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SEO Software

Moz Pro vs Ahrefs: Which SEO Tool Fits Your Business in 2026?

Ahrefs is best known for its backlink index and site-explorer depth. Moz Pro costs less at entry and now bundles AI-visibility tracking into every tier, which Ahrefs does not offer as a dedicated feature.

By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Moz Pro logoStarter $49/mo (single site, 1 seat)

Moz Pro

VS
Ahrefs logoFrom $29/mo (Starter); full toolset from $129/mo (Lite)

Ahrefs

Run the cost calculator Compare pricing tiers
Moz Pro vs AhrefsVerified Sep 23, 2026
Bill Belcamino
Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: Is Ahrefs worth the extra money over Moz Pro?

Only if link research is your main job, because the $29 Ahrefs Starter has no rank tracking and the full toolset starts at $129/mo on Lite, against $49/mo for Moz Pro Starter.

Moz includes rank tracking and AI-visibility tracking from Starter, though that plan covers 1 site and 1 seat, while Ahrefs adds extra users at $40 to $80/mo depending on tier. I've paid for Ahrefs, and the thing to remember is that every tool's authority score and link count comes from its own crawler. Those numbers aren't Google's, and they won't match each other. So judge the index on a site you know: pull your own linking domains from Google Search Console, then check how many of them each tool actually finds during the trial and the free tier. If Moz sees most of the links you care about, the bigger index isn't worth the gap.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on September 23, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

Verified data

Moz Pro vs Ahrefs: quick facts

At a glanceMoz ProAhrefs
CategorySEO Software
Entry priceStarter $49/mo (single site, 1 seat)From $29/mo (Starter); full toolset from $129/mo (Lite)
Free planNo free plan — trial offeredAhrefs Free — limited Site Explorer & Site Audit for sites you own

Is Moz Pro cheaper than Ahrefs?

It depends which Ahrefs tier you compare. Ahrefs Starter at $29 is cheaper than Moz’s $49 Starter, but Starter is a limited plan; Ahrefs’ full-featured Lite plan (rank tracking, content tools) is $129, well above Moz’s $49.

Verified data

Moz Pro vs Ahrefs at a glance

CategoryMoz ProAhrefs
Entry priceStarter $49/mo (1 site, 1 seat)Starter $29/mo (limited); Lite $129/mo (full toolset)
Pricing basisPer account; extra sites/seats add-onPer account; extra users $40–$80/mo depending on tier
Backlink indexIncludedWidely regarded as one of the largest in the category
Rank tracking (entry)Included at StarterNot included on Starter; included from Lite ($129)
AI/GEO visibility trackingBundled in every tierNot a dedicated feature
Content research toolsLimitedContent Explorer included from Lite
G2 rating4.3/5 (608 reviews)Not recorded on this site
Free tierNoAhrefs Free (limited, for sites you own)

Verified September 23, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources

Prices in USD from moz.com/pricing and ahrefs.com/pricing, both checked September 23, 2026. All three are priced per account, not per seat, with a fixed number of seats bundled into each plan and extra seats billed separately (rather than multiplied per person the way a per-seat tool would be).

Editorial assessment

How they actually differ

Both are respected SEO platforms, but the comparison depends heavily on which Ahrefs tier you’re actually looking at, since its cheapest published plan is deliberately limited.

Ahrefs’ two starting points

Ahrefs Starter ($29) is positioned as an entry-level plan without rank tracking; Ahrefs Lite ($129) is what most reviewers mean by “the full Ahrefs toolset,” with rank tracking and Content Explorer included. Moz Pro’s $49 Starter includes rank tracking from the start, at a single price point rather than two tiers.

Backlink depth vs AI tracking

Ahrefs’ backlink index and Site Explorer are widely cited as best-in-class for link research. Moz Pro’s differentiator is bundling AI Overview and LLM-prompt tracking (ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Perplexity) into every tier — not a feature Ahrefs offers as its own product.

Moving between them

None of the three imports another’s project history, keyword rank tracking or backlink index — rank tracking in particular needs weeks to rebuild a comparable trend line, since each tool only has history from the day you started tracking with it.

Editorial assessment

Pros & cons

Moz Pro

Pros

  • Rank tracking included at the entry $49 tier
  • AI-visibility tracking bundled at every tier
  • Single pricing tier, no “which plan actually has the feature” confusion
  • Strong G2 rating (4.3/5, 608 reviews)

Cons

  • Backlink index generally considered smaller than Ahrefs
  • No free tier
  • Content-research tools thinner than Ahrefs Lite+
  • Fewer sites/seats at entry

Ahrefs

Pros

  • Backlink index and Site Explorer widely regarded as best-in-class
  • A free tier for sites you own
  • Content Explorer included from Lite
  • Cheaper entry price at the limited Starter tier ($29)

Cons

  • Rank tracking not included at Starter, only from Lite ($129)
  • Full toolset costs more than Moz at $129 vs $49
  • No dedicated AI/GEO visibility tracking
  • Two pricing tiers can be confusing when comparing “entry price”
Verified data

Cost calculator: what does your team actually pay?

Moz Pro

 
$0/mo

Ahrefs

 
$0/mo
 

List prices checked September 23, 2026. Both are priced per account with a fixed seat allowance per tier; Ahrefs adds extra users at $40–$80/mo depending on tier. Ahrefs Starter ($29) does not include rank tracking. Promotions and taxes are not included.

Choose Moz Pro if…

You want rank tracking and AI-visibility monitoring at a single, predictable entry price without a limited “Starter” tier.

Choose Ahrefs if…

You need the deepest backlink index and content-research tools, and are comparing against Ahrefs Lite ($129) rather than its limited Starter plan.

Total cost over time

Uses your selections above. Estimate excludes add-ons, overages, and negotiated discounts.

Ready to pick your SEO tool?

Ahrefs offers a limited free tier; Moz Pro offers a trial. Check your own site’s backlink count in both before deciding how much the index-depth difference actually matters for you.

See Moz Pro pricing See Ahrefs pricing
Verified data

Moz Pro vs Ahrefs: security, offline & remote work

How Moz Pro and Ahrefs compare on compliance reports, sign-in controls, offline access and the setup details that matter for remote, hybrid and in-office teams. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checkedMoz ProAhrefs
Security & compliance
SOC 2 reportNot publishedNot published
ISO/IEC 27001Not publishedNot published
HIPAA (BAA)Not publishedNot published
GDPR data processing agreementNot publishedDPA offeredsource
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Not publishedYesEnterprisesource
SCIM user provisioningNot publishedYessource
Two-factor authenticationNot publishedYesEnforcement: Workspace owner/admin setting (plan not stated)source
Admin audit logNot publishedNot published
Data residency choicesNot publishedNot published
EncryptionNot publishedEncrypted at rest (AWS RDS) and in transit (TLS)source
Self-hosting optionNot publishedNot published
Offline access
Offline modeNot documentedNot documented
Desktop appsNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsNot publishedNot published
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlistingNot publishedNot published
Device & session controlsNot publishedNot published
Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

  • Audit reports: we found no SOC 2 or ISO/IEC 27001 statement on either vendor’s site. For regulated or enterprise buyers, request security documentation before committing.
  • Single sign-on: Ahrefs includes it on Enterprise. Moz Pro doesn’t document single sign-on with your own identity provider. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the plan that includes SSO, not the entry plan.
  • Working offline: Moz Pro and Ahrefs don’t document an offline mode. Details are in the Offline mode row above.

Moz Pro: worth knowing

  • SecurityMoz's privacy policy says transfers of personal data out of the EEA to countries without an adequacy decision rely on standard contractual clauses. source

Ahrefs: worth knowing

  • SecurityAhrefs says SOC 2 certification is in progress and not yet complete. source
  • SecuritySAML SSO is Enterprise-only; Lite, Standard and Advanced plans do not include it. source
  • SecurityAdmins can make SAML the only login method, but owners and admins keep email/password access as a fail-safe. source
  • SecurityWhen 2FA is enforced, members without it are signed out until they set it up, and new invitees must set it up before joining. source

Checked September 24, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ahrefs cheaper than Moz Pro?

Its Starter tier is ($29 vs $49), but Starter lacks rank tracking. Ahrefs’ full toolset (Lite, $129) costs more than Moz Pro’s single $49 tier, which includes rank tracking. Prices checked September 23, 2026.

Does Moz Pro track AI Overviews and LLM visibility?

Yes, bundled into every tier. Ahrefs does not offer this as a dedicated feature.

Which has the bigger backlink index?

Ahrefs is widely regarded as having one of the largest and most current backlink indexes in the category.

Does Ahrefs have a free plan?

Yes, Ahrefs Free offers limited Site Explorer and Site Audit access for sites you own. Moz Pro has no free tier.

Migration Guides

Already decided? Here’s how to actually switch.

Step-by-step migration guides covering what transfers automatically, what doesn’t, and how to handle the gap — in both directions.

Switching from Moz Pro to Ahrefs Switching from Ahrefs to Moz Pro
Editorial assessment

When to Buy — and When to Walk Away

Every “best SEO tool” listicle tells you why to buy. Here’s the other half: the specific conditions under which Moz Pro or Ahrefs is the wrong purchase for your team.

Moz Pro

Buy Moz Pro if:

  • You want rank tracking included at your entry price
  • AI/GEO visibility tracking matters to you
  • You want one clear pricing tier, not a limited starter plan

Do NOT buy Moz Pro if:

  • Backlink-index depth is your top priority
  • You want a free tier to start
  • You need deep content-research tools

Ahrefs

Buy Ahrefs if:

  • You need the deepest backlink and link-research data
  • You want a free tier for your own sites
  • You’re comparing against Ahrefs Lite, not Starter

Do NOT buy Ahrefs if:

  • You want rank tracking at the cheapest published price
  • You want AI/GEO visibility tracking built in
  • You want a single pricing tier without feature gaps

Canonical data for the tools on this page

Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

Moz ProPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›AhrefsPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
Moz Pro vs SemrushHead-to-head comparisonSemrush vs AhrefsHead-to-head comparison

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

Cite this page: HelpCompare, “Moz Pro vs Ahrefs”, helpcompare.com/moz-vs-ahrefs/ (updated ).

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check . How sources are checked.

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01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.133 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.264 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent eight and a half years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 23, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

Read Bill’s story How we verify pricingSpot an error? Tell Bill