Alternatives · 2026
An Ahrefs alternative for founders on a budget
Ahrefs is the best SEO suite, and Lite starts at $129 a month. If you run a few products and mostly need to know what’s ranking and whether it pays, you can get most of the way for free, and add revenue for $19.
The founder stack: free tools plus Glow
Google Search Console
Free. Real clicks, impressions and positions for every query and page, straight from Google. Nothing estimates this better.
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
Free for sites you verify. Backlinks, referring domains and a site audit, from Ahrefs’ own index.
Glow
From $19. Joins Search Console with GA4 or PostHog and Stripe per product, so you see which pages and channels make money.
What you give up without a paid Ahrefs plan
| Job | Ahrefs Lite ($129/mo) | GSC + AWT + Glow |
|---|---|---|
| Your own rankings and clicks | Estimated | Exact, from Google |
| Your backlinks | Yes | Yes (AWT) |
| Competitor research | Yes | Limited |
| Keyword research at scale | Yes | Basic (GSC queries) |
| Revenue per page or channel | No | Yes |
| Several products in one view | Projects | Yes, per product |
If competitor research is your job, keep Ahrefs: Glow can read your Ahrefs data too (API on Lite and above). If you mainly need to know what works on your own sites, the free stack plus Glow is enough.
Related
Questions, answered
Is there a free Ahrefs alternative?
For your own sites, Google Search Console (free) and Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free for verified sites) cover rankings, clicks and backlinks. Competitor research needs a paid tool.
Does Glow connect to Ahrefs?
Yes, with an API key on Ahrefs Lite or above (the API uses monthly units). Without it, Glow uses Search Console. Ahrefs + Glow.
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