Ahrefs vs Moz

Ahrefs★★★★★★★★★★ 4.5From $29 /mo vs

Moz Pro★★★★★★★★★★ 4.2From $49 /mo

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Quick verdict

Ahrefs has the bigger, fresher backlink and keyword data and is the choice of most SEO professionals. Moz Pro is friendlier for beginners and created Domain Authority, the most-quoted site-strength metric.

Side by side

	Ahrefs	Moz Pro
Our rating	4.5/5	4.2/5
Value	3.9/5	4/5
Features	4.8/5	4.1/5
Ease of use	4.3/5	4.6/5
Output quality	4.8/5	4.1/5
Category	SEO	SEO
Free plan	Yes: Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for your own sites	Free tools (MozBar, limited Keyword Explorer); Pro is paid
Cheapest paid plan (monthly)	$29/mo	$49/mo
Same plan billed yearly	-	-
Top plan	Advanced: $449/mo	Large: $299/mo
Seats	Per user	1-3 seats by plan
Trial / refund	Starter plan instead of trial	Free trial (card required)
Platforms	Web, API	Web, Chrome extension
Best for	SEOs focused on backlinks and competitor research	Beginners and small businesses that want an approachable SEO suite

Ahrefs: pros & cons

Best-in-class backlink data
Clean, fast interface
Useful free Webmaster Tools
Expensive for small sites
Usage-based limits on lower tiers

Read the full Ahrefs review

Moz Pro: pros & cons

Friendly interface and great learning resources
Domain Authority is an industry-standard metric
Starter plan from $49/mo
Smaller data sets than Semrush or Ahrefs
Fewer content and PPC tools

Read the full Moz Pro review

At a glance

	Ahrefs	Moz Pro
Entry plan	Starter $29/mo	Starter $49/mo
Core plan	Lite $129/mo	Standard $99/mo
Free option	Webmaster Tools (your sites)	MozBar, limited Keyword Explorer
Authority metric	Domain Rating (DR)	Domain Authority (DA)
Best for	Backlinks, competitor research	Beginners, local and small sites

Choose Ahrefs if…

Link building and competitor research drive your SEO. Its link index and Site Explorer are best in class.

Choose Moz if…

You’re learning SEO, run a smaller site, or your clients and partners talk in Domain Authority.

See also Moz vs Semrush and Ahrefs vs Semrush.

Frequently asked questions

Is DA or DR better?

Neither is a Google metric. Both estimate link strength; use one consistently to compare sites.

Which is cheaper?

Ahrefs Starter ($29) is the cheapest entry; for full toolsets Moz Standard ($99) undercuts Ahrefs Lite ($129).

Questions from readers

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