Ahrefs vs Majestic: which to choose in 2026?
Ahrefs and Majestic are often compared as direct competitors. That's misleading: they're not two versions of the same product. Majestic does one thing, link analysis, and has done it since 2011. Ahrefs is a complete SEO suite where link analysis is just one module among six.
The real question isn't 'which is better', but 'do you need a suite or a link-building tool'. The price gap, from 46.99 € to 119 € per month for entry-level, flows directly from this difference in scope.
Pricing checked on official websites in July 2026. Majestic displays prices excluding VAT.
 Ahrefs |  Majestic | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ⭐ 4.6 / 5 | ⭐ 4.2 / 5 |
| Category | Marketing & SEO | Marketing & SEO |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| From | Starter from €27/month (competitor research only); Lite from €119/month; Standard €229/month; Advanced €419/month | Lite from €39.16/month (annual) or €46.99/month; Pro from €79.16/month |
| Ease of use | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| French interface | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Website | Visit → | Visit → |
The detail, criterion by criterion
Real entry price
Lite at 119 €/month (5 projects, 750 tracked keywords). A Starter plan exists at 27 €/month but it's limited to competitive research: no rank tracking, no site audit. That's not the real entry ticket to work.
Lite at 46.99 €/month, or 39.16 €/month with annual commitment (469.90 € per year). You get the complete tool from this tier: 1 million analysis units and 5,000 rows of data in Site Explorer.
Functional scope
Complete suite: backlinks, keyword research, rank tracking, technical audit, content analysis, competitive intelligence. One subscription covers the whole SEO cycle.
Link analysis only. No keyword research, no rank tracking, no technical audit. You'll need a second tool for everything else.
Quality of link measurement
Domain Rating and URL Rating, logarithmic scales from 0 to 100 based on volume and strength of referring domains. Immediately readable, but just one number to judge a profile.
Trust Flow and Citation Flow, two separate indices: trust on one side, volume on the other. Their gap reveals artificially inflated profiles. Added are Topical Trust Flow, which shows the topic of links.
Freshness and index size
Very large link index, continuously refreshed, reportedly the most complete on the market. This is Ahrefs' historical advantage and it still holds.
Two indexes: Fresh, which prioritises freshness, and Historic, which goes back years. Historic has no real equivalent elsewhere for auditing a domain's past.
Cost of additional users
One user included on Lite, Standard and Advanced. Each additional seat is charged separately.
One user included on Lite and Pro. The API plan at 379.99 €/month goes up to 5 users.
The next tier
Standard at 229 €/month, then Advanced at 419 €/month. The step is steep once you exceed 5 projects or 750 tracked keywords.
Pro at 94.99 €/month (79.16 € annually): 20 million analysis units and 30,000 rows of data. Twenty times the Lite volume for double the price.
Choose Ahrefs if…
You do SEO broadly and you have just one tool budget: Ahrefs replaces three subscriptions. At 119 €/month, that makes sense if you genuinely use rank tracking, technical audits and keyword research. If you only use one third of it, you're paying for empty features.
Choose Majestic if…
Your focus is on link building: link profile audits, prospecting, competitor monitoring, verification before buying an expired domain. Majestic does this work better and for two and a half times less. Topical Trust Flow and the Historic index have no equivalent in Ahrefs.
Our verdict
If you must pick on one criterion, use this: how many Ahrefs modules will you actually open each week? Three or more, Ahrefs pays for itself. Just one, backlinks, you're paying 119 € for what Majestic charges 46.99 €.
Our recommendation for a small business: Majestic Lite for link analysis, combined with a low-cost keyword tool. You cover the essentials for around 80 € per month instead of 119 €, with better link data.
For an agency managing multiple clients and billing reports, Ahrefs is still the default choice: centralisation is worth its price, and the time saved by not juggling tools pays for itself.
Frequently asked questions
Can Majestic completely replace Ahrefs?
No, and it doesn't claim to. Majestic doesn't do keyword research, doesn't track your positions and doesn't audit your site technically. It replaces the backlinks module of Ahrefs, not the suite.
Is the 27 €/month Ahrefs plan a good starting point?
Only for occasional competitive research. The Starter plan includes neither rank tracking nor site audit, which are two major reasons to pay for Ahrefs. The true entry ticket for professional use remains Lite at 119 €/month.
What's the difference between Trust Flow and Domain Rating?
Ahrefs' Domain Rating measures overall link profile strength in a single number. Majestic separates trust (Trust Flow) from volume (Citation Flow). High Citation Flow with low Trust Flow signals a profile filled with worthless links, which a single number doesn't show.
Can you test before paying?
Ahrefs offers a limited free version (Ahrefs Free) and free webmaster tools for your own verified sites. Majestic offers 7 days money back for new customers on Lite and Pro.
We look at what you actually need and tell you which one to set up (or a third that fits better).
Ask us →