This page may contain affiliate links.
Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you sign up (at no extra cost to you). This never influences my ratings or recommendations.
The Verdict
Ahrefs wins for most SEO professionals with its vastly larger keyword database (23x), superior site audit capabilities, more mature content tools, and higher user satisfaction ratings.
Moz is the better choice for local SEO, budget-conscious teams, and anyone who values Domain Authority as their core metric. If you need deep data for backlinks, keywords, and competitive research, Ahrefs justifies the higher price. If you need local SEO tools or a lower entry point, Moz delivers.
Choose Ahrefs if
- +Backlink research and link building campaigns
- +Keyword research depth (28.7B vs 1.25B keywords)
- +Technical site audits with JavaScript rendering
- +Content research and AI optimization
- +AI visibility monitoring across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others
- +Agencies and power users needing deep competitive data
Choose Moz if
- +Local SEO and listing management (Moz Local)
- +Teams that rely on Domain Authority as their primary metric
- +Budget-conscious teams wanting a major SEO platform from $49/mo
- +Beginners who prefer a simpler, less overwhelming interface
- +Daily rank tracking without expensive add-ons
- +API access on a budget ($5/mo vs thousands for Ahrefs)
Pricing
Which one costs more?
Moz is cheaper at every tier, but Ahrefs includes significantly more data per dollar. The right comparison isn't price vs. price, it's value vs. value.
| Plan / Tier | Ahrefs | Moz | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | $29/mo (Starter) | $49/mo (Starter) | Ahrefs Starter is very limited. Moz Starter includes more core features. |
| Individual / Small Team | $129/mo (Lite) | $99/mo (Standard) | Ahrefs Lite has 23x more keywords. Moz Standard has daily rank tracking. |
| Professional | $249/mo (Standard) | $179/mo (Medium) | Both include full features. Moz adds Moz Local at this tier. |
| Agency / Enterprise | $449/mo (Advanced) | $299/mo (Large) | Ahrefs: 10K rank tracking keywords. Moz: 3K keywords. |
Buddy's Take on Pricing
Moz is 30-40% cheaper at comparable tiers, but Ahrefs delivers substantially more data per dollar. A Moz Pro Standard ($99/mo) user gets ~1.25B keywords and 300 tracked keywords. An Ahrefs Lite ($129/mo) user gets 28.7B keywords and 750 tracked keywords. The $30/month difference buys 23x more keyword data. For budget-conscious users who don't need massive keyword databases, Moz wins.
For data-driven SEO, Ahrefs is the better investment.
Features
Capability comparison
Ahrefs and Moz overlap on core SEO features but differ significantly in depth and specialization. Ahrefs invests heavily in data scale and crawling speed; Moz invests in usability, local SEO, and authority metrics.
| Capability | Ahrefs | Moz |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword Database Size | ★ | ○ |
| Backlink Index | ★ | ● |
| Site Audit | ★ | ● |
| Rank Tracking | ● | ● |
| Content Tools | ★ | ○ |
| Local SEO | ✗ | ★ |
| Domain Authority Metric | ● | ★ |
| AI Visibility Tracking | ★ | ◐ |
| Free Tools | ★ | ● |
| API Access | ● | ★ |
| Ease of Use | ● | ★ |
| Spam Score | ✗ | ✓ |
Who It's For
Who should choose which?
Choose Ahrefs if you...
- +You need the largest keyword database for competitive research
- +Backlink analysis is central to your SEO strategy
- +You want AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI engines
- +You need deep content research tools (Content Explorer)
- +You run technical audits requiring JavaScript rendering and Core Web Vitals
- +You want permanently free tools (Ahrefs Free)
Choose Moz if you...
- +Local SEO and listing management are important to your business
- +Domain Authority is your primary authority metric for client reporting
- +You need a quality SEO platform starting under $50/month
- +You prefer a simpler, more beginner-friendly interface
- +You need daily rank tracking without paying for expensive add-ons
- +You want cheap API access for programmatic data ($5/mo)
Final recommendation
The bottom line
For most SEO professionals and agencies, Ahrefs is the stronger investment. The 23x larger keyword database, deeper backlink data, superior content tools, and AI visibility tracking make it worth the premium over Moz.
However, Moz earns its place for local SEO specialists (Moz Local is unmatched), budget-conscious teams who need a reputable platform from $49/month, and anyone whose workflow centers on Domain Authority. Consider using both if your budget allows: Ahrefs for research depth and Moz for DA metrics and local.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
For most SEO use cases, yes. Ahrefs has a 23x larger keyword database (28.7B vs 1.25B), a more active web crawler, deeper site audit capabilities, and stronger content tools. Moz is better specifically for local SEO, Domain Authority tracking, and teams on a tighter budget.
Yes, for the right use case. Moz's Domain Authority remains the industry-standard metric, and Moz Local is the best local SEO tool available. At $49/month, it's also the most affordable major SEO platform. It's less suitable if you need deep keyword research or competitive backlink analysis.
Many agencies do. The typical combo uses Ahrefs for keyword research, backlink analysis, and content research, while using Moz for Domain Authority reporting and local SEO management. The Moz API at $5/month makes it cheap to integrate DA scores into any workflow.
Ahrefs. Their Ahrefs Free is permanently free and includes Site Explorer (for your own sites), Site Audit (5,000 crawl credits/month), and unlimited verified websites. Moz offers free but limited versions of Domain Analysis, Keyword Explorer, and Link Explorer, plus a 7-day trial.
Yes, all Moz plans include daily rank tracking. Ahrefs only offers weekly rank updates on standard plans; daily tracking requires a $200/month add-on. However, Moz recently reduced its rank tracking depth to Top 20 positions only.
More on these tools
Joonas Rotko
Author & founder of That Marketing Buddy
I score marketing software for AI-stack fit (MCP, API, agent-readiness), backed by 10+ years in digital marketing. This comparison is based on structured data from 60+ tools in the marketing software category.
This page may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences the comparison.