Free Ahrefs Tools (2026): 12 Free SEO Tools You Can Use Without Paying

How To Get Ahrefs For Free

Ahrefs is known as a premium SEO platform—but many people don’t realize Ahrefs also offers a growing library of free SEO tools that cover most of the basics: keyword ideas, difficulty checks, backlink snapshots, authority metrics, rank checks, broken links, and even a free “mini Ahrefs” experience for your verified sites via Ahrefs Webmaster Tools.

In this guide, you’ll get a practical list of the best free Ahrefs tools, what each one does, who it’s best for, and how to combine them into a workflow (especially if your site is new and you’re still building traffic).

“If you’re deciding whether you should eventually pay for Ahrefs or use alternatives, our Semrush vs Ahrefs – Which SEO Tool Is Better in 2025? comparison breaks down the real differences for content sites.”

Quick Comparison Table: Best Free Ahrefs Tools

Ahrefs lists many more free tools (SERP checker, broken link checker, domain comparison, etc.) inside its Free SEO Tools hub.

The 12 Best Free Ahrefs Tools (with use cases)

1) Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT)

Overview

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is the “free powerhouse” for anyone who owns or manages a website. After verifying your site, you get free access to core Ahrefs-style data like Site Audit and limited Site Explorer insights.

Features (high-level)

• Technical SEO auditing (many issues) via Site Audit
• Backlink visibility for your verified site
• Keywords your site ranks for (for verified sites)

Pros

• Most valuable free “Ahrefs-like” tool for site owners
• Great for new sites trying to fix indexing/technical issues

Cons

• Only for verified sites (not full competitive research on any domain)
• Still limited compared to a paid Ahrefs plan

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• New sites and affiliate content sites that want to improve SEO health fast

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2) Free Keyword Generator

Overview

Ahrefs’ Free Keyword Generator helps you generate keyword ideas quickly and includes useful metrics (like volume estimates and KD).

Features

• Keyword ideas for multiple search engines
• Volume + difficulty-style metrics

Pros

• Great for brainstorming new articles quickly
• Works even if you’re not an Ahrefs subscriber

Cons

• You won’t get full deep-dive competitor keyword data like paid plans

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• Content planning for blogs and SaaS review sites

3) Keyword Difficulty Checker

Overview

This tool helps you quickly estimate how hard it may be to rank in the top results for a keyword.

Features

• Fast KD checks to filter easier topics

Pros

• Helps new sites avoid wasting time on impossible keywords

Cons

• KD should not be your only filter (intent and SERP quality matter too)

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• Finding “low competition” opportunities for new sites

4) Free Backlink Checker

Overview

The Free Backlink Checker shows websites linking to a target, with helpful domain-level SEO metrics.

Features

• Referring domains report
• Domain Rating (DR), referring domains, estimated organic traffic metrics

Pros

• Great for quick competitive backlink snapshots
• Useful for link-building research

Cons

• Not the full backlink index/details of paid Ahrefs

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• Checking competitors, partners, or potential outreach targets

5) Website Authority Checker (Domain Rating / DR)

Overview

A fast way to check a domain’s “authority” using Ahrefs’ Domain Rating (DR) explanation and calculation logic.

Features

• DR concept + quick authority checks

Pros

• Fast benchmark against competitors

Cons

• DR is not a Google ranking factor; it’s a relative metric (use carefully)

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• Quick authority snapshot before outreach or partnerships

6) Keyword Rank Checker

Overview

Instantly checks where a website ranks for a keyword across locations—100% free.

Features

• Location-based rank checks

Pros

• Quick spot checks without paying for rank tracking

Cons

• Not a full “daily rank tracker” like premium tools

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• Quick validation after publishing or updating an article

7) Ahrefs SEO Toolbar (Chrome Extension)

Overview

Ahrefs’ SEO Toolbar gives on-page SEO signals and SERP overlays right in your browser; the core features are free.

Features

• On-page SEO checks (titles, meta, headers, canonical, indexation directives)
• SERP research overlays (some metrics may require subscription)

Pros

• Fast “page audit” while browsing competitors
• Great for editors and content teams

Cons

• Some Ahrefs metrics require a subscription

Pricing

• Free (core tools)

Best for

• Quick competitor page checks and on-page QA

8) Batch Analysis (Bulk Metrics)

Overview

Batch Analysis lets you paste a list of URLs and get metrics in bulk (up to 1000 URLs).

Features

• Bulk backlink/SEO metrics for many URLs at once

Pros

• Saves hours for outreach and competitor lists

Cons

• You still won’t get full deep backlink breakdown like paid plans

Pricing

• Free

Best for

• Link outreach lists, competitor URL lists, content audits

9) Website Checker (via AWT)

Overview

Ahrefs states the Website Checker is essentially an entry point to AWT: you sign up to access audits and insights.

Best for

• New site owners who want an audit + SEO health monitoring

10) Site Audit (Free through AWT sign-up)

Overview

Ahrefs promotes Site Audit as a way to identify and prioritize SEO issues, accessible through AWT sign-up.

Best for

• Fixing technical issues that block ranking and indexing

11) SERP/keyword tools inside Ahrefs Free SEO Tools Hub

Ahrefs’ Free SEO Tools hub includes additional tools like SERP checker, broken link checker, domain comparison, and more.
(These are great for quick checks, even if you later switch to a paid stack.)

12) Free AI Writing Tools (Optional)

Ahrefs also provides free AI writing tools (useful for quick marketing copy).
Use these carefully: they’re best for drafts and angles, not for publishing without editing.

A Simple Workflow: “Free Ahrefs Toolkit” for New Sites (PilotryLab-style)

Step 1: Pick easier keywords first

Use Free Keyword Generator + Keyword Difficulty Checker to find topics with clear intent and manageable difficulty.

Step 2: Validate competition quickly

Open top results, use Ahrefs SEO Toolbar to check on-page basics and SERP signals.

Step 3: Publish + internal link immediately

After publishing, add 6–10 internal links (from older posts to the new post, and back).

“If you’re building comparison content, our SE Ranking vs Mangools (KWFinder) vs Serpstat (2026): Best SEO Tool for SaaSpost is a good model for structuring ‘vs’ articles.”

Step 4: Fix technical issues blocking indexing

Run AWT + Site Audit and fix priority issues.

Step 5: Spot-check rankings

Use Keyword Rank Checker for quick checks (especially after updates).

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