Ahrefs vs Smartlook
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
Ahrefs is the stronger AI pick in Web Analytics: it has a visibility score of 1.7 versus 0.3 for Smartlook.
Choose Ahrefs if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (1.7 vs 0.3)
- AI answers describe it more positively (49% vs 0% positive)
- You need ISO 27001 coverage
- Strong backlink analysis and index
Choose Smartlook if…
No clear advantage in the published data.
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 2
| Metric | Ahrefs | Smartlook |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 1.7% | 0.3% |
| Change vs last week | New | New |
| Rank in Web Analytics | #27 | #39 |
| Share of voice | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Mentions this run | 2 | 1 |
| Positive in AI answers | 49% | 0% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
Ahrefs 0pp · Smartlook 0pp over 0 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
Ahrefs leads on 2 of 3 engines
Head to head in AI answers
0 engine answers name both brands
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | Ahrefs | Smartlook |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat tiers | — |
| Entry price | Free; paid from $29 / mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Deployment | SaaS | Cloud |
| Compliance | ISO 27001 | — |
| Support | Customer support five days a week, Academy courses and certification, Webinars and AMAs, YouTube tutorials | Online support until the Last Day of Support, Dedicated Account Manager, Email support@smartlook.com, Self-support documentation |
| Founded | 2010 | — |
| Headquarters | Singapore | — |
| Employees | 51–200 | — |
| Funding | Bootstrapped | Series A · $4M raised |
| Best for | Freelance SEOs, marketing consultants, and lean in-house marketing teams, from small businesses to Fortune 500 teams. | Teams that need to understand why users act as they do on websites and mobile apps, including enterprises with multiple teams. |
Plans side by side
Ahrefs
Smartlook
Pricing not available.
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
Ahrefs
- Strong backlink analysis and index
- Strong competitor research
- Honest, transparent pricing
- Deep technical site audits
- Free Webmaster Tools tier for verified site owners
- High monthly cost, especially for smaller budgets
- Seat-based pricing needs careful evaluation against team size
Smartlook
Profile in progress.
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 100%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “Ahrefs vs Smartlook”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/ahrefs-vs-smartlook, data of Nov 2, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.