If you have been using Ahrefs for a while, you probably know the pain. You open the dashboard, ready to do your keyword research or check some backlinks, and then the price tag hits you. Ahrefs is not cheap – and for many bloggers, freelancers, and small business owners, it is simply out of reach.
So yes, Ahrefs is not free anymore. It never really was, but now even the limited free access feels more restricted than before. The good news? You do not need Ahrefs to do solid SEO work. There are some great free and low-cost tools out there that give you most of what you need – without burning a hole in your wallet.
In this blog, we break down why people are walking away from Ahrefs, what free alternatives actually work, and how you can build a smart SEO workflow without spending a fortune.
What Are Ahrefs and Why Do People Use It?
Ahrefs is one of the most well-known SEO tools on the internet. It helps you check backlinks, research keywords, spy on competitors, track your rankings, and audit your website for technical issues. For years, it has been the go-to choice for SEO professionals and digital marketers.
Its Site Explorer is especially popular. You type in any website URL, and Ahrefs shows you all the backlinks pointing to that site, the top-performing pages, keyword rankings, and estimated traffic. It is a goldmine for competitive research.
But here is the problem – all of this comes at a cost. And that cost keeps going up.
Why Is Everyone Searching “Ahrefs Not Free Anymore”?
This is one of the fastest-growing search queries among SEO beginners and small business owners, and for good reason.
Ahrefs removed its free trial a while back. On top of that, it switched to a credit-based pricing model, which limits how much you can do even on paid plans. The entry-level plan starts at $129 per month – and that only covers one user. Want to add a team member? Expect to pay more.
For someone running a small blog or a startup, paying $99 to $129 every month just for an SEO tool does not make sense, especially when you are still trying to grow. That is why so many people are now searching for a free alternative to Ahrefs Site Explorer.
The frustration is real, and the search for smarter, budget-friendly options is completely valid.
What Makes a Good Ahrefs Alternative?
Before jumping into the list, it helps to know what to look for. A good Ahrefs alternative should be able to do at least some of the following:
- Keyword research – find what people search for, how often, and how hard it is to rank
- Backlink analysis – see who is linking to your site or your competitor’s site
- Site audit – scan your website for technical SEO problems
- Rank tracking – monitor where your pages show up in Google search results
- Competitor research – understand what is working for others in your niche
You do not need one tool to do everything. Many experienced marketers today use a method called “tool stacking” – they combine two or three free tools, each great at one specific job, to cover all their SEO needs without paying for one expensive platform.
Top Free Alternatives to Ahrefs Site Explorer
1. Google Search Console – Best for Tracking Your Own Site’s Performance
If you own a website and you are not using Google Search Console, you are missing out on a ton of free data. This tool comes directly from Google and gives you real information about how your site performs in search.
You can see which keywords bring people to your site, how many clicks and impressions you get, your average position for each query, and which pages perform best. You can also check for crawling errors, mobile usability issues, and indexing problems.
The free plan shows up to 1,000 rows of data. For most small websites, that is more than enough to make smart SEO decisions. Best of all, the data comes straight from Google – it does not get more accurate than that.
2. Ubersuggest – Best for Keyword Research on a Budget
Ubersuggest is a tool created by digital marketing expert Neil Patel, and it offers a very generous free tier. You get keyword suggestions with real search volume data, backlink information, site audit reports, and content ideas – all for free.
The free plan gives you a limited number of searches per day, which is honestly enough if you plan your research well. You do not need to run 50 searches a day to find good keyword opportunities. A few focused, strategic searches each session will give you all the ideas you need.
What makes Ubersuggest a solid choice is that it is clean, simple, and easy to understand – even if you are brand new to SEO. No steep learning curve, no confusing dashboards. You type a keyword or a URL, and you get clear data back.
3. Semrush Free Plan – Best for Competitive Intelligence
Semrush is one of the closest tools to Ahrefs in terms of features, and it has something Ahrefs does not – a free plan that actually works. The free version lets you do up to 10 domain searches per day, run a basic keyword lookup, and get a surface-level look at competitor traffic.
For someone who only needs a quick competitive check now and then, the Semrush free tier is more than enough. You can see which pages bring the most traffic to a competitor’s website, which keywords they rank for, and where their backlinks come from.
The paid plan starts at $139.95 per month, which is actually more expensive than Ahrefs – but the free plan is what makes Semrush stand out for budget users. It also includes 100 pages per month for site audits, which is useful for finding and fixing basic technical issues.
4. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools – The Free Part Ahrefs Still Offers
Yes, Ahrefs itself still has a free option – but it comes with a catch. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free, but it only works for domains you own and verify. You cannot use it to spy on competitors.
What you do get is a full site audit for your own website, backlink data for your verified domain, and keyword performance data from Google Search Console integrated into the platform. For auditing your own site, it is actually quite powerful.
You get up to 5,000 crawl credits per month per verified project, which is enough to audit small to mid-size websites. If your goal is to keep your own site healthy and fix technical problems, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is one of the best free options available.
5. Screaming Frog – Best for Technical SEO Audits
Screaming Frog is a desktop application that crawls your website just like a search engine does. It finds broken links, duplicate content, missing title tags, redirect chains, and dozens of other technical SEO issues.
The free version crawls up to 500 URLs per project, which covers most small websites comfortably. If your site has more pages than that, you need the paid version – but for blogs, local business sites, and startups, the free limit is usually enough.
Think of Screaming Frog as your website’s health checkup tool. You run it once a month, fix whatever it finds, and your site stays in good technical shape. It does not replace a full SEO suite, but it does the technical audit part better than almost anything else.
6. Moz Free Tools – Best for Domain Authority Checks
Moz offers a small but useful collection of free tools. The most popular is its Domain Authority (DA) checker, which gives you a score from 1 to 100 showing how strong a website’s backlink profile is. It is widely used as a quick way to judge how hard it might be to compete with a specific website.
The free plan also includes limited access to their Link Explorer tool – you get 10 backlink queries per month. That is not a lot, but it is enough to do quick checks on your own site or peek at a key competitor.
Moz also offers three free keyword searches per day, which you can use to check search volume and difficulty for specific terms. It is not as deep as a paid tool, but for quick lookups, it gets the job done.
7. SpyFu – Best for Competitor Keyword Research
SpyFu is built specifically for understanding what your competitors are doing in search. You type in any competitor’s domain, and SpyFu shows you the organic keywords they rank for, the ads they run, and the keywords that bring them the most traffic.
What makes SpyFu special is that it offers unlimited free searches. There are limits on how much data you can see without a paid plan, but you can run as many queries as you want. This makes it great for doing broad research across multiple competitors.
It is especially useful if you want to find keyword gaps – topics your competitors rank for that you have not written about yet. Once you spot those gaps, you can create content to fill them and start capturing that traffic for yourself.
How to Stack These Free Tools for Maximum Results
The smart approach is not to pick one tool and hope it does everything. Instead, use these tools together in a workflow that covers all your SEO bases:
Step 1 – Keyword Research: Use Ubersuggest to find keyword ideas. Run a few searches, write down the ones with decent volume and low competition.
Step 2 – Competitor Check: Use SpyFu to see which keywords your top competitors rank for. Look for gaps and opportunities.
Step 3 – Backlink Analysis: Use the Semrush free plan or Moz Link Explorer to check backlinks for your own site and key competitors.
Step 4 – Technical Audit: Use Screaming Frog or Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to scan your own website for technical problems. Fix broken links, missing tags, and slow pages.
Step 5 – Performance Tracking: Use Google Search Console to monitor how your site performs over time. Check which pages rank and which keywords drive the most clicks.
This five-step stack covers keyword research, competitor intelligence, backlink data, technical auditing, and rank tracking – all for free. Tools like [ST Convert] help bridge these workflows by organizing your data and making it easier to act on what you find.
When Should You Consider a Paid Tool?
Free tools are great for getting started, but they do have limits. Here are signs that you are ready for a paid upgrade:
- You manage multiple client websites and need to track rankings for dozens of keywords
- You want deeper backlink data with full historical records
- Your site has thousands of pages that need regular auditing
- You need to run team reports or share dashboards with clients
When that time comes, consider tools like SE Ranking (which starts at a much lower price point than Ahrefs), [ST Convert], or Mangools – all of which offer more affordable pricing without cutting too many corners on data quality.
The Real Value of Going Free First
Starting with free tools is not just about saving money. It teaches you how SEO actually works. When you cannot rely on one big expensive tool to hand you all the answers, you learn to ask better questions and dig deeper into the data.
Many experienced SEOs started this way. They used Google Search Console, free keyword tools, and browser extensions to understand search before ever paying for a premium platform.
Going free first also helps you figure out exactly which features matter most for your specific goals. Then, when you do decide to invest in a paid tool, you know exactly what to look for – and you do not end up paying for features you never use.
Conclusion
Ahrefs is a great tool – no doubt about it. But “great” does not mean “necessary,” especially when you are working with a tight budget.
The free alternatives available today are better than ever. Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, Semrush’s free plan, SpyFu, Moz, Screaming Frog, and Ahrefs Webmaster Tools – together, these cover almost everything Ahrefs does, at zero cost.
Start with the free stack. Learn the basics. And when you are ready to grow, you will know exactly which paid tool fits your workflow best. Tools like [ST Convert] can help you take that next step without overspending.
The bottom line: Ahrefs not being free is not the end of the world. It is actually an opportunity to build smarter SEO habits from the ground up.
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FAQs
Is Ahrefs completely free anymore?
No. Ahrefs removed its free trial and no longer offers a free plan for full access. However, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is still free for verified site owners.
What is the best free alternative to Ahrefs Site Explorer?
For checking your own site, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is the best free option. For competitor research, SpyFu and the Semrush free plan are strong alternatives.
Can I do 10 daily searches with Ahrefs for free?
Not directly. The Ahrefs free tools page offers individual mini tools like a keyword generator and backlink checker, each with limited daily use. But you cannot run 10 full Site Explorer searches for free.
What does “bargain Ahrefs” mean?
It refers to looking for affordable alternatives that give you similar data and features without Ahrefs’ high price tag. Tools like Mangools, SE Ranking, and Ubersuggest are popular bargain Ahrefs options.
Is it possible to do full SEO with only free tools?
Yes, especially if you are a beginner or managing a small website. By stacking Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, SpyFu, and Screaming Frog, you cover all the major SEO tasks without paying anything.
Which free tool is closest to Ahrefs in features?
Semrush’s free plan comes closest in terms of overall features. For backlink-specific data, Moz’s Link Explorer and Ahrefs Webmaster Tools are the most comparable free options.
