Ahrefs and Moz Pro: side-by-side
A side-by-side comparison of Ahrefs and Moz Pro — features, pricing, strengths, and where each tool falls short.
What each tool is
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO platform built around a massive proprietary backlink index and keyword database. It offers Site Explorer (competitor analysis), Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, and Content Explorer. It is widely used by agencies and in-house teams for competitive research and link building.
Moz Pro
Moz Pro is a long-running SEO platform offering keyword research, rank tracking, site crawling, link analysis, and the well-known Domain Authority metric. Newer plans add AI visibility dashboards and prompt tracking across LLMs.
At a glance
Ahrefs
Full-stack SEO Suite
A full-stack SEO suite best known for its backlink index and keyword database.
Ahrefs Lite
- •5 projects, 750 tracked keywords
- •500,000 crawl credits/month
- •No native GSC-driven workflows like quick wins or decay
- •AI features gated to higher tiers
Moz Pro
Full-stack SEO Suite
Veteran SEO platform with Domain Authority, link research, and audit workflows.
Moz Pro Standard
- •Starter $49/mo — single website
- •Standard $99/mo ($79/mo annual) — 3 sites, 300 kws
- •Medium $179/mo ($143/mo annual) — 10 sites, 1,500 kws + AI tools
- •Large $299/mo ($239/mo annual) — 25 sites, 3,000 kws + 4 AI dashboards
Feature comparison
Side-by-side feature breakdown across pricing, data, workflows, and collaboration.
| Feature | Ahrefs | Moz Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Data & coverage | ||
| Native Google Search Console integration | No | GSC import available |
| Keyword research database | 24B+ keywords (proprietary) | Moz proprietary KW database |
| Backlink index | Yes | true (Link Explorer) |
| SERP feature tracking | Yes | — |
| AI search visibility | — | AI Visibility Dashboards (Medium+) |
| Workflows built for you | ||
| Quick wins (pages 1 click from page 1) | No | No |
| Content decay detection | Manual via Site Explorer | No |
| Weak & dead URL identification | No | No |
| AI content briefs | Add-on (AI Content Helper) | 2-50 briefs/mo by plan |
| Content groups & cohort analysis | No | — |
| Collaboration & sharing | ||
| Magic-link read-only sharing | No | No |
| Multi-property dashboards | Yes | — |
| Seats included on entry plan | 1 user | 1 user |
| Pricing & value | ||
| Entry plan price | $129/mo | $49 Starter / $99 Standard |
| Free tier | No | free Moz Community account |
| BYOK (bring your own DataForSEO key) | No | — |
| BYOK option | — | No |
Where each tool wins and falls short
Ahrefs
Strengths
- Largest third-party backlink index in the industry
- Mature competitor research workflows
- Strong brand and educational content
Weaknesses
- Expensive — entry plan starts at $129/mo with low row caps
- Data is third-party estimated, not your real Google Search Console truth
- No native AI content briefs grounded in your performance data
- Steep learning curve for non-SEO specialists
Moz Pro
Strengths
- Long-running brand and rich educational ecosystem
- Domain Authority is widely recognized
- Newer AI visibility dashboards on Medium+ plans
Weaknesses
- Third-party estimated data, not your real GSC
- Higher-tier features (AI dashboards, prompt tracking) gated
- No GSC-grounded quick wins / decay / weak-URL workflows
- Add-on costs stack quickly (extra dashboards $20 each, etc.)
Who each tool fits
Ahrefs
Best for
- •Agencies running deep competitor backlink analysis
- •Teams that prioritize off-page SEO and link building
- •Researching keywords across many domains you do not own
Not ideal for
- •Teams whose primary signal is their own Google Search Console data
- •Smaller sites priced out of the $129+/mo entry tier
- •Founders who want actionable next steps, not just raw data
Moz Pro
Best for
- •Teams that rely on Domain Authority as a core metric
- •Established SEO programs comfortable with Moz workflows
- •Buyers who want a stable, mid-market full-stack suite
Not ideal for
- •Founders who want first-party GSC action workflows
- •Teams priced out of $99-$299/mo monthly tiers
- •Anyone whose Moz value is mostly DA scoring