Ahrefs vs SerpStep

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is the backlink index most SEO teams treat as the reference, and the rest of the suite — keywords, rank tracking, audits — is strong enough that it usually replaces two or three cheaper tools. The entry prices mislead: Starter at $29 is a taster, and Lite at $129 is a single seat with credit limits, so a small agency lands at Standard plus extra users before it feels unconstrained. Buy it for the data; price it on your real seat count.

Pros

• +Backlink index built on Ahrefs' own crawler, with trillions of links and years of history
• +Keyword research, rank tracking, site audit and AI-answer visibility in one subscription
• +API and MCP access included from the Lite plan, not sold as a separate product
• +Free tier for your own verified sites and a $29 Starter for light use

Cons

• −Lite caps usage at 1,000 credits per user and six months of history
• −Every plan includes one user; additional seats are a per-month surcharge
• −Enterprise at $1,499 requires an annual commitment
• −Brand Radar AI and prompt-check packages are paid add-ons on top of the plan

SerpStep

SerpStep strips SEO keyword research down to a four-step workflow aimed at solo founders rather than agency teams, ending in a content brief you can hand to a writer. The free tier's one brief a month is enough only to try it, and the founder-rate $12 plan is explicitly a limited-time offer rather than a stable price.

Pros

• +Four-step workflow goes from raw idea to content brief, not just a keyword list
• +Free tier requires no account to try
• +Founder-rate $12/month plan is locked for life for early subscribers
• +7-day trial on paid plans with no card required for the free tools

Cons

• −Free tier's one brief a month is only enough for occasional use
• −No company name disclosed — appears to be a solo or very small operation, which matters for long-term support

Is Ahrefs cheaper than SerpStep?

On published entry prices, SerpStep starts lower — $12/mo against $29/mo for Ahrefs. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it; what each plan includes differs.

Does Ahrefs or SerpStep have a free tier?

Both: Ahrefs has a free tier, and SerpStep has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Ahrefs or SerpStep?

Ahrefs ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for SerpStep is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.