The verdict
On the data we hold, Ahrefs comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.
What the data says
- Both cover 4 of the 4 features we compared.
- Only Ahrefs has a free plan to start on.
- Both have an API and an MCP server, so either works with AI employees.
- In our SEO ranking, Ahrefs places 2 and Otterly.AI 5 of 15.
Side by side
| 8 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | €27/mo | $25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes |
| AI content optimiser | Yes | Yes |
| Citation & source tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Share of voice vs competitors | Yes | Yes |
| Technical site audit | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
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
Otterly.AI
- Lite15 search prompts, 4 AI engines tracked, unlimited team members. Annual billing shown as $25 per month.$29/mo
- Standard100 search prompts, API and MCP access (2,000 requests each per month). Annual billing shown as $160 per month.$189/mo
- Premium400 search prompts, API and MCP access (5,000 requests each per month). Annual billing shown as $422 per month.$489/mo
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.
Choose Otterly.AI if…
Marketing and SEO teams and agencies who want to see whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and similar engines mention and cite their brand compared with competitors.
Other options worth a look
Tool·Client acquisitionOptimise your content in real time with recommendations based on top-ranking search results.SEO
From €49/mo yearlyAffiliate link
Tool·Client acquisitionUnify keyword research, backlink analysis, technical audits and rank tracking in one dashboard.SEO
From €112.52/mo yearlyFree planAffiliate link
Tool·Client acquisitionResearch competitors, draft long-form content and optimise it for Google and generative search.SEO
From $39/mo yearly
Tool·Client acquisitionTrack how your brand appears in AI search answers and measure your share of voice.SEO
From €94.94/moAffiliate link
Tool·Client acquisitionTracks how AI assistants describe your brand and recommends content changes to improve those answers.SEO
Free plan
Tool·Client acquisitionMonitor how your brand appears in AI search and serve optimised pages to AI crawlers.SEO
From $250/mo