Head to head
Ahrefs vs SE Ranking
Short answer. Ahrefs and SE Ranking are both seo suite tools, so this is a like-for-like choice. Ahrefs is the cheaper way in at Starter $29/mo (Lite $129/mo) against from $129/mo ($103.20/mo annual). Both handle AI search the same way (Tracking). Choose Ahrefs if you match its target profile: sEOs, publishers and agencies whose work centres on backlink, keyword and competitor analysis. Choose SE Ranking if you match its: agencies and in-house teams that want suite-grade data plus AI tracking without paying enterprise prices.
Ahrefs
SEO suite built on one of the largest independent web crawlers, with the strongest backlink dataset and a separately priced Brand Radar product for AI-answer research.
Starter $29/mo (Lite $129/mo)Free plan for verified sites; no general free trial
Visit Ahrefs (opens in a new tab)
SE Ranking
Full-featured SEO suite that bundles 100 daily AI prompts and GEO research into its entry plan, undercutting the bigger suites on AI coverage.
from $129/mo ($103.20/mo annual)14-day free trial, fully functional
Visit SE Ranking (opens in a new tab)
Side by side
| Ahrefs | SE Ranking | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | SEO suite | SEO suite |
| Entry price | Starter $29/mo (Lite $129/mo) | from $129/mo ($103.20/mo annual) |
| Free trial | Free plan for verified sites; no general free trial | 14-day free trial, fully functional |
| AI search (GEO) | Tracking | Tracking |
| Best for | SEOs, publishers and agencies whose work centres on backlink, keyword and competitor analysis. | Agencies and in-house teams that want suite-grade data plus AI tracking without paying enterprise prices. |
| Integrations | Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Looker Studio, API, MCP | Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Looker Studio, API, MCP |
| Languages | Multilingual | Multilingual |
Where they actually differ
Ten capabilities, same definition for both tools, taken from each vendor's published documentation. The rows below are only the ones where the two disagree, because those are the rows that decide the purchase.
| Capability | Ahrefs | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| On-page optimization | Partial | Yes |
| AI visibility tracking | Partial | Yes |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
Pricing compared
Ahrefs: Brand Radar AI, the AI-visibility product, starts at $199/mo on top of a plan, with custom prompt packages from $50/mo. Annual billing saves about 17%.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Ahrefs data limited to sites you verify ownership of. |
| Starter | $29/mo | Entry access with reduced limits. |
| Lite | $129/mo | 5 projects, 6 months of historical data, 750 tracked keywords. |
| Standard | $249/mo | 20 projects, 2 years of history, 2,000 tracked keywords. |
| Advanced | $449/mo | 50 projects, 5 years of history, 5,000 tracked keywords. |
| Enterprise | $1,499/mo | Uncapped API access, unlimited history, annual commitment. |
| Brand Radar AI (add-on) | from $199/mo | Research across 271M+ organic prompts, custom prompt tracking. Prompt packages from $50/mo. |
SE Ranking: Core already includes 100 prompts tracked daily and 5 domains of GEO research. A separate AI Search add-on ($89/mo, $71.20 annual) extends AI Overviews, AI Mode, Perplexity and ChatGPT tracking further.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $129/mo ($103.20 annual) | 10 projects, 1 seat, 2,000 keywords and 100 prompts tracked daily, 5 domains in GEO research, 250K pages audited per month, 25K API credits, MCP access. |
| Growth | $279/mo ($223.20 annual) | 30 projects, 3 seats, 5,000 keywords and 250 prompts daily, 15 domains in GEO research, 2M pages per month, 100K API credits. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom limits and terms. |
| AI Search add-on | $89/mo ($71.20 annual) | AI Overviews, AI Mode, Perplexity and ChatGPT tracking with competitor research. |
Entry price is the wrong number to compare on its own. Add seats, add the tier that unlocks the feature you came for, and the gap usually moves. Run both through the stack cost calculator to see the annual figure.
Ahrefs in detail
SEO suite built on one of the largest independent web crawlers, with the strongest backlink dataset and a separately priced Brand Radar product for AI-answer research. Brand Radar AI is a paid add-on rather than an included feature, but its prompt corpus is unusually large: research across 271M+ organic prompts plus custom prompt tracking.
Strengths
- Best backlink and keyword data available commercially
- Free plan for your own verified sites, plus a $29 Starter
- Brand Radar's prompt corpus is the largest published in the category
Limits
- Starter is heavily limited; real work starts at Lite ($129/mo)
- AI visibility costs an extra $199/mo minimum
- Data-focused: nothing here writes or publishes content
SE Ranking in detail
Full-featured SEO suite that bundles 100 daily AI prompts and GEO research into its entry plan, undercutting the bigger suites on AI coverage. One of the few suites where AI prompt tracking (100 per day) and GEO competitive research are included in the entry plan rather than sold as a tier upgrade.
Strengths
- Best AI-tracking-per-dollar of the mainstream suites
- 14-day fully functional trial
- MCP access included at the entry tier
Limits
- One seat on Core; extra managers require Growth
- Interface is less refined than Ahrefs or Semrush
- The AI Search add-on adds real cost if you need full coverage
Read the full SE Ranking review →
How to choose between them
Go with Ahrefs when
- Best backlink and keyword data available commercially
- Free plan for your own verified sites, plus a $29 Starter
- Brand Radar's prompt corpus is the largest published in the category
Go with SE Ranking when
- Best AI-tracking-per-dollar of the mainstream suites
- 14-day fully functional trial
- MCP access included at the entry tier
Whichever way you lean, run the trials on the same brief before you commit: Ahrefs gives you free plan for verified sites; no general free trial and SE Ranking gives you 14-day free trial, fully functional. Judging output on your own topic beats any comparison table, including this one.
Frequently asked questions
Ahrefs vs SE Ranking: which is better?
Neither is better in the abstract. Ahrefs suits seos, publishers and agencies whose work centres on backlink, keyword and competitor analysis. SE Ranking suits agencies and in-house teams that want suite-grade data plus ai tracking without paying enterprise prices. Match the tool to the job you actually need done and the answer is usually obvious; if it is not, our tool finder narrows it in about a minute.
Is Ahrefs cheaper than SE Ranking?
Ahrefs has the lower entry price: Starter $29/mo (Lite $129/mo) against from $129/mo ($103.20/mo annual). Entry price is not total cost though, because both vendors gate features by tier. Compare full plan tables on the pricing comparison.
Which one is better for AI search visibility?
They are level on this: both are rated Tracking on our scale. Tracks how AI engines answer, but does not produce the content that fixes it. If AI visibility is the priority, look at the dedicated trackers.
Can I use Ahrefs and SE Ranking together?
Yes, and plenty of teams do. The common stack pairs a tool that produces work with a tool that measures or researches it, because those two jobs rarely live in the same product. Before you stack, price the combined subscription in the stack cost calculator: two mid-tier tools often cost more than one plan that covers both.
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Last verified 2 August 2026. Prices, plans and features on this page were read on each vendor's own site on that date. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm before you buy. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.