Ahrefs vs DataForSEO Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Ahrefs | DataForSEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $129/mo | Custom |
| Number of plans | 4 | 0 |
| Free plan | — | |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Pricing model | hybrid | N/A |
Lite
- 5 projects
- 6 months of historical data
- 750 tracked keywords
- 5 tracked AI prompts
- 100,000 crawl credits
- API and MCP access
- 1,000 credits per user
- 1 user included
- Add 2 more users at $40/mo each
- Dashboard
- Site Explorer
- Keywords Explorer
- Brand Radar
- Tracked AI prompts
- Site Audit
- Always-on audit
- Rank Tracker
- Competitive Analysis
- SERP history
- Page Inspect
- Web Analytics
- API access
- MCP Server
- Report Builder
- Social Media Manager (Beta)
- GBP Monitor (Beta)
Standard
- 20 projects
- 2 years of historical data
- 2,000 tracked keywords
- 10 tracked AI prompts
- 500,000 crawl credits
- API and MCP access
- Unlimited credits per user
- 1 user included
- Add 5 more users at $60/mo each
- Portfolios
- Content Explorer
- Batch Analysis
- SERP comparison
- Brand Radar
- Web visibility
- Site structure
- Broken backlinks
- Broken links
- Outgoing links
- Calendar view
- Linking authors
- AI suggestions
- Keyword clusters
- Search intents
- Translations
- SERP updates
- Site structure
Advanced
- 50 projects
- 5 years of historical data
- 5,000 tracked keywords
- 20 tracked AI prompts
- 1,500,000 crawl credits
- API and MCP access
- Unlimited credits per user
- 1 user included
- Add 10 more users at $80/mo each
- Looker Studio integration
- Search type distribution
- Agency directory listing
- Segmentation (Soon)
- HTTP authentication
Enterprise
- Uncapped API access
- SSO & enterprise-grade security
- Access management & audit log
- Unlimited historical data
- Forecasting & trends
Ahrefs vs DataForSEO FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Ahrefs has a free plan. DataForSEO doesn't — you'll need to pay from day one.
- How do they charge?
- Check each product's pricing page for the latest details on how billing works.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Ahrefs: Ahrefs sits firmly in premium territory compared to scrappier SEO tools, but it's priced below Semrush at the equivalent tiers, so it's playing the 'slightly cheaper premium' card rather than undercutting on cost. They're chasing serious SEO teams and agencies who already know the category, not budget-conscious beginners.
Still deciding? See the best Ahrefs alternatives or the best DataForSEO alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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