I Tested Ahrefs for 90 Days — My Honest 2026 Verdict

Is Ahrefs Worth It?

★★★★★ 4.1/5

Quick Verdict: Ahrefs is one of the best SEO tools for backlink analysis and keyword research. Its backlink database is massive. The keyword data is accurate. But it costs $108/month to start. And there’s no free trial. If you’re serious about search engine optimization, Ahrefs is worth every penny.

✅ Best For:

SEO professionals and agencies who need accurate backlink data, keyword research tools, and rangschikking volgen for multiple sites.

❌ Skip If:

You’re a beginner on a tight budget. Ahrefs has no free trial. And the credit system on cheaper plans can feel limiting.

📊 Backlink Database	Trillions of links	🎯 Best For	SEO pros & agencies
💰 Price	$108/maand	✅ Top Feature	Siteverkenner
🎁 Free Trial	Geen gratis proefperiode	⚠️ Limitation	Kredietgebaseerd systeem

How I Tested Ahrefs

Struggling to get your site to rank on search engines?

You’ve tried everything. You write content. You build links. But organic search traffic barely moves.

You need an SEO tool that actually shows you what’s working.

Enter Ahrefs.

In this Ahrefs review, I’ll show you exactly how it performed after 90 days of real use. You’ll see the features, pricing, pros, cons, and whether it’s right for your SEO strategy.

Ahrefs

Stop guessing what works in SEO. Ahrefs gives you the backlink data, keyword research, and rank tracking tools used by top SEO professionals worldwide. Trusted by brands like Shopify, eBay, and LinkedIn.

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Wat is Ahrefs?

Ahrefs is an all-in-one search engine optimization platform. It helps you grow your organic search traffic.

Think of it like a GPS for your website. It shows you where you are. It shows you where your competitors are. And it maps the fastest route to page one.

Here’s the simple version:

Ahrefs crawls the entire web. It stores trillions of backlinks and billions of keywords. Then it gives you that SEO data in a clean, easy dashboard.

You can use it for keyword research, backlink analysis, site audits, rank tracking, and content research.

Unlike other SEO tools, Ahrefs is built around one of the largest crawlers on the web. That makes its backlink database and keyword index some of the most trusted sources for any SEO strategy.

Who Created Ahrefs?

Dmitry Gerasimenko started Ahrefs in 2010.

He built it from a simple backlink crawler into a full SEO platform. The idea came from his love of search and indexing since his school days.

Today, Ahrefs has:

• Over 170 employees worldwide
• $149 million in annual revenue
• Millions of users including Shopify, eBay, and LinkedIn

The company is based in Singapore. Ahrefs has been a household name in the SEO industry for over a decade. It has never taken outside funding.

De belangrijkste voordelen van Ahrefs

Here’s what you actually get when you use Ahrefs:

• Find keywords that actually rank: Ahrefs shows you search volume, keyword difficulty score, and traffic potential. You stop guessing and start targeting relevant keywords that bring organic traffic.
• Spy on your competitors: See every keyword your competitors rank for. Find their best pages. Steal their link building strategies. You get a full picture of their SEO performance.
• Build better backlinks: Ahrefs has the largest backlink database in the industry. Find link building opportunities your competitors missed. Track referring domains pointing to your own website.
• Fix your site fast: The site audit tool crawls your site for broken links, missing meta descriptions, and technical SEO issues. Fix problems before they hurt your search results.
• Volg je voortgang: See how your keyword rankings change over time. Know exactly how much traffic your pages bring in. The rank tracker makes SEO reporting simple.
• Save hours of research time: The content explorer tool finds top-performing content in any niche. You learn what works before you write a single word.
• Get alerts that matter: Ahrefs sends you alerts for new backlinks, lost links, and brand mentions. You stay on top of your SEO campaign without checking every day.

Best Ahrefs Features

Let’s look at the standout features that make this SEO tool worth your attention.

1. Hulpmiddel voor het schrijven van content

Ahrefs content tools help you plan and write better articles. You can find what topics get the most search traffic in your niche.

The tool shows you what your target keyword needs. It checks search intent so your content matches what people actually want.

You can also see what the top ranking pages cover. This helps you create content that search engines love.

2. Trefwoordenverkenner

De Ahrefs Keywords Explorer is one of the best keyword research tools available. Type in any word. You get thousands of keyword ideas direct.

It shows search volume, keyword difficulty, and traffic value for each term. You can drill down into any particular keyword and see who ranks for it. You can generate keyword ideas for Google, YouTube, Amazon, and more.

The keyword suggestions include related terms, questions, and new keyword ideas you won’t find elsewhere. It helps you conduct keyword research faster than any other explorer tool I’ve tested.

3. Backlinks beheren

De Ahrefs backlink profile tool shows every link pointing to any domain. You get the full picture of any site’s backlink data.

See which referring domains matter most. Find links pointing to your competitors. Spot lost links before they hurt your rankings.

Ahrefs maintains one of the largest backlink databases in the industry. The Ahrefs backlink analysis is trusted by SEO professionals worldwide.

4. Locatieaudit

De Ahrefs site audit crawls your website for technical SEO problems. It finds broken links, duplicate content, slow pages, and more.

You get a health score for your site. The tool tells you exactly what to fix and how important each issue is.

It checks on page SEO elements like meta descriptions, title tags, and heading structure. This is the fastest way to find and fix technical SEO issues on your own website.

5. Verkeersinschatting

Want to know how much traffic a website gets? Ahrefs tells you.

See estimated organic traffic for any domain. Check traffic value in dollars. Find out which pages bring the most visitors.

This is great for sizing up competitors. You can see exactly how much search traffic they get and which organic keywords drive it.

6. Ranglijsttracker

De Ahrefs Rank Tracker lets you monitor your keyword positions over time. You can track hundreds of keywords across different locations.

It shows you which pages rank for each keyword. You see gains and losses at a glance. The tool also tracks SERP features like featured snippets.

Rank tracking is key for any serious SEO campaign. Ahrefs makes it easy to see if your efforts are paying off.

7. SEO-rapportagetool

Need to show clients their SEO performance? Ahrefs makes reporting simple.

Create reports that show organic traffic growth, keyword rankings, and backlink progress. You can customize what SEO metrics to include.

This is huge for agencies. You save hours building reports. Your clients see clear results from your SEO work.

8. Webanalyse

Ahrefs now offers built-in web analytics. You can track page views, visitors, and top pages without leaving the platform. It even gives you SEO tips on how to improve each page.

It works alongside tools like Google Search Console. You get a clearer view of your site’s performance in one dashboard.

This means less time switching between tools. More time making smart SEO decisions.

9. Siteverkenner

De Ahrefs Site Explorer tool is the core of the platform. Type in any URL. You instantly see backlink data, organic keywords, and paid search info.

Check any competitor’s domain rating. See their top ranking pages. Find which site links send them the most traffic.

The site explorer tool gives you a complete overview of any domain’s SEO health. It shows both on-page and off-page SEO metrics in one view. This is where most Ahrefs users spend their time.

Ahrefs-prijzen

Let’s talk about Ahrefs pricing. Here’s what each plan costs:

Gratis proefperiode: No. Ahrefs does not offer a free trial. This can make committing to it a bit of a leap.

Geld-terug-garantie: No refund policy listed.

📌 Opmerking: Annual billing saves you money. The Lite plan drops to about $83/month when you pay yearly.

Is Ahrefs Worth the Price?

Ahrefs is not cheap. But for the data you get, it’s a solid investment.

Many users feel that Ahrefs pricing is high compared to other SEO tools. And that’s fair. But the backlink database alone is worth the cost for serious SEO professionals.

You’ll save money if: You run an agency or manage multiple sites. The SEO data pays for itself when you land new clients.

You might overpay if: You only need basic keyword research. A cheaper tool like Ubersuggest or Mangools might be enough.

Ahrefs Pros and Cons

✅ What I Liked

❌ What Could Be Better

Is Ahrefs Right for You?

✅ Ahrefs is PERFECT for you if:

• You need the best backlink analysis tool on the market
• You run an agency managing multiple SEO campaigns
• You want accurate keyword data and search volume numbers
• You need to track organic keyword rankings for clients

❌ Skip Ahrefs if:

• You’re on a tight budget under $100/month
• You need strong paid search and advertising research tools
• You prefer trying before buying (no free trial available)

My recommendation:

If SEO is a core part of your bedrijf, Ahrefs is worth it. The backlink data alone saves you hours of manual research. For beginners, start with the Lite plan and learn the tools. You’ll see results within your first month.

Ahrefs vs Alternatives

How does Ahrefs stack up? Here’s the competitive landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Semrush — More tools for marketing, PPC, and content
• Best budget option: SE Ranking — Full SEO suite starting at $39/mo
• Best for beginners: Mangools — Simple interface, easy keyword tools
• Best for backlinks: Ahrefs — Unmatched backlink database and analysis

🎯 Ahrefs Alternatives

Looking for Ahrefs alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🌟 Semrush: The biggest Ahrefs competitor. Better for advertising research and content marketing tools. Offers a free trial.
• 🎨 Surfer SEO: Best for on-page SEO and content writing. Great if you want AI help with your articles.
• ⚡ Content Raptor: Finds quick-win keywords from your Google Search Console data. Fast results on a budget.
• 👶 Moz: Beginner-friendly with trusted Domain Authority metric. Good for learning SEO basics.
• 💰 SE-ranking: Full SEO platform at a fraction of the cost. Great rank tracking and site audit tools.
• 💰 Ubersuggest: Neil Patel’s budget SEO tool. Perfect for solo bloggers and small sites.
• 👶 Mangools: Five simple SEO tools in one. Best keyword tools for beginners at an affordable price.
• 🚀 Ranktracker: Focused rank tracking tool with clean reports. Great for monitoring keyword positions.

⚔️ Ahrefs Compared

Here’s how Ahrefs stacks up against each competitor:

• Ahrefs versus Semrush: Ahrefs wins on backlinks. Semrush wins on advertising and content marketing. Both are top-tier SEO tools.
• Ahrefs versus Surfer SEO: Ahrefs is better for research. Surfer is better for writing and on page SEO content.
• Ahrefs versus Content Raptor: Ahrefs has more data. Content Raptor is faster for finding quick keyword wins.
• Ahrefs tegen Moz: Ahrefs has a bigger database. Moz is easier for beginners to learn.
• Ahrefs versus SE-ranking: Ahrefs has deeper data. SE Ranking costs much less for similar features.
• Ahrefs versus Ubersuggest: Ahrefs is far more powerful. Ubersuggest is much cheaper for basic needs.
• Ahrefs versus Mangools: Ahrefs offers more depth. Mangools is simpler and more affordable for keyword tools.
• Ahrefs versus Ranktracker: Ahrefs is a full SEO suite. Ranktracker focuses only on rank tracking at a lower price.

My Experience with Ahrefs

Here’s what actually happened when I used Ahrefs for 90 days:

The project: I used Ahrefs on 5 client websites across different niches. The goal was to improve organic search traffic and find new link building opportunities.

Tijdlijn: 90 days of daily use.

Resultaten:

What surprised me: The Ahrefs SEO toolbar browser extension is a hidden gem. It shows SEO metrics right on the search results page. I used it every single day to check keyword difficulty and domain rating without leaving Google.

What frustrated me: The credit system on the Lite plan ran out faster than expected. Customer support was helpful some days. Other days, responses felt generic. Ahrefs has received mixed reviews regarding its customer support and I can see why.

Would I use it again? Yes. Ahrefs is widely recognized as a market leader in the SEO tool industry. The SEO data it provides is unmatched for backlink analysis. I’ll keep using it.

Slotgedachten

Get Ahrefs if: You need serious backlink data, keyword research tools, and rank tracking for your bedrijf or clients.

Skip Ahrefs if: You’re just starting out and need a budget-friendly tool with a free trial.

My verdict: After 90 days of testing, Ahrefs earned its spot as one of the best SEO tools available. It’s not perfect. The pricing is high. There’s no free trial. But the backlink database, keyword data, and site explorer tool make it worth the investment for any serious SEO professional.

Ahrefs is considered one of the best tools for backlink analysis and competitor research. If organic search traffic matters to your business, this tool delivers.

Rating: 4.1/5

Veelgestelde vragen

What is meant by Ahrefs?

Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO platform. It helps you with keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and site audits. The name comes from the HTML “a href” tag used for hyperlinks. It’s used by millions of companies around the world for search engine optimization.

Is Ahrefs free to use?

No. Ahrefs does not offer a free plan or free trial. The cheapest plan (Lite) costs $108/month. However, Ahrefs does offer some free tools like the Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for basic site audit features on your own website.

Is Ahrefs a good SEO tool?

Yes. Ahrefs is widely recognized as a market leader in the SEO tool space. It’s particularly strong for backlink analysis and keyword data. SEO professionals trust it for accurate search volume numbers and competitor research.

Which is better, Semrush or Ahrefs?

It depends on your needs. Ahrefs has a stronger backlink database and better link analysis. Semrush offers more tools for paid search, content marketing, and advertising research. Semrush also provides a free trial, while Ahrefs does not. Both are among the best SEO tools available.

Is Ahrefs worth the money?

For SEO professionals and agencies, yes. The backlink data, keyword research tools, and rank tracker save hours of manual work. For beginners on a tight budget, cheaper alternatives like SE Ranking or Mangools might be a better starting point.