Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ahrefs VS SimilarWeb

Compare Ahrefs VS SimilarWeb 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!

SimilarWeb logo SimilarWeb

SimilarWeb.com is a website analysis tool that gives you analytics information for any website.
  • 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.

  • SimilarWeb Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-04

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.

SimilarWeb features and specs

  • Comprehensive Data
    SimilarWeb offers a wide range of data metrics, including traffic sources, user demographics, and engagement metrics, providing a holistic view of a website's performance.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform is designed with a user-friendly interface that allows even non-experts to navigate and understand complex metrics and data visualizations easily.
  • Competitor Analysis
    SimilarWeb allows users to conduct in-depth competitor analysis, providing insights into competitorsโ€™ traffic sources, audience behavior, and market position.
  • Industry Benchmarking
    Users can benchmark their website against industry standards, helping them understand their position in the market and identify areas for improvement.
  • Custom Reports
    The platform allows users to create custom reports tailored to their specific needs, making it easier to focus on relevant data and make informed decisions.
  • Industry Benchmarks
    The platform provides industry benchmarks, allowing businesses to compare their performance against industry standards and gain insights into market positioning.
  • Customization and Filtering
    The platform allows for custom reporting and filtering, enabling users to tailor data and insights to their specific needs and preferences.
  • Multiple Data Sources
    Data is aggregated from various sources, including direct measurement data, panel data, and inferred data, providing a more accurate and reliable overview.

Possible disadvantages of SimilarWeb

  • Cost
    SimilarWeb can be expensive, particularly for small businesses or individual users, as the more advanced features and detailed data reports are available only in the premium plans.
  • Data Accuracy
    While SimilarWeb provides extensive data, some users have reported discrepancies between SimilarWeb's data and their internal analytics, raising questions about data accuracy.
  • Limited Historical Data
    The platform offers a limited historical data range unless you subscribe to higher-tier plans, which might be restrictive for users needing longitudinal analysis.
  • Heavy Reliance on Estimations
    SimilarWeb's data estimates might sometimes lack precision because they rely heavily on a mix of data sources and machine learning algorithms, which can result in variability.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite a user-friendly interface, the platform's extensive range of features and metrics can still pose a learning curve for new users, requiring time and effort to fully leverage its capabilities.
  • Dependency on External Data
    The platform's effectiveness largely depends on the quality of the external data sources it aggregates, which can sometimes lead to outdated or incomplete insights.

Analysis of SimilarWeb

Overall verdict

  • SimilarWeb is considered a valuable tool for professionals and businesses seeking detailed insights into web traffic and competitive strategies. Its robust analytics and ease of use make it a popular choice among marketers, SEO experts, and business strategists. However, it can be quite expensive, so it may be best suited for medium to large businesses that can justify the investment.

Why this product is good

  • SimilarWeb is a well-regarded digital intelligence platform that provides insights into website traffic, user behavior, and competitive analytics. It is favored for its comprehensive data on website performance and industry benchmarks, helping businesses make informed decisions about digital marketing, SEO, and competitor analysis. The platform offers a wide range of features, including traffic sources, audience demographics, and keyword analysis, which helps businesses understand their position in the market and optimize their online strategies.

Recommended for

  • digital marketers looking to analyze web traffic and develop effective strategies
  • SEO professionals who require detailed keyword analysis and competitive insights
  • business strategists needing a comprehensive view of market trends and competitor performance
  • content creators needing to understand audience demographics and traffic sources

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]

SimilarWeb videos

SimilarWeb Pro Review: SimilarWeb Review

More videos:

  • Review - SimilarWeb review
  • Review - Similarweb.com: Awesome Tool to Spy on Your Competitors
  • Review - Comparing Between SimilarWeb.com and SimilarWeb PRO

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ahrefs and SimilarWeb)
SEO Tools
87 87%
13% 13
SEO
87 87%
13% 13
Content Marketing
100 100%
0% 0
Business Intelligence
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Ahrefs and SimilarWeb. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

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

Ahrefs Reviews

  1. Cyra Brown
    ยท Owner at Beginu ยท
    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.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: SEMRush

The 16 Best Moz Alternatives for Every Budgetย 
Unlike competitors, Ahrefs doesnโ€™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 competitorsโ€™ backlink strategies. Its user-friendly interface and accurate data make it a favorite among SEO professionals.

SimilarWeb Reviews

10 Best Serpstat Alternatives in 2024
Similarweb is the third Best Serpstat Alternative and it is a platform of an marketing intelligence which is an software development and data aggregation American company. It is a specialized platform in web analytics, web traffic and performance. It helps the companies to better understand their audience and their competitors.
Free SEO Tools To Improve Your Rankings
SimilarWeb - Get website or app insights like traffic overview and sources, SEO rankings, competitors info and more...
The 21 Best Ahrefs Alternatives (Free and Paid)
โ€‹SimilarWeb is another market intelligence tool that can help you identify and capitalize on the right trends at the right time to stay ahead of the competition. The utility can help you discover great SEO strategies from around the market and use them to improve your rankings.
Source: enticehq.com
8 Best SimilarWeb Alternatives (2019 UPDATE): Add These to Your Digital Tool Kit
But while SimilarWeb offers rich insights, it is not perfect. Maybe you are a small company and want to keep costs lower than SimilarWeb Pro pricing agrees to. And perhaps SimilarWeb is not the optimal intelligence tool for the specific nature of your business.
Best Similarweb Alternatives in 2019 to Spy on your Competitors
Guys, I am talking about Similarweb Tools. With Similarweb, you can easily track the traffic on your own websites and even othersโ€™. Finding out or revealing your competitorโ€™s business analytics is not an obstacle anymore.
Source: affnext.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ahrefs should be more popular than SimilarWeb. It has been mentiond 121 times since March 2021. 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 (121)

  • Domain Rating vs Domain Authority: What's the Difference? (2025 Guide)
    Domain Rating is a proprietary metric developed by Ahrefs that measures the strength of your website's backlink profile. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • AI-Generated Content That Ranks: Anatomy of a Page That Works
    Iโ€™ve manually reviewed dozens of these winners using Ahrefs, SERP screenshots, and side-by-side structure comparisons. And patterns started to emerge โ€” repeatable markers of content that works, even if it was AI-assisted. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Generating Content with ChatGPT
    Iโ€™ve been using the most excellent ARefs site to get information about how good the on-page SEO is for many of my sites. Every couple of weeks, ARefs crawls the site and will give me a list of suggestions of things I can improve. And for a long time, I had been putting off dealing with one of the biggest issues โ€“ because it seemed so difficult. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • How We Marketed a Niche SaaS Product with Zero Budget: 9 Strategies That Actually Worked
    Pro tip: Use Ahrefs or Ubersuggest to find long-tail gold. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Ask HN: How to Get Good at SEO?
    I recently "launched" my product by mentioning it across Twitter and Discord which led some traffic to it. However, that is not a long-term strategy. I have heard about Ahrefs: https://ahrefs.com/, but I don't want to spend $129 right now since I'm not sure whether the ROI on it would be worth it. Are there any strategies or tips you might be able to share? - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
View more

SimilarWeb mentions (34)

  • A list of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings that have free tiers of interest to devops and infradev
    Similar Web โ€” Analytics for Web & Mobile Apps. Free Plan offers five results per metric, one month of mobile app data & 3 months of website data. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • This is a joke
    According to similarweb.com US users account for 47% of all users... Source: over 2 years ago
  • A post-mortem on Pixlr save limit
    First of all, being a post-mortem, I have confirmed that this was at least one way a massive failure. Once I along with everyone else, got over the heat and frustration of the moment, being a technically minded and data driven person, my mind immediately went to the SEO/Market Research fields, and specifically, website performance. Once reaserching signed up for a free trial on SimilarWeb, a market research... Source: over 2 years ago
  • selling gym page crazy cheap 42k followers 250$ DM
    It is a marketplace for those who wants to sell and buy Instagram accounts. It is legit I saw so many escrows on this platform. I found it via reddit. So many people looks as if gave positive feedback than I checked their ranks on similarweb.com it was good. Source: over 2 years ago
  • 3 steps to develop your online Marketing & Traffic aquisition strategy
    Step2: go to similarweb.com and enter the site/domains of your top competitors. Scroll down and see where their traffic is coming from, including References, SEO/Google Search and Social Networks (with break down). Summarize the results from your competitors search results and define key channels for traffic aquisition. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

SE Ranking - All-in-One cloud-based SEO software for agencies, marketing teams and webmasters

Google Analytics - Improve your website to increase conversions, improve the user experience, and make more money using Google Analytics. Measure, understand and quantify engagement on your site with customized and in-depth reports.

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.

Site Rank Data - View historical rank information of websites via time series charts.