Brandwave

Ahrefs vs MarketMuse:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Ahrefs had more branded searches than MarketMuse among AI SEO tools worldwide. Ahrefs had about 301,000 branded searches, while MarketMuse had 1,700. Ahrefs made up 30.7% of all AI SEO tool searches we track, and MarketMuse accounted for 0.17%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI SEO tools, Ahrefs appeared in three of the five answers and MarketMuse in one. Ahrefs was mentioned before MarketMuse in three out of four answers that named either.

Among AI SEO tools worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Ahrefs, about 177 searches for every 1 for MarketMuse

Ahrefs 301K searchesMarketMuse 1.7K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Ahrefs, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, MarketMuse in 1

Ahrefs in 3 of 5MarketMuse in 1 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Ahrefs, named ahead of MarketMuse in 3 of 4 answers

Ahrefs first in 3MarketMuse first in 1

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Top AI SEO tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ahrefs was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. MarketMuse was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Ahrefs was listed before MarketMuse in three out of four answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Surfer1st
  2. Semrush2nd
  3. Clearscope3rd
  4. Frase4th
  5. Ahrefs5th
  6. MarketMuse6th
  7. Screaming Frog7th
  8. WriterZen–

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
  • Surfer5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Frase4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Clearscope4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ahrefs3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Screaming Frog2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • MarketMuse1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • WriterZen0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about AI SEO tools

5 answers

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 MarketMuse more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Ahrefs and MarketMuse by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight AI SEO tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Ahrefs and MarketMuse among AI SEO tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Ahrefs, MarketMuse. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSemrushAhrefsFraseClearscopeMarketMuseWriterZenScreaming FrogSurfer
Oct 202563.9%35%0.16%0.45%0.36%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Nov 202568.4%30.6%0.17%0.39%0.32%0.16%<0.01%<0.01%
Dec 202572.3%26.4%0.17%0.41%0.42%0.2%<0.01%<0.01%
Jan 202663.8%34.9%0.22%0.44%0.53%0.15%<0.01%<0.01%
Feb 202664%35%0.22%0.37%0.3%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Mar 202668.4%30.6%0.17%0.39%0.32%0.11%<0.01%<0.01%
Apr 202668.5%30.6%0.19%0.32%0.26%0.13%<0.01%<0.01%
May 202664%35%0.37%0.3%0.24%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Jun 202668.4%30.6%0.33%0.31%0.2%0.13%<0.01%<0.01%
Jul 202668.5%30.6%0.35%0.26%0.17%0.1%<0.01%<0.01%
Aug 202668.5%30.6%0.28%0.26%0.17%0.1%<0.01%<0.01%
Sep 202668.6%30.7%0.25%0.21%0.17%0.09%<0.01%<0.01%

How has the Ahrefs and MarketMuse comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Ahrefs was ahead of MarketMuse in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ahrefs’ share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide moved from 35% to 30.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 301K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, MarketMuse’s share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide moved from 0.36% to 0.17%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.7K to 1.7K.

How did search popularity change for AI SEO tools worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for MarketMuse worldwide fell 63.8% over 12 measured months, from 4.7K to 1.7K in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Ahrefs worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 450K to 301K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ahrefs’ and MarketMuse’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

1 branded search term

  • ahrefs

MarketMuse

3 branded search terms

  • marketmuse
  • marketmuse ai
  • marketmuse seo

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among AI SEO tools

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