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April 5, 2025
If I had a penny for every single time I checked my Android phone for updates and got the all-clear “Your system is up to date” notice when there was actually a hidden update pending, well, I’d have a dollar or so. This issue is so frequent that it’s easily happened a hundred times or more on every Pixel, Galaxy, Nothing, HONOR, realme, or any other phone that has fallen in my hands in the last few years.
And no, I’m not talking about Android’s silly idea of not showing updates the first time unless I explicitly tap “Check for updates” — that’s a given at this point.
No, I’m talking about the Google Play system updates, which I often forget for months until it’s suddenly April, and my Play system is lagging on the previous year’s September release. So I smack myself gently over the head, realize that maybe this is why I haven’t received some of these newfangled features that Google has been bragging about, and apply the darned update. And now, finally, I’m really up to date.
So what are these Play system updates, where do they hide, and why doesn’t Google notify us when they’re available? I have an answer for the first, second, but not the third question.
Before 2019, getting new features on your non-Pixel (or non-Nexus before it) Android phone was a bit of a Mission Impossible game. You had to wait for Samsung, Motorola, HONOR, Xiaomi, or other companies’ devs to completely test and release a full new software update for your phone, be it a new Android version or just a monthly patch, and it often took months — if not years on cheaper phones. Google had a way of bypassing that a bit through the pre-installed Google Play Services system app, which allowed it to roll some neat new features independently from full software updates, but there’s only so much it could do with just an app.
In 2019, things changed when Project Mainline launched. Google realized it was constantly facing an uphill battle to roll out new features to Android phones in a timely manner, so it took matters into its own hands by splitting away some key components of the Android system under Project Mainline. This would allow it to upgrade parts of the OS directly, issue new features, or make privacy and security enhancements without requiring a full software update and without relying on some other company’s efficiency.
Those Google upgrades are the Google Play system updates I mentioned earlier, and over the years, they’ve brought us many features that we now use every day. Android 12’s Privacy Dashboard, last year’s Find My Device network expansion or Theft Detection Lock, the new instant hotspot as part of cross-device services, and many enhancements related to Play Protect, privacy, emergency SOS, app hibernation, and more came from these Google Play system updates. That’s to say, they’re not anodyne — not at all.
So when Google announces a new feature coming to all Android 10 phones in a blanket statement like that, it’s often implying that it’ll send it through a Play System update, not through a software update. Google knows it can reach all Android phones with this, and it doesn’t need approval or testing from any specific manufacturer to send it to your Galaxy or your Moto.
These updates are supposed to come quasi-immediately to my phone, your phone, and every supported phone out there. And the fact is: they often do, except they’re partly hidden, and Google doesn’t notify us about them. It just waits silently until you reboot your phone — which may be today or in three months’ time — and then applies them.
So, if you’ve ever found yourself wondering where that promised new feature was and why it’s taken months and hasn’t shown up on your phone yet, it’s because of this.
Alright, suppose I want to force-update my Pixel phone. I logically follow the steps I’ve memorized through the years and go to Settings > System > Software updates, and… no. That’s where the full software update sits (and app updates, for some reason?!), but not these crucial Play system updates.
Google, in all its wisdom, has decided to hide these updates somewhere else. To get them on my Pixel, I have to dig into Settings > Security & privacy > System & updates and lo-and-behold, now I have both the main software + security update as well as the Google Play system update. Tap that to check for a new update, download it, and restart your phone to apply it.
(Note: If you don’t have a Pixel phone, use your settings’ search bar to look for “Play system update.” That should find the menu, wherever it’s hidden on your Android phone’s skin.)
If you haven’t updated or restarted your phone recently, you’ll see a really old release date for your Play system version, such as September 2024, like my Nothing Phone 2 told me. Yikes. On my Pixel 9 Pro, my daily driver, where the main software is up to date with the March security patch, the Play system was lagging on a February release. I updated it to the March release and then once more with a more recent March release. And I’m very diligent about this! Imagine if I wasn’t.
Just look at the ridiculousness of this image above on my Pixel 9 Pro Fold. One part of my phone says it’s up to date, the other says it’s downloading an update. At the same time, literally. One of these is a lie.
So we come to the million-dollar question: Why doesn’t Google make these updates it worked so hard to implement more visible? I don’t know. I don’t know why there are two separate update menus on Pixels and several other Android phones. That’s confusing as hell. Even more so when the main update menu houses a useless app update shortcut, but not a shortcut to get to these Play system updates.
I also don’t know why Play system updates are hidden under the Security & privacy menu, where I’d have never thought to look for any update — yes, some of these have brought security and privacy improvements in the past, but they’re not just that. Actually, I don’t even know why these are called “Google Play” system updates when half of them don’t even touch the Play Store or any service under the Play umbrella!
More importantly, though, I don’t know why Google doesn’t just surface a notification to let us know about these pending updates. What would it take to just pop up when there’s a new release and be like, “Hey, Rita, your phone has an update,” so I can quickly get it?
No, instead, Google wants these to be invisible, so it waits for our phones to restart to apply a pending Play System update. And if our poll results are anything to go by, half of you are only restarting your phones every few months — or never. Let’s be clear, there’s no need to boot an Android phone all that often anymore; I test beta apps and random software for a living, and I only restart my phone about once a month!
It’s so saddening and maddening to see Google go through all the trouble of splitting and modularizing Android, working on new features, issuing an update for them, and then just… not telling me. Or you. It’s as if Google’s engineers ran a full marathon and quit a meter before the finish line! The whole point of this whole charade was to get us new features and enhancements as soon as possible. Instead, our phones lag behind on a months-old version, and we’re none-the-wiser.

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Hackers Are Poisoning Google Search Results for AI Tools to Deliver Infostealer Malware  The Cyber Express
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Best on-page SEO tool of 2024  TechRadar
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Apr 11, 2025
With a new look (and a new color), Pixel 9a breaks the design mold a bit. Learn from Google designers about their inspiration and how the updates are a perfect fit for the new A-series phone.
Pixel 9a, the latest phone in our more affordable A-series line, just hit shelves. You may have noticed that this A-series phone switches up its design a bit while still holding on to that essential Pixel look. “It’s its own device but still feels like a Pixel, and that was the goal. It belongs in the family!” says Soniya Jobanputra, a product management director who works on Pixel devices. “But this time, it’s less like a little brother or sister and more like a cousin to our incredible premium devices.”
Here’s a look at a few of the aesthetic changes you’ll see in Pixel 9a, and what Googlers who worked on the new device love about the updates.
The team started the design process by identifying Pixel 9a’s personality, which they define as playful, approachable and family-friendly. “We wanted to have a physical interpretation that would match the personality of the device,” says Soniya. So the team came up with a new design that kept the iconically Pixel pill-shaped camera but allowed them to have fun with other elements, like embracing a new minimalism that prioritized simplicity and ease of use.
Case in point: the omission of the Pixel Camera Bar and shrinking of the camera lens’ bump. Pixel 9a has a nearly flat back, so it slides easily into a pocket and sits flatly on a surface. The slight curve of the remaining camera bump (more of a dome, really) is also reminiscent of the water droplet shape of the Pixel Watch. “And if you put a case on it, there’s no bump at all,” industrial designer Yomi Matsuoka says. “The rear camera bump is actually shallower than the case itself.”
The team explored a variety of designs for the rear camera bump. These images show their rear camera bump shape study, which focused on its overall form and appearance as well as certain shapes’ ability to withstand drops and impact.
The team was able to make all of these changes while still meeting Pixel’s high standard for camera quality, too. Soniya points out that Pixel 9a has the best camera experience of any phone in the market at its price point, with an advanced dual rear camera system featuring a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera. “It’s also the first A-series phone to feature Macro Focus,” she says.
The decision to streamline the camera design was driven by practical reasons, too. “We wanted to boost the battery while maintaining our current phone thickness,” Soniya says. Switching to a plastic OLED (or pOLED) display, which is thinner, created more internal space for the battery and allowed the team to lower the camera placement to minimize the bump, all while maintaining that durable, mid-frame architecture. It also resulted in the brightest display ever on an A-series phone with a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, making visuals smoother. “It wasn’t our intention to deliver an even better display,” Soniya says. “We had a pretty awesome display with 8a. But we were able to boost up the brightness and power efficiency by opting for a new pOLED panel.”
Pixel 9a also comes in a cheery new color that speaks to its playful personality: Iris. It’s an homage to Pixel 3a’s “Purple-ish” color option, a lighter, almost purple that was a fan favorite. “Iris is like an update to that colorway,” says Pixel CMF design manager Jess Ng. The design team took cues and inspiration from their surroundings, as well. “Our user research indicated a desire for versatility — things that are both joyful and functional,” Jess says. After lots of experimentation, they landed on Iris.
Pixel 9a comes in a brand new shade: Iris.
Pixel 9a comes in a brand new shade: Iris.
Pixel 9a also comes in another bright shade: Peony.
Pixel 9a is also available in our classic neutrals, Obsidian and Porcelain.
With its case, you can see 9a’s color slightly peeking out through the camera module — you can opt for a mix or go monochrome.
“At first glance, Iris can appear blue or purple. It feels calm yet confident, opinionated yet widely appealing, making it the perfect hero color for the new A-series,” Jess says. As a bonus, Yomi points out, the new cases for Pixel 9a deliver a fun surprise. “You don’t have to take the case off to see the color inside,” he says. “So you can make these really nice color combinations.” In Pixel 9a’s case, it’s what’s on the inside and outside that counts.
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Written by Brian Dean, In collaboration with Semrush
This is a list of legit alternatives to the popular SEO tool, Ahrefs.
In this post I’ll:
So if Ahrefs isn’t a good fit for you, check out the list below for your best options.
Semrush is one of the most popular SEO tools on the market.
And for good reason: it’s REALLY good.
In fact, I’ve been a paying Semrush customer for over 11 years now:
Over that time I’ve seen it evolve from a keyword research tool for PPC to a full-on SEO software suite.
Today, besides its standard keyword research features (like search volume, CPC etc.), Semrush also has a ton of helpful features like:
In my opinion, Semrush is probably the closest tool to Ahrefs out there (both in terms of feature quantity and quality).
I already wrote a complete Semrush vs. Ahrefs breakdown here. So if you want a super-detailed list of how Ahrefs and Semrush compare, check out that review.
But the bottom line is that Ahrefs and Semrush are VERY similar.
Similar in terms of features. Similar in terms of quality.
I do like Ahrefs. Specifically, I really like their UX because it easier for me to do my work.
For example, when you analyze a site in Ahrefs, you have a SUPER helpful sidebar that links directly to important reports (like broken links, internal links and anchor text).
In Semrush, you also have a sidebar. But it only links to features.
To find something specific, you need to dig into each feature to find the exact thing you need.
Now, Semrush Copilot AI can help you find the tools and reports you should check. It does this by checking them for you and giving you the top insights at the top of your dashboard.
This is obviously a personal preference. Some people actually like Semrush’s UX better than Ahrefs.
But in terms of pure features, Ahrefs and Semrush are pretty much tied. So if you want an Ahrefs alternative with a list of similar features, I recommend trying Semrush.
With Semrush, you get to analyze data, track rankings, and uncover valuable insights that can help you tailor your content and strategies more effectively.
In my opinion, Ubersuggest is one of the best free SEO tools on the market.
Why?
Because it has a wide range of features, including:
And each of them are solid.
In fact, if you’re just starting out with SEO, Ubersuggest is a solid option.
Now: Ubersuggest used to be 100% free. But they recently rolled out a paid plan.
The free version is still solid. But if you want to access more features or get more reports, the paid plan might be a good option for you. For example, with a paid plan you get unlimited SEO audit reports.
Which is helpful if you have SEO clients or manage a bunch of websites.
Like I said above, Ubersuggest is a high-quality tool. That said: it’s not quite as feature-rich as Ahrefs.
So if I had to compare Ubersuggest and Ahrefs side-by-side based on features alone, I’d go with Ahrefs.
But there’s another important factor to consider: cost.
Ahrefs starts at $99/month.
Ubersuggest is a flat $29/month.
If you have a large marketing budget, I’d still probably go with Ahrefs. But in terms of pure value, Ubersuggest definitely comes out on top.
Monitor Backlinks claims to have “The best monitoring tool for backlinks and keywords, period.”
I first signed up for Monitor Backlinks in 2015. And I just gave the tool another try today.
Now: it does have some pretty cool features. For example, a disavow tool.
But the main issue with the tool is that there’s really nothing unique here. Monitor Backlinks basically just pulls data from Majestic and Moz. And adds a few bells and whistles (like a rank tracker).
In my opinion, Monitor Backlinks doesn’t begin to compare to Ahrefs. They’re not close.
For example, with Ahrefs you can pull 10k rows of backlink data.
With Monitor Backlinks, you only get 4k.
There’s also the fact that it lacks a keyword tool, competitor analysis feature, domain comparisons, organic traffic reporting… and a laundry list of features that you get in Ahrefs.
Monitor Backlinks does have a free trial. Which can give you feel for the tool. So if you want to give it a spin, go ahead.
But in my opinion, Monitor Backlinks is so limited that it barely qualifies as an Ahrefs alternative.
Mangools isn’t your typical SEO software suite.
Instead of a bunch of integrated features, Mangools is actually 5 completely different tools.
For example, let’s say you want to see the keywords that a site ranks for in Google.
Well, you’d open up “KWFinder” hit the “Search by domain” tab, and type in the domain you want to look at:
And now you want to see that site’s backlinks. Well, now you need to go back to your dashboard, hit “LinkMiner” to open up their backlink tool, and start the whole process over again.
So yeah, this setup isn’t ideal. And it makes using the tool MUCH harder than it needs to be.
That said: as I write in my recent Mangools review, the tools themselves are actually pretty solid. Not quite at the level of Semrush. But not bad.
I just wish the tools weren’t stitched together.
In my opinion, Mangools isn’t even in the same universe as Ahrefs.
And I’m not just talking about the fact that it takes 3-5x more clicks to do something in Mangools than in Ahrefs.
The features themselves also aren’t nearly as solid as Ahrefs.
For example, the backlink analysis feature Mangools doesn’t have that many filters.
You basically have filters for dofollow vs. nofollow, active vs. deleted… and that’s about it.
With Ahrefs, you can filter by literally hundreds of things, like link type, language, to URL Rating, and more.
Which is super helpful if you want to drill down on a specific type of backlink.
So it’s clear that Ahrefs is overall a better SEO tool than Mangools. But is it a better value?
Mangools’s “Basic” plan is is about half the price of the Ahrefs “Starter” plan.
(Note: if you sign up for an annual plan, the price of Mangools Basic goes down to $29).
I personally don’t think the tradeoff in price is worth it. I rather pay 2x more for a tool that’s 10x better. Which is why I happily pay for Ahrefs every month.
But it’s ultimately your call. If you’re on a super tight budget, you can still get a lot out of Mangools. But if you can swing 100 bucks a month, I recommend going with a tool like Ahrefs or Semrush.
I’ll cut right to the chase:
Moz Pro isn’t a bad SEO tool.
But it’s not quite at the level of its two main competitors: Ahrefs and Semrush.
The main issue with Moz Pro is that it’s features haven’t really kept up with the competition.
While Ahrefs and Semrush are constantly rolling out improvements, Moz Pro has really only rolled out one recent feature improvement: their keyword tool known as “Keyword Explorer”.
Granted, Moz’s keyword tool is great. And it’s especially good at generating long tail keyword suggestions. But I can say the same thing about Ahrefs and Semrush.
I recently put a bunch of the top backlink checkers to the test.
And we found that Moz was actually on the same level as the other tools. Both in terms of findings links quickly. And the total number of backlinks in its index.
The main issue with Moz Pro is that they charge $99/month. And in my opinion you’ll get much more from that investment with Semrush or Ahrefs.
Even though it’s getting a little dated, Majestic SEO is still one of the top SEO tools on the market.
Majestic is 100% focused on backlink reports. So if you want a tool that takes care of all of your SEO tasks in one place, Majestic SEO probably isn’t a good fit for you.
But if all you care about is backlink data, Majestic SEO is actually pretty solid.
In fact, in that backlink checker comparison I mentioned earlier, Majestic wasn’t too far behind other major SEO tools.
In fact, for some sites, it actually found more backlinks than Semrush.
As you can read in my full Majestic review, I can’t criticize the data you find in the tool all that much. It’s actually solid tech.
The main problem is that the UX is super outdated.
And I’m not just talking about the look and feel. I don’t really care about that. It’s more that the backend is tricky to use. Especially compared to Ahrefs.
In terms of pure backlink data, Majestic SEO isn’t a bad Ahrefs alternative.
But you can’t really evaluate a tool based only on the data it provides. You also need to take into account UX, key features, customer support, and more.
And when you take all that stuff into account, Ahrefs comes out way ahead.
For example, you can use Ahrefs for pretty much all of your SEO tasks. Keyword research. Technical SEO. Rank Tracking. And more.
Majestic doesn’t have any of that stuff. It’s a 100% pure link building tool.
That said, the price of Majestic reflects the lack of features. It starts at $50/month.
Which is about half the price of Ahrefs.
So if you’re someone that pretty much ONLY cares about backlinks, then you’ll probably get an insane amount of value from that 50 bucks.
But if you want an all-in-one piece of SEO software, Ahrefs is probably your best bet.
Next up, let’s take a look at BuzzSumo.
Unlike some of the other tools that I listed here, BuzzSumo isn’t super SEO focused. It’s more of a content marketing tool.
So why does BuzzSumo make this list of Ahrefs alternatives?
First, up SEO and content marketing overlap. A LOT.
In other words: your site can be perfectly optimized. But to rank today, your content needs to be GREAT.
Plus, BuzzSumo does have a few SEO-focused features (like a decent backlinks tool):
So yeah, BuzzSumo is one of my favorite marketing tools. And it’s improved my SEO indirectly by making my content better.
To be clear: Ahrefs and BuzzSumo are very different tools.
For example, BuzzSumo lacks a lot of the key SEO features in Ahrefs, like a site audit tool.
And Ahrefs lacks a lot of the content-focused features in BuzzSumo, like mention tracking.
That said, there is some overlap between the two tools. For example, both Ahrefs and BuzzSumo have features that help you find content with lots of social media shares.
So the question here isn’t: “How does BuzzSumo stack up against Ahrefs?”. It’s more: “Do you want a tool that’s focused on SEO (Ahrefs)?
Or a tool that helps with content marketing (BuzzSumo)?”.
If you’re 100% focused on improving your Google rankings, then I’d stick to Ahrefs or one of the other tools that I listed here. But if you want SEO to be more of a byproduct of your content marketing, you’ll get a lot of value out of BuzzSumo.
So yeah, there’s no right or wrong answer. It depends on the type of digital marketing that you’re focusing on right now.
I personally use both all the time. And because I’m more focused on SEO I tend to use Ahrefs more often than BuzzSumo.
But I know plenty of people that use BuzzSumo every day and only login to Ahrefs once and a while. So it really depends.
Our last alternative to Ahrefs is Serpstat.
Serpstat is billed as an “All-in-One SEO platform”.
And it largely delivers. Serpstat has the features you’d expect from an SEO software suite, like backlink analysis, organic rankings reports, and more.
That said, I’m not sure if the features themselves are all that great.
For example, when I look at the top SEO keywords report for Backlinko, it says that my top 3 keywords are YouTube views, pogosticking… and “press released”?
I obviously don’t expect this report to be 100% accurate. You’d need my Google Analytics for that. But these numbers are way off.
That said, it’s “Backlink Dashboard” is pretty good. I used it to analyze my backlink profile. And it found that Backlinko has 21.4K referring domains.
That pretty much aligns with what Ahrefs’ Site Explorer report.
How Serpstat Compares to Ahrefs
Serpstat has many of the same features as Ahrefs.
But I don’t think any of them are as good as Ahrefs.
For example, my organic keywords report in Ahrefs is much more accurate than Serpstat:
They both technically have the same feature. But one is way better than the other.
The one Serpstat feature that’s comparable to Ahrefs is their backlink analysis tool. It has a massive index. Plus, it’s pretty easy to use.
What Did I Miss?
So that’s my list of 7 Ahrefs alternatives.
Now see our ultimate guide to Semrush – our top recommended Ahrefs alternative.
Backlinko is owned by Semrush. We’re still obsessed with bringing you world-class SEO insights, backed by hands-on experience. Unless otherwise noted, this content was written by either an employee or paid contractor of Semrush Inc.
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