6 Best Ahrefs API Competitors for SEO Experts and Teams

Intro

The SE Ranking API is the best Ahrefs API competitor. It provides a reliable layer for integrating SEO data into custom workflows. It exposes key datasets, including keyword positions and search results, through consistent endpoints that are easy to implement. Compared to more fragmented solutions, it focuses on clarity and usability rather than sheer volume of endpoints.

The Ahrefs API (now v3) is powerful but expensive and tightly gated. Full access requires an Enterprise-level plan, and the unit-based consumption model makes cost unpredictable at scale. Most SEO teams using it for backlink analysis, keyword data, or custom dashboards hit the wall fast. That's what makes finding a good Ahrefs API alternative so common a priority in 2025.

The best Ahrefs API alternatives depend on what you're actually pulling. If you need comprehensive SEO data — backlinks, keyword metrics, rank tracking — SE Ranking and Semrush are the closest like-for-like replacements. If you need raw SERP data at speed and low cost, Serper.dev and SearchApi are miles ahead on value. Moz API suits teams that specifically need Domain Authority-style metrics. Zenserp works for lightweight, real-time SERP scraping.

Every tool below has been evaluated as a genuine Ahrefs API competitor — not just a SERP scraper tagged with the label.

Comparison Table of Best Ahrefs API Competitors

Tool	Primary Data Type	API Availability	Starting Price	Free Tier	Best For
SE Ranking API	Keywords, backlinks, rank tracking	Standalone or bundled	$318/mo for API (24M credits/year)	14-day trial + 100k credits	Full SEO data pipelines
Semrush API	Full SEO suite	Business plan only	$499.95/mo	14-day trial	Large agencies, enterprise
Moz API	Link metrics, keyword data	Standalone from $5/mo	$20/mo	30-day trial	Authority metrics, dashboards
Serper.dev	Google SERP (real-time)	Full API	$50 for 50k queries	2,500 free queries	SERP data at scale
SearchApi	Multi-engine SERP	Full API	$40/mo	100 free requests	LLM/AI integrations
Zenserp	Google/YouTube SERP	Full API	$49.99/mo (25k searches)	50 req/mo free plan	Lightweight SERP scraping

1. SE Ranking API

SE Ranking offers what most teams looking for Ahrefs API alternatives actually want: structured access to keyword data, backlink data, and rank tracking in a single API. As an alternative to Ahrefs API, it is one of the few tools that covers all three data types without requiring separate subscriptions. The Data API runs on a flexible credit model, which you can buy as a standalone product — no active SE Ranking subscription required.

What are the key features of SE Ranking API?

• Keyword data endpoints – search volume, keyword difficulty, CPC, and SERP features
• Backlink API – referring domains, anchor data, link attributes, historical backlink data
• Rank tracking API – keyword position data across Google, Bing, and YouTube
• Competitor data – organic traffic estimates, top pages, keyword overlap analysis
• Usage-based credit model – Growth plan includes 100,000 monthly credits; Standalone plan starts at 24 million annual credits
• Project API – automate site audits, keyword management, project creation within SE Ranking accounts
• 14-day trial – includes 100,000 free API credits with no credit card required
• AI Search Toolkit endpoints – brand mention tracking across AI platforms (newer addition)

What are the pros and cons of SE Ranking API?

Pros:

• Standalone API access — no platform subscription required
• Credit model is predictable once you map endpoint costs
• Covers keyword, backlink, and rank tracking data in one API (rare among Ahrefs API competitors)
• Solid documentation with active improvement trajectory
• Competitive price vs. Semrush and Ahrefs for similar data types

Cons:

• Full API access (Growth plan) requires either the Growth subscription or a standalone purchase
• Credit forecasting is needed for large workflows — costs per endpoint vary

What is the pricing of SE Ranking API?

SE Ranking API gets mentioned often among Ahrefs API alternatives for its balance of cost and features. Many experts switch here when Ahrefs pricing feels too steep.

• Core plan: 25,000 credits/month; subscription starts at $103.20/mo billed annually
• Growth plan: Includes 100,000 Data API credits/month; subscription starts at $223.20/mo billed annually
• Standalone API plan: $318/mo for 24 million credits annually
• 14-day free trial: 100,000 credits included, no credit card required
• Credit cost per request varies by endpoint; minimum 10 credits per keyword record

2. Semrush API

Semrush is the most widely known name among Ahrefs API alternatives, and for good reason. The API covers a broader data set than almost any competitor — organic research, advertising intelligence, backlinks, keyword gap analysis, and more. The catch is access. API access is locked to the Business plan only, making it the priciest entry point on this list.

What are the key features of Semrush API?

• Domain analytics API – organic keywords, traffic estimates, authority score per domain
• Backlink API – full backlink index with anchor text, link type, and referring domain data
• Keyword research API – search volume, KD scores, keyword variations, questions
• Position tracking API – daily rank tracking across any location or device
• Advertising research API – paid keyword data, ad copy, PLA listings
• Historical data access – organic and advertising data back to 2012
• AI Visibility endpoints – brand monitoring across LLM-powered platforms (via Semrush One plans)
• White-label reporting – accessible via API for custom dashboard builds

What are the pros and cons of Semrush API?

Pros:

• The largest combined SEO + PPC data set among all Ahrefs API competitor options
• Historical data depth back to 2012 is unmatched at this tier
• Advertising intelligence is unique — no other tool in this list covers it comparably
• Well-documented REST API with broad third-party integrations
• Semrush One plans bundle AI visibility monitoring with core SEO data

Cons:

• API access only on Business plan ($499.95/mo monthly billing) — the highest entry price here
• No standalone API purchase option
• Unit-based consumption can surprise teams at scale
• One user seat by default on all plans; additional seats cost extra
• Overkill for teams that only need SERP or rank tracking data

What is the pricing of Semrush API?

• Pro: $139.95/mo — no API access
• Guru: $249.95/mo — no API access
• Business: $499.95/mo (monthly) / $416.66/mo (annual) — includes API access
• Semrush One Starter: $199/mo — no API
• Semrush One Advanced: $549/mo — includes API access
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with negotiated API limits and user seats
• 14-day free trial available on most plans

3. Moz API

Moz occupies a specific niche among the best Ahrefs API alternatives: link authority metrics. Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) are Moz's proprietary scores, and the Moz API is the only way to pull them programmatically.

What are the key features of Moz API?

• Domain Authority and Page Authority – Moz's proprietary link quality scores
• Link Explorer API – over 35 trillion links indexed; pulling referring domains, anchor text, and link profiles
• Keyword metrics API – volume, difficulty, priority scores, and keyword suggestions
• Search intent data – intent classification per keyword (available on Beta endpoints)
• Brand Authority Score – proprietary brand strength metric
• Ranking keywords endpoint – keywords a domain ranks for
• Simplified OAuth authentication – revamped developer experience since 2024
• No overage charges – flat unit model with clear caps

What are the pros and cons of Moz API?

Pros:

• The most accessible pricing on this list — entry API plans from $5/mo
• DA/PA scores are industry-standard metrics widely requested by clients and stakeholders
• 35+ trillion link index provides meaningful backlink data coverage
• Affordable relative to Semrush for teams that don't need full-suite SEO API access
• SOC 2 and GDPR compliant with secure OAuth

Cons:

• DA and PA are Moz-proprietary scores — not interchangeable with Ahrefs DR or Semrush AS
• Keyword data is less comprehensive than Ahrefs or Semrush at scale
• Interface and documentation feel dated compared to newer competitors

What is the pricing of Moz API?

• Free Tier: 50 rows per month with a restrictive rate limit.
• Starter Plan: From $20/month for 3,000 rows to $75/month for 15,000 rows.
• Growth Plan: From $125/month for 50,000 rows to $500/month for 500,000 rows.
• Advanced Plan: $2,000/month for 4 million rows, ideal for custom tool builders.
• Enterprise Plan: $10,000/month for 40 million rows for commercial products.
• Overage Fees: Ranging from $3.50 to $25 per 10,000 additional rows.

4. Serper.dev

Serper.dev is the best Ahrefs API alternative for teams that specifically need real-time Google SERP data at high volume and low cost. It does not provide backlink or keyword difficulty data — that's not what it's for. What it does exceptionally well: sub-2-second response times, pay-as-you-go credits that last 6 months, and pricing that's genuinely cheaper than most Ahrefs API competitors at scale.

What are the key features of Serper.dev?

• Google SERP scraping – organic results, ads, People Also Ask, knowledge graphs, shopping results
• Multiple result types – web, image, news, video, maps, and autocomplete endpoints
• 1–2 second response times – among the fastest in the SERP API category
• Geolocation support – search from any country, language, or location
• Up to 300 queries per second on higher tiers
• Pay-as-you-go credits – 6-month validity, no monthly subscription lock-in required
• Structured JSON output – clean format for direct LLM and dashboard consumption
• 2,500 free queries to test before purchasing

What are the pros and cons of Serper.dev?

Pros:

• One of the cheapest SERP APIs available — $0.30/1k queries at higher volumes
• Credits last 6 months, removing the "use it or lose it" penalty of subscription models
• Speed is consistently 1–2 seconds per query, which matters for real-time applications
• Up to 300 queries/second concurrency supports high-throughput SEO tools
• No credit card required for the free tier

Cons:

• Google-only — no Bing, Yahoo, or other engine support
• No backlink, keyword difficulty, or domain authority data (purely SERP-focused)
• Result count per query has limits depending on plan
• Less established documentation compared to SerpApi for niche SERP features
• Not a direct alternative for teams needing full SEO data pipelines

What is the pricing of Serper.dev?

• Free: 2,500 queries, no credit card required
• Starter Batch: $50 for 50,000 credits, which is $1.00 per 1,000 requests
• Standard Batch: $375 for 500,000 credits, roughly $0.75 per 1,000 requests
• Scale Batch: $1,250 for 2.5 million credits, or $0.50 per 1,000 requests
• Ultimate Batch: $3,750 for 12.5 million credits, reaching $0.30 per 1,000 requests
• Credits valid for 6 months from purchase
• No recurring monthly subscription required — pure pay-as-you-go
• Custom/enterprise pricing available on request

5. SearchApi

SearchApi is an Ahrefs API alternative built with AI-first use cases in mind. It supports Google, Bing, Baidu, Yahoo, and other engines through a single REST API. It has native integrations with LangChain, Haystack, n8n, and Dify. For teams building SEO tools on top of LLM pipelines, this matters significantly.

What are the key features of SearchApi?

• Multi-engine support – Google, Bing, Baidu, Yahoo, and others via one endpoint
• Rich SERP features – organic results, ads, knowledge graphs, People Also Ask, local packs, shopping
• LLM framework integrations – LangChain, Haystack, n8n, Dify supported natively
• Geolocation targeting – search from any location globally
• Device targeting – desktop, mobile, or tablet result sets
• Proxy rotation – 100M+ IP pool with automatic CAPTCHA solving and JS rendering
• Legal coverage up to $2M – for how it collects and parses publicly available data
• Structured JSON responses – sub-2-second average response times

What are the pros and cons of SearchApi?

Pros:

• Multi-engine support is an advantage over Google-only alternatives like Serper.dev
• Native LLM integrations make it the strongest choice for AI agent and RAG use cases
• $40/mo entry point is reasonable for multi-engine access
• 100 free requests to test before committing — no credit card required
• Legal shield is meaningful for commercial applications using public SERP data
• Clear rate limiting model with 20% hourly credit cap for fairness

Cons:

• Monthly subscription means unused credits expire — no rolling balance
• More expensive per query than Serper.dev at equivalent volumes
• No backlink or domain authority data
• Smaller community and fewer third-party reviews than SerpApi or Serper.dev
• Rate limit cap (20% of credits per hour) can create bottlenecks for burst workflows

What is the pricing of SearchApi?

• Free tier: 100 requests, no credit card required
• Developer Plan: $40/month for 10,000 searches, roughly $4 per 1,000 calls
• Production Plan: $100/month for 35,000 searches, including a 99.9% SLA
• BigData Plan: $250/month for 100,000 searches with priority throughput
• Scale Plan: $500/month for 250,000 searches and an analytics dashboard
• Octo 1M Plan: $1,500/month for one million searches at $1.50 per 1,000 calls
• Monthly billing with no long-term commitment required
• Custom enterprise plans available on request
• All plans include real-time results and access to full engine support

6. Zenserp

Zenserp is among the best Ahrefs API alternatives for teams that want a simple, reliable SERP scraper with a free entry point and predictable monthly pricing. It has been operating in the SERP industry for several years, serving clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies. It lacks the SEO depth of SE Ranking or Semrush but does its specific job well.

What are the key features of Zenserp?

• Google SERP scraping – organic results, ads, rich snippets, image results
• YouTube SERP support – video search results accessible via dedicated endpoint
• Google Trends API – keyword popularity over time, related queries, and regional breakdowns
• Geolocation targeting – location-specific results with device-level control
• Real-time data – no caching; live SERP data on every request
• 400 concurrent connections on standard plans (enterprise limits negotiable)
• Asynchronous batch endpoint – useful for large-scale data jobs
• Free plan – 50 requests/month with no credit card required
• Multiple language support – available across all programming language environments (CURL, Python, Node.js, PHP)

What are the pros and cons of Zenserp?

Pros:

• Free plan is generous enough to test real integrations
• Clean JSON output with stable, well-documented endpoints
• 20% discount on annual billing
• Google Trends API is included — a capability few competitors bundle
• Long operational track record; trusted by enterprise clients
• SLA available on larger plans

Cons:

• "Use it or lose it" monthly credit model — credits don't roll over
• No backlink or keyword difficulty data
• Fewer public reviews on G2 and Capterra compared to better-known SERP APIs
• Limited to 50 requests on the free plan — minimal for serious pre-purchase testing

What is the pricing of Zenserp?

• Free plan: 50 requests/month, no credit card required
• Small Plan: $49.99/month for 25,000 searches
• Medium Plan: $149.99/month for 100,000 searches with personal support
• Large Plan: $299.99/month for 250,000 searches including a service level agreement
• Premium Plan: $499/month for 500,000 searches and custom queue access
• Enterprise: $899/month for 1,000,000 searches
• 20% discount on annual subscriptions
• All plans include real-time scraping and 24/7 customer support
• High-volume requests above standard enterprise limits available on request

How to Choose the Best Ahrefs API Alternative?

The right pick depends on what you're actually replacing Ahrefs for. Each best Ahrefs API competitor in this list serves a different primary use case — there is no single best Ahrefs API alternative for every team.

If you need full SEO data (keywords + backlinks + rank tracking), the comparison is between SE Ranking API and Semrush API. SE Ranking wins on price and the ability to buy API access standalone. Semrush wins on data breadth, especially if you need advertising intelligence or historical data back to 2012.

If you specifically need link authority metrics that clients recognize — DA, PA, link counts — Moz API is the only real answer. Ahrefs DR and Moz DA are not interchangeable scores, but Moz's entry pricing ($20/mo) makes it worth running alongside another tool.

If you're building an SEO tool or LLM pipeline and need SERP data rather than aggregated SEO metrics, Serper.dev and SearchApi are the correct alternatives to Ahrefs API for this purpose. Serper.dev is cheaper and faster for Google-only workflows. SearchApi is better when you need multi-engine coverage or native AI framework support.

If your use case is lightweight and volume is low, Zenserp's free plan and simple structure make it a low-friction starting point.

Three questions to ask before deciding:

1. Do I need backlink and keyword difficulty data, or just SERP results?
2. Is my usage pattern constant monthly (subscription makes sense) or variable (pay-as-you-go is better)?
3. Am I building for AI/LLM pipelines — and if so, does the API return clean, structured JSON that my framework can consume?

The answer to question one eliminates half the list immediately. Most teams mix tools: a full SEO API like SE Ranking for keyword and backlink data, plus Serper.dev for high-volume SERP work where per-query cost matters.

Conclusion

Ahrefs API v3 is useful but gated — full access requires Enterprise, and the unit model is expensive for teams with broad data needs. So:

• SE Ranking API – Best all-around Ahrefs API alternative for SEO data (keyword + backlink + rank tracking), credit-based model
• Semrush API – Best for agencies needing broad SEO data sets; API locked to Business plan ($499.95/mo)
• Moz API – Best for link authority metrics; entry plans from $5/mo (Beta endpoints from $20/mo)
• Serper.dev – Best for fast, cheap Google SERP data; starts at $50 for 50k queries
• SearchApi – Best multi-engine SERP API with AI framework integrations; from $40/mo
• Zenserp – Best lightweight SERP scraper with a free plan; entry plans from ~$49.99/mo

The best Ahrefs API alternatives are not a single replacement. SE Ranking covers the most ground as a direct substitute and is arguably the best Ahrefs API competitor for teams that need keyword, backlink, and rank tracking data together. Semrush goes wider on data but costs significantly more. Moz fills the link authority metric gap. Serper.dev and SearchApi handle SERP data at fractions of the cost and at scale. Zenserp serves lighter needs with a usable free tier.

There is no single best Ahrefs API alternative — there is only the right one for your data requirements and budget. The best Ahrefs API competitors are the ones that match what you actually pull, not the ones with the biggest brand.

FAQ

1. What is the best Ahrefs API alternative for backlink data?

SE Ranking API is the closest like-for-like alternative to Ahrefs API for backlink data. It provides referring domains, anchor text, link attributes, and historical backlink information through its Data API, and can be purchased as a standalone product. Semrush's Business plan API also covers backlinks at comparable depth if you're already paying for the full platform.

2. Can I find an alternative to Ahrefs API that is cheaper?

Yes. Moz API starts at $20/mo for basic link metrics. Serper.dev offers SERP data from $50 for 50,000 queries. SearchApi starts at $40/mo for multi-engine access. None of these deliver Ahrefs' full data set, but for specific use cases — SERP data, authority metrics — they are significantly cheaper alternatives to Ahrefs API.

3. Which Ahrefs API competitors offer a free plan?

Zenserp offers 50 free requests per month with no credit card. SearchApi provides 100 free requests. Serper.dev provides 2,500 free queries. SE Ranking has a 14-day trial with 100,000 API credits included. Ahrefs itself provides limited free test queries on paid plans.

4. Is there an Ahrefs API alternative that works with LangChain or AI agents?

SearchApi is built with AI-first integrations. It has native support for LangChain, Haystack, n8n, and Dify, making it the strongest of the best Ahrefs API alternatives specifically for LLM pipelines and AI agent workflows that require structured SERP data as context.

5. What happened to Ahrefs API v2 and should that affect my choice of alternative?

Ahrefs discontinued API v2 on November 1, 2025. All integrations built on v2 no longer have access to Ahrefs data. If you were relying on v2, you need to either migrate to v3 (which requires an eligible paid plan) or switch entirely to one of the Ahrefs API alternatives above. SE Ranking and Semrush are the most complete replacements for teams that built workflows around v2 keyword and backlink endpoints.