Ahrefs vs Moz Pro in 2026: deeper backlink data vs white-label reports on every plan
Two established SEO suites that both added AI visibility tracking, but split hard on price transparency and client-facing delivery. One has no white-label option at any tier; the other includes it starting at $99/month.
Ahrefs
Moz Pro- Moz Pro includes white-label client reports on every plan starting at $99/month. Ahrefs has no white-label option at any tier, including Enterprise at €929/month.
- Ahrefs API access is limited on Lite (€119/month) and opens fully at Standard (€229/month). Moz Pro does not include API access on any standard plan; a separate Moz API product is required.
- Moz Pro's AI Visibility Dashboard tracks 4 named models: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude. Ahrefs Brand Radar does not publish its exact AI model coverage.
- Ahrefs maintains a larger and more frequently updated backlink index; Moz Pro's Link Explorer covers over 40 trillion links but is generally regarded as less current than Ahrefs.
- Neither tool offers a permanent free tier. Ahrefs starts at €119/month for Lite; Moz Pro starts at $99/month for Standard ($79/month billed yearly).
Neither platform is built primarily for AI-visibility tracking; both bundle it into a broader SEO suite. A dedicated tool like AI Peekaboo covers that need with a full API and white-label on a $50/month plan.
Ahrefs and Moz Pro have been compared for a decade, and the AI visibility layer each one added recently has not changed the basic shape of that comparison. Ahrefs still has the larger, more actively updated backlink database and a deeper Keywords Explorer, starting at €119/month for Lite. Moz Pro still undercuts Ahrefs on price at $99/month for Standard ($79/month billed yearly) and, more importantly for agencies, includes white-label client reports on every plan, something Ahrefs does not offer at any price point. Both now track AI visibility: Ahrefs through Brand Radar, Moz Pro through its AI Visibility Dashboard covering ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude. The decision usually comes down to whether raw research depth or client-facing delivery matters more for how the tool gets used day to day.
The tools at a glance
Ahrefs
Industry-standard SEO platform with Brand Radar for AI visibility and the largest backlink database
Ahrefs earns its reputation from Site Explorer and Keywords Explorer, both of which set the bar most SEO tools are measured against for backlink accuracy and keyword opportunity research. Brand Radar folds AI and traditional search visibility into the same dashboard, which is convenient for teams already living in Ahrefs for the rest of their SEO work.
Site Audit crawls for technical issues across crawlability, Core Web Vitals, schema, and metadata with a thoroughness that most competing audits, Moz Pro included, do not fully match. For a team whose primary job is backlink research and technical SEO, Ahrefs remains the more capable platform on raw data depth.
The cost of that depth is price and access. Lite starts at €119/month with usage limits active teams reach quickly, API access stays limited until Standard at €229/month, and there is no white-label option at any tier. Agencies delivering client reports build a separate presentation layer on top of Ahrefs data rather than exporting a branded report directly from the platform.
| Feature | Lite €119/month | Standard €229/month | Advanced €419/month | Enterprise €929/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Radar (AI visibility) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Backlink database access | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keywords Explorer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Site Audit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| API access | Limited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| White label | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Moz Pro
All-in-one SEO and AI visibility platform with 1.25B+ keywords and white-label client reports
Moz Pro's biggest practical difference from Ahrefs is what happens after the data is gathered: white-label reports ship on every plan, including the $99/month Standard tier, so an agency can send a client a branded PDF covering rankings, site audit results, backlink metrics, and AI visibility without building a separate reporting tool.
The AI Visibility Dashboard names its coverage explicitly: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude. That Claude coverage is a real point of difference, since Ahrefs does not publish which models Brand Radar tracks. Keyword Explorer covers over 1.25 billion keywords and Link Explorer indexes more than 40 trillion links, both smaller in scale than Ahrefs' equivalents but generally sufficient outside heavy enterprise link-building work.
The gap is API access. Standard Moz Pro plans do not include an API at all, which is a step behind even Ahrefs' limited Lite-tier access. For teams that need to pull SEO or AI-visibility data programmatically, Moz Pro requires a separate Moz API subscription on top of Pro, adding cost and complexity Ahrefs does not require past its Standard tier.
| Feature | Standard $99/mo ($79/mo yearly) | Medium $179/mo ($143/mo yearly) | Large $299/mo ($239/mo yearly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracked keywords | 300 | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| AI Visibility Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| White-label reports | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| API access | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Head-to-head feature comparison
| Feature | Ahrefs | Moz Pro |
|---|---|---|
| AI engines tracked | Not fully published (Brand Radar, described as expanding) | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude |
| Competitive share-of-voice | Yes | Not specified |
| Backlink database | Yes, largest in this comparison | Yes, 40T+ links indexed |
| Keyword research | Yes | Yes, 1.25B+ keywords |
| Site audit crawler | Yes | Yes |
| API access | Limited on Lite, full from Standard (€229/mo) | No (separate Moz API product required) |
| White-label delivery | No | Yes, all plans |
| Starting price | €119/mo | $99/mo |
Considering AI Peekaboo alongside Ahrefs and Moz Pro?
Both Ahrefs and Moz Pro treat AI visibility as one module inside a much larger SEO suite, which is fine until the AI-visibility side of the work needs its own API and its own client deliverable. Ahrefs does not publish which AI models Brand Radar tracks and limits API access on its cheapest tier; Moz Pro names its four tracked models but offers no API access at all on standard plans. AI Peekaboo ships a read and write API and white-label guest links on every plan from $50 per month, tracking five named AI surfaces including Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode. It is not a backlink or keyword research tool, so most teams keep it alongside Ahrefs or Moz Pro rather than instead of either.
Read the AI Peekaboo review →Which should you choose?
AhrefsMoz ProMoz ProAhrefsMoz ProAhrefsAhrefs wins on raw research depth: backlinks, keyword opportunity sizing, and technical audits are all more capable than Moz Pro's equivalents. Moz Pro wins on what happens after the research: white-label reports on every plan mean an agency can hand a client a branded deliverable without building extra tooling. Both gate or omit useful things the other has (Ahrefs has no white-label; Moz Pro has no API on standard plans), so the choice usually depends on whether research depth or client delivery is the bigger daily friction point for your team.
Bottom line
Pick Ahrefs if backlink and keyword research depth is the priority and you can handle client reporting outside the platform. Pick Moz Pro if white-label delivery included from $99/month matters more than having the single deepest backlink index available, and your AI-visibility needs stop at ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude. Neither tool's AI visibility module is built to be the primary AI-visibility system of record; teams that need that specifically should look at a dedicated tool like AI Peekaboo alongside whichever of these two they keep for core SEO work.
Frequently asked questions
Is Moz Pro cheaper than Ahrefs?
Yes, at the entry tier: Moz Pro Standard is $99/month ($79/month billed yearly) against Ahrefs Lite at €119/month. Moz Pro also includes white-label reporting at that price, which Ahrefs does not offer at any tier, making Moz Pro the cheaper option specifically for agencies that need branded client reports from day one.
Which tool tracks more AI models, Ahrefs or Moz Pro?
Moz Pro publishes its AI Visibility Dashboard coverage explicitly: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude, four models. Ahrefs does not publish the exact model list its Brand Radar module tracks, describing it instead as continuing to expand. If confirmed Claude coverage matters specifically, Moz Pro is the documented option.
Does Ahrefs or Moz Pro offer white-label reporting for SEO agencies?
Moz Pro includes white-label client reports on every plan, starting at $99/month Standard. Ahrefs offers no white-label option at any tier, including its €929/month Enterprise plan. For agencies whose client deliverable is a branded report, Moz Pro solves that directly where Ahrefs requires building a separate presentation layer.
Which tool has better API access, Ahrefs or Moz Pro?
Ahrefs offers limited API access on its €119/month Lite plan and full access from Standard at €229/month. Moz Pro does not include API access on any of its standard Pro plans; programmatic access requires a separate Moz API subscription. For any team that needs API access without paying for an additional product, Ahrefs is the better option between the two.
Is Ahrefs or Moz Pro better for a small agency doing client SEO reporting?
Moz Pro is generally the better fit for a small agency specifically because of white-label reporting included from the $99/month Standard plan, letting the agency deliver branded reports without extra tooling. Ahrefs is the stronger choice if the agency's core deliverable is backlink and keyword research depth rather than a polished branded report, and client presentation can happen in a separate tool.
Do either Ahrefs or Moz Pro replace a dedicated AI visibility tool?
Not fully. Ahrefs Brand Radar and Moz Pro's AI Visibility Dashboard both track AI citation trends, but neither publishes the API and white-label combination that a dedicated tool like AI Peekaboo offers on every plan from $50 per month. Teams running a serious AI-visibility program alongside SEO work often keep Ahrefs or Moz Pro for core SEO and add a dedicated AI-visibility tool for that specific workstream.