Screaming Frog SEO Spider is 43% cheaper
than Ahrefs
$16.58/mo (Paid Version (licence)) vs Ahrefs Starter at $29/mo — covering 50% of the 4 compared capabilities.
Same job. Way less money.
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.
Starter plan at $29/mo, the cheapest paid plan.
Paid Version (licence): 199 USD/yearly.
Ahrefs costs $29/mo on the Starter 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 4 compared capabilities.
Capability comparison
Screaming Frog SEO Spider covers 50% of the 4 capabilities compared against Ahrefs. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Rank tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Keyword research | ✗ | ✓ |
| Backlink analysis | ◐ | ✓ |
| Site audit | ✓ | ✓ |
What you give up
Capabilities Ahrefs has that Screaming Frog SEO Spider lacks.
- Rank tracking — Track keyword rankings over time.Missing from Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
- Keyword research — Research keywords and their search volume.Missing from Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
Plans & pricing, side by side
Advertised prices in USD as observed on the official pricing pages — per-seat and transaction-fee plans are marked.
| Free Version | Free |
| Paid Version (licence) | $16.58/mo (billed yearly) |
| Ahrefs Free | Free |
| Starter | $29/mo |
| Lite | $129/mo |
| Standard | $249/mo |
| Advanced | $449/mo |
| Enterprise | $1499/mo (billed yearly) |
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Frequently asked
How much cheaper is Screaming Frog SEO Spider than Ahrefs?
43% cheaper in our scenario (single user, monthly billing): $16.58/mo on Paid Version (licence) vs $29/mo on Starter. That is $149 a year.
What does Screaming Frog SEO Spider lack compared with Ahrefs?
Rank tracking, Keyword research — 2 of the 4 compared capabilities.
When were these prices checked?
Ahrefs: 2026-10-26; Screaming Frog SEO Spider: 2026-10-29 — 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://ahrefs.com/pricing (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider data last verified 2026-10-29