Similarweb vs Ahrefs

by Gralio Feb 03, 2025

Similarweb and Ahrefs are competitor analysis tools with distinct strengths. Similarweb provides a broader overview of competitor activity, including paid keywords and traffic data, while Ahrefs focuses on in-depth backlink analysis and technical SEO auditing. Choose Similarweb for a wider surface-level view of your competition and Ahrefs for deep dives into backlink profiles and website optimization.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 2283 reviews and 60 websites, saving 13 hours, 11 minutes of reading.

Similarweb

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Ahrefs

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About

Similarweb is like a giant spyglass for the internet. It helps you understand what people are doing online, so you can make smarter decisions for your own website and marketing. Want to know who your competitors are online? Similarweb shows you. Want to see which websites are sending traffic to your competitors (so you can try to get them to send traffic to you)? Similarweb shows you that too. You can even see what keywords people are using to find your competitors, and which online ads are working best for them. Basically, if you want to know how your website stacks up against the competition and find new opportunities to grow online, Similarweb gives you the information to do it.

Ahrefs is a suite of online tools designed to improve a website's search engine ranking and visibility. It provides data and insights on competitors, keywords, backlinks, and website content. Businesses use Ahrefs to research competitor strategies, discover relevant keywords, find link-building opportunities, audit their website for SEO issues, and track their ranking progress against competitors. Ahrefs is known for its large database and focus on data accuracy for marketing professionals.

Summary

Main difference

Similarweb offers broader competitor analysis features, including paid keyword analysis and traffic analysis. Ahrefs excels in backlink analysis and technical SEO auditing, offering deeper insights into link building and website optimization.

Relative strengths of Similarweb (compared to Ahrefs)

Broader competitor analysis features (paid keywords, traffic analysis).
User-friendly interface praised for ease of navigation.
Sales Signals feature provides actionable insights.

Relative weaknesses of Similarweb (compared to Ahrefs)

Data accuracy can be inconsistent, especially for smaller websites.
Limited mobile app data; many features are desktop-only.
Pricing plans and value transparency are not well-regarded.

What companies are using Similarweb and Ahrefs?

No data

Who is using Similarweb and Ahrefs?

No data

Olesia Krilyshyn

Sales Acceleration Specialist at Reply.io

Gaetano Di Nardi

Growth Advisor for B2B SaaS Companies

Connor Gillivan

SEO expert; 7x Founder (Exit in 2019)

Jake Ward

SEO expert; 150K LinkedIn followers

Andrew Charlton

SEO Consultant, Founder of SEO tool companies

Show all 13 stacks

Who should use Similarweb VS. Ahrefs

Similarweb offers comprehensive website traffic and performance insights. Users praise its user-friendly interface and actionable Sales Signals. However, some find data accuracy inconsistent and updates infrequent. Best for marketing professionals seeking competitor analysis and market research.

Ahrefs is a powerful SEO toolset ideal for businesses aiming to boost their search engine rankings. Users praise its comprehensive keyword research and backlink analysis features, especially for competitor analysis. However, be aware of the high cost and mixed reviews on customer support. Ahrefs is a worthwhile investment for those serious about SEO and ready to commit to a premium tool.

Best for small, medium, and large businesses.
Ideal for e-commerce, retail, media, marketing, and software companies.

Best fit for small to enterprise businesses seeking improved online visibility.
Ideal for E-commerce, Marketing & Advertising, and Software/IT companies.

Similarweb and Ahrefs features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Competitor Playbooks

Partially supported

Similarweb provides data for competitor playbooks, but manual work is needed to create them.

Supported

Ahrefs facilitates competitor playbook creation by offering tools to analyze competitor strategies, strengths, and weaknesses.
Competitor Listening

Not supported

Similarweb excels at website analysis, but not competitor content monitoring.

Supported

Ahrefs supports competitor listening by monitoring content, brand mentions, and online reviews.
Competitor Analysis

Partially supported

Similarweb provides insights into competitors' keywords, customer base, and marketing strategies, but not technologies used.

Partially supported

Ahrefs provides insights into competitors' keywords and content, but not sales, technologies, or customer base.
Traffic Analysis

Supported

Similarweb allows you to analyze competitor website traffic data.

Supported

Ahrefs supports the ability to see competitor website traffic data through its various tools and reports.
Competitor insights

Supported

Similarweb provides competitor SEO performance insights including traffic, keywords and backlinks.

Supported

Ahrefs allows you to analyze competitor SEO performance and strategies through features like competitor identification, detailed SEO metrics analysis, website structure and content analysis, technical SEO analysis, and long-term monitoring.
Paid Keyword Analysis

Supported

Similarweb allows to see paid keywords used by competitors.

Supported

Ahrefs supports Paid Keyword Analysis, allowing users to see what paid keywords competitors are using.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.3

Rather negative sentiment

-0.96

Strongly negative sentiment
Customer Service

+0.76

Strongly positive sentiment

-0.86

Strongly negative sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.82

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.44

Rather positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.12

Neutral sentiment

+0.24

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.54

Rather positive sentiment

+0

Neutral sentiment
Scalability

-0.5

Rather negative sentiment

-0.6

Rather negative sentiment

Similarweb and Ahrefs Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.3

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-0.96

We couldn't find a pricing page for Ahrefs.

Similarweb and Ahrefs review insights

2202 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Comprehensive insights into website traffic and performance.
User-friendly interface and easy to navigate.
Sales Signals feature often provides helpful and actionable insights.
The "Similar Sites" feature is very useful for lead generation and campaign planning.

In-depth backlink analysis is consistently praised by users.
Keyword research tools offer comprehensive data, including search volume and difficulty.
Site audit tool is very helpful in identifying and fixing technical SEO issues.
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is a valuable free resource.

Users dislike

Data accuracy can be inconsistent, especially for smaller websites.
Website categorization is shaky and indecipherable at times.
The data is only updated once a month.
Limited mobile app data, many features are desktop only.

The pricing is very high and not very transparent.
The "Lite" plan is too limited, many key features are not included.
Users are reporting being moved off legacy plans to more expensive plans with no warning.
Customer support is slow and sometimes unhelpful.

Similarweb and Ahrefs Ratings

G2

4.5/5

(1030)
Capterra

4.5/5

(133)

G2

4.5/5

(550)
Capterra

4.7/5

(520)
TrustPilot

1.8/5

(81)
Glassdoor

4.9/5

(11)

Company health

Employee growth

19% increase in the last year

No data

Web traffic

5% decrease in the last quarter

11% increase in the last quarter

Financing

June 2024 - $263M

No data

How do Similarweb's and Ahrefs' competitor analysis features differ?

Both Similarweb and Ahrefs offer robust competitor analysis features, but their focuses differ. Similarweb emphasizes competitor traffic analysis, providing insights into website traffic sources, audience demographics, and keyword rankings. This allows users to understand competitor website performance and identify potential opportunities. Ahrefs, while also providing traffic data, prioritizes backlink analysis and SEO performance insights. Ahrefs excels in uncovering competitor backlink profiles, identifying link-building opportunities, and conducting technical SEO audits. So, Similarweb is better for understanding overall competitor website traffic and market share, while Ahrefs is stronger for in-depth SEO and backlink analysis.

Which product offers more reliable data for smaller websites?

Similarweb's user reviews indicate inconsistent data accuracy for smaller websites, while Ahrefs is generally praised for its data depth and accuracy, although it's more expensive. Therefore, Ahrefs likely offers more reliable data for smaller websites despite the higher cost.

What are the advantages of Similarweb?

Similarweb stands out with its user-friendly interface, making it easier to navigate and understand website traffic data compared to Ahrefs. It also offers valuable insights into competitor activity, including referral sources and keyword strategies, which can be leveraged for competitive advantage. Users particularly appreciate Similarweb's "Similar Sites" feature for lead generation and campaign planning.

What are the disadvantages of Similarweb?

Similarweb suffers from data accuracy issues, particularly for smaller websites, and its website categorization can be unreliable. The data updates are infrequent (monthly), and mobile app data is limited, with many features restricted to desktop use. Users also report dissatisfaction with the platform's pricing transparency.

Alternatives to Similarweb and Ahrefs

Semrush

Semrush is an online visibility and marketing platform that helps businesses improve their online presence. It offers a wide range of tools for SEO, content marketing, competitor analysis, social media management, and paid advertising. With a massive database, Semrush provides insights into keywords, backlinks, website traffic, and competitor strategies, enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions to enhance their online visibility and achieve marketing goals. Many Fortune 500 companies utilize Semrush's comprehensive suite of digital marketing tools.

SE Ranking

SE Ranking is an all-in-one SEO software suite designed to help businesses improve their search engine rankings. It offers a wide range of tools, including keyword research, competitor analysis, website audits, backlink monitoring, and rank tracking. SE Ranking is known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive set of features, making it suitable for both SEO beginners and experienced professionals. It aims to provide actionable insights and data-driven recommendations to optimize website content, improve visibility, and attract more organic traffic.

SpyFu

SpyFu is a search marketing tool that helps you understand your competitors' online strategies. It shows you the keywords they use for SEO and advertising, their ad campaigns, and even their estimated budget. You can use this information to improve your own website ranking, find new customers, and make sure you're ahead of the competition.

cognitiveSEO

cognitiveSEO is a suite of search engine optimization (SEO) tools designed to help businesses improve their website ranking on Google. Its tools analyze your website, your competitors, and keywords to find opportunities to improve your content and attract more visitors. cognitiveSEO offers features like website audits, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and content optimization suggestions. Its focus is on providing actionable insights that can be used to create a data-driven SEO strategy.

TrueRanker

TrueRanker is a tool that helps businesses understand their website's ranking on Google. It tracks which keywords (search terms) are bringing traffic to your website and lets you know your position compared to competitors. TrueRanker offers daily updates, competitor analysis, and keyword suggestions. It's suitable for businesses of all sizes and particularly useful for those wanting to improve their website's visibility and attract more potential customers.

Constant Contact

Constant Contact is a digital marketing platform designed to help small and midsize businesses grow. It offers tools to build email lists, create and send marketing emails, manage social media, and track results. Constant Contact aims to simplify digital marketing with easy-to-use features and integrations with popular business tools. It stands out with its focus on small businesses, providing affordable plans and award-winning customer support.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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