Best SEO Tools in 2024: Ahrefs vs Semrush vs Moz (Honest Comparison)

Choosing an SEO Tool in 2024

The SEO tool market has consolidated around a few major players—Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz—plus several specialized alternatives. Each has distinct strengths, and choosing wrong can mean paying $100-400/month for features you don’t need.

We’ve used all the major tools across 40+ client projects in B2B SaaS, e-commerce, and professional services. Here’s our honest assessment of what works.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Ahrefs	Semrush	Moz	Seobility
Backlink Database	Largest, most accurate	Very large	Smaller	Basic
Keyword Research	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Basic
Site Audit	Good	Excellent	Good	Good (free tier)
Content Tools	Basic	Extensive	Limited	None
PPC/Ads Tools	None	Excellent	None	None
Pricing	$99-999/mo	$129-499/mo	$99-599/mo	Free-$50/mo
Best For	Link building, competitor analysis	All-in-one marketing	Beginners, local SEO	Budget-conscious

Ahrefs: Best for Backlink Analysis

Ahrefs has the most comprehensive backlink database—we consistently find links in Ahrefs that don’t appear in Semrush or Moz. For agencies and in-house teams focused on link building, it’s the clear winner.

What we use it for:

• Competitor backlink analysis (who links to them, not you?)
• Link intersection reports (find sites linking to 2+ competitors)
• Content gap analysis (what keywords do competitors rank for?)
• Broken link building campaigns

Limitations: No PPC tools, content marketing features are basic. If you need an all-in-one solution, Semrush is better.

Semrush: Best All-in-One Platform

Semrush tries to do everything—SEO, PPC, social media, content marketing—and mostly succeeds. The site audit tool is the most thorough, and the content writing assistant (SEO Writing Assistant) is genuinely useful.

What we use it for:

• Technical SEO audits (most detailed reports)
• Keyword research with SERP analysis
• PPC competitor research (when clients run Google Ads)
• Content optimization with the Writing Assistant

Limitations: More expensive than Ahrefs at comparable tiers. Interface can feel overwhelming for new users.

Moz: Best for Beginners and Local SEO

Moz pioneered modern SEO tools but has lost ground to Ahrefs and Semrush. That said, it’s still the most beginner-friendly option, and Moz Local is excellent for multi-location businesses.

What it’s good for:

• Learning SEO (the interface is the clearest)
• Local SEO and Google Business Profile management
• Domain Authority as a quick benchmark (though Ahrefs’ DR is more accurate)

Limitations: Backlink database is smaller. Advanced features lag behind competitors.

Seobility: Best Free/Budget Option

Seobility is underrated. The free tier includes a solid site audit, and the paid plans ($50/month) cover most small business needs. We recommend it for startups before they can justify Ahrefs or Semrush.

What you get free:

• 1,000-page site audit
• Basic keyword tracking (10 keywords)
• Backlink analysis (limited)

Our Recommendation by Use Case

Your Situation	Recommended Tool
Agency focused on link building	Ahrefs ($99/mo)
In-house team, all-in-one needed	Semrush ($129/mo)
Beginner or local business	Moz ($99/mo) or Seobility (free)
Tight budget, solid fundamentals	Seobility ($50/mo)
Enterprise, multi-user	Semrush or Ahrefs enterprise tiers

What About Google’s Free Tools?

Don’t overlook the free options:

• Google Search Console: Required—direct data from Google about your site’s performance
• Google Analytics 4: Essential for understanding traffic and user behavior
• Looker Studio: Free dashboards combining GSC, GA4, and other data sources

These free tools provide data you can’t get anywhere else. The paid tools above are for competitive research, not replacing Google’s own insights.