Ahrefs vs Google Search Console

Two SEO tools side by side: what each does, what it costs and who it suits.

The verdict Side by side Plans and pricing Who each is for Other options

The verdict

On the data we hold, Ahrefs comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.

What the data says

Both cover 1 of the 1 features we compared.
Both have a free plan, so you can try each before you pay.
Only Ahrefs has an MCP server, so an AI employee can work in it directly.
In our SEO ranking, Ahrefs places 2 and Google Search Console 12 of 15.

Side by side

Ahrefs and Google Search Console compared
5 points compared	Ahrefs	Google Search Console
Starts at	€27/mo	Not known yet
Free plan	Yes	Yes
API	Yes	Yes
MCP server	Yes	No
Rank tracking	Yes	Yes
Links	Visit	Visit

Plans and pricing

Ahrefs

Ahrefs FreeFree limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for verified site owners.Free
StarterEntry plan to see what people search and spy on competitors, limited data.€27/mo
LiteIncludes 1 user, 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords and API and MCP access; extra users cost 37.4 per month.€119/mo
StandardIncludes 1 user and more projects and data than Lite; extra users cost 56.1 per month.€229/mo
AdvancedFor in-house teams, includes 1 user; extra users cost 74.8 per month.€419/mo
EnterpriseAnnual commitment required; uncapped API, SSO, audit log and unlimited historical data.€1,394/mo

Google Search Console

FreeSearch Console is a free Google service.Free

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

Choose Ahrefs if…

B2B founders, marketers and agencies who treat organic search and content as a real growth channel and need reliable backlink, keyword and competitor data.

Visit Read the review

Choose Google Search Console if…

Website owners, SEO specialists and marketing teams who want Google's own data on which searches bring visitors, which pages are indexed and what is stopping pages from ranking.

Visit Read the review

Other options worth a look

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Research competitors, draft long-form content and optimise it for Google and generative search.
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Track how your brand appears in AI search answers and measure your share of voice.
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Profound
Tracks how AI assistants describe your brand and recommends content changes to improve those answers.
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