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| Meta Title | Mangools vs. Ahrefs: Which is the Better SEO Tool? |
| Meta Description | We compare Mangools vs Ahrefs on key reports, pricing, reviews, and more. |
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| Boilerpipe Text | When you’re comparing SEO tools, it’s never easy to decide which one’s going to be the best for your needs—especially when they have a lot of feature overlap.
Mangools and Ahrefs are two tools that happen to have quite a few overlapping capabilities and tools. They’ll both help you research keywords, analyze search engine results pages (SERPs), track your backlinks, and more. They also both have pretty good reviews.
The main difference between Mangools and Ahrefs is the price. Ahrefs is
significantly
more expensive than Mangools.
It does have more tools and capabilities than Mangools, but is the price worth it?
I’ll take a deep dive into both of them to help you decide which one works better for you, your website, and your team.
Feature
Mangools
Ahrefs
Primary Focus
Simpler SEO tools for small businesses and beginners
Comprehensive SEO platform for professionals and agencies
Best For
Solopreneurs, bloggers, small teams with limited budgets
SEO specialists, agencies, marketing teams
Keyword Research
Easy-to-use KWFinder tool with suggestions and difficulty scoring
Powerful Keyword Explorer with extensive data and related/parent term insights
SERP Analysis
SERPChecker tool; lacks AI Overview and rich SERP feature data
Integrated SERP data with AI Overview, “People Also Ask,” videos, and more SERP features
Backlink Analysis
LinkMiner with Link Strength scores and basic domain metrics
Deep backlink reports with anchor text, broken links, and referring IPs
Rank Tracking
Simple dashboard with rankings, keyword flow, winners/losers
Advanced tracker with SERP feature tracking and parent topic analysis
Site Auditing
Basic metrics via SiteProfiler
Full site audits with technical SEO recommendations
Ease of Use
Beginner-friendly, simple UI
More robust with a steeper learning curve
API Access
✔️
✔️
Starting Price
$29.90/month (Basic plan, billed annually)
$29/month (Starter), $108/month (Lite plan, billed annually)
Contents:
Mangools And Ahrefs: Meet The Tools
Mangools Vs. Ahrefs For Keyword Research
SERP Analysis Tools Comparison
Link Tools Comparison
Mangools and Ahrefs: Meet the tools
Here’s a quick look at both tools to start with.
About Mangools
Mangools is an all-in-one SEO toolset that includes keyword research, SERP analysis, backlink tracking, and website metrics.
Its main tools, including KWFinder, SERPChecker, LinkMiner, and SiteProfiler, are designed for ease of use and cater to beginners and small businesses seeking to improve search rankings.
Mangools brands itself as “SEO tools for busy people,” meaning people who don’t have a ton of time to invest in a sprawling and more in-depth toolset.
About Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO platform used for keyword research, backlink analysis, content exploration, and website auditing.
It features tools like Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Content Explorer, allowing marketers to analyze competitors, monitor rankings, and improve site visibility.
Although Ahrefs is more targeted toward larger businesses, agencies, and those with a bigger budget to spend on SEO and content marketing, they do offer a free, limited “Ahrefs Webmaster Tools” account, as well as a Starter subscription at $29/month.
Mangools vs. Ahrefs for Keyword Research
Ahrefs is the superior tool for
keyword research
due to its comprehensive data and more relevant related term suggestions.
In Mangools, you’ll enter a keyword into the KWFinder tool to see a list of related keywords, a measure of keyword difficulty (how hard it is to gain search engine visibility for that keyword), search volume with historical trend, and a SERP overview for the keyword.
I found the tool to be helpful and liked that I could easily toggle the table from related keywords to autocomplete (Google’s suggestions that pop up while you’re typing in the search bar) or questions.
My favorite part, though, is the first column in the chart that shows you what types of content are ranking in the top positions for that keyword. So for example, I can see that the keyword “technical SEO analysis” primarily brings up guides and listicles, without
having to search the term myself
.
In Ahrefs, you’ll enter your keyword into the Keywords Explorer tool to see a dashboard with a lot of information about your keyword, including:
Keyword difficulty
Search volume with historical trend
Global search volume, broken down by country
Terms match list of keywords
Questions including your keyword
An “Also rank for” list of terms that top-ranking pages also rank for
An “Also talk about” list of terms that people also mention when talking about your keyword
SERP overview, including any AI Overviews or other search features
The winner:
Ahrefs wins this one pretty hands down. I got a lot more related terms that made sense out of the keywords it gave me, whereas typing “content marketing” into Mangools returned terms like “buzzsumo,” “youtube promote video,” “video advertising,” and “marketmuse.” I understand why those terms are related, but they’re not necessarily the terms I’m looking for when researching keywords.
Get More
Search Traffic
Use trending keywords to create content your audience craves.
SERP Analysis Tools Comparison
Ahrefs takes the lead in SERP analysis because of its inclusion of AI Overviews and
other SERP features
.
Analyzing SERPs can help you pinpoint search intent, size up competitors, and decide on what content to include in your content.
In Mangools, there’s a dedicated tool for SERP analysis called SERPChecker. To use it, just type in a keyword, choose a country, and pick to look at either desktop or mobile results.
In the SERP report, you get kind of a neat color-coded chart showing whether there’s a featured snippet, how hard the keyword is to rank for, and how many results show “above the fold” (which means visible without scrolling when the results page loads).
In the chart, you’ll find metrics like domain authority, page authority, citation flow, trust flow, Facebook shares, number of backlinks, and more.
My favorite part of this report is the bar that pops up at the bottom that allows you to enter your URL (the one you hope to rank for the keyword you’ve searched) to compare your metrics with the rest of the ones on the list.
The big con here though is that, at least at the time I’m writing this, Mangools does not show AI Overviews or other search features besides a featured snippet.
In Ahrefs, instead of having a dedicated SERP explorer tool, you’ll find a SERP overview at the bottom of the page every time you research a keyword.
So, at the bottom of the Keywords Explorer report for “technical SEO,” you get a look at the top results in the SERP:
For each of the top ranked pages, Ahrefs shows you word count, domain rating, number of backlinks, how many keywords the page is ranked for, and even the top ranked keyword for that URL.
Plus, it’ll show you:
Whether or not there’s an AI Overview
The top three pages showing in the AI Overview
Where the “People also ask” section is
What the top “People also ask” questions are
When a result has sitelinks, what those links are
Which results are video results
The winner:
Again, I’ve gotta go with Ahrefs here. Mangools has some great features, but not having AI Overviews in their SERP report yet isn’t something I can overlook.
Link Tools Comparison
When analyzing your backlinks and your competitors’ backlinks, you want an accurate tool that helps you find new opportunities. So, how do Ahrefs and Mangools measure up?
In Mangools, you’ll use the Backlink Checker tool to look at your competitors’ backlinks. Enter a domain to see all its backlinks, or a page URL to see just that page’s.
The tool provides citation and trust flow scores, along with total number of referring domains, total number of active backlinks, and various metrics for each backlink. I especially like the Link Strength score (and how it’s color-coded) so that you can easily seeÂ
backlinks that would be the best to try to get for your own site
.
You could also use the Backlink Checker to take a look at your own backlink profile. Keep an eye on the sites that link to you and make sure they’re not spammy or malicious.
In Ahrefs, you’ll use the Site Explorer tool to analyze backlinks. Type in a domain or full page URL, then click on “Backlinks” on the left side:
Now, in the Backlinks report, you’ll see metrics for each backlink like the referring page, domain and URL rating, domain traffic, referring domains, page traffic, anchor and target URL, and more:
You can also toggle over to the “Referring domains” report for more of a bird’s-eye overview of a site’s referring domains:
Other reports in the “Backlink profile” section include Broken backlinks, Anchors, Linking authors, and Referring IPs. Some of those, though, are only available in certain plans.
The winner:
I could really go either way with this one. If you need the most expansive, technical, pro-level backlink review, then you’ll want Ahrefs. If you just want to get a feel for a site’s backlinks and find some opportunities for your own site, Mangools is more than sufficient.
Want to
Beat Your Competition
?
Find out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy.
Mangools vs Ahrefs for Rank Tracking
Keyword rankings are an important measure of your organic visibility. In fact, according to
Search Engine Journal
, keyword ranking was the top performance metric favored to track SEO success in 2024. Just one year earlier, it was the third top metric.
So, how do the Mangools and Ahrefs
rank tracking
tools stack up?
In Mangools, the keyword tracking dashboard includes the list of keyword rankings on the left side. It also shows each keyword’s average rank, best rank, search volume, and estimated visits.
On the other side of the screen, there are more helpful graphs and reports:
Performance and visibility index
Top winners and top losers
Estimated visits
Keyword position flow
Keyword position distribution
When I set up my keyword tracking list, I liked that Mangools asked if I’d like to import a list from the Keyword Research tool to save some time.
In Ahrefs, the Rank Tracker tool gives you a lot of data about your tracked keywords. Not only can you track your keyword rankings from week to week, but you can also see estimated traffic, position distribution, page rankings, the parent topic of your keywords, and even your rankings within all the SERP features.
My favorite part of the Ahrefs Rank Tracker is how it’ll also track your rankings in SERP features. So, you can see just at a quick glance how your rankings in AI Overviews are doing, for example.
The winner:
If I have to pick a winner, it’s Ahrefs. Being able to see where you rank in SERP features is essential for me, and the Mangools report doesn’t have that yet.
Pricing & Reviews
There’s a pretty big difference in pricing between Mangools and Ahrefs in terms of available features and limits in each plan.
When paid annually, you can get Mangools Basic for $29.90 per month, Premium for $44.90 per month, and Agency for $89.90 per month.
In the basic plan, you get 100 keyword lookups per 24 hour period, 200 keyword suggestions per search, and 100 SERP lookups per 24 hours.
When people do choose to use Mangools, they tend to be happy about it. It has a 4.7+ rating across the top three rating sites:
Ahrefs, on the other hand, does offer a very limited free version called
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
. There’s also a Starter plan for $29 per month, but it’s limited to the Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Site Audit tools. It’s also limited to 100 credits per month for running searches and audits.
For more access, paid annually, you can get Ahrefs Lite for $108 per month, Standard for $208 per month, Advanced for $374 per month, or Agency for $1,499 per month.
Ahrefs also has good ratings, except for on Trustpilot where some reviewers weren’t thrilled with a price increase a few years ago, hit credit limits too often, or are concerned about data accuracy:
FAQ
Can I switch from Mangools to Ahrefs later without losing my data?
Yes, but you’ll need to manually export data from Mangools and import it into Ahrefs, as there’s no direct migration tool.
Which tool is better suited for a small agency managing multiple client websites?
Ahrefs provides more advanced features and scalability for agencies, especially with their Advanced and Agency plans. However, if your budget is tight, Mangools Agency plan at $89.90/month offers decent multi-site support.
Is there a free trial available for either tool?
Mangools offers a 10-day free trial with limited features. Ahrefs does not offer a traditional free trial, but
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
provides ongoing limited access for free to verified websites.
Which tool provides better customer support?
Both offer solid customer support, but Mangools has a reputation for faster and more personable service, especially for smaller teams.
Mangools vs Ahrefs: My Recommendation
In terms of how much data and reporting capabilities you get, Ahrefs is superior to Mangools. However, it can definitely be cost prohibitive for some businesses, so I understand why you might be looking at Mangools as an alternative.
I think Mangools is a great SEO tool that gives you many more credits per month than Ahrefs, and provides much of the most important data. If they could build SERP feature (like AI Overviews and People also ask) visibility into their reports, though, that would even out the playing field more.
Want an SEO tool with as much power and depth as Ahrefs, but don’t want to worry so much about using up your credits?
Check out
Semrush
. It combines powerful keyword research, detailed backlink insights, and competitor analysis—all in one easy-to-use platform. Plus, Semrush includes content optimization, social media tracking, and PPC tools that neither Ahrefs nor Mangools offer.
Start your Semrush journey today with their
risk-free trial
and see why over 2,225 users have given it a 4.7/5 rating on Capterra.
Still not sure which SEO tool is right for you? Check out the
Top 19 SEO Tools We Use to Drive 65% of Site Traffic
.
Exploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc. |
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Table of contents
Back to top
- [Mangools And Ahrefs: Meet The Tools](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-and-ahrefs-meet-the-tools)
- [Mangools Vs. Ahrefs For Keyword Research](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-vs-ahrefs-for-keyword-research)
- [SERP Analysis Tools Comparison](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#serp-analysis-tools-comparison)
- [Link Tools Comparison](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#link-tools-comparison)
- [Mangools Vs Ahrefs For Rank Tracking](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-vs-ahrefs-for-rank-tracking)
- [Pricing & Reviews](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#pricing-and-reviews)
- [FAQ](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#faq)
- [Mangools Vs Ahrefs: My Recommendation](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-vs-ahrefs-my-recommendation)
Blog \> Mangools vs. Ahrefs: Which is the Better SEO Tool?
# Mangools vs. Ahrefs: Which is the Better SEO Tool?

by Jolissa Skow
Last Updated: August 28, 2025
#### Stop Guessing, Start Growing 🚀
Use real-time topic data to create content that resonates and brings results.
Contents:
- [Mangools and Ahrefs: Meet the tools](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-and-ahrefs-meet-the-tools)
- [Mangools vs. Ahrefs for Keyword Research](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-vs-ahrefs-for-keyword-research)
- [SERP Analysis Tools Comparison](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#serp-analysis-tools-comparison)
- [Link Tools Comparison](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#link-tools-comparison)
- [Mangools vs Ahrefs for Rank Tracking](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-vs-ahrefs-for-rank-tracking)
- [Pricing & Reviews](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#pricing-and-reviews)
- [FAQ](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#faq)
- [Mangools vs Ahrefs: My Recommendation](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-vs-ahrefs-my-recommendation)
Share:
When you’re comparing SEO tools, it’s never easy to decide which one’s going to be the best for your needs—especially when they have a lot of feature overlap.
Mangools and Ahrefs are two tools that happen to have quite a few overlapping capabilities and tools. They’ll both help you research keywords, analyze search engine results pages (SERPs), track your backlinks, and more. They also both have pretty good reviews.
**The main difference between Mangools and Ahrefs is the price. Ahrefs is *significantly* more expensive than Mangools.** It does have more tools and capabilities than Mangools, but is the price worth it?
I’ll take a deep dive into both of them to help you decide which one works better for you, your website, and your team.
| | | |
|---|---|---|
| **Feature** | **Mangools** | **Ahrefs** |
| **Primary Focus** | Simpler SEO tools for small businesses and beginners | Comprehensive SEO platform for professionals and agencies |
| **Best For** | Solopreneurs, bloggers, small teams with limited budgets | SEO specialists, agencies, marketing teams |
| **Keyword Research** | Easy-to-use KWFinder tool with suggestions and difficulty scoring | Powerful Keyword Explorer with extensive data and related/parent term insights |
| **SERP Analysis** | SERPChecker tool; lacks AI Overview and rich SERP feature data | Integrated SERP data with AI Overview, “People Also Ask,” videos, and more SERP features |
| **Backlink Analysis** | LinkMiner with Link Strength scores and basic domain metrics | Deep backlink reports with anchor text, broken links, and referring IPs |
| **Rank Tracking** | Simple dashboard with rankings, keyword flow, winners/losers | Advanced tracker with SERP feature tracking and parent topic analysis |
| **Site Auditing** | Basic metrics via SiteProfiler | Full site audits with technical SEO recommendations |
| **Ease of Use** | Beginner-friendly, simple UI | More robust with a steeper learning curve |
| **API Access** | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| **Starting Price** | \$29.90/month (Basic plan, billed annually) | \$29/month (Starter), \$108/month (Lite plan, billed annually) |
Contents:
- [Mangools And Ahrefs: Meet The Tools](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-and-ahrefs-meet-the-tools)
- [Mangools Vs. Ahrefs For Keyword Research](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-vs-ahrefs-for-keyword-research)
- [SERP Analysis Tools Comparison](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#serp-analysis-tools-comparison)
- [Link Tools Comparison](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#link-tools-comparison)
...more
### Mangools and Ahrefs: Meet the tools
Here’s a quick look at both tools to start with.
**About Mangools**
Mangools is an all-in-one SEO toolset that includes keyword research, SERP analysis, backlink tracking, and website metrics.

Its main tools, including KWFinder, SERPChecker, LinkMiner, and SiteProfiler, are designed for ease of use and cater to beginners and small businesses seeking to improve search rankings.
Mangools brands itself as “SEO tools for busy people,” meaning people who don’t have a ton of time to invest in a sprawling and more in-depth toolset.
**About Ahrefs**
Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO platform used for keyword research, backlink analysis, content exploration, and website auditing.

It features tools like Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Content Explorer, allowing marketers to analyze competitors, monitor rankings, and improve site visibility.
Although Ahrefs is more targeted toward larger businesses, agencies, and those with a bigger budget to spend on SEO and content marketing, they do offer a free, limited “Ahrefs Webmaster Tools” account, as well as a Starter subscription at \$29/month.
### Mangools vs. Ahrefs for Keyword Research
**Ahrefs is the superior tool for [keyword research](https://explodingtopics.com/tools/keyword-research) due to its comprehensive data and more relevant related term suggestions.**
In Mangools, you’ll enter a keyword into the KWFinder tool to see a list of related keywords, a measure of keyword difficulty (how hard it is to gain search engine visibility for that keyword), search volume with historical trend, and a SERP overview for the keyword.
I found the tool to be helpful and liked that I could easily toggle the table from related keywords to autocomplete (Google’s suggestions that pop up while you’re typing in the search bar) or questions.
My favorite part, though, is the first column in the chart that shows you what types of content are ranking in the top positions for that keyword. So for example, I can see that the keyword “technical SEO analysis” primarily brings up guides and listicles, without [having to search the term myself](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/how-to-choose-keywords-for-seo).

In Ahrefs, you’ll enter your keyword into the Keywords Explorer tool to see a dashboard with a lot of information about your keyword, including:
- Keyword difficulty
- Search volume with historical trend
- Global search volume, broken down by country
- Terms match list of keywords
- Questions including your keyword
- An “Also rank for” list of terms that top-ranking pages also rank for
- An “Also talk about” list of terms that people also mention when talking about your keyword
- SERP overview, including any AI Overviews or other search features

**The winner:** Ahrefs wins this one pretty hands down. I got a lot more related terms that made sense out of the keywords it gave me, whereas typing “content marketing” into Mangools returned terms like “buzzsumo,” “youtube promote video,” “video advertising,” and “marketmuse.” I understand why those terms are related, but they’re not necessarily the terms I’m looking for when researching keywords.
### Get More Search Traffic
Use trending keywords to create content your audience craves.

### SERP Analysis Tools Comparison
**Ahrefs takes the lead in SERP analysis because of its inclusion of AI Overviews and [other SERP features](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/serp-features).**
Analyzing SERPs can help you pinpoint search intent, size up competitors, and decide on what content to include in your content.
In Mangools, there’s a dedicated tool for SERP analysis called SERPChecker. To use it, just type in a keyword, choose a country, and pick to look at either desktop or mobile results.

In the SERP report, you get kind of a neat color-coded chart showing whether there’s a featured snippet, how hard the keyword is to rank for, and how many results show “above the fold” (which means visible without scrolling when the results page loads).
In the chart, you’ll find metrics like domain authority, page authority, citation flow, trust flow, Facebook shares, number of backlinks, and more.
My favorite part of this report is the bar that pops up at the bottom that allows you to enter your URL (the one you hope to rank for the keyword you’ve searched) to compare your metrics with the rest of the ones on the list.
The big con here though is that, at least at the time I’m writing this, Mangools does not show AI Overviews or other search features besides a featured snippet.
In Ahrefs, instead of having a dedicated SERP explorer tool, you’ll find a SERP overview at the bottom of the page every time you research a keyword.
So, at the bottom of the Keywords Explorer report for “technical SEO,” you get a look at the top results in the SERP:

For each of the top ranked pages, Ahrefs shows you word count, domain rating, number of backlinks, how many keywords the page is ranked for, and even the top ranked keyword for that URL.
Plus, it’ll show you:
- Whether or not there’s an AI Overview
- The top three pages showing in the AI Overview
- Where the “People also ask” section is
- What the top “People also ask” questions are
- When a result has sitelinks, what those links are
- Which results are video results
**The winner:** Again, I’ve gotta go with Ahrefs here. Mangools has some great features, but not having AI Overviews in their SERP report yet isn’t something I can overlook.
### Link Tools Comparison
When analyzing your backlinks and your competitors’ backlinks, you want an accurate tool that helps you find new opportunities. So, how do Ahrefs and Mangools measure up?
In Mangools, you’ll use the Backlink Checker tool to look at your competitors’ backlinks. Enter a domain to see all its backlinks, or a page URL to see just that page’s.

The tool provides citation and trust flow scores, along with total number of referring domains, total number of active backlinks, and various metrics for each backlink. I especially like the Link Strength score (and how it’s color-coded) so that you can easily see [backlinks that would be the best to try to get for your own site](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/how-to-get-backlinks).
You could also use the Backlink Checker to take a look at your own backlink profile. Keep an eye on the sites that link to you and make sure they’re not spammy or malicious.
In Ahrefs, you’ll use the Site Explorer tool to analyze backlinks. Type in a domain or full page URL, then click on “Backlinks” on the left side:

Now, in the Backlinks report, you’ll see metrics for each backlink like the referring page, domain and URL rating, domain traffic, referring domains, page traffic, anchor and target URL, and more:

You can also toggle over to the “Referring domains” report for more of a bird’s-eye overview of a site’s referring domains:

Other reports in the “Backlink profile” section include Broken backlinks, Anchors, Linking authors, and Referring IPs. Some of those, though, are only available in certain plans.
**The winner:** I could really go either way with this one. If you need the most expansive, technical, pro-level backlink review, then you’ll want Ahrefs. If you just want to get a feel for a site’s backlinks and find some opportunities for your own site, Mangools is more than sufficient.
### Want to Beat Your Competition?
Find out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy.

### Mangools vs Ahrefs for Rank Tracking
Keyword rankings are an important measure of your organic visibility. In fact, according to [Search Engine Journal](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/state-of-seo/), keyword ranking was the top performance metric favored to track SEO success in 2024. Just one year earlier, it was the third top metric.
So, how do the Mangools and Ahrefs [rank tracking](https://explodingtopics.com/tools/website-rank-tracker) tools stack up?
In Mangools, the keyword tracking dashboard includes the list of keyword rankings on the left side. It also shows each keyword’s average rank, best rank, search volume, and estimated visits.
On the other side of the screen, there are more helpful graphs and reports:
- Performance and visibility index
- Top winners and top losers
- Estimated visits
- Keyword position flow
- Keyword position distribution

When I set up my keyword tracking list, I liked that Mangools asked if I’d like to import a list from the Keyword Research tool to save some time.
In Ahrefs, the Rank Tracker tool gives you a lot of data about your tracked keywords. Not only can you track your keyword rankings from week to week, but you can also see estimated traffic, position distribution, page rankings, the parent topic of your keywords, and even your rankings within all the SERP features.

My favorite part of the Ahrefs Rank Tracker is how it’ll also track your rankings in SERP features. So, you can see just at a quick glance how your rankings in AI Overviews are doing, for example.

**The winner:** If I have to pick a winner, it’s Ahrefs. Being able to see where you rank in SERP features is essential for me, and the Mangools report doesn’t have that yet.
### Pricing & Reviews
There’s a pretty big difference in pricing between Mangools and Ahrefs in terms of available features and limits in each plan.
When paid annually, you can get Mangools Basic for \$29.90 per month, Premium for \$44.90 per month, and Agency for \$89.90 per month.
In the basic plan, you get 100 keyword lookups per 24 hour period, 200 keyword suggestions per search, and 100 SERP lookups per 24 hours.
When people do choose to use Mangools, they tend to be happy about it. It has a 4.7+ rating across the top three rating sites:

Ahrefs, on the other hand, does offer a very limited free version called [Ahrefs Webmaster Tools](https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools). There’s also a Starter plan for \$29 per month, but it’s limited to the Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Site Audit tools. It’s also limited to 100 credits per month for running searches and audits.
For more access, paid annually, you can get Ahrefs Lite for \$108 per month, Standard for \$208 per month, Advanced for \$374 per month, or Agency for \$1,499 per month.
Ahrefs also has good ratings, except for on Trustpilot where some reviewers weren’t thrilled with a price increase a few years ago, hit credit limits too often, or are concerned about data accuracy:

### FAQ
**Can I switch from Mangools to Ahrefs later without losing my data?**
Yes, but you’ll need to manually export data from Mangools and import it into Ahrefs, as there’s no direct migration tool.
**Which tool is better suited for a small agency managing multiple client websites?**
Ahrefs provides more advanced features and scalability for agencies, especially with their Advanced and Agency plans. However, if your budget is tight, Mangools Agency plan at \$89.90/month offers decent multi-site support.
**Is there a free trial available for either tool?**
Mangools offers a 10-day free trial with limited features. Ahrefs does not offer a traditional free trial, but [Ahrefs Webmaster Tools](https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools) provides ongoing limited access for free to verified websites.
**Which tool provides better customer support?**
Both offer solid customer support, but Mangools has a reputation for faster and more personable service, especially for smaller teams.
### Mangools vs Ahrefs: My Recommendation
In terms of how much data and reporting capabilities you get, Ahrefs is superior to Mangools. However, it can definitely be cost prohibitive for some businesses, so I understand why you might be looking at Mangools as an alternative.
I think Mangools is a great SEO tool that gives you many more credits per month than Ahrefs, and provides much of the most important data. If they could build SERP feature (like AI Overviews and People also ask) visibility into their reports, though, that would even out the playing field more.
Want an SEO tool with as much power and depth as Ahrefs, but don’t want to worry so much about using up your credits?
Check out [Semrush](https://www.semrush.com/). It combines powerful keyword research, detailed backlink insights, and competitor analysis—all in one easy-to-use platform. Plus, Semrush includes content optimization, social media tracking, and PPC tools that neither Ahrefs nor Mangools offer.
Start your Semrush journey today with their [risk-free trial](https://semrush.com/signup/) and see why over 2,225 users have given it a 4.7/5 rating on Capterra.
Still not sure which SEO tool is right for you? Check out the [Top 19 SEO Tools We Use to Drive 65% of Site Traffic](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/seo-tools).
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| Readable Markdown | When you’re comparing SEO tools, it’s never easy to decide which one’s going to be the best for your needs—especially when they have a lot of feature overlap.
Mangools and Ahrefs are two tools that happen to have quite a few overlapping capabilities and tools. They’ll both help you research keywords, analyze search engine results pages (SERPs), track your backlinks, and more. They also both have pretty good reviews.
**The main difference between Mangools and Ahrefs is the price. Ahrefs is *significantly* more expensive than Mangools.** It does have more tools and capabilities than Mangools, but is the price worth it?
I’ll take a deep dive into both of them to help you decide which one works better for you, your website, and your team.
| | | |
|---|---|---|
| **Feature** | **Mangools** | **Ahrefs** |
| **Primary Focus** | Simpler SEO tools for small businesses and beginners | Comprehensive SEO platform for professionals and agencies |
| **Best For** | Solopreneurs, bloggers, small teams with limited budgets | SEO specialists, agencies, marketing teams |
| **Keyword Research** | Easy-to-use KWFinder tool with suggestions and difficulty scoring | Powerful Keyword Explorer with extensive data and related/parent term insights |
| **SERP Analysis** | SERPChecker tool; lacks AI Overview and rich SERP feature data | Integrated SERP data with AI Overview, “People Also Ask,” videos, and more SERP features |
| **Backlink Analysis** | LinkMiner with Link Strength scores and basic domain metrics | Deep backlink reports with anchor text, broken links, and referring IPs |
| **Rank Tracking** | Simple dashboard with rankings, keyword flow, winners/losers | Advanced tracker with SERP feature tracking and parent topic analysis |
| **Site Auditing** | Basic metrics via SiteProfiler | Full site audits with technical SEO recommendations |
| **Ease of Use** | Beginner-friendly, simple UI | More robust with a steeper learning curve |
| **API Access** | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| **Starting Price** | \$29.90/month (Basic plan, billed annually) | \$29/month (Starter), \$108/month (Lite plan, billed annually) |
Contents:
- [Mangools And Ahrefs: Meet The Tools](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-and-ahrefs-meet-the-tools)
- [Mangools Vs. Ahrefs For Keyword Research](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#mangools-vs-ahrefs-for-keyword-research)
- [SERP Analysis Tools Comparison](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#serp-analysis-tools-comparison)
- [Link Tools Comparison](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mangools-vs-ahrefs#link-tools-comparison)
### Mangools and Ahrefs: Meet the tools
Here’s a quick look at both tools to start with.
**About Mangools**
Mangools is an all-in-one SEO toolset that includes keyword research, SERP analysis, backlink tracking, and website metrics.

Its main tools, including KWFinder, SERPChecker, LinkMiner, and SiteProfiler, are designed for ease of use and cater to beginners and small businesses seeking to improve search rankings.
Mangools brands itself as “SEO tools for busy people,” meaning people who don’t have a ton of time to invest in a sprawling and more in-depth toolset.
**About Ahrefs**
Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO platform used for keyword research, backlink analysis, content exploration, and website auditing.

It features tools like Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Content Explorer, allowing marketers to analyze competitors, monitor rankings, and improve site visibility.
Although Ahrefs is more targeted toward larger businesses, agencies, and those with a bigger budget to spend on SEO and content marketing, they do offer a free, limited “Ahrefs Webmaster Tools” account, as well as a Starter subscription at \$29/month.
### Mangools vs. Ahrefs for Keyword Research
**Ahrefs is the superior tool for [keyword research](https://explodingtopics.com/tools/keyword-research) due to its comprehensive data and more relevant related term suggestions.**
In Mangools, you’ll enter a keyword into the KWFinder tool to see a list of related keywords, a measure of keyword difficulty (how hard it is to gain search engine visibility for that keyword), search volume with historical trend, and a SERP overview for the keyword.
I found the tool to be helpful and liked that I could easily toggle the table from related keywords to autocomplete (Google’s suggestions that pop up while you’re typing in the search bar) or questions.
My favorite part, though, is the first column in the chart that shows you what types of content are ranking in the top positions for that keyword. So for example, I can see that the keyword “technical SEO analysis” primarily brings up guides and listicles, without [having to search the term myself](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/how-to-choose-keywords-for-seo).

In Ahrefs, you’ll enter your keyword into the Keywords Explorer tool to see a dashboard with a lot of information about your keyword, including:
- Keyword difficulty
- Search volume with historical trend
- Global search volume, broken down by country
- Terms match list of keywords
- Questions including your keyword
- An “Also rank for” list of terms that top-ranking pages also rank for
- An “Also talk about” list of terms that people also mention when talking about your keyword
- SERP overview, including any AI Overviews or other search features

**The winner:** Ahrefs wins this one pretty hands down. I got a lot more related terms that made sense out of the keywords it gave me, whereas typing “content marketing” into Mangools returned terms like “buzzsumo,” “youtube promote video,” “video advertising,” and “marketmuse.” I understand why those terms are related, but they’re not necessarily the terms I’m looking for when researching keywords.
### Get More Search Traffic
Use trending keywords to create content your audience craves.
### SERP Analysis Tools Comparison
**Ahrefs takes the lead in SERP analysis because of its inclusion of AI Overviews and [other SERP features](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/serp-features).**
Analyzing SERPs can help you pinpoint search intent, size up competitors, and decide on what content to include in your content.
In Mangools, there’s a dedicated tool for SERP analysis called SERPChecker. To use it, just type in a keyword, choose a country, and pick to look at either desktop or mobile results.

In the SERP report, you get kind of a neat color-coded chart showing whether there’s a featured snippet, how hard the keyword is to rank for, and how many results show “above the fold” (which means visible without scrolling when the results page loads).
In the chart, you’ll find metrics like domain authority, page authority, citation flow, trust flow, Facebook shares, number of backlinks, and more.
My favorite part of this report is the bar that pops up at the bottom that allows you to enter your URL (the one you hope to rank for the keyword you’ve searched) to compare your metrics with the rest of the ones on the list.
The big con here though is that, at least at the time I’m writing this, Mangools does not show AI Overviews or other search features besides a featured snippet.
In Ahrefs, instead of having a dedicated SERP explorer tool, you’ll find a SERP overview at the bottom of the page every time you research a keyword.
So, at the bottom of the Keywords Explorer report for “technical SEO,” you get a look at the top results in the SERP:

For each of the top ranked pages, Ahrefs shows you word count, domain rating, number of backlinks, how many keywords the page is ranked for, and even the top ranked keyword for that URL.
Plus, it’ll show you:
- Whether or not there’s an AI Overview
- The top three pages showing in the AI Overview
- Where the “People also ask” section is
- What the top “People also ask” questions are
- When a result has sitelinks, what those links are
- Which results are video results
**The winner:** Again, I’ve gotta go with Ahrefs here. Mangools has some great features, but not having AI Overviews in their SERP report yet isn’t something I can overlook.
### Link Tools Comparison
When analyzing your backlinks and your competitors’ backlinks, you want an accurate tool that helps you find new opportunities. So, how do Ahrefs and Mangools measure up?
In Mangools, you’ll use the Backlink Checker tool to look at your competitors’ backlinks. Enter a domain to see all its backlinks, or a page URL to see just that page’s.

The tool provides citation and trust flow scores, along with total number of referring domains, total number of active backlinks, and various metrics for each backlink. I especially like the Link Strength score (and how it’s color-coded) so that you can easily see [backlinks that would be the best to try to get for your own site](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/how-to-get-backlinks).
You could also use the Backlink Checker to take a look at your own backlink profile. Keep an eye on the sites that link to you and make sure they’re not spammy or malicious.
In Ahrefs, you’ll use the Site Explorer tool to analyze backlinks. Type in a domain or full page URL, then click on “Backlinks” on the left side:

Now, in the Backlinks report, you’ll see metrics for each backlink like the referring page, domain and URL rating, domain traffic, referring domains, page traffic, anchor and target URL, and more:

You can also toggle over to the “Referring domains” report for more of a bird’s-eye overview of a site’s referring domains:

Other reports in the “Backlink profile” section include Broken backlinks, Anchors, Linking authors, and Referring IPs. Some of those, though, are only available in certain plans.
**The winner:** I could really go either way with this one. If you need the most expansive, technical, pro-level backlink review, then you’ll want Ahrefs. If you just want to get a feel for a site’s backlinks and find some opportunities for your own site, Mangools is more than sufficient.
### Want to Beat Your Competition?
Find out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy.
### Mangools vs Ahrefs for Rank Tracking
Keyword rankings are an important measure of your organic visibility. In fact, according to [Search Engine Journal](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/state-of-seo/), keyword ranking was the top performance metric favored to track SEO success in 2024. Just one year earlier, it was the third top metric.
So, how do the Mangools and Ahrefs [rank tracking](https://explodingtopics.com/tools/website-rank-tracker) tools stack up?
In Mangools, the keyword tracking dashboard includes the list of keyword rankings on the left side. It also shows each keyword’s average rank, best rank, search volume, and estimated visits.
On the other side of the screen, there are more helpful graphs and reports:
- Performance and visibility index
- Top winners and top losers
- Estimated visits
- Keyword position flow
- Keyword position distribution

When I set up my keyword tracking list, I liked that Mangools asked if I’d like to import a list from the Keyword Research tool to save some time.
In Ahrefs, the Rank Tracker tool gives you a lot of data about your tracked keywords. Not only can you track your keyword rankings from week to week, but you can also see estimated traffic, position distribution, page rankings, the parent topic of your keywords, and even your rankings within all the SERP features.

My favorite part of the Ahrefs Rank Tracker is how it’ll also track your rankings in SERP features. So, you can see just at a quick glance how your rankings in AI Overviews are doing, for example.

**The winner:** If I have to pick a winner, it’s Ahrefs. Being able to see where you rank in SERP features is essential for me, and the Mangools report doesn’t have that yet.
### Pricing & Reviews
There’s a pretty big difference in pricing between Mangools and Ahrefs in terms of available features and limits in each plan.
When paid annually, you can get Mangools Basic for \$29.90 per month, Premium for \$44.90 per month, and Agency for \$89.90 per month.
In the basic plan, you get 100 keyword lookups per 24 hour period, 200 keyword suggestions per search, and 100 SERP lookups per 24 hours.
When people do choose to use Mangools, they tend to be happy about it. It has a 4.7+ rating across the top three rating sites:

Ahrefs, on the other hand, does offer a very limited free version called [Ahrefs Webmaster Tools](https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools). There’s also a Starter plan for \$29 per month, but it’s limited to the Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Site Audit tools. It’s also limited to 100 credits per month for running searches and audits.
For more access, paid annually, you can get Ahrefs Lite for \$108 per month, Standard for \$208 per month, Advanced for \$374 per month, or Agency for \$1,499 per month.
Ahrefs also has good ratings, except for on Trustpilot where some reviewers weren’t thrilled with a price increase a few years ago, hit credit limits too often, or are concerned about data accuracy:

### FAQ
**Can I switch from Mangools to Ahrefs later without losing my data?**
Yes, but you’ll need to manually export data from Mangools and import it into Ahrefs, as there’s no direct migration tool.
**Which tool is better suited for a small agency managing multiple client websites?**
Ahrefs provides more advanced features and scalability for agencies, especially with their Advanced and Agency plans. However, if your budget is tight, Mangools Agency plan at \$89.90/month offers decent multi-site support.
**Is there a free trial available for either tool?**
Mangools offers a 10-day free trial with limited features. Ahrefs does not offer a traditional free trial, but [Ahrefs Webmaster Tools](https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools) provides ongoing limited access for free to verified websites.
**Which tool provides better customer support?**
Both offer solid customer support, but Mangools has a reputation for faster and more personable service, especially for smaller teams.
### Mangools vs Ahrefs: My Recommendation
In terms of how much data and reporting capabilities you get, Ahrefs is superior to Mangools. However, it can definitely be cost prohibitive for some businesses, so I understand why you might be looking at Mangools as an alternative.
I think Mangools is a great SEO tool that gives you many more credits per month than Ahrefs, and provides much of the most important data. If they could build SERP feature (like AI Overviews and People also ask) visibility into their reports, though, that would even out the playing field more.
Want an SEO tool with as much power and depth as Ahrefs, but don’t want to worry so much about using up your credits?
Check out [Semrush](https://www.semrush.com/). It combines powerful keyword research, detailed backlink insights, and competitor analysis—all in one easy-to-use platform. Plus, Semrush includes content optimization, social media tracking, and PPC tools that neither Ahrefs nor Mangools offer.
Start your Semrush journey today with their [risk-free trial](https://semrush.com/signup/) and see why over 2,225 users have given it a 4.7/5 rating on Capterra.
Still not sure which SEO tool is right for you? Check out the [Top 19 SEO Tools We Use to Drive 65% of Site Traffic](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/seo-tools).
Exploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc. |
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