Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ahrefs VS DataForSEO

Compare Ahrefs VS DataForSEO and see what are their differences

Ahrefs logo Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a toolset for SEO and marketing. We have tools for backlink research, organic traffic research, keyword research, content marketing & more. Give Ahrefs a try!

DataForSEO logo DataForSEO

DataForSEO offers API data for SEO companies that deliver results of tasks for Rank tracking, SERP, Keyword data and On-page APIs.
  • Ahrefs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-11

Ahrefs is trusted by SEOs and marketing professionals worldwide as the ultimate toolset for SEO, powered by industry-leading data. Ahrefs crawls the web, stores tons of data and makes it easily accessible via a simple user interface. The data can be used to aid keyword research, link building, content marketing and SEO strategies. Ultimately, the tool helps to accelerate the growth of organic search traffic to a website.

  • DataForSEO Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-31

Ahrefs features and specs

  • Comprehensive Data
    Ahrefs offers extensive data on backlinks, keywords, and site audits, allowing users to make well-informed decisions on their SEO strategies.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform has an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced SEO professionals.
  • Accurate Backlink Analysis
    Ahrefs is known for its accurate and up-to-date backlink data, which is crucial for comprehensive SEO analysis and strategy development.
  • Robust Keyword Research
    The keyword research tools in Ahrefs provide detailed information and insights, helping users to identify valuable keywords for their content.
  • Site Audit Capabilities
    Ahrefs' site audit feature helps identify and fix on-site SEO issues, improving overall website health and performance.
  • Continuous Updates
    Ahrefs frequently updates its database and introduces new features, ensuring users have access to the latest SEO tools and data.
  • Competitive Analysis
    The platform allows users to analyze competitor websites in-depth, giving insights into their strategies and helping to identify opportunities.

Possible disadvantages of Ahrefs

  • High Cost
    Ahrefs is relatively expensive compared to other SEO tools, which may be a barrier for small businesses or individual users with limited budgets.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, the vast array of features and data can initially be overwhelming for new users, requiring time to master.
  • Limited Access in Basic Plan
    The lower-tier plans limit access to certain data and features, potentially necessitating an upgrade to higher-cost plans for full functionality.
  • No Free Trial
    Ahrefs does not offer a free trial, which can make it challenging for potential users to fully assess its value before committing to a subscription.
  • API Limitations
    Access to the API is restricted and may not be comprehensive enough for advanced users requiring extensive data integration capabilities.
  • Occasional Data Gaps
    Despite frequent updates, there may occasionally be gaps or delays in data, particularly for niche or emerging markets.
  • Limited Customer Support Options
    Customer support is mainly provided via email, which might not be sufficient for urgent issues or users preferring instant support options like live chat.

DataForSEO features and specs

  • Comprehensive API Suite
    DataForSEO offers a wide array of APIs including SERP, keyword data, on-page SEO, and backlinks, allowing for extensive data gathering and analysis across various SEO components.
  • Customization
    Users can tailor data requests based on specific needs such as location, device type, language, and more, providing relevant and targeted SEO data.
  • Scalability
    DataForSEO's scalable infrastructure supports both small businesses and large enterprises, making it suitable for varying levels of data demands.
  • Real-Time Data
    Provides real-time or near real-time data, which is crucial for making timely decisions in fast-paced SEO environments.
  • Cost-Effective
    Pay-as-you-go pricing model helps businesses manage costs effectively, ensuring they only pay for the data they need and use.

Possible disadvantages of DataForSEO

  • Complexity
    The vast array of options and parameters for API requests can be overwhelming for beginners or those with limited technical expertise.
  • Rate Limits
    API rate limits may constrain the amount of data that can be pulled in a given time frame, particularly for large-scale data collection projects.
  • Costs for High Volume
    While cost-effective for moderate use, high-volume data demands can escalate costs, potentially making it expensive for large-scale operations.
  • Reliance on API
    Users' dependence on the API for data means that any downtime or issues on DataForSEO's end could impact business operations.
  • Learning Curve
    Users may need to invest time in understanding the API documentation and integrating it into their existing systems, which can slow down initial implementation.

Ahrefs videos

Ahrefs Review and Tutorial: Is This The Only SEO Tool You Need?

More videos:

  • Review - Ahrefs Review | FatRank Ahref Testimonial
  • Tutorial - How to Use Ahrefs Tool - Best Premium SEO Tools [2019]

DataForSEO videos

No DataForSEO videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ahrefs and DataForSEO)
SEO Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Analytics
0 0%
100% 100
SEO
98 98%
2% 2
Business & Commerce
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Ahrefs and DataForSEO

Ahrefs Reviews

  1. Cyra Brown
    · Owner at Beginu ·
    Excellent for discovering low competition keywords

    I've enjoyed using Ahrefs to inform content creation due to their keyword explorer being so useful for finding low difficulty keywords. I do prefer the legacy version of their site explorer in comparison to the new format so I hope that they do not retire certain elements of the platform.

    🏁 Competitors: SEMRush

The 16 Best Moz Alternatives for Every Budget 
Unlike competitors, Ahrefs doesn’t offer a free trial. To start using Ahrefs, you must purchase the Lite plan for $129.
10 SE Ranking Alternatives in 2025 [Free and Paid]
Users appreciate Moz Pro for its user-friendly design and accurate rank tracking, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced marketers. However, some users feel it lacks the depth in backlink analysis offered by tools like Ahrefs, which may limit its appeal for those focusing on link-building.
10 Moz Pro Alternatives in 2025 [Free and Paid]
Starting at $129/month, Ahrefs is slightly more expensive than Moz Pro but offers advanced features that justify the investment. For users who require detailed backlink data and in-depth SEO analysis, Ahrefs is a top choice.
The best alternatives to SE Ranking in 2024
But all this comes at a price. Ahrefs is quite expensive, especially considering that even with a subscription, its use is not unlimited. At the beginning of each month, you are allocated a number of credits, which varies depending on the plan, and these credits are depleted as you use many of its features. And believe me, the credits run out faster than you realize.
Source: dinorank.com
Top 6 Moz Competitors In 2024: A Detailed Review
Furthermore, Ahrefs excels in providing users with in-depth backlink data. It helps to uncover new link-building opportunities and analyze competitors’ backlink strategies. Its user-friendly interface and accurate data make it a favorite among SEO professionals.

DataForSEO Reviews

We have no reviews of DataForSEO yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ahrefs seems to be a lot more popular than DataForSEO. While we know about 115 links to Ahrefs, we've tracked only 9 mentions of DataForSEO. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ahrefs mentions (115)

  • What We Did to Gain 3,000 GitHub Stars for the Liam Repository
    Used Ahrefs to check backlinks of competitors and similar products, adding sites that featured those products to our list of candidates. - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
  • How to scrape Crunchbase using Python in 2024 (Easy Guide)
    Sitemap is a standard way of site navigation used by crawlers like Google, Ahrefs, and other search engines. All crawlers must follow the rules described in robots.txt. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • How much does it cost to build and run a profitable side project?
    I eventually made my peace with email marketing, but I still dread marketing in general. That's why I like the idea of SEO, which performs like passive marketing in some sense. I used to have a Keysearch membership, but I wasn't sure about the accuracy of some of the results I was getting on my keyword research. I ended up getting an Ahrefs membership, which costs a lot more but is supposed to offer much more... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • How to Write Effective Texts for Blogs: Tips and AI Tools to Boost Your Content
    Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for driving traffic to your blog. Include relevant keywords throughout your post, especially in the title, subheadings, and the body. However, avoid keyword stuffing—your writing should still sound natural. Tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs can help you find the right keywords for your niche. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Ahrefs vs Semrush | Which One is Better
    Ahrefs is an online software suite used for SEO and content marketing. You can discover the most valuable keywords to target, see the content that's ranking for those terms, find link building opportunities, analyze your competitors' sites. The advanced application tracking system lets its users track search engine rankings and positions. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
View more

DataForSEO mentions (9)

  • Launch HN: Marblism (YC W24) – Generate full-stack web apps from a prompt
    I asked it to integrate with https://dataforseo.com/ api which is 10x cheaper than the ahrefs or semrush apis (it's real data). - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Understand your competitors on Google with Python?
    So far I used dataforseo.com to get the data I need (they have a large database with 4.8 billion keywords), and I could create some cool tools with it! I share the first version of the tutorial on my website called amigocci.io but I started to make it only 2 months ago so I'm still figuring it out and trying to find the best way to make analysis with it. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How Do I Track Keyword Rankings for Free?
    I can't think of any free tools, but there are some APIs out there that are pretty cheap like https://dataforseo.com/ or https://serpapi.com/pricing. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Semrush - Where does it get it's data?
    Dataforseo.com you can get the same data as SEMrush and other similar tools. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Tool just discovered
    I like to think that I'm typically aware of great tools to aid in SEO but I was just informed of one that's a game changer. https://dataforseo.com/. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ahrefs and DataForSEO, you can also consider the following products

SEMRush - All-in-one Marketing Toolkit for digital marketing professionals.

DemandSphere - DemandSphere is an advanced-level software that helps marketers to create the best digital appearances of their brands.

Moz - Backed by industry-leading data and the largest community of SEOs on the planet, Moz builds tools that make inbound marketing easy.

Searchmetrics Suite - SEO Software

Serpstat - Serpstat is the Swiss army knife for automating SEO processes. With a suite of powerful modules, you can track your performance, analyze your competitors, research keywords and backlinks, audit your website, and so much more.

Direction Local - Quickly Boost Your Local Search Rankings