Ahrefs
Heap
| Feature | Ahrefs | Heap |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $129/mo | Free only |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | seo-professionals, agencies, content-marketers, enterprise | product-teams, growth-marketers, ux-researchers, saas-companies |
| Founded | 2010 | 2013 |
| Backlink Analysis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Keyword Research | ✓ | ✗ |
| Site Audit | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rank Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Content Explorer | ✓ | ✗ |
| Competitor Analysis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Site Explorer | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Capture | ✗ | ✓ |
| Session Replay | ✗ | ✓ |
| Funnel Analysis | ✗ | ✓ |
| Retention Analysis | ✗ | ✓ |
| User Segments | ✗ | ✓ |
| Data Science | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Ahrefs Pros
- Largest backlink database in the industry
- Excellent keyword difficulty scoring
- Content Explorer for content research
- Site Audit finds technical SEO issues
✗ Ahrefs Cons
- Very expensive — no free tier
- Learning curve for beginners
- Credits system for some features
✓ Heap Pros
- Auto-captures all user interactions without code
- Retroactive analysis (define events after the fact)
- Session replay integrated with analytics
- No engineering resources needed for tracking
✗ Heap Cons
- Pricing not transparent (sales-required for growth+)
- Can generate excessive data requiring cleanup
- UI can feel slower than event-based alternatives
The Verdict
Ahrefs is built for seo professionals and agencies, with a focus on backlink-analysis and keyword-research. Heap targets product teams and growth marketers and leads with auto-capture and session-replay.
Heap uses custom enterprise pricing, while Ahrefs starts at $129/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Heap has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Ahrefs requires a paid subscription from day one.
Ahrefs edges out on user ratings (4.7 vs 4.3). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Ahrefs has a slight overall edge — but if auto-captures all user interactions without code matters most to you, Heap may still be the right call.