How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Ahrefs is the strongest direct replacement for backlink and keyword research depth, with a Starter plan at $29 per month for lighter work.
- Semrush is the broadest suite here, covering SEO, content, and PPC in one subscription starting at $139 per month.
- SE Ranking itself gives strong tracked-keyword value at its entry price, with Core at $129 per month including 2,000 daily keyword checks.
- Mangools and Ubersuggest are the honest budget picks for freelancers and small sites that need real keyword data.
- Screaming Frog is not a suite, but at $279 per licence per year it is the best value technical crawler for teams that already own research tools.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Ahrefs | Backlink and keyword research depth | $29 per month | Yes |
 Semrush | All-in-one SEO, content, and PPC | $139 per month | Free trial |
 Moz Pro | Beginners and Domain Authority benchmarking | $49 per month | Free trial |
 Mangools | Simple keyword research | $37.70 per month | Free trial |
 Serpstat | Budget all-in-one research | $69 per month | Free trial |
 Ubersuggest | Low-cost checks for small sites | See website | Yes |
 SpyFu | Competitor keyword and PPC history | $39 per month | Yes |
 Screaming Frog | Technical site crawling | $279 per licence per year | Yes |
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The best SE Ranking alternatives
#1Ahrefs
Best for: Backlink and keyword research depth4.5/5 on
G2 (717 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit ahrefs.com
Starting price$29 per month
Free planYes
Ahrefs is the strongest direct replacement for backlink and keyword research. Its Starter plan at $29 per month covers lighter work, while Lite at $129 per month adds 750 tracked keywords and deeper research. Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Content Explorer are the tools most SEO professionals reach for first, and the backlink index is the deepest in this list.
Lower plans refresh rank data weekly rather than daily, and deeper research needs Standard or higher. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for your own verified sites, which covers audits and backlink checks without a paid plan. For agencies and link builders, Ahrefs remains the professional standard to beat.
What we like- Deepest backlink index here
- Strong keyword discovery
- Free Webmaster Tools for your own sites
Watch out for- Lite at $129 per month is the real professional tier
- Rank refresh is weekly on lower plans
- Add-ons add cost
#2Semrush
Best for: All-in-one SEO, content, and PPC4.4/5 on
G2 (4,035 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit semrush.com
Starting price$139 per month
Free planFree trial
Semrush is the broadest suite in this list, covering SEO research, rank tracking, site audits, content optimization, social scheduling, and PPC analysis in one subscription. The Pro plan starts at $139 per month, or $117.33 per month billed annually, and suits content teams and agencies that want one tool for many jobs.
The entry plan tracks only 500 keywords across five projects, which is less generous than SE Ranking Core, and extra seats, reports, and AI toolkits add cost. The interface packs many tools into one dashboard, so new users face a learning curve. For teams that want breadth over depth in any single area, Semrush is the most complete suite here.
What we like- Broadest suite here
- Keyword, backlink, content, and PPC tools in one
- Strong competitor traffic data
Watch out for- Entry plan tracks only 500 keywords across five projects
- Extra seats and reports add cost
- Learning curve
#3Moz Pro
Best for: Beginners and Domain Authority benchmarking4.3/5 on
G2 (608 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit moz.com
Starting price$49 per month
Free planFree trial
Moz Pro is the friendliest suite for beginners and small teams, with an approachable interface, keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, and the widely cited Domain Authority metric for benchmarking. The Starter plan at $49 per month covers one website, while Standard at $99 per month adds more projects and users.
The backlink index is smaller than Ahrefs, and lower plans refresh rank data weekly. Moz Pro suits teams that value clarity and benchmarking over raw index depth. For conventional SEO work with modest AI-monitoring needs, it remains a solid and well-documented choice.
What we like- Approachable interface
- Domain Authority benchmarking
- Up to three users on some plans
Watch out for- Starter covers one website only
- Backlink index smaller than Ahrefs
- Rank refresh weekly on lower plans
#4Mangools
Best for: Simple keyword research4.7/5 on
G2 (97 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit mangools.com
Starting price$37.70 per month
Free planFree trial
Mangools bundles five tools, led by KWFinder for keyword research, plus SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner, and SiteProfiler. The interface is the cleanest in this list, and Basic at $37.70 per month billed annually suits freelancers and small sites that need real keyword data without suite complexity.
Basic rank updates are weekly, and daily tracking needs the Agency tier. There is no full site-crawl allowance comparable to Semrush or SE Ranking, and LinkMiner draws on third-party data. For focused keyword research and simple monitoring, Mangools is the most pleasant tool to use daily.
What we like- Cleanest interface here
- KWFinder keyword research is excellent
- Good value for solo users
Watch out for- Basic rank updates are weekly
- No full site-crawl allowance comparable to suites
- LinkMiner uses third-party data
#5Serpstat
Best for: Budget all-in-one research4.6/5 on
G2 (464 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit serpstat.com
Starting price$69 per month
Free planFree trial
Serpstat packs keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, and backlink analysis into a lower-priced suite, with Individual at $69 per month or $50 per month billed annually. Daily rank tracking is included on every plan, and team plans offer good value for agencies managing many projects.
The entry plan excludes JavaScript rendering and API access, and tracking consumes position checks, so high-volume trackers must watch allowances. The index is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush. For budget teams that want a genuine all-in-one suite, Serpstat is the cheapest credible option here.
What we like- Research, tracking, and audit in one lower tier
- Daily rank tracking on every plan
- Good team value
Watch out for- Entry plan excludes JavaScript rendering and API access
- Tracking consumes position checks
- Smaller index than leaders
#6Ubersuggest
Best for: Low-cost checks for small sites4.2/5 on
G2 (160 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit neilpatel.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Ubersuggest offers keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and competitor overviews at the lowest usable price in this category. A free account covers limited daily searches, and paid plans have been listed from $12 to $29 per month depending on promotion and billing, so we mark the price as "See website" rather than repeat a figure that may not match checkout.
Rank checks are weekly on entry tiers, and there are no API plans at that level. Data depth trails Ahrefs and Semrush. For a small owned website with periodic SEO work, Ubersuggest gives real keyword data at a price freelancers can justify.
What we like- Lowest cost usable keyword research
- Simple interface
- Lifetime deal options have appeared
Watch out for- Published prices vary widely by listing and promotion
- Weekly rank checks
- No API plans on entry tiers
#7SpyFu
Best for: Competitor keyword and PPC history4.6/5 on
G2 (518 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit spyfu.com
Starting price$39 per month
Free planYes
SpyFu specializes in competitor intelligence: the keywords rivals rank for, their Google Ads history, and the ad copy they ran, going back years. Basic starts at $39 per month, or $29 per month billed annually, with unlimited searches on paid plans. Limited free searches let users test the data before paying.
Rank refresh is weekly on Basic, AI brand monitoring is absent on that tier, and audit tools are weaker than full suites. For competitor research and PPC history, SpyFu beats general suites on depth per dollar. Pair it with a crawler or audit tool for complete coverage.
What we like- Deep competitor keyword and Google Ads history
- Unlimited searches on paid plans
- Clear pricing
Watch out for- Weekly rank refresh on Basic
- No AI brand monitoring on Basic
- Weaker audit tools than suites
Starting price$279 per licence per year
Free planYes
Screaming Frog is not an SE Ranking replacement on its own. It is a desktop crawler that audits technical SEO: broken links, redirects, duplicate content, metadata, structured data, and rendering issues, at a depth cloud suites rarely match. The licence costs $279 per year, and the free version crawls up to 500 URLs.
It has no keyword database, rank tracking, or backlink index, so teams still need a research tool. For teams that already own research tools and need the best technical audit, Screaming Frog is the best value crawler available. Combined with Ahrefs Webmaster Tools or Google Search Console, it covers technical SEO thoroughly.
What we like- Best value technical crawler
- Deep audit detail
- Free version crawls 500 URLs
Watch out for- Not a research suite
- Desktop software, not cloud
- No rank tracking or keyword database
How we chose
We compared vendor pricing pages and recent 2026 SEO tool guides that verify prices against vendor pages, plus feature lists for research, tracking, audits, and backlink data. A tool made this list only if it covers at least one core SE Ranking job, research, tracking, or auditing, at a published price. Prices assume monthly billing unless annual figures are noted. Tracked-keyword allowances and refresh frequency matter more than headline price, so we flagged them wherever they change the value calculation.
What to check before you switch
Start with tracked keywords, not subscription price. SE Ranking Core includes 2,000 daily keyword checks, while Semrush Pro tracks 500 keywords and Ahrefs Lite tracks 750 with weekly refresh. A freelancer tracking 450 keywords across three sites may find Serpstat or Mangools cheaper, but only after checking whether position-check allowances cover daily tracking. The cheapest listed subscription is not always the cheapest way to complete the same work.
Next, check refresh frequency and data history. Weekly refresh suits monthly reporting, while daily tracking suits agencies reacting to algorithm updates. Backlink history matters for link builders, while content teams care more about content and PPC tools. Finally, trial the interface with a real project, since a tool you avoid using costs more than a pricier one you open daily.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best SE Ranking alternative overall?
Ahrefs is best for backlink and keyword depth, Semrush for breadth across SEO, content, and PPC, and Serpstat for budget all-in-one value. For most SE Ranking users, Ahrefs Lite or Semrush Pro are the closest professional swaps.
Is there a free alternative to SE Ranking?
Partly. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for your own sites, Google Search Console gives free ranking data, and Ubersuggest and SpyFu offer limited free searches. No free tool matches SE Ranking's full suite, but the free combination covers audits and basic research.
How many keywords can I track on each tool?
SE Ranking Core tracks 2,000 daily keywords. Semrush Pro tracks 500, Ahrefs Lite tracks 750 with weekly refresh, and Mangools Agency tracks 1,500 with daily updates. Always check allowances against your actual keyword count before buying.
Which tool is cheapest for freelancers?
Ubersuggest and Mangools are the cheapest usable options, with Mangools Basic at $37.70 per month billed annually. Ahrefs Starter at $29 per month covers lighter professional work with a smaller feature set.
Does Screaming Frog replace SE Ranking?
No. Screaming Frog is a technical crawler, not a research suite. It excels at audits but has no keyword database or rank tracking. Use it alongside a research tool, not instead of one.
What is Domain Authority and should I trust it?
Domain Authority is Moz's predictive score for ranking potential, based on link data. It is useful for benchmarking against competitors, but it is a third-party estimate, not a Google metric. Treat it as a comparison signal, not a ranking guarantee.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://ahrefs.com
- https://www.semrush.com
- https://moz.com/products/pro
- https://mangools.com
- https://serpstat.com
- https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest
- https://www.spyfu.com
- https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.