AI Search
Here’s a small exercise — Give a quick Google search on the terms “Best SEO Tools.” Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Done? What did you find?
Chances are you found listicles that featured one or all of these tools on page 1 of Google SERPs — Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz Pro, and SpyFu.
Chances are you found
Here’s the thing: these tools have dominated the SEO scene for the last few years and will continue to do so as they evolve and add more features to help you improve your rankings and traffic.
In this article, I’ll put each of these tools under the microscope and help you decide whether it’s worth investing in them.
For all these tools, I’ll reveal their key features, pros and cons, pricing, and ratings on popular reviews sites such as G2Crowd, TrustRadius, and Capterra.
Let’s get started.
Semrush is the world’s leading keyword research and competitor analysis service for online marketing and one of the most popular SEO tools on the market. It’s my go-to tool for all SEO-related tasks.
Semrush allows you to do keyword research, backlink audit, competitor analysis, technical SEO audit, and much more. Using
For the complete list of
Note: By opting for annual pricing, you can save up to 17% on the total billing amount.
Try
* Last update: July 2025
If you had to choose just one service out of these four, go with Semrush.
Sign up for
If you’re serious about building high-quality backlinks for your site, Ahrefs is the tool you should invest in. Ahrefs has the best link index among all SEO reporting tools. You can use this tool to unearth your competitors’ backlink profile and build your own backlinks.
In addition to link building, you can also use Ahrefs to track your rankings on Google, perform technical audits, and do keyword research via Keywords Explorer.
While the tool has evolved into a full-fledged SEO software, it’s still primarily known for its backlink analysis features.
Note: By signing up for annual plans, you get 20% off.
* Last update: July 2025
When it comes to backlink analysis, Ahrefs is the best there is. Despite being on the pricier side, it’s well worth investing in this tool because of the strong ROI.
Sign up for Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free)
Check out our full review of Ahrefs here.
Recommended reading: Semrush vs Ahrefs: Which SEO Tool is Better?
Started by Rand Fishkin aka the Wizard of Moz back in 2004, Moz is perhaps the most popular SEO tool in this list, owing to the cult-like popularity of Fishkin in the marketing space.
Moz relies heavily on SEO metrics such as Domain Authority and Page Authority to give you insights on link equity, keyword rankings, page optimization reports, and more. Despite all these features, Moz has not evolved or improved much in recent years, especially since Fishkin’s departure from the company in 2018.
For the full list of features, refer to this page. Here are some of the key features of Moz you should know about:
Note: You can save 20% on any of the above by opting for yearly plans.
* Last update: July 2025
Despite having a wealth of SEO resources on their blog and a top-notch YouTube channel, Moz is the weakest all-purpose SEO tool on the list. Since we are evaluating these tools on their features and pricing, and not the kind of content they produce, Moz is simply not worth paying $100 a month. I’d much rather spend that money on
Sign up for Moz
Recommended reading: Semrush vs Moz: Which is the Best SEO Tool?
Launched in 2006 by Mike Roberts, SpyFu is a competitive intelligence tool for online marketers. SpyFu offers deep insights into both SEO and PPC, and helps you improve your search rankings by tapping into your competitors’ keyword strategies.
* Last update: July 2025
SpyFu is a decent competitive research and keyword analysis tool. With paid plans starting at $39/month, it’s also one of the most competitively priced SEO products on the market.
Having said that, the tool certainly has limitations. The data you get is not always accurate and the UI looks and feels outdated. Nevertheless, if you want a reliable SEO competitor analysis tool that’s not too heavy on the pocket, you should try SpyFu.
Sign up for SpyFu
Recommended reading: Semrush vs SpyFu: Which SEO Tool is Better for Competitor Analysis?
That wraps up this comparison post. We hope you’ve got a clearer picture of each of these SEO tools now, making your choice to grab one (or a few) a whole lot easier.
If you liked this article, please share it on Twitter using the link below:
Editor’s Note: This article was first published on February 6, 2017 and has been updated regularly since then for relevance and comprehensiveness.
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[…] Bonus: See how Ahrefs compares with SEMrush, Moz, and SpyFu on key features […]I’ve tried them all. But I agree Semrush seems to be the best overall tool if you only have the budget (or the time) to choose one. I’ve also tried Moz several times, but have never really warmed up to it for my purposes. I find Semrush is just way faster and easier for me to use for the purposes I use it for. (The learning curve was kind of steep too in the beginning – I’m still not what you’d call a power user
I’m trying all of them right now to see which I’ll subscribe to and it seems like they all differ wildly in results for the same searches with ahrefs being way ahead of the pack in my experience. I do wish ahrefs had a better on-page SEO tool like SEMRush and Moz though. Thinking of doing the base plans on ahrefs and Moz Pro combined and ditching SEMRush before renewal.
I came across this page because I was looking for the best SEO tool to use and which would be my money’s worth. SEMrush is definitely number especially when it comes to keywords research. But for backlink analysis, nothing beats Ahrefs. That’s my opinion. Based on my research, Ahrefs is useful for backlink analysis and link building. I like the pros and cons you put in the article. I found that helpful. It made me understand which tool to get.
Hi, doe’s SEMrush also offer backlink analysis tools?
Yes, they do. It’s included in their PRO subscription which is $99.95/mo.
Thanks for the comparison. Hmmm I’m wondering can I use SemRush to do niche/keyword research the same job as Long tail Pro? Or was intending use both LTP and maybe Ahrefs. I now see Ahrefs is more for backlinks…which is great but Im only starting out… so now Im thinking maybe SemRush could replace both?
We are currently testing out both SEMRush and MOZ Pro for the next 30 days. I’ve been going through several of your articles on the comparisons between the two platforms and have been really impressed and appreciative of the insight you have provided on them. We have outsourced our SEO fulfillment for years but have decided to start bringing select clients in house. We are looking for strong insights to improve their rankings as well as clear and easy to understand reporting to provide to the client. Thanks for the information and tips!
[…] SEO Tools Showdown: SEMrush vs Ahrefs vs Moz Pro vs SpyFu […]Amazing comparison, thanks for your work
Thanks for reading your post. Glad, me liked .
Tools like tools but they still have a problem with “difficult” languages like “Polish” 🙁
I confirm the opinion of Zgred.
You forgot about Ahrefs’ Site Audit – it’s pretty cool.
Yes, it is. Will add the feature in my next update. Thank you for letting me know.
Hi,
Thanks for the article, really gives some clear insights.I am currently testing out Ahref’s and have tested Moz and Semrush in the past as well. In my opinion Ahref’s UI is the best and clearest. I will have to test Moz and Semrush again i am afraid to be sure which one to start using. Have been using SE Ranking for rank tracking mostly but have noticed rank positions are not accurate most times.
I had an account in all of those tools but the best for me is ahrefs. But good to have few to compare results.
Great article. Before reading this I was practically sold on SEMrush. However, after reading this article and the comments from other readers, I’m realizing I shouldn’t be so quick to pull the trigger and that Ahrefs may in fact be what I’m looking for. I will most likely do the trial period for both before deciding, but this article definitely opened my eyes to Ahrefs possibly being my best option (instead of SEMrush). Thanks for taking the time to write this article. Great work.
Glad you liked the article, Sahil. I personally prefer SEMrush. Ahrefs is a close second! 🙂 Love its backlink analysis capabilities, but Ahrefs’ site audit feature is not as refined as SEMrush.
Great post. SEMRUSH and Ahrefs are my favorite tools for SEO, backlink analysis and keyword research. Glad to see your comparison post.
Best wishes,
I’m curious if you have an opinion on which of these would be best for someone not directly in the SEO field but trying to build an industry specific site with high organic ranking? Or more specifically, does Spyfu offer enough to make it worthwhile to effectively examine keywords I would like to rank for and analyze my and competitor back links and keywords so I can build effective SEO? I’m in real estate and honestly, the number of $99 per month services is starting to get hefty *but I also want to get ranked. Is there a free site (or similar) anybody reccomends that might accomplish most of this? Thanks!
Hey Dominic – You can find 35+ free SEO tools here. If you’re on a shoestring budget, try SE Ranking. Their plans start from $7/month.
Hello.
Do you guys really think something can beat semrush? I am a big fan of this tool and can not imagine myself using a different one.
Interesting article though.
Regards
Kris
Semrush offer is not working, it says that such plan does not exist…
Ok, strange, second time it passed through.
Hi. I got used to the semrush and I think it would be quite hard for me to use a different tool although other softwares seem interesting.
Cheers.
I prefer Ahrefs tool. The best for me.
I love using the AHREFS free backlink checker to check not only my backlinks but also my competitors. I’m just getting started with my SEO journey. Thanks for listing out all the great SEO resources.
Hi there.
Great article. I prefer Semrush to any other software. Actually, I am so used to Semrush that I just do not like to use anything else. At first it may seem a bit complicated as it shows a lot of gathered information but then you realize that all data the software gives you is clear and easy to understand. Without any doubt, Semrush is no.1 for me.
Cheers
Arthur
I just use ahrefs for everything. They are the biggest and more powerful than the competition. But Moz lately upgrades their system, core and I switch sometimes. But generally, semrush also has nice features (keywords)
I would say that SEMRush has better competitive visualizations, but the data on Ahrefs appears more solid.
That being said, one that was left out that should be considered – even though it just provides raw data is Data For SEO. Yes, it says SEO, but it does both paid and organic. It won’t provide any backlink information on the SEO side, that’s just not their thing, but if you are looking for keyword data, you won’t find anything that is as extensive at the price point. Data For SEO charges per query not with monthly packages and the rates are ridiculously competitive.
[…] SEO Tools Showdown: SEMrush vs. Ahrefs vs. Moz Pro vs. SpyFu This is very similar to the headline above, but the order is switched round. It leads with “SEO Tools Showdown,” which grabs your attention right away. It also stands a chance at ranking for more related keywords, such as “SEO Tool Comparisons,” with that phrase at the beginning. […]All search engine ranking monitoring tools are pretty much the same.
Semrush, Ahrefs, and SpyFu all offer paid subscriptions that will give you excellent data on traffic and keywords of your site’s competition while also giving you deep insight into which SEO keywords work for your site.
Moz provides an excellent free suite of tools to help people with link-building campaigns and tasks related to SEO, at no cost. If you plan on investing a lot of time in SEO or if paying for SEM services is outside your budget, I would recommend Semrush because they have the widest range of features.
Thank you for this amazing information. SpyFu is one of my best 🙂
Semrush is better at everything
very good and detailed comparison. thanks.
What do you think of Neil Patel’s tools?
Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest is good if you’re looking for a budget-friendly SEO tool that provides basic SEO data. I did a comparison between Ubersuggest and Semrush in this post, and honestly, Ubersuggest doesn’t quite reach the same level as Semrush or even Ahrefs. So, while it’s a great affordable option, it’s not in the same league as the big players.
Hi there, I’m Sandeep Mallya!
I’m an entrepreneur and digital marketing consultant from Bangalore, India. I founded my own digital agency, Startup Cafe Digital, in 2015 to help SMBs leverage SEO, social media, and content marketing to grow their traffic and generate qualified leads for their business.
I launched 99signals in 2016 as a side project to document all the strategies, tools, and tactics that I was using to grow my small agency. The goal was simple: to arm other entrepreneurs and bloggers with all the right information and tools they needed to launch a successful online business.
Since then, 99signals has grown significantly and generates over $10,000 in side income each month. Read More about “About Sandeep Mallya”…
Hi there, I’m Sandeep Mallya!
I’m an entrepreneur and digital marketing consultant from Bangalore, India. I founded my own digital agency, Startup Cafe Digital, in 2015 to help SMBs leverage SEO, social media, and content marketing to grow their traffic and generate qualified leads for their business.
I launched 99signals in 2016 as a side project to document all the strategies, tools, and tactics that I was using to grow my small agency. The goal was simple: to arm other entrepreneurs and bloggers with all the right information and tools they needed to launch a successful online business.
Since then, 99signals has grown significantly and generates over $10,000 in side income each month. Read More about “About Sandeep Mallya”…
A few links on this blog are affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through one of these affiliate links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
Rest assured, I recommend only those tools that I personally use and genuinely trust. In most cases, you’ll find in-depth reviews, tutorials, and how-to guides of these tools on my blog to help you make informed decisions.
