Ahrefs has long been a titan in the SEO world, renowned for its comprehensive backlink analysis capabilities. Its Site Explorer tool offers a vast backlink index, an intuitive interface, and a wealth of data that SEO professionals and marketers have come to rely on.
However, as we navigate 2025, the digital landscape continues to evolve, and so do the needs and preferences of users. Whether it’s budget constraints, a desire for a different feature set, a specific data focus, or simply a preference for a different user experience, many seek powerful Ahrefs alternatives for their backlink analysis needs.
If you’re looking to explore options beyond Ahrefs without compromising on the quality of your backlink insights, you’re in the right place.
This in-depth guide will explore the top Ahrefs alternatives for backlink analysis in 2025, helping you make an informed decision.
Why Look for an Ahrefs Alternative for Backlink Analysis?
While Ahrefs offers a robust suite, reasons for seeking alternatives often include:
- Cost: Ahrefs is a premium tool, and its pricing can be a significant factor, especially for freelancers, startups, or smaller agencies.
- Specific Feature Focus: Some tools might excel in niche areas of backlink analysis, like link auditing, toxicity scores, or historical data, which might be more aligned with specific needs.
- All-in-One vs. Specialized Tools: Users might prefer an alternative that is part of a broader SEO suite they already use or, conversely, a more specialized tool focused solely on backlinks.
- User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX): Preference for UI and UX is subjective, and some users may find other platforms more intuitive for their workflow.
- Data Interpretation and Metrics: Different SEO tools have proprietary metrics (e.g., Moz’s Domain Authority, Majestic’s Trust Flow) that users might prefer or find more useful for their reporting.
- API Access and Limits: For users with heavy data needs, API limits and costs can be a deciding factor.
Top Ahrefs Alternatives for Backlink Analysis
Here are some of the leading contenders offering strong backlink analysis features that can serve as viable Ahrefs alternatives:
1. RanksPro: Best Alternative for Backlink Analysis
When it comes to understanding your website’s SEO performance, backlinks play a pivotal role. They don’t just help improve rankings—they also shape your site’s authority, credibility, and trust in the eyes of search engines.
While there are plenty of backlink analysis tools on the market, RanksPro stands out as a powerful, user-friendly, and affordable alternative that caters to both SEO professionals and growing businesses alike.
Here’s what makes it shine:
Key Features of RanksPro’s Backlink Analysis Tool
- Comprehensive Backlink Overview
Get a full snapshot of all backlinks pointing to your domain or specific pages, including source URLs, target pages, link types, and more.
- DoFollow vs. NoFollow Breakdown
Clearly see how many links are passing SEO value (DoFollow) vs. informational links (NoFollow).
- Anchor Text Analysis
Evaluate the exact anchor text distribution to ensure you’re avoiding over-optimization and aligning with best SEO practices.
- Link Quality Metrics
Instantly assess the authority of linking domains with in-built quality scores and spam indicators to identify harmful or low-value links.
- Lost & New Backlink Tracking
Monitor backlinks gained or lost over time to understand content performance and backlink stability.
Pros:
- Historical data access
- Easy CSV exports
- Integrated white label reporting
Cons:
- Growing and upgrading more SEO tools and features
Best for:
- SEO professionals, agencies, business owners and marketers, and Competitor analysts who need to benchmark link-building strategies effectively.
Pricing: The basic plan starts from $19/month, and can go up to $99/month for ultimate users.
2. Semrush
Often pitted directly against Ahrefs, Semrush is a comprehensive SEO suite with powerful backlink analysis tools.
Semrush offers a vast backlink database and a suite of interconnected tools for a holistic approach to link building and analysis. Its strength lies in its all-in-one platform capabilities. It boasts a massive and frequently updated backlink index, making it highly competitive with Ahrefs.
Key Backlink Analysis Features:
- Backlink Analytics: Provides a detailed overview of any domain’s backlink profile, including referring domains, anchor text, link attributes, and TLD distribution. It features an “Authority Score” for domains.
- Backlink Audit Tool: One of Semrush’s standout features. It analyzes your link profile for toxicity, helps identify potentially harmful links, and integrates with Google’s Disavow tool.
- Link Building Tool: Helps find and qualify link prospects and manage outreach campaigns.
- Backlink Gap: Easily compare your backlink profile with up to four competitors to find untapped link opportunities.
- Competitor Backlink Insights: Robust competitor analysis, allowing you to dissect their link strategies.
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for Backlinks: The deep integration of backlink data with other SEO tools (keyword research, site audit, content marketing) within a single platform, plus its highly acclaimed Backlink Audit tool.
Pros:
- All-in-one SEO platform
- Extensive backlink database
- Excellent link audit and prospecting tools
- User-friendly interface
Cons:
- Can be expensive
- Similar to Ahrefs
- Raw backlink index might be slightly larger or fresher in certain niches
Pricing Tier Overview: Semrush offers tiered pricing, typically starting around $129.95/month for its “Pro” plan, with “Guru” and “Business” plans at higher price points, comparable to Ahrefs.
Best For: SEO professionals, agencies, and businesses looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one SEO suite with strong backlink analysis and auditing capabilities.
3. Moz Pro
A long-standing name in the SEO industry, Moz Pro offers a suite of tools, with its Link Explorer being a key component for backlink analysis.
Moz is well-known for its proprietary metrics like Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA), which are widely used in the industry. Its strength lies in these established authority metrics and its user-friendly approach.
Moz has a substantial link index, though historically, some users found it less comprehensive than Ahrefs or Semrush. However, Moz continues to invest in expanding and refreshing its index.
Key Backlink Analysis Features:
- Link Explorer: Analyze your site’s link profile or competitors’, view metrics like DA, PA, Spam Score, referring domains, inbound links, anchor text, and top pages.
- Compare Link Profiles (Link Intersect): Identify sites linking to your competitors but not to you.
- Spam Score: Helps identify potentially risky inbound links.
- Link Tracking Lists: Monitor specific link-building campaigns.
- Competitor Backlink Insights: Good for high-level competitor comparisons using DA and identifying link opportunities.
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for Backlinks: It’s widely adopted Domain Authority and Page Authority metrics, and a focus on link quality through Spam Score.
Pros:
- Established authority metrics (DA/PA)
- User-friendly interface
- Good for identifying link quality and spammy links
Cons:
- The link index may not be as extensive or as frequently updated as Ahrefs or Semrush in all cases.
- Some advanced features might be less robust.
Pricing: Moz Pro plans typically start around $99/month for the “Standard” plan, with other tiers offering more features and higher limits. This can be more accessible than Ahrefs for some users.
Best For: SEOs who rely on DA/PA metrics, businesses looking for a solid all-around SEO tool with good link analysis features, and those who appreciate a clean interface.
4. Majestic SEO
Majestic SEO is a highly specialized backlink intelligence tool, focusing almost exclusively on link data. It’s core strength is its deep focus on backlinks, with unique proprietary metrics like Trust Flow (TF) and Citation Flow (CF). It offers both a Fresh Index and a Historic Index.
Majestic maintains a very large backlink index, particularly its Historic Index, which can provide a long-term view of a site’s link profile.
Key Backlink Analysis Features:
- Site Explorer: Provides a comprehensive overview of a domain’s backlink profile, including TF, CF, referring domains, anchor text, and backlink history.
- Trust Flow & Citation Flow: Metrics that assess the quality and quantity of links, respectively. The TF/CF ratio is often used to gauge link profile health.
- Fresh Index & Historic Index: Allows users to see recent links versus a long-term history.
- Link Context: Provides information about the position and surrounding text of a link on the linking page.
- Bulk Backlink Checker: Analyze multiple domains at once.
Pros:
- Highly specialized in backlinks
- Unique quality metrics (TF/CF)
- Large historical index
- Good for in-depth link quality assessment
Cons:
- The interface can feel dated to some users compared to Ahrefs or Semrush.
- It’s less of an all-in-one SEO tool.
Pricing: Majestic typically starts with a “Lite” plan around $49.99/month, making it more affordable than Ahrefs for users primarily needing backlink data. “Pro” and “API” plans are also available.
Best for: SEO specialists, link builders, and agencies who need deep, specialized backlink intelligence and value metrics like Trust Flow and Citation Flow.
5. SE Ranking
SE Ranking is an all-in-one SEO platform that has significantly enhanced its backlink analysis capabilities, offering a cost-effective alternative. It provides a comprehensive suite of SEO tools, including a robust backlink checker and monitor, at a very competitive price point.
SE Ranking has been steadily growing its backlink index and offers reliable data for analysis.
Key Backlink Analysis Features:
- Backlink Checker: Analyze any website’s backlink profile, view active, new, and lost backlinks, referring domains, anchor text, dofollow/nofollow ratio, and Domain Trust (DT) / Page Trust (PT) scores.
- Backlink Gap Analyzer: Identify domains linking to competitors but not to you.
- Backlink Monitoring: Track your most important backlinks and get notified if they are removed or changed.
- Disavow File Generation: Helps create a disavow file based on your analysis.
- Competitor Backlink Insights: Good tools for comparing profiles and finding link gaps.
Pros:
- Cost-effective
- Comprehensive SEO suite
- Strong backlink checking and monitoring features
- User-friendly interface.
Cons:
- Backlink index might not be as vast as Ahrefs or Semrush in every niche, though it’s continuously improving.
Pricing: SE Ranking is known for its flexible and affordable pricing, often starting around $55/month, with pricing based on keyword tracking frequency and features. This makes it significantly more accessible than Ahrefs for many.
Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses, freelancers, and agencies looking for a powerful yet affordable all-in-one SEO solution with solid backlink analysis capabilities.
6. Ubersuggest
Developed by Neil Patel, Ubersuggest aims to provide robust SEO tools, including backlink analysis, at a very accessible price point, even offering a free tier. It focuses on simplicity and affordability, making SEO data, including backlinks, accessible to a wider audience.
While constantly improving, its backlink index is generally considered smaller than the industry giants like Ahrefs or Semrush.
Key Backlink Analysis Features:
- Backlinks Overview: Shows a domain’s authority score, referring domains, new and lost links, and a list of backlinks with anchor text and source/target URLs.
- Competitor Analysis: Allows basic comparison of backlink profiles.
- Content Ideas (based on top-linked pages): Can provide insights into linkable content.
- Competitor Backlink Insights: Basic functionality to see the top pages of competitors by links and their referring domains.
Pros:
- Very affordable (with a useful free version)
- Easy to use
- Good for a basic backlink overview
- Competitor insights
Cons:
- Smaller backlink index compared to Ahrefs
- Fewer advanced filtering and analysis options
- Data might not be as fresh.
Pricing: Ubersuggest offers a limited free plan. Paid plans are very competitive, often starting around $29/month or offering lifetime deals, making it one of the most budget-friendly options.
Best for: Beginners, bloggers, solopreneurs, and small businesses on a tight budget who need basic backlink analysis and competitor insights.
7. Mangools LinkMiner
LinkMiner is part of the Mangools suite of SEO tools, known for its excellent UI and focus on ease of use. It specializes in making backlink analysis straightforward and visually appealing, focusing on actionable insights without overwhelming the user.
Mangools leverages Majestic’s API for its backlink data, providing access to a reliable and extensive dataset including Trust Flow and Citation Flow.
Key Backlink Analysis Features:
- Backlink Analysis: View backlinks with metrics like Citation Flow, Trust Flow, anchor text, and link strength.
- Embedded Website Preview: Allows you to preview the linking page directly within the tool, which is great for quickly assessing link context and quality.
- Link Strength Metric: A proprietary metric to help evaluate the power of a backlink.
- Filtering and Favorites: Easy-to-use filters and the ability to save favorite links.
- Competitor Backlink Insights: Effective for quickly checking competitor backlinks and their quality using Majestic’s data.
Pros:
- User-friendly and intuitive UI
- Utilizes Majestic’s robust backlink data
- The website preview feature is very handy
- Good value as part of the Mangools suite
Cons:
- Relies on a third-party index (Majestic)
- Might lack some of the very advanced analytical features of Ahrefs or Semrush.
Pricing: Mangools offers bundled pricing for its suite of five tools (including KWFinder, SERPChecker, etc.), typically starting around $29.90/month (billed annually), providing excellent value.
Best for: Bloggers, affiliate marketers, and SMBs who prioritize ease of use, a great UI, and value for money, while still getting reliable backlink data.
8. CognitiveSEO
CognitiveSEO is a more advanced SEO toolset that offers in-depth backlink analysis and is particularly strong in identifying unnatural links and performing link audits.
Key Backlink Analysis Features:
- In-depth Backlink Analysis: Comprehensive data on referring domains, anchor text, link velocity, authority, etc.
- Unnatural Link Detection: A standout feature that uses AI to identify potentially harmful or unnatural links that could lead to penalties.
- Link Audit & Disavow Tool: Streamlines the process of auditing links and creating disavow files.
- Competitor Analysis: Deep insights into competitor link strategies.
Pros:
- Excellent for detailed link audits and unnatural link detection.
- Provides very granular data and advanced filtering options.
- Visual reports are helpful.
Cons:
- Can be more expensive, with plans starting around $129/month.
- The sheer amount of data can be overwhelming for beginners.
Pricing: Starts at $129/month.
Best for: SEO agencies and experienced professionals who need to perform deep-dive link audits, manage link penalties, or conduct sophisticated competitor backlink research.
9. SEO PowerSuite (LinkAssistant)
SEO PowerSuite is a desktop-based suite of four tools, with LinkAssistant being its dedicated module for link building and analysis.
Key Backlink Analysis Features (within LinkAssistant):
- Find Link Prospects: Multiple methods for discovering link opportunities (guest posting, directories, competitors, etc.).
- Backlink Profile Analysis: Analyze your own or competitors’ backlinks using data from its index and integrations.
- Link Quality Assessment: Evaluate link quality based on various factors.
- Outreach Management: Built-in tools for managing link-building outreach.
Pros:
- Desktop software, which some users prefer (pay once for a license, or subscribe for updates/data).
- Offers a generous free version with some limitations.
- Comprehensive link prospecting features.
- Allows unlimited projects, keywords, and backlink checks (within reasonable usage for the paid version).
Cons:
- Being desktop-based can be a limitation for collaboration or accessing from multiple devices if not set up for it.
- The interface might feel less modern compared to cloud-based SaaS tools.
- Data speed and depth might sometimes lag behind top-tier cloud tools.
Pricing: Offers a free version. Paid licenses start around $299/year for the Professional version.
Best for: Users who prefer desktop software, need extensive link prospecting features, or are looking for a one-time payment option (though ongoing data updates often require a subscription).
10. Linkody
Linkody is an intuitive not to mention powerful backlink tracking tool that was created for SEOs, marketers and agencies that require budget-friendly backlink profiles management. This service is focused on automating any backlink monitoring including notifying you when any backlinks are gained, lost or removed.
The service offers detailed information on each backlink along with key stats including Moz Domain Authority, Spam Score, anchor text, etc. with a clean interface that makes it easy for users to navigate.
Key Features:
- Automatic Backlink Monitoring: Daily updates keep you informed about the status of your backlinks.
- Comprehensive Link Metrics: View DA, Spam Score, anchor text, and link type in one place.
- Disavow File Generator: Easily create disavow files to help clean up toxic backlinks.
- Competitor Link Tracking: Track how your competitors are building their backlink profiles.
Pros:
- Very budget-friendly, ideal for freelancers and small teams.
- Automated email alerts provide real-time updates.
- Simple, beginner-friendly dashboard with team access.
- Great for routine link monitoring and reporting.
Cons:
- Smaller backlink database compared to premium SEO tools.
- Limited in-depth competitor analysis features.
Pricing: Plans start at just $14.90/month.
Conclusion: Finding Your Perfect Backlink Analysis Companion
Ahrefs remains a formidable player in the SEO tool market, especially for backlink analysis. However, the landscape in 2025 offers a wealth of powerful alternatives, each with its unique strengths, focuses, and price points.
Whether you opt for an all-in-one giant like Semrush, a specialized expert like Majestic, or a budget-friendly yet capable option like SE Ranking or Mangools, the key is to align the tool’s capabilities with your specific backlink analysis goals and overall SEO strategy.
Many of these tools offer free trials or limited free versions. Take advantage of them, test out their backlink features, and see which one feels like the right fit to help you build a stronger, healthier backlink profile and ultimately, improve your search engine rankings.
