Ahrefs vs Frase: Which One Do You Actually Need?
These solve opposite halves of the problem. Ahrefs tells you which keywords are winnable and who links to your competitors. Frase helps you write the page once that is decided. Comparing them usually means the real question is which half is currently blocking you.
The short answer
- Choose Ahrefs if you do not yet know what to target, or you need backlink data and rank tracking.
- Choose Frase if the targets are set and the bottleneck is producing content that covers them properly.
Pricing
Published list pricing, verified 2026-08-08. Confirm on each vendor's own page before buying; both reprice more often than most comparison articles are updated.
Ahrefs
- Starter$29/mo (monthly only)
- Lite$129/mo ($108 annual)
- Standard$249/mo
- Advanced$449/mo
- Enterprisefrom $1,499/mo
Frase
- Starter$49/mo ($39 annual)
- Professional$129/mo ($103 annual)
- Scale$299/mo ($239 annual)
Frase repriced during 2025-2026 — the entry tier moved from $15 to $49. Comparisons still quoting $15 are out of date.
Feature by feature
| Capability | Ahrefs | Frase |
|---|---|---|
| Content briefs from SERP data | ||
| AI writing in the editor | ||
| On-page content scoring | ||
| Keyword database and volume research | ||
| Backlink index and link analysis | ||
| Rank tracking | ||
| Technical site audit | ||
| Topic/authority modelling across a site | ||
| Publishes finished articles to your CMS |
Where Ahrefs wins
- The strongest backlink index in the category, and the reason most teams buy it.
- Keyword and SERP data are deep enough to plan a programme around.
- Site Audit and Rank Tracker are included rather than sold separately.
Where it falls short
- Content optimization is a side feature, not the product.
- Credit limits bite quickly below the Standard tier.
- Overkill if you only need to make one article rank.
Where Frase wins
- The brief-to-draft workflow is tight: SERP analysis, outline, then a scored draft without leaving the editor.
- Cheapest serious option here at the entry tier.
- Small surface area, so a writer is productive on day one.
Where it falls short
- No keyword database, so it assumes you already decided what to write about.
- No rank tracking, so it cannot tell you whether the work paid off.
- Nothing for backlinks or technical SEO.
Who neither of these is right for
Ahrefs will not write anything and Frase will not tell you what to write about.
That is the gap FirstSearch fills: it researches, writes and delivers finished articles straight to your CMS. It is not a better Ahrefs or a cheaper Frase; it is a different answer to the same frustration. Our own engine produced these results on hpspelet.se if you want to see the output before deciding.
See how it worksFrequently asked questions
Is Ahrefs or Frase better?
These solve opposite halves of the problem. Ahrefs tells you which keywords are winnable and who links to your competitors. Frase helps you write the page once that is decided. Comparing them usually means the real question is which half is currently blocking you.
Can Ahrefs replace Frase?
Only partly. Frase is a content optimization tool, and Ahrefs is a backlink and keyword research platform. Where they overlap you can drop one; where they do not, you cannot. Choose Frase if the targets are set and the bottleneck is producing content that covers them properly. Choose Ahrefs if you do not yet know what to target, or you need backlink data and rank tracking.
Which is cheaper, Ahrefs or Frase?
Ahrefs starts at $29/mo (monthly only) and Frase starts at $49/mo ($39 annual), as published on 2026-08-08. Compare the tier you would actually use rather than the entry price: usage limits differ more than headline cost, and both vendors have repriced recently enough that older comparisons are unreliable.
Do I need both Ahrefs and Frase?
Only if you are doing both jobs at volume. Ahrefs will not write anything and Frase will not tell you what to write about.
Do Ahrefs or Frase write and publish articles for me?
Neither does. Both are tools you operate: they tell you what to write and score what you wrote, but a person still has to write the article and put it on the site.