With many platforms bragging to be a true all-around SEO platform, it’s hard to identify the best service for your needs. But if you require detailed coverage in areas of keyword research, domain tracking, backlink and domain analysis, Ahrefs and Moz can be worth considering.
Our goal in this article is to check both tools and pronounce the winner of the Ahrefs vs Moz comparison. Here’s what we discovered while testing the tools!
What are Ahrefs and Moz?
Ahrefs Overview (+ Pros and Cons)
Ahrefs underlines that it’s been crawling the entire internet around the clock since 2010, and the platform’s database is huge. Thanks to this, it can provide extensive information about your website, competitors, and other relevant data to improve your SEO and online marketing performance.
PlayStation, Adidas, and Alibaba are only some on the impressive client list of this platform. Our Ahrefs comparison team mentions you can find a beginner’s guide and video courses on how to use the platform. The web-based dashboard is simple to use, and there’s only a minimal learning curve, making the platform attractive for newbies and experienced professionals.
Pros
- Numerous search parameters for customizing results
- Nine platforms covered for keyword research
- Accurate rank tracking information
- Suggestions on how to fix website issues
Cons
- No option to share reports yet, only export to CSV or PDF files
- Lacks some local SEO features, such as managing business listings
Moz Overview (+ Pros and Cons)
Moz offers a set of smart tools that aim to improve your digital marketing results. The idea is to receive comprehensive insights and actionable intel that help focus your effort on areas that will most efficiently improve your SEO and online presence.
Our Ahrefs vs Moz experts notice that this platform analyzes over eight million SERPs daily and has over 1.25 billion suggestions in its keyword database, along with over 43 trillion links. Some notable clients include Zillow, Trivago, and 99Designs.
Pros
- Branded reports and templates with a high customization level
- Spam score ranking for backlink analysis
- Covers Google search engines in 170+ countries
- Some tools are free to use
Cons
- The Standard subscription offers limited credits
- It doesn’t have as impressive a keyword database as Ahrefs
Delving into the capabilities and performance of Moz, this comprehensive Moz Review offers an in-depth look at what users can expect from using Moz for their SEO endeavors.
Features Comparison
Our first impression in the Ahrefs vs Moz showdown is that both tools have a professional and user-friendly dashboard. It’s the starting position from where you can create and browse projects and access different functions. And here’s how these tools compare when it comes to major features!
Domain Analysis
Ahrefs
Ahrefs calls this feature a Site Explorer, and you immediately notice that it offers extensive info. Everything is well-sorted, and you get information about organic and paid traffic, backlink profiles, and crawled pages.
Our Ahrefs vs Moz team notes it all starts from the General page, where you can customize which metrics to portray in the graph. That includes referring domains, average domain or URL ratings, and estimated organic and paid traffic volumes and values. Checking the traffic by location can be a useful metric if your website is optimized for multiple markets.
If you pay attention to the top section, you can see a backlink profile with domain and URL ratings, which are unique metrics offered by this suite. Our Ahrefs comparison revealed that you check the number and percentage of types of backlinks, with attributes like follow or no-follow specified.
Analyzing paid traffic can be helpful when analyzing competition since you’ll know if the rivals are spending money on CPC advertising. Extensive info about keywords will show the relation between paid and organic traffic and the position in the rankings, so you have a detailed idea of the entire performance.
Detailed statistics on ads history are also there, and you can see what the competition’s Google Ad looks like to get inspiration for yours. Our Moz vs Ahrefs experts mention paying attention to the unique keyword difficulty metric, which estimates how difficult it is to rank for a particular phrase.
Moz
When choosing Ahrefs or Moz, the good news is you can try the domain analysis feature for free. The platform limits you to three searches per day unless you have a premium subscription.
Now, the first thing you note is the basic ratings, starting with the estimated Domain Authority. This original metric is combined with ranking keywords, linking root domains and the estimated spam score for the links. You can also see the list of pages with the top Page Authority, another custom metric that could prove a useful insight when creating a content plan.
Our Ahrefs vs Moz team noted that the free analysis covers new and lost linking domains in the previous two months, and you can analyze this further in the premium subscription with backlink tools.
The results will also show top-ranking keywords by Google search engine page results. Moz uses CTR and keyword volume to list the highest phrase visibility, which can be a way to identify top terms used by competitors. You’ll also see branded keywords and top-featured snippets, which is great if you plan to optimize in that department.
Another thing noted by our Moz vs Ahrefs team is that you can see keyword ranking distribution within given ranges. The platform will list top search competitors, which serves to identify potential rivals quickly. Finally, the list of questions related to a domain can be useful if you plan to optimize for the People Also Ask box on Google.
Verdict
Using the tool for free is an excellent option, and Moz enables just that. However, the free report isn’t anywhere as extensive, and you might need to use premium credits for more details. If we compare Moz and Ahrefs tools for exploring domains, it seems that the latter comes out as the winner. It’s partially because it offers detailed data and partially because it’s incredibly well-organized and easy to navigate.
Backlink Analysis
Ahrefs
Ahrefs has a free backlink checker that will give an overview of the number of backlinks, linking sites, and domain ratings. You can also see the list of referring pages, along with the anchor text and URL.
While that’s useful, the entire backlink list is only available with the premium subscription. On the other hand, website authority and broken link checkers also don’t require registration. Looking for broken links will take a few seconds for large websites.
As our Moz vs Ahrefs comparison experts noted, this platform offers backlink profile details as a part of the Domain Analysis feature. The company claims to have the fastest backlink crawler, and we can confirm that the speed is impressive. Also, you can access over seven years of historical information and over 15 trillion live backlinks.
The table shown is quite extensive and goes beyond the basics. You can check the referring domains, the authority rating for each referring page, and when it was first and last seen. Tables that focus on broken, internal backlinks and anchors are also there if you are looking for anything specific.
For individuals and businesses weighing the pros and cons of Ahrefs, this thorough Ahrefs Review sheds light on the tool’s features, usability, and how it stands against competitors in the SEO landscape.
Moz
Moz calls this feature link research, and it’s worth noting its database has over 40 trillions of backlinks. Assessing a website link profile starts by seeing the Domain Authority rating, the number of inbound links and linking domains, and ranking keywords.
Our Moz comparison mentions you can see top pages on the site and links to them, along with the page authority shown next to the URL. Inbound link analysis will show how many total and followed links are there, the URL and anchor text, as well as the number of linking domains for that page.
Moz can identify broken links quickly and also show the list of new and lost links. Comparing link profiles and using the Link Intersect tool is how you can identify new opportunities to strengthen your backlink profiles. You can compare several websites and see metrics shown in a convenient table.
Another option our Moz vs Ahrefs team found useful is the option to create link tracking lists. It’s great to monitor your outreach efforts, especially since you can add notes to ensure you don’t miss a single important detail.
Verdict
Both tools are great, and you can’t go wrong whether you pick Moz or Ahrefs. Ahrefs manages to sort the data well again and has detailed tables that you can customize by various parameters. Moz has a similar approach, and it has metrics like Spam Score. These can be useful to improve your link quality and remove links that are harmful.
Keyword Research
Ahrefs
The platform named this feature Keyword Explorer and claims it’s the most complete tool available. That’s a bold statement, but it is comprehensive, especially since it covers data from 243 countries, which is great for non-US users.
Ahrefs mentions they use a database with over 19.2 billion keywords, and you can search up to 10,000 in a single go. The creators specify they update monthly metrics based on clickstream data, allowing the information to be updated and accurate.
Keyword difficulty score is the most useful metric, especially since you can use it to find keywords that you can optimize for without investing too much. A useful metric is the “Clicks” rating, which estimates how many people actually clicked on the keyword monthly. The percentage of overall and paid clicks and the return rate are all advanced metrics that can be of assistance.
Our Ahrefs vs Moz team pinpoints that keyword overview details are easy to navigate. You immediately see the keyword difficulty, traffic volume and potential. Keyword ideas are grouped in different departments, including terms match, questions, rank for, and also talk about. Ahrefs also generates a parent topic for the keyword, helping you create the perfect content plan.
The tool also shows the current SERP results and ranking history. That’s convenient if you want to analyze top-ranking pages and generate inspiration for new content. Our Moz vs Ahrefs team also notes that creating keyword groups with this tool is easy. Thanks to the option to make lists, you can easily organize keywords despite the large suggestion volume.
Moz
Our Moz comparison quickly showed that the company is a bit behind with the database size since it “only” has 1.25 billion keywords. That covers most needs, and it’s great that you can enter a keyword or URL when searching for the desired phrases. Exploring by site can be an important part of competition analysis.
Moz claims that the search volume has an accuracy of over 95%, and that’s also true for the keyword difficulty rating and the click-through rate scores. At every moment, it’s possible to add a keyword to a list or export the table with up to 10,000 rows.
According to the details provided by our Moz vs Ahrefs team, this tool provides results from 170 Google search engines in different countries. You’ll see many useful keyword suggestions, including broad matches and questions related to the seed phrase.
The platform shows SERP details if you click on a keyword. That’s great for extensive page analysis, looking for content inspiration, and understanding why some pages rank highly. Once you create a list, the tool will show average keyword difficulty and other useful metrics for each group.
Verdict
If you compare Ahrefs and Moz, both do a great job with keyword research. The critical difference might be the search engine coverage since Ahrefs counts to nine. Apart from Google, you can receive keyword volume from Bing, Baidu, YouTube, Amazon, and other platforms.
Rank Tracking
Ahrefs
For marketing experts and clients, rank tracking is imperative as it’s a measurable way of tracking the campaign results. Ahrefs will initially ask you to add keywords and locations to track. It’s something to be aware of when using credits since a different location for a single keyword is essentially a new search.
Graphs portray your SEO progress visually and can be important when choosing Ahrefs or Moz. The visibility rating focuses on organic traffic and portrays the click percentage that actually comes to your site.
Checking out the average traffic and ranking position, including segmenting rankings in different categories, provides a quick overview of your progress. Ahrefs will even show the improvement and mark it in green or red, which can be convenient when reporting to clients. SERP features are vital because you’ll get information on 13 different characteristics, ranging from videos and top stories to image packs and “People also ask” boxes.
According to our Moz vs Ahrefs team, this tool dominates in the available filters. From locations, positions, and traffic to volume and keyword difficulty, you can easily customize ranks to the things you need.
The Share of Voice metric is also useful, and you can use the comparison tool to see how you measure against your rivals. That simple comparison gives you a detailed overview of who gained the most during the specified period. In case you forget to check, you can schedule SEO reports to arrive in your inbox.
Moz
Moz allows you to receive a detailed report for the specified period and narrow the results to desktop or mobile devices and certain markets. The basic information shows all tracked keywords, those who made the best progress or declined the most.
This tool also has a search visibility rating and will segment your rankings into four categories that cover the first 50 results for the chosen keyword. You can see tabs that focus on specific engines, including Bing, Google Mobile, and Google. Another tab allows you to compare your visibility and other parameters with the competition to see who performed best.
Finally, you’ll also get suggestions on keywords that might be worth tracking. There’s no need to commit immediately – you only add them to the tracking list if you move them there. The platform creates a ranking history graph and will always compare results with the previous time you requested rank tracking.
Verdict
The winner of our Ahrefs vs Moz comparison here is Ahrefs, but it’s a close call. Both platforms offer a nice overview and useful additional data about keywords. You can get an idea of your rankings and progress in a few seconds. The reason why we picked Ahrefs is that it manages to be more detailed and concise in delivering information from its extensive database.
Site Audits
Ahrefs
Ahrefs performs a comprehensive site audit that you can run for any project you create. The report will show URLs crawled, page content types, and website depth. An error distribution graph will show the number of crawled URLs with and without issues, which is a fast way to see the progress of repairs.
Health score is another metric that will show the current condition on your website. Next to it, you can see the tab with total issues. For your convenience, the tool shows a history of performed crawls and detailed logs. It’s also possible to browse crawled pages by filters or focus only on changes, which our Ahrefs vs Moz team believes is a convenient addition.
On the Overview page, you can see types of internal URLs, such as HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. HTTP status codes for internal links and other details are there, but it’s all about the issues and recommendations. You can sort issues by importance and check types of issues. The great thing is that you can read issue details and tips on how to fix that problem.
Moz
Moz calls this feature Site Crawl, and it’s a part of its Pro packages. Speed is once again an important aspect, as site audits are impressively fast. The initial report shows you how many pages the platform crawled and an overview of total, critical, and new issues.
The overview page will immediately show recommended fixes, which can vary from Redirect to 4xx to missing H1 and tags. If you notice the red question mark next to a problem, Moz considers it a priority, and you should fix it first.
The service will show you all issues sorted in different categories, ranging from critical crawler warnings to specific categories like redirect and content issues. Tables with historical information are convenient since they show the progress made in improving website health. The detailed list of each issue also allows you to see page authority ratings, so you can focus on problems on your best-performing pages first.
Verdict
Ahrefs is the winner of our Moz vs Ahrefs comparison, although it’s a close call. Both tools offer comprehensive site audits, but visual presentation and easy navigation around the results make Ahrefs the better choice. Experienced SEO experts will appreciate the Data Explorer that allows searching for information from the crawler based on numerous parameters.
Comparison of Other Features
We can’t finish our Moz vs Ahrefs comparison without checking what else these tools have to offer. Here are some details that might be worth considering if you choose Ahrefs:
- Alerts. Scheduling alerts to your email address for ranking updates and other features is a convenient option.
- Content explorer. The platform has over 14.0 billion web pages, and you can use this to your advantage to find the best ideas for new content for your site.
- Directory listing. If you get the Enterprise plan, you’ll be listed in the Ahrefs’ database of clients.
- Looker Studio Integration and API. These can be convenient additions for professional clients.
Before you choose Moz or Ahrefs, here are the extra features to expect from Moz:
- Moz Local. It’s an entirely different set of services focused on local SEO. You can synchronize and manage business listings, receive alerts for new customer reviews, and monitor review sentiment.
- Branded reports and templates. You can white-label reports and pick from numerous templates that suit your requirements.
- API and STAT. These offer enterprise rank tracking and intelligent metrics that offer an even deeper dive into the available data provided by Moz.
For those considering Moz but interested in exploring other options, this detailed analysis of Moz Alternatives provides valuable insights into potential substitutes that might better meet specific SEO needs.
Price Comparison
Ahrefs
Let’s start the Ahrefs pricing vs Moz pricing with the details about this platform’s subscription:
- Lite. The package costs $99 monthly and unlocks access to the site and keyword explorers, site audit and SERP comparison, and a rank tracker.
- Standard. For $199 monthly, you unlock access to position history charts, portfolios, a content explorer and competitive analysis. Additional tools like broken links and link intersect are available in the site explorer section.
- Advanced. It costs $399 monthly, and it will explore your site for HTTP authentication and enable Looker Studio integration. You also get a web explorer in this package.
- Enterprise. The most advanced package is priced at $999 monthly, and you receive access to SSO and API, an audit log, and access management options.
If you pay an annual subscription, you can qualify for two months free.
Moz
We’ll focus on Moz Pro, and here are its subscription options:
- Standard. The price is $99 monthly, and you can launch up to three campaigns with 300 keyword rankings, page crawling, 150 keyword queries to search monthly and unlimited scheduled reports.
- Medium. It costs $179 monthly, and you get two user seats, 1,500 keyword rankings and 5,000 keyword queries, as well as branded reports and templates.
- Large. The price is $299 monthly, and you can launch up to 25 campaigns. Three user seats are included in the subscription.
- Premium. The package costs $599 monthly and covers 50 campaigns and five user seats, a speed crawl, and extensive credits in other departments.
You pay Moz Local tools separately, and you can contact the company for more information if you prefer a custom subscription. The platform also has a 30-day free trial after you provide card information. If you pay for a yearly subscription for any of the Pro packages, you qualify for a 20% discount.
Verdict
In the Moz pricing vs Ahrefs pricing overview, it’s easy to notice the package pricing is similar. It seems like the Standard subscription at Moz lacks more credits and offers limited functions. However, the most expensive package is considerably cheaper if you pick Moz. Ultimately, they both offer good value for the money, so it’s all about finding the tool you need.
Alternative to Moz and Ahrefs
You checked what Moz and Ahrefs offer and realized that it’s not the best deal for you as a team or individual. Whether that’s due to the available features or how many credits you can use for which function, you believe an alternative could be a greater option. Here’s why SE Ranking could be a better choice!
SE Ranking
Although SE Ranking primarily focuses on providing an SEO platform for businesses, its affordable pricing makes it a good choice for individuals, too. Here’s an overview of why over 25,000 brands, including Yamaha, Zapier, and Recruitee, picked SE Ranking:
- Keyword research and ranking. The keyword suggestion tool will help you identify the right phrases for your platform, and rankings are accurate and regularly updated to ensure you have full information on your current positions.
- Website auditor and competitive research. You can audit your website for technical issues to optimize it for SEO, including a detailed on-page checker. Competitive analysis and SERP checker can offer useful information about your rivals.
- Backlink checker and monitor. Receive detailed information about backlinks and discover how you can improve your link profile.
- Content marketing. Leveraging the power of AI is important, and SE Ranking uses it to offer the best suggestions when building outlines and preparing your content.
- Agency success kit. It offers lead generation widget, and scheduled SEO reports that you can white-label to strengthen your company’s reputation.
The good news is that SE Ranking offers a two-week free trial, which means you can test the platform for 14 days to see if it fits your preference. Exploring alternatives to Ahrefs can uncover new possibilities for SEO strategies; this analysis of Ahrefs Alternatives presents a range of options for those looking to diversify their SEO tools suite.
Conclusion
The conclusion of our Ahrefs vs Moz comparison is that these are both strong players in the SEO industry. They provide extensive data in different areas, ranging from backlink analysis to competitor research.
Ahrefs seems to be a lot better at presenting the information, with many graphs and filtering options to customize the results. The platform, however, lacks the option to share reports, and white-label reports are where Moz excels. On the other hand, Ahrefs covers nine search engines for keyword research and has five times more phrases in its database.
As you can see, the decision in the Moz vs Ahrefs battle is up to you. Both tools are premium and quite expensive, especially compared to some cheaper alternatives. That’s why we recommend them for professionals and large teams and agencies.