO vs Ahrefs, feature by feature
2. Semrush
SEO plan: $139/mo, or $117.33/mo billed yearly; free plan available
Best for: SEOs who want an all-in-one suite with content tools
Semrush covers the same ground as Ahrefs (keywords, backlinks, site audit, rank tracking, AI visibility) and adds a Content Toolkit with AI article generation. Its SEO plan is listed at $139/month and it has a limited free plan.
LazySEO vs Semrush
3. Surfer SEO
Discovery: €59/mo, or €49/mo billed yearly (EUR pricing)
Best for: content teams who need on-page optimization more than link data
Surfer is content-first: a Content Score editor, Surfer AI, keyword research, topical maps and internal linking, plus an AI Tracker. It is a partial alternative, since it does not focus on backlink data.
LazySEO vs Surfer SEO

Prices are entry-level plans as listed on each vendor's website when this page was last reviewed. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.

How to choose

Need backlink and competitor data? Stay with a suite: Ahrefs or Semrush.
Need briefs and on-page scoring for writers? Add or switch to a content editor.
Need articles without writers? An autopilot such as LazySEO covers production and publishing.

Questions about Ahrefs alternatives

Is there a cheaper alternative to Ahrefs?

Ahrefs itself lists a Starter plan at $29/month alongside Lite at $129/month. If your need is content rather than data, LazySEO is $39/month per site and includes writing and publishing.

Does any Ahrefs alternative write content automatically?

Semrush has a Content Toolkit for AI articles. LazySEO, Outrank and Byword write articles and publish them to your CMS.

Want SEO content without the manual work?

Try LazySEO for 3 days for $1, then $39/mo. Cancel anytime.

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