Ahrefs is cheaper, but covers only 0 of 2 compared capabilities
$0/mo (Ahrefs Free) vs Screaming Frog SEO Spider Paid Version (licence) at $16.58/mo — covering 0% of the 2 compared capabilities.
Cheaper. Not the same job.
Comparison scenario
Every cheaper-than claim is tied to a defined scenario — never a bare list price.
single user, monthly billing · USD · prices as observed on official pricing pages.
Paid Version (licence) plan at $16.58/mo, the cheapest paid plan.
Ahrefs Free: 0 USD/monthly.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider costs $16.58/mo on the Paid Version (licence) plan at single user, monthly billing. We found 1 assessed alternative that is cheaper in this scenario; 0 of them cover at least 75% of the 2 compared capabilities.
Capability comparison
Ahrefs covers 0% of the 2 capabilities compared against Screaming Frog SEO Spider. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | Ahrefs | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
|---|---|---|
| Site audit | ↑ Starter | ✓ |
| Backlink analysis | ↑ Starter | ◐ |
What you give up
Capabilities Screaming Frog SEO Spider has that Ahrefs lacks.
- Site audit — Scan a site for technical SEO issues.Missing from Ahrefs.
- Backlink analysis — Analyze the backlinks pointing to a site.Missing from Ahrefs.
Plans & pricing, side by side
Advertised prices in USD as observed on the official pricing pages — per-seat and transaction-fee plans are marked.
| Ahrefs Free | Free |
| Starter | $29/mo |
| Lite | $129/mo |
| Standard | $249/mo |
| Advanced | $449/mo |
| Enterprise | $1499/mo (billed yearly) |
| Free Version | Free |
| Paid Version (licence) | $16.58/mo (billed yearly) |
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Frequently asked
How much cheaper is Ahrefs than Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
100% cheaper in our scenario (single user, monthly billing): $0/mo on Ahrefs Free vs $16.58/mo on Paid Version (licence). That is $199 a year. But it covers only 0 of 2 compared capabilities, so it isn't a like-for-like replacement.
What does Ahrefs lack compared with Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
Site audit, Backlink analysis — 2 of the 2 compared capabilities.
When were these prices checked?
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: 2026-10-29; Ahrefs: 2026-10-26 — on the official pricing pages.
Who switched
Anonymous: no account, no email, no IP stored. Reports are shown once a switch has 3 or more and never change ranking or order — alternatives are computed from prices and capabilities only.
Sources & freshness
- https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/pricing/ (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-29)
- https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/pricing/#download (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- Ahrefs data last verified 2026-10-26