I paid for Ahrefs for two years. $99/month. I used maybe 10% of its features. Most of what I needed, I can now get for free — or from Claude.
What SEO Tools Actually Do
Keyword research: finding what people search for. Competitor analysis: seeing what's working for others. Content optimization: making your pages rank better.
Ahrefs is great at all of this. It's also massive overkill for most people.
"If you're running a serious SEO agency, you probably need Ahrefs. If you're a freelancer, blogger, or small business owner? You're paying for features you don't need."
The Free Alternatives
Google Search Console: Free. Shows you exactly what keywords you're ranking for.
Google Trends: Free. Shows search volume trends over time.
AnswerThePublic: Free tier available. Shows what questions people ask.
The Math
Ahrefs: $99/month × 12 = $1,188/year
Free tools + Claude Pro: $20/month × 12 = $240/year
Savings: $948/year