Ahrefs review 2026
How good is Ahrefs really?
86/100 points
kosten.org editorial team
Last updated: 2026-03-16
86/100
Points
Based on published terms and features
Ahrefs is the backlink specialist among SEO tools and offers a very large link index. We check whether the tool is worth €99/month (Lite, annual payment).
Highlights of our Ahrefs review
- Best backlink index on the market (35 trillion+)
- Content Explorer for viral content
- 750 keywords in rank tracking
- Webmaster Tools partly free
Table of contents
1 Keyword research
21/25
Points
Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer offers around 29 billion keywords (per the Ahrefs website, 10/2026) with search volume, KD score and click metrics. Particularly strong is the 'Also rank for' feature, which shows which other keywords a page gets traffic for. DACH coverage is now very good, even though Semrush is still somewhat larger here.
2 Backlink analysis
25/25
Points
This is where Ahrefs plays its greatest strength: Ahrefs cites 35 trillion entries in its backlink history. The Site Explorer shows every single link with anchor text, Domain Rating and URL Rating. The historical view tracks link building over the years. For link-building campaigns there is no better tool.
3 Site audit & technical
16/20
Points
Ahrefs' Site Audit crawls websites for technical SEO problems and offers clear recommendations. The Health Score gives a quick overview of the technical state. Crawl capacity depends on the chosen plan and can be limiting on large sites.
4 Additional features
12/15
Points
The Content Explorer is a unique feature: it searches a database of billions of web pages for the most-shared content on any topic. Perfect for content marketing strategies. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools also offer a limited free version for website owners.
5 Usability & price
12/15
Points
The interface is clearly structured and easier to learn than Semrush. Lite costs €99/month with annual payment (€119 monthly) and offers 750 keywords in rank tracking; a stripped-down Starter plan for keyword research costs €27/month. The only free options are Ahrefs Free and the Webmaster Tools, with limited access.
Pros & cons at a glance
Pros
- Very strong backlink data
- Content Explorer is unique
- Clearly structured interface
- 750 keywords in rank tracking
Cons
- Free version heavily limited
- No social media monitoring
- Less all-in-one than Semrush
Conclusion: Ahrefs review
86/100
Very good (1.7)
Ahrefs scores 86 out of 100 points and is the best choice for anyone who puts backlink analysis and link building at the centre. The Content Explorer is unique on the market. Anyone who needs a broader all-in-one suite should go for Semrush.
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