Majestic vs Ahrefs: Which one should you choose as a SEO tool in 2024

Ahrefs being much more expensive than Majestic, excels at the amount of tools that it provides. You would not have to worry about buying different tools for different seo purposes if you have Ahrefs. On the other hand, Majestic provides superior performance at finding relevant websites for backlinking.

In summary, Majestic vs Ahrefs: Majestic is better for you if you want a dedicated backlink analysis tool. Ahrefs is the ideal tool for users looking for an All-in-one solution.

What are Majestic and Ahrefs?

Majestics

Majestic is a SEO specialized tool that begun in 2004. Now in 2024, it has build itself a high authority in link building.

This tool can analyze the backlink of up to 400 URLs from copy paste feature and up to 1 million URLs from file upload. If you are an SEO professional concerned specifically about link building, quality of backlinks and the authority of web pages then you should choose Majestic.

It’s feature that differentiates it from its competitors such as Ahrefs, Moz or SEMrush is its Topical Trust Flow, which shows you if its actually worth it to target specific backlinks based on your contents topic.

This tool is ideal for those who want to analyze backlinks extensively and understand the trust and citation flow of their websites. We will talk about it later in this article.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs, on the other hand, is a comprehensive SEO software suite that offers a better range of tools beyond backlink analysis. It also has the 2nd largest crawler on the web after Google. Link building, keyword research, site audit, competitor analysis, you name it, this tool has it all.

They offer a backlink checker that shows metrics such as number of backlinks, number of referring domains, number of broken links etc. This tool is also free, so you can check any of your competitor’s backlink profile for free!

It’s strength lies in its ability to provide detailed insights into organic search traffic and keyword difficulty, making it a popular choice among SEO professionals looking for an all-in-one solution.

Another standout feature is that you can filter the results by any SEO related metrics that you might ever need. We will talk about it later in this article.

What Majestic Does Better than Ahrefs

Majestic excels when it comes to Backlink analysis. It has a strong backlink index since 2011. One of our favorite features that they offer is the Topical Trust Flow and Neighborhood checker.

Topical Trust Flow

Topical Trust Flow(TTF) is a unique metric developed by Majestic that helps you evaluate the relevance and trustworthiness a website has in your particular niche.

Trust Flow assesses a websites credibility based on their inbound links within specific topical categories. The metric scores ranges from 0 to 100.

This focus on quality over quantity is what sets the Trust Flow metric apart from other traditional link analysis methods that primarily emphasize the number of links.

I mean, think about it: if you run a website related to Digital Marketing, which one do you think would be more beneficial to your website?

5 backlinks from websites that talk about kitchen tools or two backlinks that have high authority in digital marketing tools related topic?

Spotting Spammy Links

Identifying and dealing with spammy links is an essential aspect of SEO. The Citation Flow feature they offer is a valuable perspective on the level of link juice a website receives based on the number of links pointing to it.

However, Citation Flow does not account for the quality of those links. This is where It’s combined Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics can be particularly useful for spotting potential spammy links.

The TF/CF ratio

According to Majestic, The TF/CF ratio should not be greater than 2:1 or 1:2 .By comparing these two metrics, users can quickly identify links that may seem problematic; for instance, a high Citation Flow paired with a low Trust Flow might indicate links originating from low-quality or spam-heavy sources.

This allows SEO professionals to investigate further, consider disavowing these links, or reach out for removal requests to maintain a clean and credible link profile.

Neighborhood Checker

Neighborhood Checker is a unique tool provided by Majestic. None of it’s competitors has this tool yet.

When you buy shared hosting, you end up on the same server with lots of other websites. This feature helps users to identify the ‘neighborhood’ of linking websites, determining whether they associate with trustworthy or spammy websites.

The Neighborhood Checker analyzes the interconnectivity between different domains, giving insights into the quality of links and alerting users to potentially toxic networks.

So, while Ahrefs excels at all-encompassing approach at SEO strategies, Majestic is better at identifying quality and relevance of backlinks deeply.

What Ahrefs Does Better than Majestic

Comprehensive SEO Tools

Ahrefs stands out due to its all-in-one approach to SEO, offering a vast array of tools that extend beyond backlink analysis.

While Majestic focuses specifically on backlinks, Ahrefs offers all-in-one solution with site audits, keyword research, rank tracking, backlink checker, content analysis, and competitor benchmarking.

This variety allows users to handle multiple aspects of SEO from one platform, making is particularly appealing to those who require a holistic view of their SEO efforts.

Keyword Explorer

One of Ahrefs’ key strengths is its Keyword Explorer tool. If you actually want to rank on Google’s top page, their keyword research is really beneficial for you.

This feature provides detailed insights into keyword rankings, search volume, and keyword difficulty, offering SEO professionals the data needed to optimize content effectively.

The ability to see related keywords and track their performance across different regions is invaluable for expanding reach and tailoring strategies to specific audiences.

Organic Search Traffic Analysis

Ahrefs is better at analyzing organic search traffic than Majestic. You can easily track how much traffic your competitor is getting or what keyword they are ranking for with their competitor analysis tool.

This information is crucial for enhancing visibility and driving targeted traffic to websites. So in competitor analysis Ahrefs wins.

Content Gap Analysis

Majestic does not have Content Gap Analysis unlike Ahrefs. With it you can check the keyword that you do not rank for but you competitors does.

This is a really helpful feature for finding opportunities for content planning. SEO practitioners can focus on closing these gaps to capture a larger percentage of organic traffic.

Overall, while Majestic specializes in backlink quality and relevance, Ahrefs offers a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to SEO. Its range of tools equips users with the ability to undertake extensive research and analysis, making it a formidable choice for those seeking an all-inclusive solution for their SEO needs.

Key features comparison

Site Explorer:

With Ahrefs site explorer, you can check your competitor’s backlink profiles, organic traffic, paid traffic, and even website structure.

The most likable thing about their Site Explorer is that their backlink analysis will give you a detailed backlink profile (referring domains, anchor texts, link types) of your targeted competitor’s website.

It also gives you detailed insights into your targeted website’s organic search traffic, including what keywords they are ranking for organically.

Majestic’s site explorer does have powerful backlink analysis tools, but it falls short in organic traffic analysis. With their Site Explorer, you can find toxic backlinks to your targeted website and see the Trust flow and Citation flow, which gives you an estimation of your targeted website’s quality and quantity of backlinks. 

Overall, Majestic’s Site Explorer is a really powerful tool for backlink analysis. For example, The link context is a cool, unique tool that shows you where an inbound link is placed on a webpage, s

Ahrefs does not have this feature. However, Ahrefs has organic traffic analysis tools that’ll give you detailed insights into your targeted website’s organic traffic, of which Majestic falls short.

Keyword explorer

Ahrefs shines at keyword research. Their keyword research tool is widely known as one of the best tools for keyword research.

Besides all the usual metrics, Ahrefs has a unique estimation of traffic potential; they’ll show you how much traffic you might get for a particular keyword. It also has a filtering option called “parent topic,” which shows you the main topic for a keyword.

Since a single page can rank for hundreds of keywords, knowing what main keyword or more general keyword to target is crucial.

Majestic, on the other hand, has a feature called  “keyword generator,” where you can put a seed keyword and then get a list of Keywords and phrases with search volume, Keyword difficulty, and frequency. 

But Majestic’s keyword explorer is not as advanced as Ahrefs’s. However, how Majestic determines the keyword difficulty score is unique.

Keyword difficulty

Ahrefs determines the KD score based on the backlink profile of the top 10 ranking pages. Ahrefs will analyze the quality and quantity of backlinks of each page ranking in the top 10 and determine a score from 0 to 100.

The more powerful the backlink profile of the pages that are ranking on the top, the harder it’ll be to rank for that keyword. 

Unlike other SEO tools that show you KD how difficult it is to rank for a keyword, Majestic uses the metric Search Score.

Now, why is this info relevant, you may ask? Let me explain how their Search Score metric works.

This “Search Score” metric is broken down into three factors:

• In title: Majestic will analyze how frequently a specific keyword appears on the title of the search results URL. If a keyword is frequent and usually placed within the first part of the title, then the search score is likely to be higher.
• In Anchor: This score reflects how many times the keyword has appeared on anchor texts of external backlinks pointing to the pages.
• In URL: If the keyword appears in the “domain” or “path”  part of the URL (e.g., www.example.com/seo-tools), Majestic will assign a higher URL score.

This is different from traditional “Keyword Difficulty (KD)” scores because it doesn’t just look at the competition based on ranking pages’ authority (as Ahrefs does), but rather, it combines multiple on-page and off-page elements related to “keyword optimization.”

Backlink analysis:

Ahrefs is a leading backlink analysis tool. It offers detailed insights through its “Site Explorer,” where you can check backlinks, analyze competitors, and check their backlink profiles. It provides critical metrics like “Domain Rating (DR),” “URL Rating (UR),” anchor text, and link growth. 

They are known to have the largest index of live backlinks, and they update their index for fresh data every 15-30 minutes, ensuring up-to-date, accurate data. 

A standout feature is the ‘Link Intersect” tool, which helps you find link-building opportunities by identifying sites that link to competitors but not to you.

Majestic really shines at backlink analysis. It is known for its focus on link trustworthiness and uses “Trust Flow (TF)” and “Citation Flow (CF)” metrics to assess backlink quality and quantity. Its “Site Explorer” offers data similar to those of Ahrefs but with a stronger emphasis on link relevance. Majestic’s “Backlink History” and “Link Context” features provide a deeper analysis of link quality and context.

In short, Majestic may not have the largest index, but its precision in backlink analysis and link quality metrics give it an edge in evaluating backlink.

summary

Ahrefs Pricing Plans

They offer a variety of pricing plans to accommodate different user needs, ranging from individuals to larger teams. As of the latest update, they provide four primary subscription tiers:

1. Lite starts at $108 per month(if you pay annually). It is ideal for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and this plan includes essential SEO tools like keyword research, site audit, and more.
2. Standard – starts at $208 per month ( if you pay annually), Designed for SEO professionals and growing businesses, offering additional features such as content gap analysis and advanced keyword capabilities.
3. Advanced – starts at $374 per month( if you pay annually ); suitable for larger teams needing extensive reports and extended usage; this plan includes additional user seats and more comprehensive data analysis tools.
4. Enterprise -starts at $14,990 per year; tailored for large organizations, this plan offers custom solutions, including API access, enhanced support, and bespoke features to meet specific requirements.

Majestic Pricing Plan

It’s pricing structure is straightforward, with three main subscription tiers:

1. Lite -starts at $49 per month, Offers basic access to backlink database, suitable for individuals or small businesses focused on understanding link profiles.
2. Pro -starts at $99 per month; aimed at SEO professionals needing more detailed backlink data, this plan provides advanced reporting and analytical tools.
3. API starts at $399 per month. It is designed for enterprises requiring large-scale backlink data integration, and this plan enables users to incorporate their data into their own applications.

Based on pricing, Majestic is far less expensive than Ahrefs. If you are specifically looking forward to link-building, buying Majestic is a better choice.

Choosing Between Ahrefs and Majestic

Choose Majestic If:

• You prioritize in-depth backlink analysis and understanding the trust and citation flow of your website.
• You need to assess the topical relevance of your links using Topical Trust Flow.
• You’re looking for an affordable option with essential backlink analysis features.

Choose Ahrefs If:

• You require a comprehensive SEO toolset that covers keyword research, site auditing, and competitor analysis.
• You want detailed insights into organic search traffic and keyword difficulty.
• You’re willing to invest in a feature-rich platform that offers a broader range of functionalities.

Conclusion

Both Majestic and Ahrefs are powerful tools that can significantly enhance your SEO efforts. Majestic is ideal for those who prioritize backlink analysis and topical relevance, while Ahrefs offers a comprehensive suite of features that cater to a wider range of SEO needs.

Ultimately, the choice between these two tools depends on your specific goals and budget. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your SEO strategy.

Whether you choose Majestic or Ahrefs, both tools have the potential to elevate your SEO game and help you achieve your digital marketing objectives.