Ahrefs is one of the most popular SEO tools used for backlink analysis, keyword research, and competitor insights. However, its pricing can be too high for beginners, freelancers, or small businesses. The good news is that there are several free or freemium tools that can cover most of your SEO needs without spending a penny.
Below, I’ve shared some of the best free alternatives to Ahrefs that I’ve personally found useful for keyword research, backlink tracking, and overall SEO improvements.
1. Google Search Console
What it does:
- Monitors clicks, impressions, rankings, and click-through rates for your site.
- Shows indexing status, technical issues, and Core Web Vitals data.
- Provides basic backlink and internal link reports.
Why it’s a good alternative:
It’s completely free and gives you accurate data directly from Google. If you want to understand how your site performs in search, this is the first tool you should set up.
2. Google Keyword Planner
What it does:
- Shows keyword ideas, search volume ranges, and competition levels.
- Provides bid estimates that indicate keyword competitiveness.
Why it’s a good alternative:
Although built for Google Ads, Keyword Planner is reliable for keyword research. You just need a free Google Ads account to access it.
3. Ubersuggest
What it does:
- Offers keyword suggestions, domain overview, backlink data, and site audit features.
- Shows top-performing content ideas for your niche.
Why it’s a good alternative:
It provides many features similar to Ahrefs, but with some limitations in the free plan. For small projects, it’s more than enough.
4. SEO PowerSuite (Free Edition)
What it does:
- Includes Rank Tracker, Website Auditor, SEO SpyGlass, and LinkAssistant.
- Helps with rank tracking, backlink analysis, technical audits, and link building.
Why it’s a good alternative:
It’s a desktop-based tool, which makes it powerful for offline work. Even the free version has robust features, though there are some usage limits.
5. Serpstat and SE Ranking (Free Tiers)
What they do:
- Provide keyword research, backlink analysis, site audit, and competitor research tools.
- Offer free daily searches and limited data without a paid plan.
Why they’re good alternatives:
Both tools offer easy-to-use dashboards and cover most SEO tasks, making them good options for small businesses or freelancers.
6. OpenLinkProfiler
What it does:
- Provides a free backlink profile for any domain.
- Lets you export up to 1,000 backlinks and see anchor text data.
Why it’s a good alternative:
It’s straightforward and doesn’t require sign-up, which is perfect for quick backlink checks.
7. Moz Link Explorer (Free Version)
What it does:
- Shows domain authority, spam score, and backlink metrics.
- Allows up to 10 free queries per month.
Why it’s a good alternative:
It’s useful for occasional backlink checks and understanding the authority of a website.
8. Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free Tier)
What it does:
- Crawls up to 500 URLs to identify on-page SEO issues, broken links, duplicate content, and redirects.
Why it’s a good alternative:
It’s one of the best tools for technical SEO audits and is widely used by SEO professionals.
9. Bing Webmaster Tools
What it does:
- Offers indexing reports, keyword data, backlink insights, and crawl stats.
- Integrates with Microsoft Clarity for user behaviour analysis.
Why it’s a good alternative:
It’s completely free and works well alongside Google Search Console to get more insights.
Additional Free SEO Tools
- SEO Minion: Chrome extension for on-page analysis and SERP previews.
- Keywords Everywhere: Displays keyword metrics directly in search results.
- Detailed SEO: Shows meta tags, schema, and technical details of any webpage instantly.
Conclusion
While Ahrefs is a powerful all-in-one SEO platform, combining several free tools can help you achieve similar results without paying for a subscription. For beginners or small businesses, tools like Google Search Console, Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, and Screaming Frog can cover most SEO needs.
Start with these free options, and as your website grows, you can consider investing in premium tools for deeper insights.
