Ahrefs Vs Moz – Detailed Comparison 2025?

Last Updated on 29/04/2025

Ahrefs vs Moz — two giants in the world of SEO tools, both offering powerful features to help businesses grow their online visibility. But when choosing the right platform for your specific needs, which genuinely delivers more value?

Whether you’re a digital marketer, SEO professional, or a business owner trying to boost your website traffic, selecting the right SEO toolkit can make or break your strategy.

Ahrefs and Moz offer keyword research, backlink analysis, site audits, and competitor tracking — but differ significantly in user experience, data accuracy, and pricing.

As of 2025, Ahrefs is trusted by over 1 million users, including agencies and enterprises worldwide, and is known for its deep backlink index and competitive analysis tools.

On the other hand, Moz has built a strong community of over 600,000 marketers. It is popular among beginners and small—to mid-sized businesses for its intuitive tools and educational resources.

AHREFS – A Quick Overview

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool known for its powerful backlink analysis features. Its backlink database is one of the largest in the industry, including data on over 17 billion unique backlinks.

Ahrefs also offers a range of other features, such as keyword research, site audit, and competitor analysis. One of the main benefits of Ahrefs is its ability to provide detailed and accurate data, which can be particularly useful for link-building and competitor analysis.

Uncover more insights: AhrefsBot Explained: Should You Block It or Let It Crawl?

MOZ – A Quick Overview

Moz is another well-respected SEO tool that offers a range of features such as keyword research, site audit, and rank tracking.

One of the main features of Moz is its Domain Authority (DA) metric, which is a score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engines.

Moz also offers a feature called “MozBar,” a browser extension that allows you to see the DA of any website you visit. In addition to its core SEO features, Moz also offers local SEO and social media management tools.

While comparing Ahrefs and Moz, you’ve probably encountered a few confusing differences. For example:

• Why is my Domain Authority (DA) lower than my Domain Rating (DR)?
• Why does Moz show different keyword search volumes from Ahrefs?

Before we dive into those answers, it’s essential to understand what DA and DR mean.

• DA (Domain Authority) is a proprietary metric developed by Moz that scores a website’s likelihood of ranking in search engines on a scale from 0 to 100.
  Example: A brand-new website with no backlinks will typically have a DA of 0.
• DR (Domain Rating) is a similar metric created by Ahrefs. It uses a 0 to 100 scale but is calculated using different algorithms and backlink data.

Other SEO tools use different names for similar metrics — for example, Semrush uses “Authority Score,” and Ubersuggest calls it “Domain Score.” Despite the various labels, they aim to measure your website’s strength, backlink profile, and ranking potential in search engines.

Ahrefs vs Moz: Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Ahrefs vs Moz: Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Ahrefs	Moz	Winner
Keyword Research	Large database, click metrics, supports multiple search engines	Good suggestions, basic SERP overview	Ahrefs
Backlink Analysis	Industry-leading index, historical data, link intersect tool	Decent index updates less frequently	Ahrefs
Site Audit	In-depth technical analysis	Simple and beginner-friendly audits	Tie
Rank Tracking	Desktop/mobile tracking, competitor monitoring	Daily updates, SERP feature tracking	Moz
User Interface	Clean but complex for beginners	Intuitive and easy to navigate	Moz
Pricing	Starts at $49/mo, more limited at entry-level	Starts at $99/mo, more limited at entry-level	Depends
Integrations & Reports	Basic exports, limited integrations	Strong GSC & GA integration, better client reporting	Moz
Best For	Advanced SEOs, Agencies	Beginners, Small Businesses	It depends on the user’s needs

When choosing between Ahrefs and Moz, it’s essential to compare them across the core features that matter most to SEO professionals. Below is a breakdown of how each tool performs in key areas:

1. Keyword Research

• Ahrefs: Known for its massive keyword database, Ahrefs offers detailed keyword suggestions, difficulty scores, and click metrics. The Keywords Explorer supports multiple search engines like Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon.
• Moz: Moz’s Keyword Explorer provides solid keyword suggestions and difficulty scores but lacks some of the depth and SERP analysis offered by Ahrefs.

Winner: Ahrefs – More comprehensive keyword data and broader search engine coverage.

2. Backlink Analysis

• Ahrefs: One of the largest backlink databases in the industry. You get detailed link metrics, historical data, and new/lost backlinks insights. The Link Intersect feature is handy for competitive analysis.
• Moz: Moz’s Link Explorer is decent for tracking backlinks and anchor text, but it tends to update less frequently and has a smaller index than Ahrefs.

Winner: Ahrefs – Superior backlink database and faster updates.

3. Site Audits

• Ahrefs: Offers a robust Site Audit tool that crawls your website for technical SEO issues like broken links, slow pages, and mobile usability problems.
• Moz: Moz’s Site Crawl is user-friendly and great for beginners. It highlights critical issues and offers tips to fix them, though the depth of analysis is more limited.

Winner: Tie – Ahrefs for depth, Moz for beginner-friendliness.

4. Rank Tracking

• Ahrefs: Allows you to monitor keyword rankings across desktop and mobile, with visibility trends and competitor tracking.
• Moz: Moz Pro includes a solid rank-tracking tool with daily updates and SERP feature tracking.

Winner: Moz – Slight edge for more frequent updates and intuitive layout.

5. User Interface & Learning Curve

• Ahrefs: Clean, professional interface, but can feel overwhelming for new users due to the depth of tools and data.
• Moz: More intuitive for beginners, focusing on simplicity and helpful in-platform guidance.

Winner: Moz – Easier to navigate for beginners and small business owners.

6. Pricing

• Ahrefs: Pricing starts higher but offers more tools under one roof. Entry-level plans begin at around $129/month.
• Moz: Slightly more affordable, starting at $49/month, but some advanced tools are more limited or require higher tiers.

Winner: It depends. Choose Moz if you’re budget-conscious and Ahrefs if you want more value at a higher price.

7. Reporting & Integrations

• Ahrefs: Offers PDF and CSV exports with limited integrations.
• Moz: Stronger integration with tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

Winner: Moz – Better integration options for client reporting.

“Ahrefs gives you depth, Moz gives you clarity. If you’re building long-term SEO strategies with heavy data analysis, Ahrefs is the way to go. But for those just starting out or managing SEO in-house, Moz simplifies complexity without cutting corners.”
— Shahid Shahmiri, SEO Consultant

Keyword Research: Which Tool Gives Better Data?

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy — and it’s one of the main reasons marketers choose tools like Ahrefs and Moz. But which platform delivers more accurate, insightful, and actionable keyword data?

Let’s break it down.

Ahrefs: Powerful & Data-Rich

Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer is widely regarded as one of the market’s most advanced keyword research tools. Here’s why:

• Massive Keyword Database: Ahrefs boasts over 10 billion keywords, covering multiple search engines — including Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, and more.
• Click Metrics: Ahrefs shows estimated clicks, not just search volume, unlike many tools. This gives a clearer picture of actual user behavior.
• Keyword Difficulty (KD): Ahrefs uses a backlink-based model to score keyword difficulty on a scale of 0 to 100, helping users understand how difficult it will be to rank.
• SERP Overview: Each keyword includes a live snapshot of the top-ranking pages, along with their DR, backlink count, and traffic estimates.
• Advanced Filters: You can narrow your keyword ideas by word count, included/excluded terms, traffic potential, and more.

Standout Feature: “Traffic Potential” — instead of just showing keyword volume, Ahrefs estimates the total traffic a top-ranking page could get from a keyword and its variations.

Moz: Simpler & Beginner-Friendly

Moz’s Keyword Explorer is designed for ease of use. It’s perfect for beginners or marketers who want fast insights without a steep learning curve.

• Keyword Suggestions: Moz provides keyword ideas based on relevance, volume, and lexical similarity (i.e., how closely related they are).
• Priority Score: This score combines volume, difficulty, and CTR to help users choose the “best opportunity” keywords.
• Keyword Difficulty: Moz also rates keywords on a 0–100 scale but uses a slightly different algorithm than Ahrefs.
• SERP Analysis: Provides a basic overview of the top-ranking pages, though not as detailed as Ahrefs.
• Search Volume Ranges: Unlike Ahrefs, Moz often displays broad volume ranges (e.g., 201–500), which can limit precision for competitive planning.

Standout Feature: “Keyword Priority Score” — a unique metric that helps beginners focus on keywords that balance volume and ranking opportunity.

Final Verdict: Keyword Research Winner

If you’re looking for depth, accuracy, and advanced filtering, Ahrefs is the leader. It’s ideal for professionals and agencies that need highly actionable keyword data.

However, if you’re a beginner or small business owner looking for straightforward suggestions without information overload, Moz offers a more accessible experience.

Overall Winner: Ahrefs – More comprehensive data and powerful keyword insights.

Backlink Analysis: Who Has the Bigger Index?

Backlinks remain one of the most important ranking factors in Google’s algorithm, so robust backlink analysis is necessary for any SEO tool. Ahrefs and Moz offer backlink tracking features, but which delivers more data, faster updates, and deeper insights?

Let’s compare.

Ahrefs: The Industry Leader in Backlink Data

Regarding backlink analysis, Ahrefs is widely considered the gold standard. Here’s why:

• Massive Index Size: Ahrefs crawls over 8 billion pages daily and claims to have one of the world’s most extensive live backlink indexes.
• Fresh & Live Indexes: It offers a fresh index (updated every 15–30 minutes) and a live index for historical data.
• Detailed Metrics: For every backlink, you get anchor text, DR (Domain Rating), UR (URL Rating), dofollow/nofollow status, referring domains, and even first/last seen dates.
• Link Intersect Tool: A powerful feature that shows which websites link to your competitors but not to you — perfect for a link-building strategy.
• New & Lost Backlinks Tracking: Monitor backlink growth or decay over time with visual graphs and trends.

Standout Feature: The Link Intersect tool and super-frequent crawling make Ahrefs the go-to for advanced link building.

Moz: Solid but Limited in Depth

Moz’s Link Explorer is beginner-friendly and provides essential backlink data, but it is smaller and less frequent than Ahrefs.

• Backlink Index Size: Moz’s index contains over 40 trillion links but tends to update less frequently than Ahrefs.
• Basic Metrics: You can see linking domains, anchor text, spam score, and Domain Authority of linking sites.
• Spam Score: Moz includes a proprietary “Spam Score” to help identify potentially toxic links.
• Link Tracking: You can view gained and lost links, but historical tracking is limited compared to Ahrefs.

Standout Feature: Spam Score – helpful for identifying harmful links that could affect your site’s authority.

Index Size & Speed Comparison

Feature	Ahrefs	Moz
Backlink Index Size	~300 billion pages indexed	40+ trillion links
Crawl Rate	8+ billion pages/day	Not publicly disclosed
Update Frequency	Live updates every 15–30 mins	Updates every few days/weeks
Historical Link Data	✅ Yes	⚠️ Limited
New/Lost Links Tracking	✅ Advanced	✅ Basic
Competitor Link Gap Analysis	✅ Link Intersect Tool	❌ Not Available

Final Verdict: Backlink Analysis Winner

Regarding backlink analysis, Ahrefs leads with its massive index, faster updates, and deeper insights into referring domains and link quality.

If you’re serious about link building or competitive SEO, Ahrefs offers the advanced tools you need. While decent for a quick overview, Moz lacks the depth required for more aggressive strategies.

Winner: Ahrefs – Unmatched backlink index and link intelligence.

Site Audit & Technical SEO Capabilities

A strong SEO strategy isn’t just about keywords and backlinks — it’s also about fixing the technical issues that prevent your site from ranking. Ahrefs and Moz offer site auditing tools to help you identify and resolve on-site SEO problems, but how do they stack up against each other?

Ahrefs: In-Depth and Comprehensive

Ahrefs’ Site Audit tool is a powerhouse for identifying technical SEO issues.

• Cloud-Based Crawler: Crawls your site quickly and doesn’t require installation or browser extensions.
• Custom Crawl Settings: You can configure rules, ignore parameters, and even simulate how search bots crawl your site.
• Issue Categorization: Errors are grouped into performance, HTML tags, social tags, content quality, and localization.
• Visual Health Score: Get a clear score (0–100) showing overall site health, with graphs that track improvements over time.
• Mobile & Desktop Audit: Audit your site from both user perspectives.
• Actionable Recommendations: Each issue has a detailed explanation and suggestions for fixing it.

Standout Feature: The crawl visualization chart helps you understand how your site is structured and how deeply pages are buried.

Moz: Simple and Beginner-Friendly

Moz’s Site Crawl tool focuses on usability and clarity, making it ideal for users newer to SEO or managing smaller sites.

• Automated Weekly Crawls: Moz automatically scans your site once a week and notifies you of new issues.
• Issue Prioritization: This process highlights critical issues (e.g., broken links, duplicate content, and missing meta tags) and categorizes them by severity.
• Fix Instructions: Provides easy-to-understand guidance, making it accessible to non-technical users.
• Email Alerts: Get alerts for significant issues or crawl errors directly in your inbox.
• Site Health Tracking: View progress and improvements with visual charts.

Standout Feature: This feature is great for marketers and business owners who want to stay informed without getting overwhelmed by technical jargon.

Technical SEO Comparison Table

Feature	Ahrefs	Moz
Crawl Frequency	On-demand	Weekly (automated)
Crawl Depth & Speed	High-speed, full control	Moderate speed, basic controls
Technical Issue Categories	✅ Extensive (100+ issues)	✅ Covers essentials
Visual Reports & Health Score	✅ Yes (with trend graphs & charts)	✅ Yes (simplified)
Mobile/Responsive Analysis	✅ Yes	❌ Limited
Crawl Visualization	✅ Interactive chart	❌ Not available
Fix Instructions & Help	✅ Technical detail & links	✅ Beginner-focused guidance

Final Verdict: Site Audit Winner

• Choose Ahrefs if you want granular control, deep crawl analysis, and support for complex technical SEO projects.
• Choose Moz if you prefer simplicity, easy recommendations, and a less technical experience.

Winner: Ahrefs – Best for in-depth audits and technical SEO pros.
Runner-Up: Moz – Best for beginners and marketers managing smaller sites.

Accuracy of Metrics: DA vs DR Explained

Domain Authority (DA) by Moz and Domain Rating (DR) by Ahrefs are metrics used to measure a website’s backlink strength on a scale from 0 to 100. While they sound similar, they’re calculated differently.

• DA (Moz): Predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results based on link profiles and other factors.
• DR (Ahrefs): Measures the strength of a website’s backlink profile based solely on the quality and quantity of referring domains.

Remember that Google uses neither DA nor DR — they’re third-party estimates. So, differences in scoring don’t mean one tool is wrong; they’re just using different algorithms and data sets.

Tip: Use these scores as relative benchmarks, not absolute truths.

Why Do Ahrefs and Moz Show Different Keyword Volumes?

Ahrefs and Moz often display different search volume data for the same keyword — and that’s normal. Here’s why:

• Different Data Sources: Ahrefs uses clickstream data from third-party providers, while Moz combines its data models with Google Keyword Planner estimates.
• Update Frequency: Ahrefs updates its keyword database more frequently, which can result in fresher data.
• Volume Representation: Moz shows broad ranges (e.g., 201–500), whereas Ahrefs provides more precise estimates.

Because of these differences, it’s best to treat keyword volume as an estimate, not an exact number. Focus on trends, not absolutes.

Tip: Use both tools to get a broader view of keyword potential.

Which Tool Is Better for Beginners?

If you’re starting out with SEO, choosing a tool that’s easy to navigate and understand is crucial. While Ahrefs and Moz offer potent features, their learning curves differ.

Moz: Beginner-Friendly and Intuitive

• Clean Interface: Moz’s dashboard is simple, uncluttered, and easy to navigate — ideal for those new to SEO.
• Guided Workflows: The tool provides helpful tips, tutorials, and in-app guidance for using features like Keyword Explorer and Site Crawl.
• Priority Scoring: Moz’s unique “Keyword Priority” score helps beginners identify valuable keyword opportunities without getting overwhelmed by data.

Best For: Small business owners, solo marketers, or anyone learning SEO basics.

Ahrefs: More Powerful, But Steeper Learning Curve

• Data-Heavy Interface: Ahrefs offers a ton of data, which can be overwhelming for beginners at first glance.
• Less In-App Guidance: While the platform is clean and fast, it assumes users are already familiar with SEO concepts.
• Extensive Learning Resources: To its credit, Ahrefs has a fantastic blog, YouTube channel, and help docs — but users need to explore them separately.

Best For: Users with basic SEO knowledge or those willing to invest time in learning.

Beginner-Friendliness Verdict

Winner: Moz – Its simplicity, educational support, and intuitive design make it the better choice for beginners.
Runner-Up: Ahrefs – Offers more power but requires a learning curve.

Best for Agencies vs Freelancers vs SMBs

Ahrefs and Moz cater to different types of users, and choosing the right one often depends on your business size, budget, and SEO needs. Here’s a breakdown of which tool fits best for agencies, freelancers, and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs):

Agencies

• Recommended: Ahrefs
• Agencies typically need deeper data, competitor insights, and tools for link building at scale — all of which Ahrefs excels at.
• With features like Link Intersect, detailed backlink audits, and robust keyword analysis, Ahrefs is ideal for handling multiple clients.

Why? Scalability, data depth, and power-packed features.

Freelancers

• Recommended: Moz (or Moz + Free Ahrefs tools)
• Freelancers managing a few clients or personal projects may prefer Moz’s ease of use, affordable pricing, and helpful UI.
• If you’re starting, Moz provides enough functionality to deliver solid SEO results without overwhelming complexity.

Why? Simpler workflows, beginner-friendly, cost-effective.

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs)

• Recommended: Moz
• Moz is a great fit for business owners who manage their own SEO or work with small teams, thanks to its straightforward platform and useful site audits.
• However, investing in Ahrefs can provide better data and growth opportunities if the business is content-heavy or highly competitive.

Why? Moz for simplicity, Ahrefs for aggressive SEO growth.

Final Recommendation Summary

User Type	Best Choice	Why?
Agencies	Ahrefs	Scalability, advanced features, backlink data
Freelancers	Moz	Budget-friendly, easy to learn
SMBs	Moz (or Ahrefs for advanced needs)	Easy audits, keyword tracking, cost balance

Real-World Use Cases for Ahrefs and Moz

Understanding features is one thing — knowing how to apply them in the real world is where the true value lies. Whether running an agency, managing a personal brand, or scaling an eCommerce site, choosing the right SEO tool depends on how you intend to use it.

Here’s how Ahrefs and Moz perform in real-world scenarios:

1. Competitor Analysis for Agencies (Ahrefs)

Scenario: A digital agency wants to identify why a client’s competitor ranks higher on Google for target keywords.

Why Ahrefs?
Ahrefs’ Site Explorer and Link Intersect tools allow agencies to:

• Analyze competitors’ backlink profiles in depth.
• Discover top-performing content and the keywords driving traffic.
• Identify linking opportunities competitors have that the client doesn’t.

Real Impact: Agencies can quickly spot gaps and build actionable SEO strategies based on real competitor data.

2. Content Strategy for eCommerce Sites (Ahrefs)

Scenario: An eCommerce store wants to scale blog content to drive organic traffic and support product pages.

Why Ahrefs?
With Keywords Explorer and Content Explorer, Ahrefs helps businesses:

• Find high-volume, low-competition keywords.
• Analyze content gaps within their niche.
• See which competitor blogs are gaining the most backlinks and traffic.

Real Impact: Build a data-backed content strategy that drives sales and search visibility.

3. Website Health Check for SMBs (Moz)

Scenario: A small business owner managing their site wants to ensure nothing is technically broken or harming rankings.

Why Moz?
Moz’s Site Crawl and Page Optimization tools help users:

• Automatically detect on-site issues like missing meta tags, broken links, and duplicate content.
• Prioritize fixes based on severity.
• Get plain-language explanations of what to fix and why.

Real Impact: Non-technical users can keep their site SEO-friendly without hiring a developer.

4. Learning SEO & Client Reporting for Freelancers (Moz)

Scenario: A freelancer wants to provide value to clients while still learning the ropes of SEO.

Why Moz?
Moz is ideal for freelancers who need:

• Intuitive tools with a minimal learning curve.
• Easy-to-understand metrics like Domain Authority and Keyword Priority.
• Branded client reports with actionable insights.

Real Impact: Freelancers can grow their client base while building their SEO skills over time.

5. Advanced Link Building Campaigns (Ahrefs)

Scenario: An SEO consultant is hired to improve a site’s authority through high-quality backlinks.

Why Ahrefs?
With Ahrefs’ backlink tools, consultants can:

• Identify the most linked-to content in a niche.
• Find unlinked brand mentions.
• Reach out to sites linking to competitors but not their clients.

Real Impact: Build high-impact backlink strategies with measurable growth in authority and rankings.

Are There Better Alternatives? (SEMrush, SE Ranking, etc.)

While Ahrefs and Moz are two of the most well-known SEO tools on the market, they’re not the only players in the game. Depending on your goals, budget, and workflow, several other SEO platforms are worth considering, some of which offer features beyond what Ahrefs or Moz provides.

Let’s explore a few strong alternatives:

SEMrush – All-in-One Marketing Powerhouse

Why Consider It?
SEMrush is more than just an SEO tool — it’s a complete digital marketing suite. It offers SEO, PPC, social media, content marketing, and even brand monitoring tools.

Key Features:

• Advanced keyword and competitor analysis.
• PPC and ad research.
• Position tracking with SERP feature monitoring.
• On-page SEO checker and content template.
• Powerful site audit reports.

Best For: Agencies, marketing teams, and power users who want more than just SEO.

Strength: Cross-channel marketing capabilities.
Pricing: Starts around $129.95/month.

SE Ranking – Affordable & Full-Featured

Why Consider It?
SE Ranking offers many of the core SEO features of Ahrefs and SEMrush but at a more budget-friendly price — making it great for SMBs, freelancers, and startups.

Key Features:

• Accurate rank tracking.
• Website audits and SEO reports.
• Backlink monitoring.
• Keyword and competitor analysis.
• White-label reporting.

Best For: Budget-conscious users looking for a versatile SEO tool.

Strength: Great balance of features and affordability.
Pricing: Starts at $55/month.

Ubersuggest – Entry-Level Simplicity

Why Consider It?
Created by Neil Patel, Ubersuggest is an easy-to-use SEO tool that provides keyword suggestions, site audits, and backlink data. It’s less robust than Ahrefs or SEMrush but suitable for beginners or solo creators.

Best For: Bloggers, small businesses, and beginners.

Strength: Straightforward to use and very low cost.
Pricing: Free version available, full access from $29/month.

Quick Comparison Summary

Tool	Best For	Strengths	Pricing (Starting)
Ahrefs	SEO pros & agencies	Backlink analysis, keyword data	$129/mo
Moz	Beginners, SMBs	Simplicity, intuitive UI	$49/mo
SEMrush	Agencies, marketing teams	All-in-one marketing toolkit	$129.95/mo
SE Ranking	Freelancers, startups	Affordable, feature-rich	$55/mo
Ubersuggest	Beginners, solo bloggers	Very affordable, easy to use	$29/mo (lifetime plans available)

If you’re solely focused on backlink data and keyword depth, Ahrefs is hard to beat. If you prefer a more straightforward experience, Moz is ideal. But if you’re looking for an all-in-one marketing solution, SEMrush might be the better long-term investment.

And if the budget is tight, SE Ranking or Ubersuggest offers plenty of value without breaking the bank.

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