Lytical vs Ahrefs
SEO insights alongside your analytics without the professional SEO tool price.
The Ahrefs Reality
Ahrefs is arguably the best SEO tool on the market. But at $99-$449/month, it's built for SEO professionals and agencies - not marketers who just want to track their rankings alongside their analytics.
Ahrefs is the gold standard for:
- Backlink analysis and link building
- Keyword research and difficulty scores
- Competitor SEO analysis
- Content gap analysis
- Technical SEO audits
If SEO is your full-time job, Ahrefs is worth every penny. But if you're a marketer who needs keyword tracking as part of your overall analytics picture, you're paying for a specialized tool when you need an integrated one.
Ahrefs Pricing
Ahrefs starts at $29/month for the limited Starter plan (100 credits/month). The Lite plan is $99/month, Standard is $199/month, and Advanced is $399/month. That's $1,188 - $4,788/year just for SEO tools.
SEO as Part of the Picture
Lytical includes SEO keyword tracking as part of your analytics platform. See your rankings, monitor competitors, and understand how organic search fits into your overall marketing performance.
You: "How is my organic search performing this quarter?"
Quincy: "Here's your organic search performance for Q4: Traffic: 34,567 organic visitors (+18% vs Q3) Conversions: 1,247 from organic (+23% vs Q3) Keyword highlights: - 'marketing analytics tool' - moved from #8 to #4 (+4 positions) - 'website heatmaps free' - new ranking at #6 - 'GA4 alternative' - dropped from #5 to #9 (competitor published new content) Your blog post 'GA4 Migration Guide' is driving 40% of organic conversions. The 'GA4 alternative' keyword drop coincides with Plausible's new comparison page - consider updating your content to respond."
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Lytical | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $0/mo | From $29/mo (limited) |
| Website analytics | Full suite | Traffic estimates only |
| Keyword rank tracking | Yes | Yes (comprehensive) |
| Competitor monitoring | Yes | Yes (comprehensive) |
| Backlink analysis | No | Industry-leading |
| Keyword research | Basic suggestions | Comprehensive database |
| Content gap analysis | No | Yes |
| AI assistant | Yes - Quincy | No |
| Heatmaps | Built-in | No |
| Conversion funnels | Yes | No |
| Site audits | Yes | Yes (technical SEO) |
| Traffic sources | All channels | Organic only |
Who Should Use What
Choose Ahrefs if:
- SEO is your primary job function
- Link building is a core strategy
- You need comprehensive keyword research
- You're doing SEO for multiple clients
- Content gap analysis drives your strategy
Choose Lytical if:
- You need SEO tracking as part of broader analytics
- Keyword rank monitoring is enough (vs. deep research)
- You want heatmaps and conversion data too
- AI-powered insights appeal to you
- You prefer one tool over multiple subscriptions
The Lytical Advantage
- All-in-one: SEO tracking + analytics + heatmaps in one subscription
- Affordable: SEO insights without $1,000+/year commitment
- AI-first: Ask questions about your SEO in plain English
- Context: See SEO alongside traffic, conversions, and user behavior
Ready for Integrated SEO Tracking?
Get keyword rankings and competitor insights as part of your complete marketing analytics.
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