Ahrefs is the gold standard for backlink data, and its keyword and rank-tracking tools are excellent too. But its Lite plan starts around $129/month and climbs from there, which is a lot for a small SaaS site that checks backlinks occasionally and mostly wants keyword and ranking data. If you're not running link-building campaigns at scale, you're paying for the world's best backlink index to glance at it once a month.
Here are the alternatives that cover the essentials for a small site, without the enterprise bill.
What are you actually using Ahrefs for?
Ahrefs is really three tools in one, and small sites usually lean on just one or two:
- Backlink analysis — Ahrefs' crown jewel, the reason it's expensive.
- Keyword research — volume, difficulty, and competitor keywords.
- Rank tracking, where you sit for your target terms.
If you rarely touch the backlink explorer, you're overpaying. Match the alternative to the job you actually do.
The budget all-rounders
Mangools (~$29/month billed annually) is the best budget pick for small sites — roughly a quarter of Ahrefs' entry price. Its five-tool bundle (KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner, SiteProfiler) covers keyword research, rank tracking, and basic backlink analysis in the friendliest interface in the category. For most small SaaS sites, this is enough.
Keysearch (~$17/month) is the rock-bottom option that's still genuinely usable — keyword research, rank tracking, and basic backlink data at a side-project price.
SE Ranking (~$52/month) is the step up: a fuller suite with rank tracking, site audits, competitor research, and client-ready reports if you ever need them.
For backlink data specifically
If backlinks are the reason you're on Ahrefs, the alternatives get thinner, because deep link indexes are expensive to build. Mangools' LinkMiner and SE Ranking's backlink tools cover the basics — who links to you and your competitors, but neither matches Ahrefs' index depth. If serious link research is core to your strategy, Ahrefs (or Semrush) genuinely earns its price and the alternatives will disappoint. Be honest with yourself about whether it's core or occasional.
The free floor
Google Search Console is free and shows your real rankings, impressions, and the queries you actually appear for — data no third-party tool can replicate for your own site. For a small site, GSC plus a cheap keyword tool replaces most of what you'd use Ahrefs for day to day.
Where WriteGap fits
WriteGap isn't a backlink suite, so it's not a straight Ahrefs replacement, but it overlaps with the part of Ahrefs a founder uses most: finding competitor keyword gaps and knowing what to do about them. It pulls your GSC and competitor rankings automatically, surfaces the gaps worth targeting, and turns them into a weekly brief and draft. On its higher tier it also runs a link-gap analysis, the referring domains linking to competitors but not to you, which is the specific slice of backlink data a small site can act on, without the full explorer.
What it doesn't do: browse an enterprise backlink index, audit toxic links, or track rankings across unlimited domains. For that, use Ahrefs or a cheaper research suite.
Side by side
| Tool | Best for | Rough entry price |
|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs | Deep backlink research, serious link building | ~$129/mo |
| Mangools | Budget all-rounder for small sites | ~$29/mo |
| Keysearch | Cheapest usable option | ~$17/mo |
| SE Ranking | Fuller suite with reporting | ~$52/mo |
| Google Search Console | Your real ranking data | Free |
| WriteGap | Competitor gaps + drafts, with an actionable link-gap | Single-site pricing |
Prices are 2026 entry rates and change often — verify before buying.
The bottom line
Ahrefs is worth every dollar if backlink research is central to how you grow. If it isn't — if you're a small SaaS site that mostly wants keyword and ranking data with an occasional backlink glance — you're overpaying for depth you don't use. Start with free Google Search Console, add Mangools or Keysearch for research, and if your real bottleneck is turning gaps into published content rather than exploring data, that's a different tool entirely. See our Semrush alternatives piece for the broader-suite version of this same decision.