Ranktide vs Ahrefs
An Ahrefs alternative priced by usage
Ahrefs has its own web crawler and years of history. Ranktide covers the everyday work, keywords, rankings, audits and backlinks, plus map grids and AI visibility, from $19/month with no per-seat fees.
At a glance
Ranktide and Ahrefs, side by side
| Ranktide | Ahrefs | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Free plan, then Solo at $19/month | Starter at $29/month; Lite at $129/month for one user |
| Usage limits | Monthly credits for data pulled; reading results is free | Lite: 1,000 credits per user a month. Standard and up: unlimited |
| Extra users | Included: 1 on Solo, 3 on Growth, 10 on Pro, 25 on Agency | Lite: up to 2 more at $40/month each. Standard: up to 5 at $60 |
| Tracked keywords | 250 on Solo, 1,000 on Growth | 750 on Lite, 2,000 on Standard |
| Rank update frequency | Daily, weekly, monthly or on demand | Weekly on every plan |
| Local rankings | Google Maps rank grids, up to 9×9 on Pro, Agency and Scale | Rank Tracker plus GBP Monitor (beta) |
| AI visibility | ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews, Claude and Perplexity; 25 prompts on Solo | Brand Radar; Lite includes 150 AI prompt checks a month |
| MCP for AI assistants | On every plan, Free included | API and MCP access on Lite and up |
| Free option | Free plan with 1,000 credits | Ahrefs Free for sites you verify; no free trial |
Ahrefs prices checked November 2026 on ahrefs.com/pricing. Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. Check their page for the latest.
A fair comparison
Which one fits
Where Ahrefs is stronger
- Its own crawler and backlink index, with history going back years
- Up to 5 years of historical data on Advanced
- More specialist reports, such as Content Explorer on Standard
- Higher row and export limits for very large sites
Where Ranktide fits better
- Daily rank checks, set to a country or a single city
- Google Maps rank grids for local clients
- Pricing by data used, with seats included in the plan
- White-label client reports from Pro
- Your own DataForSEO key on Agency and Scale
Cost examples
What a month costs
| Ranktide | Ahrefs | |
|---|---|---|
| One person, a few sites | Solo: $19/month | Lite: $129/month |
| Three people, 1,000 tracked keywords | Growth: $49/month, 3 seats included | Standard plus 2 users: $249 + $120 = $369/month |
Ranktide checks use credits. Tracking 1,000 keywords weekly uses about 29,952 credits a month, close to Growth's whole allowance, so heavier research on that plan needs top-ups.
Ahrefs prices checked November 2026 on ahrefs.com/pricing. Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. Check their page for the latest.
FAQ
Questions
Is Ranktide's data the same as Ahrefs'?
No. Ranktide uses DataForSEO and Google's own APIs; Ahrefs runs its own crawler. Volumes, difficulty and backlink counts will differ between the two, so compare trends rather than single numbers.
Can I move my tracked keywords over?
Yes. Export the keyword list from Ahrefs and paste it into a Ranktide rank tracker. History stays in Ahrefs; Ranktide starts tracking from the first check.
Who should stay on Ahrefs?
Link builders and SEO teams who live in backlink data every day, need years of history, or rely on reports Ranktide doesn't have, such as Content Explorer.
Start with 1,000 free credits
No card needed. Upgrade when one site turns into ten.