Moz vs Ahrefs: Moz lets you try it first, Ahrefs has the bigger keyword index and better reviews
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Moz Reviews · Updated October 5, 2026
Moz is easier to start with. You can use a free Moz account or a 7-day Moz Pro trial before you pay, Standard costs $99 a month against $129 for Ahrefs Lite, and Standard includes 150 tracked AI prompts. Ahrefs has no trial, and its AI tracking (Brand Radar AI) is sold from $199 a month.
Ahrefs has the deeper data and the better reviews. It reports 28.7 billion filtered keywords against Moz's 1.25 billion+, Lite tracks 750 keywords against 300 on Moz Standard, and it rates higher on G2 and with unprompted Trustpilot reviewers. Both tools update rankings weekly. Pick Ahrefs if backlink and keyword research is your daily work and you are sure of the tool before paying. Pick Moz if you are new to SEO, want to try first, or need AI visibility tracking on a smaller budget.
Moz vs Ahrefs at a glance
| Compared on | Moz | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo (Starter); Standard $99/mo | $29/mo (Starter); Lite $129/mo |
| Yearly price | Standard $79/mo billed yearly (save 20%); Starter yearly price not published | Save up to 17% billed yearly |
| Entry plan | Starter: 1 person, 1 website. Standard: 1 user, 3 sites, 300 tracked keywords | Lite: 1 user, 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords; extra users $40/mo (up to 2) |
| Rank tracking updates | Weekly (daily only through STAT, from $360/mo) | Weekly on every plan |
| AI prompt tracking | 150 prompts on Standard (GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Perplexity) | Brand Radar AI, sold from $199/mo |
| Free plan / trial | Free Moz account (limited); 7-day Pro trial on Medium, payment details at signup | No trial; free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools needs site verification |
| Refund policy | No refunds of any kind | No refunds in general; unused monthly plans may request one, which Ahrefs may decline |
| Keyword database (vendor's claim) | 1.25 billion+ keywords | 28.7 billion filtered keywords from a 110 billion keyword database |
| Backlink index (vendor's claim) | 40 trillion+ links | About 35 trillion external backlinks, updated every 15 to 30 minutes |
| G2 rating | 4.3 (608 reviews, Moz Pro) | 4.5 (717 reviews) |
| Trustpilot TrustScore | 2.4 (242 reviews) | 2.2 (323 reviews) |
| Trustpilot unprompted, latest 50 reviews | 1.29 average (34 of 50 unprompted) | 2.1 average (50 of 50 unprompted) |
| Ownership | Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD), via iContact, since June 2021 | Private and bootstrapped: Ahrefs Pte. Ltd., Singapore |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-10-05. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Trustpilot samples: each company's 50 most recent reviews, off-topic ones left out. Moz: March 2025 to July 2026 (34 unprompted averaging 1.29; 16 invited averaging 5.0). Ahrefs: March 25, 2025 to October 3, 2026 (all 50 unprompted, averaging 2.1). Pulled October 5, 2026. Moz's API page puts its link index at 44 trillion.
Moz vs Ahrefs on price and entry plans
Ahrefs lists the lowest price of the two, a $29 a month Starter plan. The plans most people compare are Moz Standard at $99 a month ($79 billed yearly) and Ahrefs Lite at $129 a month. Moz Pro Starter, at $49 a month, covers one person and one website.
Lite gives more tracking for the extra $30: 5 projects and 750 tracked keywords, against 3 sites and 300 keywords on Moz Standard. Moz Standard adds 150 tracked AI prompts across GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity, while Ahrefs sells AI tracking as Brand Radar AI from $199 a month. Extra users cost $49 a month on Moz and $40 a month on Ahrefs, which allows up to 2 on Lite. See our Moz pricing page for every Moz plan.
Moz vs Ahrefs on trials and refunds
Moz lets you look before you buy. A free Moz account gives limited Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, and MozBar access, and the 7-day Moz Pro trial runs on the Medium plan. The trial takes payment details and rolls into a paid Medium plan ($179 a month) unless you cancel at least 24 hours before renewal. The Moz free trial guide and cancellation steps cover how to avoid a charge you did not plan for.
Ahrefs has no trial and says it never runs discounts. Its free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools requires you to verify you own the site. Neither company is generous on refunds: Moz offers none of any kind, and Ahrefs does not issue refunds in general, though a monthly subscriber who has not used the service can ask.
“The lack of a free trial is also frustrating.”Kenil G., G2, May 2026
Moz vs Ahrefs on keyword and link data
Ahrefs reports 28.7 billion filtered keywords from a 110 billion keyword database. Moz says Keyword Explorer covers 1.25 billion+. For keyword research across many countries or long-tail topics, Ahrefs has far more to work with.
On links, the vendor claims are similar: Moz says 40 trillion+ links, Ahrefs about 35 trillion external backlinks with an index updated every 15 to 30 minutes. Each company counts differently, so the totals are not a direct comparison. In our 1,834 Moz reviews, power users often say Moz's data is smaller than Ahrefs'. What Moz has is Domain Authority, a score many SEOs, clients, and link sellers already quote.
Moz vs Ahrefs on rank tracking and ease of use
Both update tracked rankings weekly. Ahrefs does so on every plan, and Moz Pro does the same; Moz sells daily tracking separately through STAT, from $360 a month for 3,000 daily keywords. If you need daily positions, neither entry plan provides them.
Moz's reviewers praise how quickly it can be learned, its reports, and its learning resources. Ahrefs reviewers on G2 mention a learning curve alongside the depth of its data.
“Moz is really useful, mostly if you are a beginner.”Alexandra U., G2, August 2025
Where Ahrefs wins
- 28.7 billion filtered keywords, against Moz's 1.25 billion+.
- More tracking on its first full plan: 5 projects and 750 keywords on Lite.
- A lower listed starting price: Starter at $29 a month.
- Higher review scores: 4.5 on G2 from 717 reviews, and a 2.1 unprompted Trustpilot average against Moz's 1.29.
- Cheaper extra users: $40 a month against Moz's $49.
- A backlink index Ahrefs says updates every 15 to 30 minutes.
Other Moz and Ahrefs comparisons
See Moz vs Semrush, Semrush vs Ahrefs, and Ahrefs alternatives, or the best SEO software roundup.
Moz vs Ahrefs FAQ
Is Moz or Ahrefs cheaper?+
It depends on the plan. Ahrefs lists a $29 a month Starter plan, the lowest price of the two. For a plan with rank tracking projects, Moz Standard is $99 a month ($79 billed yearly) for 3 sites and 300 tracked keywords, and Ahrefs Lite is $129 a month for 5 projects and 750 tracked keywords. Moz Pro Starter is $49 a month for one website.
Is Ahrefs better than Moz?+
For keyword data and reviews, yes. Ahrefs reports 28.7 billion filtered keywords; Moz says 1.25 billion+. Ahrefs rates 4.5 on G2 (717 reviews) against Moz Pro's 4.3 (608), and its unprompted Trustpilot reviews average higher. Moz is the better fit if you want to try the tool before paying, AI prompt tracking on a $99 plan, or a tool reviewers call easy for beginners.
How do Moz and Ahrefs reviews compare?+
Ahrefs leads. On G2 it scores 4.5 (717 reviews) to Moz Pro's 4.3 (608). On Trustpilot, among each company's 50 most recent reviews, unprompted reviews average 2.1 for Ahrefs (all 50) and 1.29 for Moz (34). Moz's higher overall TrustScore (2.4 vs 2.2) comes from reviews it invites, which average 5.0 in that sample.
Does Ahrefs have a free trial?+
No. Ahrefs has no free trial and says it never runs discounts. Its free tool, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, requires you to verify you own the site. Moz has a free account with limited Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, and MozBar access, plus a 7-day Moz Pro trial that takes payment details at signup.