Is Ahrefs cheaper than Moz?

No. Ahrefs Standard is $249/month billed monthly; Moz Standard, which also bundles Google AI Overview and multi-model prompt tracking, is $99/month billed monthly. Ahrefs Lite ($129/month billed monthly) is cheaper than both but tracks fewer keywords and projects.

Does Ahrefs track Google AI Overviews like Moz does?

Not confirmed. Moz explicitly lists "AI Overviews by Keyword" on every plan. Ahrefs sells check-based Brand Radar AI prompt packages, but nothing on its pricing page confirms Google AI Overview tracking specifically.

Which is better for an agency managing several clients, Ahrefs or Moz?

Moz, on the numbers that are published. Its Medium plan with an extra seat clears the AI prompt volume a 10-client brief needs; Ahrefs tops out at 20 prompts on Advanced and has no bundled client reporting at any price. Moz's Branded Reports (your logo instead of Moz's) are on Medium and Large only, and Moz does not call them white label.

Is Ahrefs a good alternative to Moz?

Yes, if backlink research is the main job and AI search tracking is not a requirement today. Moz bundles more AI visibility features at a lower price; Ahrefs remains the category benchmark for backlink depth.

Ahrefs vs Moz: backlink index or bundled AI tracking?

Traditional SEO suites · Verified 30 Sep 2026 · By Joonas Rotko

Ahrefs

Hands-on

From Starter, billed monthly

$29/mo

Moz

Hands-on

From Starter, billed monthly

$49/mo

Quick answer

For a single site or a small client roster, Moz Standard ($99/month billed monthly) costs less than Ahrefs Standard ($249/month billed monthly) and bundles Google AI Overview plus multi-model AI prompt tracking. Ahrefs has the deeper backlink index but no confirmed Google AI Overview tracking and no free trial. Prices verified 30 Sep 2026.

Across the three setups below: Moz in 3 of 3 scenarios.

Which one fits you?

Small business owner, one website
Moz
My pick
$79/mo billed annually
Moz Standard is $99/month billed monthly against Ahrefs Standard at $249/month billed monthly, and Moz bundles Google AI Overview tracking plus 150 AI prompts on Standard.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Skip it if backlink depth matters more than price or AI tracking. Ahrefs remains the category benchmark for that.
See Moz plans
Solo marketer or consultant, 3 client sites
Moz
My pick
$79/mo billed annually
Moz Standard bundles reporting on every plan at $99/month billed monthly. Ahrefs has no plan that bundles client reporting at all, only a separate $99/month add-on.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Moz wins by default: Ahrefs sells reporting only as an add-on, never included in a plan.
Skip it if not really an option here: no Ahrefs plan covers a 3-client brief that needs bundled reports.
See Moz plans
Small agency, about 10 clients
Moz
My pick
Moz Medium plus one extra seat clears the numbers this brief needs (10 campaigns, 1,500 keywords, 300 AI prompts, 2 seats included) at $179/month billed monthly plus $49/user per month for the third login. Ahrefs tops out at 20 AI prompts on Advanced, short of the 100 needed, and still has no bundled reports.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Moz wins on the numbers that are published; Ahrefs fails outright on AI prompt volume regardless.
Skip it if you need full white label. Moz's Branded Reports on Medium and Large swap the Moz logo for yours, but Moz does not call it white label.
See Moz plans

Neither fits? See the alternatives, or take the 2-minute recommendation.

How are Ahrefs and Moz really different?

AI search at the entry price
Ahrefs
5 check-based Brand Radar prompts on Lite; no confirmed Google AI Overview tracking
Moz
Google AI Overviews plus 150 multi-model prompts (GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Perplexity) on Standard
Moz bundles both Google AI Overview tracking and multi-engine prompt tracking from Standard; Ahrefs confirms neither at that level.
Trying before you buy
Ahrefs
No free trial of any kind
Moz
A 7-day trial on the Medium plan only, monthly billing, card required
Both have a thin trial story, but Moz at least offers one, gated to one plan.
Refunds
Ahrefs
No standing refund policy, only a discretionary review for non-use
Moz
Moz does not offer refunds of any kind, its own words
Neither vendor offers a real refund window; budget accordingly either way.
Client reporting
Ahrefs
Not bundled into any plan; a separate $99/month add-on
Moz
Scheduled Reports included on every plan
Moz is built for regular client reporting from the entry plan; Ahrefs is not.

What will Ahrefs or Moz cost for your setup?

The cheapest plan that covers each setup, add-ons included. Prices exclude VAT.

Small business owner, one website

1 site · 100 tracked keywords · AI search visibility: Google AI Overview tracking or AI prompt tracking (10 prompts) · 1 user

MonthlyYearly, per month

Ahrefs

$249

$208

Standard

Above 20 sites: Advanced (+$166/mo, billed annually).

Moz

My pick

$99

$79

Standard

Above 3 sites: Medium (+$64/mo, billed annually).

See Moz plans

Usage, limits and billing

Ahrefs

Uses 1 of 20 sites, 100 of 2,000 tracked keywords, 10 of 10 AI prompts.
AI visibility covered by AI prompt tracking (10 prompts).
On monthly billing: $2,988 a year.
On annual billing: $2,490 a year.
Above 2,000 tracked keywords: Advanced, $166/mo more.
Above 10 AI prompts: Advanced, $166/mo more.

Moz

Uses 1 of 3 sites, 100 of 300 tracked keywords.
AI visibility covered by Google AI Overview tracking and AI prompt tracking (10 prompts).
On monthly billing: $1,188 a year.
On annual billing: $950 a year.
Above 300 tracked keywords: Medium, $64/mo more.

Solo marketer or consultant, 3 client sites

3 sites · 300 tracked keywords · client reports · 1 user

MonthlyYearly, per month

Ahrefs

Fit unconfirmed

Ahrefs Free is priced, but sites limit isn't published

Moz

My pick

$99

$79

Standard

Above 3 sites: Medium (+$64/mo, billed annually).

See Moz plans

Usage, limits and billing

Ahrefs

The plan's price is published, but a limit this setup needs isn't, so the fit can't be confirmed.

Moz

Uses 3 of 3 sites, 300 of 300 tracked keywords.
On monthly billing: $1,188 a year.
On annual billing: $950 a year.
Above 300 tracked keywords: Medium, $64/mo more.

Small agency, about 10 clients

10 sites · 1,000 tracked keywords · 100 AI prompts · 10 white-label reports · client reports · 3 users

MonthlyYearly, per month

Ahrefs

Fit unconfirmed

Ahrefs Free is priced, but sites limit isn't published

Moz

My pick

Fit unconfirmed

Medium is priced, but white-label reports limit isn't published

See Moz plans

Usage, limits and billing

Ahrefs

The plan's price is published, but a limit this setup needs isn't, so the fit can't be confirmed.

Moz

The plan's price is published, but a limit this setup needs isn't, so the fit can't be confirmed.

How I calculated this

For each tool I price every current plan plus the add-ons a setup needs, from the vendor's published prices only, and take the cheapest. Monthly and annual billing are priced separately. When a limit or price isn't published, the tool shows as not fitting instead of a guess.

Small business owner, one website: One site and about 100 keywords, enough for your core service and location terms. For AI search, either Google AI Overview tracking or 10 tracked AI prompts counts. One login.
Solo marketer or consultant, 3 client sites: Three client sites at about 100 keywords each, with client reports. One person does the work.Ahrefs, monthly billing: Ahrefs Free is priced, but sites limit isn't published. Sites limit isn't published. Tracked keywords limit isn't published. Client reports limit isn't published.Ahrefs, annual billing: Ahrefs Free is priced, but sites limit isn't published. Sites limit isn't published. Tracked keywords limit isn't published. Client reports limit isn't published.
Small agency, about 10 clients: Ten clients at about 100 keywords and 10 AI prompts each, with a white-label report for every client. Google AI Overview tracking alone doesn't count here, since clients ask about ChatGPT too. Three people log in.Ahrefs, monthly billing: Ahrefs Free is priced, but sites limit isn't published. Sites limit isn't published. Tracked keywords limit isn't published. AI prompts limit isn't published. White-label reports limit isn't published. Client reports limit isn't published. Users limit isn't published.Ahrefs, annual billing: Ahrefs Free is priced, but sites limit isn't published. Sites limit isn't published. Tracked keywords limit isn't published. AI prompts limit isn't published. White-label reports limit isn't published. Client reports limit isn't published. Users limit isn't published.Moz, monthly billing: Medium is priced, but white-label reports limit isn't published. White-label reports limit isn't published.Moz, annual billing: Medium is priced, but white-label reports limit isn't published. White-label reports limit isn't published.

Ahrefs vs Moz side by side

I compare SEO suites on: Real cost for your setup, both billing bases; AI search visibility: which engines, how many prompts, which plan; Sites and tracked keywords per plan; Client reporting and white label; Users and seat price; Ease of setup for a non-specialist.

Ahrefs and Moz compared on the main buying criteria
Criterion	Ahrefs	Moz
Real cost for your setup, both billing bases	Standard: $249/mo monthly, $208/mo annually	Standard: $99/mo monthly, $79/mo annually
AI search visibility: which engines, how many prompts, which plan	Brand Radar prompts from Lite (5), check-based pricing; Google AI Overview tracking unconfirmed	Google AI Overviews plus 150 prompts across 4 models on Standard
Sites and tracked keywords per plan	20 projects, 2,000 keywords on Standard	3 campaigns, 300 keyword rankings on Standard
Client reporting and white label	No bundled reports on any plan; Report Builder add-on $99/month	Scheduled Reports on every plan; Branded Reports (your logo in place of Moz's) on Medium and Large only
Users and seat price	1 user included; $60/user per month per extra seat	1 user included; $49/user per month per extra seat

All details, including automation and AI workflows

All compared details for Ahrefs and Moz
Criterion	Ahrefs	Moz
Ease of setup for a non-specialist	No trial; a separate limited free account only	A 7-day trial on Medium monthly, card required
Real cost for your setup, both billing bases (full detail)	Lite: $129/month billed monthly or $108/month billed annually. Standard: $249/month billed monthly or $208/month billed annually. Advanced: $449/month billed monthly or $374/month billed annually. Enterprise: $1,499/month billed annually, annual commitment required.	Standard: $99/month billed monthly or $79/month billed annually. Medium: $179/month billed monthly or $143/month billed annually. Large: $299/month billed monthly or $239/month billed annually.
AI search visibility (full detail)	Brand Radar prompts bundled from Lite: 5, Standard 10, Advanced 20. Check-based packages, priced per check; larger custom packages start at $50/month billed monthly. No confirmation Ahrefs tracks Google AI Overviews specifically.	AI Overviews by Keyword on every plan, including Starter ($49/mo, 0 prompts). 4 tracked AI models from Standard up. Prompts Tracked: Standard 150, Medium 300, Large 600. AI Content Briefs: 2 on Standard, rising to 50 on Large.
Site audit	500,000 crawl credits a month on Standard, up to 1,500,000 on Advanced	100,000 pages a week on Standard, up to 1,250,000 on Large
Backlink data	Ahrefs' backlink index is the category benchmark; no per-plan link-count figure is published	Moz reports backlink queries and link-tracking lists per plan, but a comparable total-index-size claim is not part of this pass
Trial and refunds	No free trial of any kind. Refunds are discretionary, non-use only, no stated day window.	A 7-day trial on the Medium plan, monthly billing, card required. Moz does not offer refunds of any kind.
Automation and AI workflows: MCP and API	API and MCP access on every plan, including Lite	Moz API is a separate product; the Moz Pro plan table lists no API access

Who should pick Ahrefs, and who should pick Moz?

Ahrefs

Hands-on

Ahrefs starts at $129/month billed monthly and gives every plan API and MCP access, but there is no free trial and no standing refund policy, just a discretionary review for non-use. It suits anyone who wants the deepest backlink index in the category and is fine paying to try it.

Best for: The deepest backlink data, tried on your own dime.

Strengths

API and MCP access on every plan, including Lite.
AI prompt tracking (Brand Radar) bundled into every paid tier.
Annual billing saves roughly one month's price on every plan.

Limits

No free trial of any kind, only a separate free account with limited data.
No refund policy beyond a discretionary review for non-use.
No public affiliate program, so this pick links straight to Ahrefs, not through a tracked link.

Skip it if you want to try before you buy.

Ahrefs review Ahrefs alternatives

Moz

Hands-on

Best for small business owners
Best for consultants managing a few sites
Best for small agencies

Moz tracks Google AI Overviews and up to 150 AI prompts across 4 models starting at $99/month billed monthly. Moz does not offer refunds. It suits a small team that wants AI visibility bundled in from Standard rather than paying extra to unlock it.

Best for: AI Overview and prompt tracking from the entry plan.

Strengths

AI Overviews by Keyword on every plan, and prompt tracking from Standard up.
4 tracked AI models (GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Perplexity) from Standard up.
A separate free Moz Community tier to start with.

Limits

Moz does not offer refunds of any kind.
Starter ($49/mo) has no prompt tracking and tracks 50 keywords on one campaign.
The 7-day free trial only applies to the Medium plan on monthly billing, so it can't be used to try the Standard plan.

Skip it if you need a stated refund window before committing.

Moz review Moz alternatives

My pick: Moz in 3 of 3 scenarios.

See Moz plans See Ahrefs plans

Neither Ahrefs nor Moz? Try these

Semrush
From $117.33/mo billed annually
Pick it if you want a free plan to test first and white label sold per client report rather than bundled.
Semrush review Semrush alternatives
SE Ranking
From $103.20/mo billed annually
Pick it if you want AI prompt tracking and a real annual white-label option at a lower entry price than either Ahrefs or Moz.
SE Ranking review SE Ranking alternatives
Otterly.AI
From $25/mo billed annually
Pick it if you only want to know whether AI answers mention your brand, not run a rank tracker.
Outside this category: A GEO tracker, not an SEO suite. Worth it only if AI visibility is the whole question.
Otterly.AI review Otterly.AI alternatives

Switching between Ahrefs and Moz

Neither tool offers free migration from the other, so plan to rebuild projects and keyword lists by hand. Ahrefs has no trial to build the new setup in before you cancel, so keep the old account running in parallel; Moz's Medium-only trial covers one plan of the new setup at a time.

What would change my pick?

Ahrefs confirming Google AI Overview tracking would close its biggest gap against Moz.
Moz describing Branded Reports as full white label would turn the agency pick from directional to confirmed.
A price change on either side. The picks recalculate on their own.

Ahrefs vs Moz: questions people ask

Is Ahrefs cheaper than Moz?: No. Ahrefs Standard is $249/month billed monthly; Moz Standard, which also bundles Google AI Overview and multi-model prompt tracking, is $99/month billed monthly. Ahrefs Lite ($129/month billed monthly) is cheaper than both but tracks fewer keywords and projects.
Does Ahrefs track Google AI Overviews like Moz does?: Not confirmed. Moz explicitly lists "AI Overviews by Keyword" on every plan. Ahrefs sells check-based Brand Radar AI prompt packages, but nothing on its pricing page confirms Google AI Overview tracking specifically.
Which is better for an agency managing several clients, Ahrefs or Moz?: Moz, on the numbers that are published. Its Medium plan with an extra seat clears the AI prompt volume a 10-client brief needs; Ahrefs tops out at 20 prompts on Advanced and has no bundled client reporting at any price. Moz's Branded Reports (your logo instead of Moz's) are on Medium and Large only, and Moz does not call them white label.
Is Ahrefs a good alternative to Moz?: Yes, if backlink research is the main job and AI search tracking is not a requirement today. Moz bundles more AI visibility features at a lower price; Ahrefs remains the category benchmark for backlink depth.

How I verified this

Every price and limit here comes from the vendors' own pages, last checked 30 Sep 2026. Ahrefs: hands-on. Moz: hands-on.

Sources and changelog

51 facts from 7 source pages, oldest checked 29 Sep 2026.

Ahrefs plans and pricing (checked 30 Sep 2026)
Ahrefs free trial and discounts (help center) (checked 30 Sep 2026)
Ahrefs Terms of Service (US) (checked 30 Sep 2026)
Moz Pro plans and pricing (checked 30 Sep 2026)
Moz help center (trial, cancellation, Starter plan) (checked 30 Sep 2026)

30 Sep 2026: Built for Batch 1 of the full comparison-page rewrite, priority #8 in the migration queue.

Spot something out of date?Vendors and readers, send me the correct fact.

Software sites change almost every week, and I want every claim on this page to be factually correct. If you are a vendor or a reader, send me the correct fact and a link to the official page. I will check it and update the page. The opinions and rankings stay mine.

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Ahrefs vs Moz: backlink index or bundled AI tracking?

Quick answer

Which one fits you?

How are Ahrefs and Moz really different?

AI search at the entry price

Trying before you buy

Refunds

Client reporting

What will Ahrefs or Moz cost for your setup?

Small business owner, one website

Solo marketer or consultant, 3 client sites

Small agency, about 10 clients

Ahrefs vs Moz side by side

Who should pick Ahrefs, and who should pick Moz?

Ahrefs

Moz

Neither Ahrefs nor Moz? Try these

Switching between Ahrefs and Moz

What would change my pick?

Ahrefs vs Moz: questions people ask

Is Ahrefs cheaper than Moz?

Does Ahrefs track Google AI Overviews like Moz does?

Which is better for an agency managing several clients, Ahrefs or Moz?

Is Ahrefs a good alternative to Moz?

How I verified this

Compare Ahrefs or Moz with another tool

Ahrefs vs …

Moz vs …

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