Serpstat vs Ahrefs
A value all-in-one against the backlink specialist. This comes down to one question. How much does link data matter to your work?
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Serpstat
The suite nobody talks about and users quietly keep.
Ahrefs
The backlink king with the cleanest data in SEO.
Prices last checked on
| Feature | Serpstat | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.0 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Price | From $50/mo | From $29/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Best for | International SEO teams | Link building and competitor research |
| Category | All-in-one suites | All-in-one suites |
| Provider | Serpstat (Netpeak Group) | Ahrefs Pte. Ltd. |
| Visit Serpstat | Visit Ahrefs |
Our verdict
Ahrefs wins decisively on backlinks, with the industry's largest live link index (around 500 million referring domains) and the interface professional link builders trust, exactly where Serpstat is weakest. Serpstat wins on price and breadth of job.
It is a genuine all-in-one from $50 a month against Ahrefs Lite at $107.50, with keyword databases that are stronger in non-English markets and team seats included sooner. Pick Ahrefs if backlink analysis and competitor link research are central to how you work.
Pick Serpstat if you want a complete toolkit at a lower price and your link needs are occasional rather than the main event.
“The quiet mid-market option. A real all-in-one with fair pricing and surprisingly deep keyword data for several Eastern European and Asian markets. Less polished than SE Ranking, more capable than its name recognition suggests.”Editorial team, on Serpstat
“The tool SEO professionals trust most for the data itself. That means the largest live backlink index in the industry and a keyword explorer that rarely misleads. Less broad than Semrush, more loved by specialists, and the Brand Radar add-on answers the AI question for $199 a month extra.”Editorial team, on Ahrefs
Frequently asked questions
Should I pick Ahrefs or Serpstat?
Pick Ahrefs if backlinks are central to your work. Its live index of around 500 million referring domains is the largest in the industry, and Site Explorer is what professional link builders use, which is exactly where Serpstat is weakest. Pick Serpstat if you want a complete toolkit at a lower price and link research is occasional rather than the main event.
Is Serpstat cheaper than Ahrefs?
Yes, at the tiers most people compare. Serpstat Individual costs $50 a month on annual billing, $600 a year, against $107.50 a month for Ahrefs Lite, $1,290 a year. Ahrefs does open lower with its Starter plan at $29 a month, but that tier runs on usage credits rather than flat limits. US dollars, last checked September 2026.
Why do people move from Serpstat to Ahrefs?
Link data is the reason in almost every case. Serpstat covers backlinks, but its index is mid-tier, and teams doing competitor link research every week run into that ceiling. Ahrefs is built around the largest live link index in the category, around 500 million referring domains. The move is rarely about price, because Ahrefs Lite at $107.50 a month is more than double Serpstat's $50. It is about one job that Serpstat does adequately and Ahrefs does best.
How do you switch from Serpstat to Ahrefs?
Export first, then time it. Pull your keyword lists and your rank tracking history out of Serpstat before you cancel, because tracking history does not transfer between platforms and cannot be rebuilt afterwards. Both tools price annual billing well below monthly, so the cheapest moment to move is at the end of a paid year rather than partway through. Verify your site in the free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools first. It costs nothing and shows your own backlink profile while you decide.
What do you lose if you switch from Serpstat to Ahrefs?
Three things. You lose the keyword depth outside the US and UK that makes Serpstat worth keeping for international work. You lose the team seats that Serpstat includes earlier in its plans, because Ahrefs sells per plan with credit-based limits. And you lose the all-in-one breadth. Ahrefs stays deliberately SEO-only, so there are no PPC or social tools, and AI visibility tracking through Brand Radar costs $199 a month on top.
Can I use Ahrefs for free?
Partly. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for sites you verify and covers your own backlinks and organic keywords, which is enough for basic monitoring. It will not show you a competitor's link profile, and that is where the paid tiers start. Serpstat has no comparable free tier, so if budget is the blocker, begin with Webmaster Tools plus Google Search Console.
Which one works out better for a team with several users?
Serpstat, if seat count is what hurts. It includes team seats earlier in its plans than most rivals, so more than one person can work without stacking subscriptions. Ahrefs sells per plan with credit-based limits, and Brand Radar for AI visibility costs $199 a month on top. For link-driven agencies the Ahrefs data still wins. For a broad team on a budget, Serpstat stretches further.