Ahrefs vs SE Ranking:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ahrefs had more branded searches than SE Ranking among backlink analysis tools worldwide. Ahrefs had about 351,000 branded searches, while SE Ranking had 49,500. Ahrefs made up 6.4% of all backlink analysis tool searches we track, and SE Ranking accounted for 0.91%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about backlink analysis tools, Ahrefs appeared in all five answers and SE Ranking in two. Ahrefs was mentioned before SE Ranking in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Ahrefs, about 7 searches for every 1 for SE Ranking
Who does AI mention more?
Ahrefs, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Ahrefs, named ahead of SE Ranking in every answer
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Top backlink analysis tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ahrefs appeared in all five answers. SE Ranking was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Ahrefs was listed before SE Ranking in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Ahrefs1st
Semrush2nd
Majestic3rd
Google Search Console4th
Moz5th
SE Ranking6th
Ubersuggest–
Linkody–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Semrush5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ahrefs5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Google Search Console4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Moz4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Majestic4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- SE Ranking2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ubersuggest0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Linkody0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about backlink analysis tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which backlink analysis tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best backlink analysis tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best backlink analysis tool for seo research?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“backlink analysis tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best backlink tool”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Ahrefs or SE Ranking more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ahrefs and SE Ranking by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight backlink analysis tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ahrefs, SE Ranking. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Google Search Console | Semrush | Ahrefs | Ubersuggest | Moz | SE Ranking | Majestic | Linkody |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 60.6% | 18.2% | 11% | 5.4% | 3% | 1.6% | 0.12% | 0.02% |
| Nov 2025 | 62% | 18.6% | 9.2% | 5.6% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 0.12% | 0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 67.1% | 16.5% | 6.8% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 0.09% | 0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 68.5% | 13.8% | 8.5% | 5% | 2.8% | 1.2% | 0.11% | 0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 65.1% | 16% | 9.9% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.16% | 0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 66.6% | 16.4% | 8.5% | 4.9% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.16% | 0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 65.7% | 16.1% | 9.4% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.11% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 67.6% | 13.6% | 9.7% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 0.11% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 73.5% | 12.1% | 7.4% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 0.89% | 0.08% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 72.8% | 12% | 8.9% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 0.88% | 0.08% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 74.4% | 12.2% | 7.1% | 3% | 2.5% | 0.74% | 0.07% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 75.1% | 12.4% | 6.4% | 3% | 2% | 0.91% | 0.08% | <0.01% |
How has the Ahrefs and SE Ranking comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ahrefs was ahead of SE Ranking in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ahrefs’ share of searches among backlink analysis tools worldwide moved from 11% to 6.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 500K to 351K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SE Ranking’s share of searches among backlink analysis tools worldwide moved from 1.6% to 0.91%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 49.5K.
How did search popularity change for backlink analysis tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Ahrefs lost share of searches among backlink analysis tools worldwide, from 7.1% to 6.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for SE Ranking worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 74K to 49.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ahrefs’ and SE Ranking’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Ahrefs
2 branded search terms
- ahrefs
- ahrefs backlink checker
SE Ranking
1 branded search term
- se ranking
Other head-to-heads among backlink analysis tools
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