Ahrefs
Singapore-headquartered SEO toolkit for keyword, backlink, and AI search research
Ahrefs is a Singapore-headquartered SEO toolkit best for in-house SEA marketers and agencies that need serious backlink and keyword research. Its edge is the size of the backlink index and the new USD 29/month Starter plan launched January 2026 - the first time Ahrefs has been viable for SEA freelancers without enterprise budgets. However, it remains lighter than Semrush on paid-ads research, and the Free Webmaster Tools only cover domains you own.
- ✓Largest backlink index in the industry - default tool for almost every SEA digital agency
- ✓New USD 29/month Starter plan finally accessible to SEA freelancers and indie SEOs
- ✓Keywords Explorer across 200+ countries, including granular TH, ID, VN, PH search data
- ✓Free Webmaster Tools give site owners basic Ahrefs data on owned domains at zero cost
- ×No active affiliate program - Ahrefs discontinued it in 2019, so creators cannot monetize referrals
- ×Lighter than Semrush on paid-ads and PPC competitor research
- ×Singapore presence does not mean localized customer support in Thai, Bahasa, or Vietnamese
- ×Higher tiers scale quickly once you need historical data or unlimited Site Audit crawls
About Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a SEO and digital marketing platform headquartered in Singapore, with one of the largest backlink indexes and keyword databases in the industry. Trusted by 600,000+ marketers, agencies, and in-house teams. The new Starter plan at USD 29/month (launched January 2026) makes it accessible to SEA freelancers and small marketing teams for the first time.
Key Features
Best For
Southeast Asia Fit
One of the largest SaaS companies headquartered in Singapore. The default SEO tool for almost every SEA digital agency and B2B marketing team, and the new USD 29/month Starter plan finally makes Ahrefs viable for SEA freelancers without enterprise budgets.
- Global
- SEA
Integrations
- E-commerce
- Shopify
- Messaging
- Slack
- Other
- WordPress
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics
- Looker Studio
- Zapier
- Make
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Related Analysis & Guides
The questions operators actually ask.
Is Ahrefs worth it for a SEA freelancer in 2026?
Yes, the new USD 29/month Starter plan is the first time Ahrefs is genuinely priced for solo SEA SEOs. For agencies running multiple client projects, the standard plans are still the default.
Does Ahrefs have an affiliate program?
No, Ahrefs publicly discontinued its affiliate program in 2019. Any partnership today is arranged directly with the company and is not open to general affiliates.
How does Ahrefs compare to Semrush for SEA SEO?
Ahrefs has the deeper backlink index and a cleaner UI for content and link research, while Semrush wins on PPC and paid-ads tooling. For SEA SEO teams focused on organic and content, Ahrefs is the default.
Is the Ahrefs free tier useful?
It depends. The Free Webmaster Tools are useful only for domains you own and verify - it gives you Site Audit and Site Explorer access on your own properties, but no competitor research. For that you need a paid plan.