Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · SEO Tools

Ahrefs vs Google Search Console

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Ahrefs #2 in SEO Tools 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Ahrefs
Google Search Console #3 in SEO Tools 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Search Console

Ahrefs leads on 0 checks, Google Search Console on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreAhrefs · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresAhrefs · 6 of 6

Ahrefs scores higher on our rubric for seo tools: 9.3 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.

Ahrefs is the better fit for all-in-one SEO teams seeking strong value. Google Search Console is the better fit for free Google search performance monitoring.

  • Ahrefs fits best

    All-in-one SEO teams seeking strong value

  • Google Search Console fits best

    Free Google search performance monitoring

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Ahrefs 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Google Search Console 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 9.2
Ranking #2 in SEO Tools #3 in SEO Tools
Best for All-in-one SEO teams seeking strong value Free Google search performance monitoring
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $29/mo Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Browser extension Cloud
Platforms Web, Chrome extension Web
Support Email, Live chat, Docs · 24/7 Docs, Community
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Ahrefs 6/6 · Google Search Console 5/6
Keyword research ✓ ✓
Rank tracking ✓ ✓
Site audit ✓ ✓
Backlink analysis ✓ ✓
Competitor research ✓ (best) Not checked yet
API access ✓ ✓
Specs
Tracked keywords Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Covers keywords, competitors, audits, rankings, backlinks, content, and reporting
  • Free plan plus monthly entry pricing at $29
  • Seven integrations, API access, and web-based workflows
  • Free access to search performance, indexing, sitemap, and issue tools
  • Detailed filtering by queries, pages, countries, devices, and dates
  • API access for Search Analytics, sitemaps, sites, and URL inspection
Cons
  • Starter limits tracking to 50 keywords and includes 200 monthly credits
  • Advanced and Enterprise pricing rises to $449 and $1,499 per month
  • Enterprise requires an annual commitment
  • Focused on Google Search rather than broader search-engine monitoring
  • Does not provide dedicated site-audit features
  • Does not provide verified competitor research
Our verdict

Ahrefs is an SEO and marketing platform for marketers, agencies, SEO professionals, businesses, and content teams. Its toolkit spans keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink analysis, technical site auditing, rank tracking, content…

Read the review →

Google Search Console is a free web-based service for website owners, SEO specialists, marketers, administrators, and developers. It shows how verified websites perform in Google Search through queries, clicks, impressions, click-through…

Read the review →
  1. AhrefsSEO Tools 9.3Free plan
  2. Google Search ConsoleSEO Tools 9.2Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Ahrefs — where it wins

    • Covers keywords, competitors, audits, rankings, backlinks, content, and reporting
    • Free plan plus monthly entry pricing at $29
    • Seven integrations, API access, and web-based workflows

    Where it doesn't

    • Starter limits tracking to 50 keywords and includes 200 monthly credits
    • Advanced and Enterprise pricing rises to $449 and $1,499 per month
    • Enterprise requires an annual commitment

  • Google Search Console — where it wins

    • Free access to search performance, indexing, sitemap, and issue tools
    • Detailed filtering by queries, pages, countries, devices, and dates
    • API access for Search Analytics, sitemaps, sites, and URL inspection

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on Google Search rather than broader search-engine monitoring
    • Does not provide dedicated site-audit features
    • Does not provide verified competitor research

More comparisons

All SEO tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update