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📅 November 11, 2025 ⏱️ 10 min read ✍️ Mattia Spinelli

Cheaper Alternative to Ahrefs: Save $500-1,200/Year

Ahrefs is expensive. At $129/month ($1,548/year), it's out of reach for most bootstrapped founders and small businesses.

The question: "Is there a cheaper alternative that's actually good?"

Answer: Yes. You can get 80% of Ahrefs' features at 40-80% less cost. I've tested 15+ alternatives and found 8 tools that deliver excellent value for $29-65/month.

Here's how to save $500-1,200/year without sacrificing your SEO results.

Why Ahrefs is Expensive (And Why You Can Pay Less)

Ahrefs is a premium tool with:

But here's the truth: Most indie hackers only use 20% of Ahrefs' features. You're paying for enterprise data when you just need keyword research, rank tracking, and basic competitor analysis.

💡 Key Insight: Cheaper alternatives have smaller databases but still accurate data. For sites under 100K monthly visitors, the difference is negligible. You'll get reliable search volumes, keyword suggestions, and actionable insights—just from a smaller sample size.

8 Cheaper Ahrefs Alternatives (Ranked by Price)

1. Ubersuggest – $29/month (Save $1,200/year)

Best for: Bootstrapped founders on tight budgets

Neil Patel's Ubersuggest is the cheapest full-featured alternative at just $29/month. You get keyword research, rank tracking, backlinks, and site audits.

What's included:

Pros: Extremely affordable, simple interface
Cons: Less backlink data than Ahrefs

2. SpyFu – $39/month (Save $1,080/year)

Best for: Competitive intelligence

SpyFu excels at competitor research—see every keyword competitors rank for and every ad they've run in the past 16 years.

What's included:

Pros: Best competitor insights, affordable
Cons: US-focused data

3. Mangools – $49/month (Save $960/year)

Best for: Users who value beautiful design

5 SEO tools with the cleanest interface in the industry: KWFinder, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner, SERPChecker, SiteProfiler.

What's included:

Pros: Beautiful UI, accurate keyword difficulty
Cons: Smaller backlink database

4. Majestic – $49/month (Save $960/year)

Best for: Link building specialists

Backlink-only tool with unique Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics trusted by professional link builders.

What's included:

Pros: Excellent backlink data, unique metrics
Cons: No keyword research (backlinks only)

5. Keywords.chat – $59/month (Save $840/year)

Best for: Indie hackers who want simplicity

Chat-based SEO tool with zero learning curve. Ask questions in plain English, get instant answers—no dashboards or menus.

What's included:

Pros: Easiest to use, all-in-one, affordable
Cons: Smaller backlink database

6. Serpstat – $59/month (Save $840/year)

Best for: International SEO (230+ countries)

Affordable all-in-one platform with strong international database coverage.

What's included:

Pros: Great international coverage, affordable
Cons: Smaller database, less polished UI

7. SE Ranking – $65/month (Save $768/year)

Best for: Agencies needing white-label reports

Full-featured platform popular with agencies. Includes white-label reporting for client presentations.

What's included:

Pros: Feature-rich, white-label option
Cons: Interface less polished

8. Moz Pro – $99/month (Save $360/year)

Best for: Users who rely on Domain Authority

If you need Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) metrics, Moz is your only option—they invented them.

What's included:

Pros: Trusted DA/PA metrics, solid data
Cons: Still pricey, slower updates

Price Comparison Table

Tool Price/month Savings/year vs Ahrefs Best For
Ubersuggest $29 $1,200 Tight budgets
SpyFu $39 $1,080 Competitor research
Mangools $49 $960 Beautiful UX
Majestic $49 $960 Link building
Keywords.chat $59 $840 Simplicity
Serpstat $59 $840 International
SE Ranking $65 $768 Agencies
Moz Pro $99 $360 Domain Authority
Ahrefs $129 — Best data

How Much Can You Really Save?

Let's do the math:

That's $840-1,200 back in your pocket—enough to hire a freelance writer, run ads, or invest in other tools.

Which Cheaper Alternative Should You Choose?

Pick based on your budget and needs:

💡 My Recommendation: Start with Ubersuggest ($29) or Keywords.chat ($59) depending on whether you prioritize price or simplicity. Both give you 80% of Ahrefs' functionality at a fraction of the cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cheap Ahrefs alternatives reliable?

Yes—tools like Ubersuggest, Mangools, and Keywords.chat use reliable data sources (Google Keyword Planner, Moz, Majestic). They have smaller databases than Ahrefs but the data is still accurate for most use cases.

What's the absolute cheapest Ahrefs alternative?

Ubersuggest at $29/month is the cheapest paid option with full features. For free, combine Google Search Console + Google Keyword Planner + Ubersuggest Free (3 searches/day).

Will I lose features if I switch to a cheaper tool?

You'll have a smaller backlink database and fewer advanced features. But core functionality (keyword research, rank tracking, competitor analysis, site audits) is present in all alternatives. For sites under 100K monthly visits, you won't notice the difference.

Can I get Ahrefs for cheaper?

Ahrefs doesn't offer discounts or cheaper plans. The only way to pay less is to switch to an alternative like Ubersuggest ($29), Mangools ($49), or Keywords.chat ($59).

How do I know if a cheaper tool is enough for my business?

If you're a solo founder, blogger, or small business under $50K/year revenue, cheaper tools are more than enough. Upgrade to Ahrefs ($129/mo) only when you're managing 10+ client sites or earning $100K+/year from SEO.

Try a Cheaper Alternative Risk-Free

Keywords.chat gives you all essential SEO features through a simple chat interface for $59/mo. No dashboards, no complexity—save $840/year vs Ahrefs. Try free for 7 days.

Start 7-Day Free Trial →

Final Thoughts

You don't need to spend $129/month on Ahrefs to succeed with SEO. The 8 cheaper alternatives listed above give you 80% of the functionality at 40-80% less cost.

The key is matching your tool to your budget and stage:

Start with a free trial, use it for a week with your actual projects, and see if it delivers the results you need. Most indie hackers find that cheaper alternatives are more than enough—and the $840-1,200/year savings can fund other parts of your business.