Ahrefs vs Screpy 2026: Paid Backlink Depth vs Free All-in-One Workflow
Quick verdict: Ahrefs is our overall pick for Ahrefs vs Screpy.
Ahrefs (4.5/5) wins on backlink index depth and crawler scale. Screpy (4.0/5) wins on price - the only tool in the cluster with a standing free plan and a $19/mo paid entry.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs Best overall Best for teams | 4.5/5 | $129/mo (Lite, monthly) | Ahrefs is a backlink-driven SEO platform pairing the world's second-most active crawler wi… |
| Screpy Best free | 4.0/5 | Free $19/mo (Pro, monthly) | Screpy is an AI-powered all-in-one SEO and site monitoring platform combining rank trackin… |
Bottom line: Ahrefs earns 4.5/5 and is the pick when backlink depth is the point - the second-most active crawler and 10+ year web-scale index, at $129/mo Lite with a 100K credit pool. Screpy earns 4.0/5 and is the value pick - the only tool in the cluster with a standing free plan (1 project / 100 rank / 100 crawl, no credit card) and a $19/mo Pro entry. Screpy trades backlink index depth for affordability and is the right answer for a solo operator who wants a real SEO workflow without a $129/mo subscription. Pick Ahrefs for backlink depth and API; pick Screpy for the free tier and the all-in-one dashboard.
Pricing and details
Ahrefs · 4.5/5
$29 Starter (1 month only, then converts to Lite) · $129/mo (Lite, monthly)
Priced by credit pool and user seat. Lite: 5 projects / 750 tracked keywords / 100K crawl credits / 1 user (+2 seats at $40/mo each). Standard: 20 projects / 2000 keywords / 500K credits / 1 user (+5 at $60/mo). Advanced: 50 projects / 5000 keywords / 1.5M credits / 1 user (+10 at $80/mo). API and MCP access on all tiers. Ahrefs Free is a capped free tier with no credit pool.
Lite ~$119/mo / Standard ~$229/mo / Advanced ~$409/mo (billed annually, save up to 17%)
Ahrefs is a backlink-driven SEO platform pairing the world's second-most active crawler with rank tracking, keyword research, site audits and AI visibility monitoring, priced by credit pool and user seat.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Deepest backlink index of the cluster - 10+ years of web-scale data, second-most active crawler
- AI visibility dashboard and 5-20 tracked AI prompts on every tier (2026 add-on, no extra cost)
- Clean credit-pool system: pay for what you crawl, API and MCP on all tiers
- Site Explorer and Keywords Explorer remain the benchmark UX for competitor teardown
Cons
- $29 Starter is a 1-month trial only - it converts to $129/mo Lite after 30 days
- Credit-pool pricing: a heavy site audit burns through the 100K Lite credits fast
- No free plan - Ahrefs Free is a capped version with no credit pool
Pricing verified 2026-09-20
Screpy · 4.0/5
Free plan available · $19/mo (Pro, monthly)
Genuinely free tier (no credit card): 1 project / 100 rank / 100 crawl pages. Pro: 5 projects / 100 rank / 5K crawl / 10 competitors / 5 AI prompts / 5 seats. Max: 15 projects / 3000 rank / 10K crawl / 50 competitors / 50 AI prompts / backlinks / 15 seats. Ultra: 50 projects / 5000 rank / 50K crawl / 100 competitors / 250 AI prompts / 30 seats.
Pro $77/yr (~$6.4/mo) / Max $182/yr (~$15.2/mo) / Ultra $355/yr (~$29.6/mo)
Screpy is an AI-powered all-in-one SEO and site monitoring platform combining rank tracking, PageSpeed, uptime, backlinks, AI content generation and AI visibility prompts in one dashboard, with a genuinely free tier.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Genuinely free plan: 1 project / 100 rank tracker / 100 crawl pages, no credit card required
- Dramatically lower entry: Pro at $19/mo (annual $77/yr = ~$6.4/mo) vs $99-139/mo for the big three
- All-in-one dashboard: rank tracking, PageSpeed, uptime, backlinks, AI content generation, AI visibility in one seat
- Article generator on paid tiers: 1-50 AI content pieces per day by tier
Cons
- Backlink index depth is lighter than Ahrefs or Semrush - no large-scale link database
- No API on any tier
- Free plan caps at 1 project / 100 rank / 100 crawl pages - tight for real use
Pricing verified 2026-09-20
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Ahrefs or Screpy?
Ahrefs is our overall pick (4.5/5 vs 4.0/5). Ahrefs (4.5/5) wins on backlink index depth and crawler scale. Screpy (4.0/5) wins on price - the only tool in the cluster with a standing free plan and a $19/mo paid entry.
Do Ahrefs and Screpy offer free plans?
Screpy has a free tier. Ahrefs paid plans start at $129/mo (Lite, monthly); Screpy paid plans start at $19/mo (Pro, monthly).
What does Ahrefs cost?
$129/mo (Lite, monthly) — Priced by credit pool and user seat. Lite: 5 projects / 750 tracked keywords / 100K crawl credits / 1 user (+2 seats at $40/mo each). Standard: 20 projects / 2000 keywords / 500K credits / 1 user (+5 at $60/mo). Advanced: 50 projects / 5000 keywords / 1.5M credits / 1 user (+10 at $80/mo). API and MCP access on all tiers. Ahrefs Free is a capped free tier with no credit pool. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-20.