Ahrefs vs SE Ranking:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ahrefs had more branded searches than SE Ranking among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide. Ahrefs had about 351,000 branded searches, while SE Ranking had 49,500. Ahrefs made up 29.5% of all SEO rank tracking platform searches we track, and SE Ranking accounted for 4.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about SEO rank tracking platforms, SE Ranking appeared in all five answers and Ahrefs in four. SE Ranking was mentioned before Ahrefs in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Ahrefs, about 7 searches for every 1 for SE Ranking
Who does AI mention more?
SE Ranking, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
SE Ranking, named ahead of Ahrefs in 4 of 5 answers
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Top SEO rank tracking platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, SE Ranking appeared in all five answers. Ahrefs was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. SE Ranking was listed before Ahrefs in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Semrush1st- SE Ranking2nd
AccuRanker3rd- Ahrefs4th
Nightwatch5th- Mangools SERPWatcher6th
Wincher7th
Moz–
ProRankTracker–
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
- SE Ranking5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- AccuRanker5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ahrefs4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Nightwatch3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mangools SERPWatcher3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Wincher1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Moz0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- ProRankTracker0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about SEO rank tracking platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which SEO rank tracking platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best SEO rank tracking platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best SEO rank tracking platform for keyword positions?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best rank tracker”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“rank tracking software”
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 21, 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 nine SEO rank tracking platforms 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 | Semrush | Ahrefs | Moz | SE Ranking | AccuRanker | ProRankTracker | Wincher | Nightwatch | Mangools SERPWatcher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 53.4% | 32.4% | 8.8% | 4.8% | 0.38% | 0.1% | 0.04% | 0.17% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 57.3% | 28.5% | 9.4% | 4.2% | 0.26% | 0.09% | 0.03% | 0.18% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 58.9% | 24.4% | 11.8% | 4.3% | 0.26% | 0.08% | 0.03% | 0.15% | 0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 52.1% | 32.3% | 10.4% | 4.7% | 0.29% | 0.08% | 0.03% | 0.11% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 52.9% | 32.8% | 8.6% | 4.8% | 0.3% | 0.46% | 0.04% | 0.06% | 0.05% |
| Mar 2026 | 57.4% | 29.9% | 7.7% | 4.2% | 0.29% | 0.4% | 0.08% | 0.06% | 0.03% |
| Apr 2026 | 54.8% | 31.8% | 9% | 4% | 0.26% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.03% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 48% | 34.1% | 9.6% | 7.9% | 0.19% | 0.07% | 0.06% | 0.03% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 52.9% | 32.3% | 10.6% | 3.9% | 0.2% | 0.04% | 0.04% | 0.03% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 49.4% | 36.8% | 9.9% | 3.6% | 0.19% | 0.05% | 0.03% | 0.03% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.1% | 31.5% | 10.9% | 3.3% | 0.2% | 0.06% | 0.02% | 0.03% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 56.7% | 29.5% | 9.3% | 4.2% | 0.25% | 0.05% | 0.03% | 0.03% | <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 SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide moved from 32.4% to 29.5%, 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 SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide moved from 4.8% to 4.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 49.5K.
How did search popularity change for SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, SE Ranking gained share of searches among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide, from 3.3% to 4.2%.
In September 2026, Ahrefs lost share of searches among SEO rank tracking platforms worldwide, from 31.5% to 29.5%.
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 SEO rank tracking platforms
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