Ahrefs Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Ahrefs costs Free to $1.5K per month as of June 2026, with 6 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Starter at $29/month, Lite at $129/month, Standard at $249/month, Advanced at $449/month, and Enterprise at $1499/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Ahrefs offers 6 pricing tiers: Free, Starter, Lite, Standard, Advanced, Enterprise. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Starter at $29/user/month, Lite at $129/user/month, Standard at $249/user/month. The Starter plan is individuals doing light keyword and competitor research.
Yes, Ahrefs offers a forever free plan as of June 2026. The free tier includes 2 features with limits on usage. Paid plans start at $29/user/month (Starter). Pricing verified from 8 sources by CostBench.
Ahrefs's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Ahrefs data on your own site
- Site audit basics
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- See what people search
- Spy on competitors
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like See what people search or Spy on competitors
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- $29 cost for trial access
- Limited trial period
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Starter Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Starter $29/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 2 included | 2+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Ahrefs branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Getting started | Individuals doing light keyword and competitor research |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Ahrefs free?
Yes, Ahrefs offers a forever free plan with 2 core features included. However, there are limits on users and features that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Ahrefs's free plan?
Ahrefs's free plan includes: Ahrefs data on your own site, Site audit basics. Key limits include basic usage caps.
03 What's NOT included in Ahrefs's free plan?
The free plan excludes: See what people search, Spy on competitors. You'll also have Ahrefs branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Ahrefs's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like See what people search or Spy on competitors, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $29/user/month.
05 Is Ahrefs's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Ahrefs's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.