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Pricing, plan names, free plan availability, and trial details are checked against official provider pages before being used in ProPicked scores. Vendor relationships do not change rankings, scores, or recommendations.
Provider Pricing Facts
Provider pricing facts: Ahrefs offers a free plan; Moz offers a free plan.
Source and Freshness Note
Source and freshness note: pricing, free-plan, and feature signals are compared from public provider data and updated comparison records. Last checked May 2026.
Ahrefs vs Moz: Honest Comparison (2026)
Ahrefs
All-in-one SEO toolset for growing search traffic
Moz
SEO software and data to increase search traffic and rankings
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Quick Verdict:
Ahrefs wins with 9.0/10 vs 8.2/10. Choose Ahrefs for more features. Choose Moz for better value for money.
Ahrefs wins this comparison with a score of 9.0/10 vs 8.2/10. Both offer free plans. Ahrefs stands out for one of the strongest backlink indexes for link building, competitor research, and content gap analysis, while Moz excels at industry-standard Domain Authority metric trusted by SEO professionals worldwide for link evaluation. However, Moz leads in our detailed feature analysis (9.1 vs 7.6).
| Feature | Ahrefs | Moz |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9.0/10 | 8.2/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8.0/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Features | 9.5/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Value for Money | 7.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Customer Support | 7.5/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Free Plan | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Starting Price | $29/mo | $49/mo |
| Feature Score | 7.6/10 | 9.1/10 |
| Top Strength | One of the strongest backlink indexes for link building, competitor research, and content gap analysis | Industry-standard Domain Authority metric trusted by SEO professionals worldwide for link evaluation |
| Biggest Weakness | The limited free account is not a full free SEO suite; it is mainly useful for verified owned sites and lightweight checks | Smaller backlink database compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, which can miss some link data |
| Best For | SEO professionals and agencies needing the most comprehensive backlink and keyword data | - |
| Winner | Ahrefs (9.0/10) | |
What is Ahrefs?
All-in-one SEO toolset for growing search trafficCrawls trillions of links to maintain one of the largest live backlink indexes, alongside keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and content gap analysis. Ahrefs offers a limited free account for verified website owners through Ahrefs Webmaster Tools; paid SEO plans start with Starter at $29/mo, while the full Lite plan starts at $129/mo.
- +One of the strongest backlink indexes for link building, competitor research, and content gap analysis
- +Keyword Explorer, Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Site Audit cover the core SEO workflow in one suite
- +Limited free account / Webmaster Tools access helps verified site owners audit their own properties before paying
- •SEO professionals and agencies needing the most comprehensive backlink and keyword data
- •Content marketers researching competitor strategies and finding link-building opportunities
- •Enterprise teams running large-scale site audits and tracking thousands of keywords
What is Moz?
SEO software and data to increase search traffic and rankingsMoz is a well-established SEO software company offering tools for keyword research, link building, site audits, and rank tracking. Known for creating the Domain Authority (DA) metric, Moz provides both a comprehensive Pro toolset and a free browser extension (MozBar). Its beginner-friendly interface and extensive learning resources make it popular among SEO newcomers and professionals alike.
- +Industry-standard Domain Authority metric trusted by SEO professionals worldwide for link evaluation
- +Beginner-friendly interface with excellent learning resources, blog, and Whiteboard Friday video series
- +Accurate keyword difficulty scores and SERP analysis that help prioritize SEO opportunities
Ahrefs vs Moz: Key Differences
Ahrefs vs Moz: Quick Verdict
It's close, but Ahrefs nudges ahead with 9/10 vs 8.2/10. The real deciding factor is what you plan to use it for.
Choose Ahrefs if:
- You want the higher-rated option overall (9/10 vs 8.2/10)
- Ahrefs's approach to "all-in-one SEO toolset for growing search traffic" fits your workflow
Choose Moz if:
- Accurate keyword difficulty scores and SERP analysis that help prioritize SEO opportunities
- Ease of use matters to you — Moz scores 8.5/10 here
- You're watching your budget — Moz gets a 7.5/10 for value
- Budget is key — Moz starts at $49/mo vs $129/mo
Decision Summary
Who wins in each scenario? A quick look at how Ahrefs and Moz compare across different buyer needs.
Scores 9.0/10 vs 8.2/10
Scores 7.5/10 on value vs 7.0/10
Ease of use: 8.5/10 vs 8.0/10
Features + support avg: 8.5/10 vs 8.0/10
Free plan available + 7.5/10 value
Both offer free plans
Which One Should You Choose?
Based on features, pricing, and ratings — here's when each tool is the better pick.
Choose Ahrefs If
- →Budget is your priority — Ahrefs starts at $29/mo vs $49/mo
- →You want the higher-rated overall solution (Ahrefs: 9.0 vs Moz: 8.2)
- →You need the most comprehensive feature set (Ahrefs: 9.5/10)
Choose Moz If
- →Ease of use matters most — Moz scores 8.5/10 vs 8.0/10
- →Value for money is a key factor — Moz delivers stronger ROI
- →You want to test before committing — Moz offers a 30-day free trial
- →You need enterprise-grade customer support (Moz: 8.0/10)
Choose Ahrefs if you need...
- ✓One of the strongest backlink indexes for link building, competitor research, and content gap analysis
- ✓Keyword Explorer, Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Site Audit cover the core SEO workflow in one suite
- ✓Limited free account / Webmaster Tools access helps verified site owners audit their own properties before paying
- ✓Lower starting price ($29/mo vs $49/mo)
- !The limited free account is not a full free SEO suite; it is mainly useful for verified owned sites and lightweight checks
- !Paid plans have no broad free trial, and the full Lite plan starts at $129/mo
Choose Moz if you need...
- ✓Industry-standard Domain Authority metric trusted by SEO professionals worldwide for link evaluation
- ✓Beginner-friendly interface with excellent learning resources, blog, and Whiteboard Friday video series
- ✓Accurate keyword difficulty scores and SERP analysis that help prioritize SEO opportunities
- !Smaller backlink database compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, which can miss some link data
- !Crawl limits on lower plans may be insufficient for larger websites with many pages
Our Take: Ahrefs vs Moz
Ahrefs edges ahead with a 9.0/10 vs 8.2/10. The gap is noticeable but not dramatic — both are legitimate options depending on what you prioritize.
Where they differ: Ahrefs's biggest strengths are one of the strongest backlink indexes for link building, competitor research, and content gap analysis and keyword Explorer, Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Site Audit cover the core SEO workflow in one suite. Moz, on the other hand, shines with industry-standard Domain Authority metric trusted by SEO professionals worldwide for link evaluation and beginner-friendly interface with excellent learning resources, blog, and Whiteboard Friday video series. These reflect fundamentally different product priorities.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each one with zero risk before committing. We recommend trying both for a week with real data.
Ahrefs vs Moz Score Comparison
| Category | Ahrefs | Moz |
|---|---|---|
🏆Overall Score | 9.0▲ | 8.2 |
💫Ease of Use | 8.0 | ▲8.5 |
⚙Features | 9.5▲ | 8.0 |
💰Value for Money | 7.0 | ▲7.5 |
💬Customer Support | 7.5 | ▲8.0 |
Why These Scores? Our Reasoning
- +One of the strongest backlink indexes for link building, competitor research, and content gap analysis
- +Keyword Explorer, Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Site Audit cover the core SEO workflow in one suite
- +Limited free account / Webmaster Tools access helps verified site owners audit their own properties before paying
- -The limited free account is not a full free SEO suite; it is mainly useful for verified owned sites and lightweight checks
- -Paid plans have no broad free trial, and the full Lite plan starts at $129/mo
- +Industry-standard Domain Authority metric trusted by SEO professionals worldwide for link evaluation
- +Beginner-friendly interface with excellent learning resources, blog, and Whiteboard Friday video series
- +Accurate keyword difficulty scores and SERP analysis that help prioritize SEO opportunities
- -Smaller backlink database compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, which can miss some link data
- -Crawl limits on lower plans may be insufficient for larger websites with many pages
Ahrefs vs Moz Pros & Cons
+Strengths
- ✓One of the strongest backlink indexes for link building, competitor research, and content gap analysis
- ✓Keyword Explorer, Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Site Audit cover the core SEO workflow in one suite
- ✓Limited free account / Webmaster Tools access helps verified site owners audit their own properties before paying
- ✓Starter plan lowers the entry price for lightweight research compared with full-suite SEO plans
-Weaknesses
- ✗The limited free account is not a full free SEO suite; it is mainly useful for verified owned sites and lightweight checks
- ✗Paid plans have no broad free trial, and the full Lite plan starts at $129/mo
- ✗Credit and usage limits can surprise teams running large keyword, backlink, or audit workflows
- ✗Single-user and team costs rise quickly for agencies managing many clients
+Strengths
- ✓Industry-standard Domain Authority metric trusted by SEO professionals worldwide for link evaluation
- ✓Beginner-friendly interface with excellent learning resources, blog, and Whiteboard Friday video series
- ✓Accurate keyword difficulty scores and SERP analysis that help prioritize SEO opportunities
-Weaknesses
- ✗Smaller backlink database compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, which can miss some link data
- ✗Crawl limits on lower plans may be insufficient for larger websites with many pages
- ✗Feature set is narrower than all-in-one competitors — focuses primarily on SEO without PPC or social tools
Who Should Use Ahrefs vs Moz?
Ahrefs is ideal for
- •SEO professionals and agencies needing the most comprehensive backlink and keyword data
- •Content marketers researching competitor strategies and finding link-building opportunities
- •Enterprise teams running large-scale site audits and tracking thousands of keywords
- •Link builders identifying prospects through detailed backlink gap analysis
- •SaaS and ecommerce companies analyzing competitors' organic traffic and top pages
When NOT to Choose Ahrefs or Moz
Knowing when a tool is the wrong fit is just as important as knowing its strengths
Skip Ahrefs if...
- ✗The limited free account is not a full free SEO suite; it is mainly useful for verified owned sites and lightweight checks
- ✗Paid plans have no broad free trial, and the full Lite plan starts at $129/mo
- ✗Credit and usage limits can surprise teams running large keyword, backlink, or audit workflows
- ✗Single-user and team costs rise quickly for agencies managing many clients
Skip Moz if...
- ✗Smaller backlink database compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, which can miss some link data
- ✗Crawl limits on lower plans may be insufficient for larger websites with many pages
- ✗Feature set is narrower than all-in-one competitors — focuses primarily on SEO without PPC or social tools
Ahrefs vs Moz Decision Framework
Choose based on what matters most to you
Ahrefs vs Moz Pricing
| Pricing Feature | Ahrefs | Moz |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Starting Price | $29/mo | $49/mo |
| Free Trial | Not available | 30 days |
| Number of Plans | 5 | 5 |
| Value Rating | 7.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
Ahrefs Plans
- ✓Audit verified owned sites
- ✓Limited Site Explorer access
- ✓Limited Site Audit access
- ✓Free keyword generators
- ✓Entry-level SEO research
- ✓Limited project and keyword allowances
- ✓Basic competitor checks
- ✓5 projects
- ✓6 months history
- ✓500 credits/mo
- ✓750 tracked keywords
- ✓20 projects
- ✓2 years history
- ✓Unlimited credits
- ✓2,000 tracked keywords
- +1 more
- ✓50 projects
- ✓5 years history
- ✓5,000 tracked keywords
- ✓Web Explorer
Moz Plans
- ✓MozBar browser extension
- ✓10 keyword queries/month
- ✓Domain analysis (limited)
- ✓Link Explorer (limited)
- ✓1 campaign
- ✓50 keyword rankings
- ✓Site crawl (5,000 pages)
- ✓50 keyword queries/month
- +1 more
- ✓3 campaigns
- ✓300 keyword rankings
- ✓Site crawl (100K pages)
- ✓5,000 keyword queries/month
- +1 more
- ✓10 campaigns
- ✓1,500 keyword rankings
- ✓Site crawl (500K pages)
- ✓15,000 keyword queries/month
- +1 more
- ✓25 campaigns
- ✓3,000 keyword rankings
- ✓Site crawl (1.25M pages)
- ✓30,000 keyword queries/month
- +1 more
What You Get: Plan Feature Comparison
Comparing Ahrefs's Standard ($249/mo) vs Moz's Standard ($99/mo)
| Feature | Ahrefs | Moz |
|---|---|---|
| 20 projects | ✓ | ✗ |
| 2 years history | ✓ | ✗ |
| Unlimited credits | ✓ | ✗ |
| 2,000 tracked keywords | ✓ | ✗ |
| Content Explorer | ✓ | ✗ |
| 3 campaigns | ✗ | ✓ |
| 300 keyword rankings | ✗ | ✓ |
| Site crawl (100K pages) | ✗ | ✓ |
| 5,000 keyword queries/month | ✗ | ✓ |
| Competitive research | ✗ | ✓ |
Which Should You Choose?
Quick Buyer's Guide
Based on our analysis, here's who each tool is best suited for
- ✓SEO professionals and agencies needing the most comprehensive backlink and keyword data
- ✓Content marketers researching competitor strategies and finding link-building opportunities
- ✓Users who need one of the strongest backlink indexes for link building, competitor research, and content gap analysis
- ✓Teams with tighter budgets ($29/mo vs $49/mo)
- ✓Users who need industry-standard Domain Authority metric trusted by SEO professionals worldwide for link evaluation
- ✓Users who need beginner-friendly interface with excellent learning resources, blog, and Whiteboard Friday video series
Ahrefs vs Moz: The Bottom Line
Ahrefs takes this matchup, though Moz remains a viable alternative.
## Our Verdict It's close, but Ahrefs nudges ahead with 9/10 vs 8.2/10. The real deciding factor is what you plan to use it for. ### Choose Ahrefs if: - You want the higher-rated option overall (9/10 vs 8.2/10) - Ahrefs's approach to "all-in-one SEO toolset for growing search traffic" fits your workflow ### Choose Moz if: - Accurate keyword difficulty scores and SERP analysis that help prioritize SEO opportunities - Ease of use matters to you — Moz scores 8.5/10 here - You're watching your budget — Moz gets a 7.5/10 for value - Budget is key — Moz starts at $49/mo vs $129/mo Moz at 8.2/10 is still competitive and may be the better fit depending on your specific requirements and budget.