kitio.aiAhrefs vs ExactScience
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Ahrefs starts at $129/mo and ExactScience starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Site Explorer
- Keywords Explorer
- Site Audit
- Rank Tracker
- Brand Radar
- SERP element tracking
- Content relevance score
- Multi-domain dashboard
- Device-specific rankings
- Credit-based keyword tracking
| Feature | Ahrefs | ExactScience |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | SEO toolset known for its backlink index and keyword data | Rank tracker with AI content relevance scores for SEO teams |
| Category | Marketing | Marketing |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free trial |
| Starting price | $129/mo | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | No, 7-day trial |
| Made by | Ahrefs | ExactScience |
| Based in | Singapore | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Ahrefs starts at $129/mo and ExactScience starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
5 plans
Free
Free
- Limited site audit and explorer data
- For verified websites
Lite
$129/mo
- 1 user, up to 2 extra at $40/mo
- 750 tracked keywords
- 6 months of history
- 100,000 crawl credits
Standard
$249/mo
- 1 user, up to 5 extra at $60/mo
- 2,000 tracked keywords
- 2 years of history
- 500,000 crawl credits
Advanced
$449/mo
- 1 user, up to 10 extra at $80/mo
- 5,000 tracked keywords
- 5 years of history
- 1.5M crawl credits
Enterprise
$1499/mo
- Annual commitment required
- From 3 users
- Uncapped API access
- Custom API endpoints
2 plans
Credits
$0.05 / credit
- Credit covers 30 daily refreshes
- Priced by keywords and frequency
- 7-day trial with 30 keywords
Multi Site Enterprise
Contact sales
- 50,000+ credits
- Unlimited domains and users
- Unlimited competitors
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Ahrefs
- Strong backlink data
- Clean, fast interface
- Free tools for your own sites
- Starter plan has tight limits
- Add-ons raise the real cost quickly
ExactScience
- Tracks the real layout of results
- Pay only for the keywords you track
- Unlimited domains on enterprise
- Hourly tracking gets costly fast
- Credit math takes planning
- Enterprise pricing needs a quote
Which one should you choose?
Choose Ahrefs if you want:
- Strong backlink data
- Clean, fast interface
- Free tools for your own sites
Watch out: starter plan has tight limits.
Choose ExactScience if you want:
- Tracks the real layout of results
- Pay only for the keywords you track
- Unlimited domains on enterprise
Watch out: hourly tracking gets costly fast.
Ahrefs vs ExactScience FAQ
What is the difference between Ahrefs and ExactScience?
Ahrefs: SEO toolset known for its backlink index and keyword data. ExactScience: Rank tracker with AI content relevance scores for SEO teams. Both are marketing tools.
Is Ahrefs or ExactScience cheaper?
Ahrefs starts at $129/mo and ExactScience starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Ahrefs and ExactScience have free plans?
Ahrefs: Yes. ExactScience: No, 7-day trial.
Who makes Ahrefs?
Ahrefs is made by Ahrefs, based in Singapore.
Who makes ExactScience?
ExactScience is made by ExactScience.
Which should I choose, Ahrefs or ExactScience?
Choose Ahrefs if you value strong backlink data and clean, fast interface. Choose ExactScience if you value tracks the real layout of results and pay only for the keywords you track.