Ahrefs vs Moz Comparison 2026
Ahrefs runs its own crawler and charges for the depth: $129 a month at the Lite tier, no trial, no discount ever, for the backlink index other tools get measured against. Moz Pro starts at $49 a month for one website and covers the same categories, rank tracking, link data and keyword research, with a smaller index behind it and a free MozBar extension most people meet first. The choice comes down to depth against price, and Moz's own editorial note is blunt: buy it for rank tracking and check backlinks somewhere else.
At a glance
- Moz starts cheaper, at $49.
- Only Ahrefs has a free tier.
Side by side
Ahrefs | Moz | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $129 | From $49 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free plan, paid tiers | Free trial, then paid |
| Free tier (they differ) | Yes | No |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Yes |
Ahrefs
Backlink and keyword data at full depth
Ahrefs runs its own crawler, which is why its backlink index is the one other tools get compared against, and why the keyword data goes deeper than the free alternatives. Site Explorer and Content Gap are what most people open it for. It is priced for businesses rather than for individuals, and the company states outright that it never discounts.
Our note
Between this and Semrush the split is old but holds: Ahrefs for backlinks and content research, Semrush for advertising data and rank tracking breadth. Pick on which half of the job is yours, because paying for both is rarely worth it.
Moz
Rank tracking and link data from Moz Pro
Moz has been measuring domain authority since the metric was invented, and its rank tracking, link explorer and keyword research still cover what a content site needs to watch. Its free browser extension is what most people meet first. The index is smaller than Ahrefs', and the entry plan is priced for one site rather than for an agency.
Our note
The entry price is the argument, at $49 a month for a single site against what Ahrefs and Semrush charge. The link index behind it is smaller. Buy it for rank tracking and check backlinks somewhere else.
Why people weigh these two
- Moz instead of Ahrefs
- Moz Pro starts at $49, well under Ahrefs' $129, for a smaller site that still wants its own link data and rank tracking.
- Ahrefs instead of Moz
- Ahrefs runs a larger backlink index than Moz's, worth the move for serious link analysis where Moz's own index falls short.
Which one should you pick
Choose Ahrefs if the backlink index has to be the real one, not an approximation. It is what other tools benchmark themselves against, and Site Explorer and Content Gap are built for agencies and publishers who need that depth. Lite starts at $129 a month with no trial and no discount, which only makes sense once search traffic is the actual business.
Choose Moz if the budget tops out well under Ahrefs and the job is mostly rank tracking on one site. The entry plan is $49 a month for a single website, against what Ahrefs and Semrush both charge for the same category of tool, and the free MozBar extension is worth installing before paying for anything. Its own editorial note is candid about the trade: the link index is smaller, so pair it with something else for serious backlink analysis.
Common questions
- Which one has the bigger backlink index?
- Ahrefs. Its crawler is what other SEO tools benchmark their own numbers against. Moz covers backlinks too, through Link Explorer, but its own editorial note says the index behind it is smaller.
- What does Moz cost against Ahrefs' entry plan?
- Moz starts at $49 a month for a single website, well under Ahrefs' $129-a-month Lite tier. Moz's dearer plans, Standard at $99 a month or $79 billed yearly, Medium and Large, add tracked keywords and AI content briefs rather than link depth.
- Is there a free way to test either tool?
- Ahrefs Free covers Site Explorer and Site Audit for a site you can verify, and Ahrefs offers no trial of the paid tiers at all. Moz offers a free trial of unstated length, plus a permanently free MozBar browser extension that needs no account.
- Which one is built for a small agency?
- Both claim the job, at different prices. Moz's own listing names content sites and small agencies wanting rank tracking without Ahrefs pricing. Ahrefs is priced for a business budget from the start, with extra users running $40 to $100 a month each.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.