Moz Alternatives: Best SEO Tools to Rank in 2025
Moz has been the choice of many SEO professionals and business owners for over two decades.
But is it still the best SEO tool in 2025?
The answer depends on your goals and the features that are most important to you.
Moz and its top competitors provide you with access to keyword search volume and basic website performance data.
But there are several Moz alternatives that offer extras, including AI-powered content editors, social media schedulers, and search trends.
Overview of Moz Alternatives
Let’s take a closer look at the top six alternatives available today.
Here’s a quick comparison to demonstrate how their functionality compares to Moz.
Platform | Free Plan? | Starting Paid Price | Unique Feature | Best For |
Semrush | Yes | $117.33 / month | Automatic content topic grouping | In-depth SEO research |
Ahrefs | Yes | $29 / month | Google Analytics alternative | Single-site SEO |
Exploding Topics Pro | Yes | $39 / month | Trend forecasts | Trend discovery |
Conductor | No | Upon request | ROI-focused reporting tools | Corporate marketing teams |
SE Ranking | No | $52 / month | Social media post scheduling | Small SEO projects |
SpyFu | Yes | $33 / month | Tracks brand mentions in ChatGPT responses | Basic SEO research |
1. Semrush: Best For In-Depth SEO Research
Semrush is an all-in-one SEO tool.
It combines a massive keyword database with in-depth data from the search engine results page (SERP).
And it provides information about:
- Market segments
- Top competitors
- Organic traffic volume
- Searcher preferences
- Paid ad campaigns
- Technical SEO problems
This makes Semrush a fantastic choice for businesses of all sizes. It’ll suit you if you need to check website traffic for a small business, but it can also help you to develop a content calendar for a global corporation.
Semrush is great for agencies, too. The ability to work on multiple projects, generate white labeled reports, and set up client dashboards make it easy to handle several accounts in one place.
Key Features
I shared my thoughts about Semrush in this detailed comparison of Semrush vs Moz.
To summarize, my favorite features include:
- Customized keyword difficulty scores based on your domain’s topical authority
- A site audit tool with easy-to-understand insights and recommendations
- The Keyword Strategy Builder that automatically finds and groups content topics together
- A suite of backlink analysis tools that help you improve any site’s link profile
- Local SEO and listing management tools to improve traffic to brick-and-mortar businesses
- A custom report generator that makes it easy to add your own take on site audit or keyword research findings
- The SEO Content Template and Writing Assistant for easy content creation and optimization
I also like that the Semrush team publishes content on how to tackle common SEO tasks and problems. It's a great resource for beginners and professionals alike.
Semrush Pros and Cons
Semrush Pros | Semrush Cons |
Generous free plan | Special features may require a paid plan |
Social media management tools | Some tools are only available as an additional paid add-on |
Optional AI writing assistant | |
Easy-to-follow tips and courses | |
White-labeled SEO reporting | |
Responsive support team | |
Onboarding support |
How Much Does Semrush Cost?
You can do a lot with the free Semrush plan. If you’re working with clients, you’ll want to subscribe for more features and higher usage limits.
Plan options start at $139.95 per month for one user. Semrush coupon codes can help to reduce the price.
2. Ahrefs: Best For Single-Site SEO
Ahrefs is a popular SEO tool that offers some similar features to Semrush and Moz.
The Ahrefs platform can help you:
- Analyze keywords
- Track website visitors
- Conduct site audits
- Improve website content
You can even access a selection of site audit and analytics tools for free—as long as you’re able to connect your Google Search Console account to Ahrefs and prove site ownership.
The cheapest Ahrefs plans are ideal for business owners and marketers who want to monitor one domain.
Key Features
Our Ahrefs review goes into depth about what the platform offers.
Depending on the type of Ahrefs plan you have, you can access features like:
- A Google Analytics alternative called Ahrefs Web Analytics
- Keyword search volume and difficulty analysis
- The Site Explorer, which provides information about any site’s traffic
- Site audit tools and automated reports
- Competitive analysis tools, including a content gap analyzer
- AI-powered content research and grading tools
Ahrefs Pros and Cons
Ahrefs Pros | Ahrefs Cons |
Monitor traffic and site health for free | Very limited free access to any keyword research tools |
Large batch keyword analysis tools | Credit-based usage system applies to some plans |
Easy-to-understand site audit reports | Offers less support for local SEO than Moz and some other competitors |
Active community of Ahrefs users on Facebook | |
Access to training courses and videos |
How Much Does Ahrefs Cost?
There’s no Ahrefs free trial. Paid plans let you conduct keyword research with your Ahrefs account; options start at a budget-friendly $29 per month for one user.
3. Exploding Topics: Best For Trend Discovery
Exploding Topics is a trend spotting platform.
It shows you in-depth information about:
- Current trends
- Historical trend patterns
- Projected trend growth
- How trends intersect
- Popular topics, companies, and products
I started using Exploding Topics long before I joined the team here. I’d never seen such in-depth trend analysis before, and found the data very useful for my SEO and marketing work.
This still holds true today! I love that I can see how a trend has fluctuated over time, plus how it might change in the future… and where people are talking about it online.
Key Features
Some of Exploding Topics’ most notable features include:
- One-year trend forecasts
- A Meta Trends analysis tool that shows you how trends connect to each other
- On-demand trend analysis for any topic you can think of
- Insights into popular Amazon product sales and reviews
- Customizable trend tracking dashboards
Exploding Topics is the ideal complement for an SEO platform. For example, I combine Exploding Topics with Semrush topic clustering, which lets me get to the writing part of my job much faster!
Tip: Combine Exploding Topics Pro trend forecasts with your keyword research data, then use Semrush to create a content plan. This speeds up the content strategy process and lets you or your writers quickly create optimized content!
Exploding Topics Pros and Cons
Exploding Topics Pros | Exploding Topics Cons |
Large database of trending topics available for free | Meta Trends and on-demand reports only available to paid users |
Easily track important trends via the Pro dashboard | Offers limited keyword search volume data and no keyword rank or difficulty scores |
On-demand trend analysis reports | |
Includes trend popularity forecasts | |
Access to Amazon product pricing, sales, and popularity data |
How Much Does Exploding Topics Cost?
Exploding Topics is free to use. To find more trends and unlock special features, like the Meta Trends tool, you’ll need an Exploding Topics Pro subscription.
Plan options start at $39 per month when billed annually.
4. Conductor: Best For Corporate Marketing Teams
Conductor is an optimization platform tailored to the needs of large corporations.
The platform's toolkit helps users:
- Conduct keyword research
- View current organic search rankings
- Monitor websites for potential issues
- Improve current website content for better SEO performance
- Develop a content calendar with new keywords and topics
- Build reports for internal stakeholders
The company also offers a Chrome extension that provides top-level SEO insights (like a review of headings, links, and keyword use) about any live webpage.
While the full Conductor platform is best for large enterprises, anyone can use the Chrome extension to gather some basic SEO info.
Key Features
Conductor’s features are very similar to those found in other SEO platforms like Semrush and Ahrefs. Some of its more unique offerings are:
- “Holistic Content ROI” reports that show you how technical health affects content performance
- ROI-focused performance reports that help you communicate SEO changes to colleagues and board members
- Always-on website monitoring
- In-depth competitor analysis and demographic insights
Conductor Pros and Cons
Conductor Pros | Conductor Cons |
Reports tailored to the needs of corporate stakeholders | Pricing structure isn’t transparent |
Free SEO extension | May not be well-suited to the needs of an agency or smaller business |
All technical and content SEO insights available in one dashboard |
How Much Does Conductor Cost?
Conductor doesn’t publish its pricing publicly. You can sign up for a free trial online, but you’ll need to get in touch with the Conductor team to learn more about plan options.
If this doesn’t work for you, we have some Conductor alternatives that you could look at.
5. SE Ranking: Best For Small SEO Projects
SE Ranking occupies a nice middle ground between Semrush and Ahrefs or Moz.
You can use SE Ranking to:
- Conduct keyword research
- Improve your website content
- Manage local SEO efforts
- Monitor competitors
- Schedule social media posts
- Run SEO audits
The biggest determining factors between using SE Ranking, Moz, and another alternative on this list are likely to come down to features and price.
Key Features
Like Semrush, SE Ranking offers a content optimization tool that helps you:
- Prepare content briefs
- Improve SEO-optimized content with semantic keywords
- Assess competitors’ content strategies
I find it to be more basic than other platforms, but it does the job for SEO copywriting.
Other great SE Ranking features include:
- A social media post scheduler
- Specialized trackers for AI search results
- Keyword cannibalization reports
- Google Business Profile optimization tools
- A customizable report builder
- Backlink gap analysis tools
SE Ranking Pros and Cons
SE Ranking Pros | SE Ranking Cons |
Affordable plan pricing | No free plan |
AI search optimization tools | No historical keyword SERP data on cheapest plan |
Optional white-label reporting for agencies | All paid content marketing plans still incur some usage limits |
Social media management features | |
All-in-one technical and content optimization platform |
How Much Does SE Ranking Cost?
SE Ranking plans start at $52 per month when billed annually.
6. SpyFu: Best For Basic SEO & PPC Projects
SpyFu is a suite of SEO and PPC tools used by large and small brands.
The platform takes a classic approach to SEO research and keeps its focus on:
- Keyword suggestions
- Keyword tracking
- Backlink profile analysis
- Google Ads optimization
- PPC competitor analysis
- SEO reports
Unlike many of its competitors, SpyFu doesn't include tools for content optimization, content strategy planning, social media marketing, or in-depth technical website auditing.
As a writer, those tools are important to me.
But if you need an easy, affordable tool for tracking and ranking keywords or generating reports, SpyFu is a good alternative to Moz.
Key Features
Some of the tools in SpyFu are unique, and not found elsewhere. Here are a few I like:
- SpyGPT, which analyzes how often your brand appears in ChatGPT responses
- On-demand access to done-for-you reports about your top competitors (available for an extra fee)
- PPC keyword gap analysis tools
- Competitor site analysis
SpyFu Pros and Cons
SpyFu Pros | SpyFu Cons |
Generous free plan | Limited tools for technical auditing |
User-friendly interface | Must sign up for a separate tool to get content insights |
Affordable paid plan pricing | |
Detailed ChatGPT optimization insights |
How Much Does Spyfu Cost?
SpyFu plans start at $33 per month when billed annually.
What the Best Moz Alternatives Offer
Core Moz features include site auditing, keyword research, rank tracking, and competitive research tools.
These are all features you’ll find in top SEO tools, and the ideal Moz alternative will include these same elements.
Let’s step through them so you know what to look for.
Comprehensive Keyword Research Data
The Moz database includes data on over 1.25 billion keywords. This is a lot.
But if you’re serious about target keyword research, you can find tools that provide you with access to even more information.
Check out how the Moz database stacks up against some of the other competitors covered in this guide:
Platform | Keywords in Database |
Moz | Over 1.25 billion |
Semrush | 25.3 billion |
Ahrefs | 28.7 billion |
SpyFu | Over 2 billion |
Database size isn’t the only factor to consider when choosing a Moz alternative, though.
For example, you may ultimately decide to pick a tool with a smaller keyword database but stronger trend tracking capabilities.
Advanced Backlink Analysis
The Moz Link Explorer tool gives you a quick, easy-to-read breakdown of any domain’s:
- Total links
- Links and gained lost during a specific time period
- Top pages receiving backlinks
- Common anchor text leading to the site
- The Domain Authority of different backlink sources
- Backlink spam score
You can even compare two websites’ link profiles, which is a nice SEO competitor research feature.
(For an overview of your current backlink profile, you can also try our free backlink checker.)
If you’re serious about improving your backlink strategy, you’ll want to look for a Moz alternative that offers additional features like:
- New link outreach opportunities, and direct communication to get those links; the Semrush Link Building tool offers this
- A competitor backlink gap analysis tool similar to the one found in SE Ranking
- A list of the authors who write content that links back to your site; Ahrefs offers this feature
Trend Analysis
As we look at the future of SEO, trend analysis is giving some marketers an edge.
And users are now searching on multiple platforms, including Google search, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. This means that you need to:
- Know what people are looking for and discussing, even if their Google search history doesn’t reflect those interests
- Understand where to best connect with people interested in a specific topic
Moz is very focused on traditional search engine results pages. Its database doesn’t include much information about trends across social media, news outlets, or video sites.
You can access trend metrics in Semrush with the .Trends tool. A dedicated tool like Exploding Topics Pro will unlock more insights.
Integration With Other Marketing Platforms
Ideally, your SEO tool of choice will allow you to connect to other marketing platforms.
This way, you can combine your organic research and reporting with insights from your email marketing tool, social media accounts, and more.
Some connections may also allow you to automate select marketing tasks.
Integration ability may actually be your top deciding factor when selecting between Moz and an alternative. Be sure the one you choose plays nicely with all of your most important marketing tools!
For example, when using Semrush, you can connect to platforms like:
- Google Analytics
- Looker Studio
- Google Search Console
- YouTube
- Zapier
Flexible and Scalable Pricing
Finally, look for a Moz competitor that offers scalable pricing.
Moz and all of its true competitors offer different features at each price point. And Moz lets you choose between four different pricing plans, as well as the option for yearly or monthly billing.
Check out the table below for a sample of what’s available on each platform’s lowest pricing tier.
Moz Pro | Semrush | Ahrefs | SE Ranking | SpyFu | |
Price per month | $39 | $117.33 | $29 | $52 | $33 |
User seats | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Number of projects | 1 | 5 | Varies | 5 | Varies |
Tracked keywords | 50 / month | 500 / month | Up to 100 / month | 500 / month | 5,000 / week |
Backlink tools? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Content optimization tools? | No | Yes | No | Add-on | No |
Site audit tools? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
(Unfortunately, we couldn’t include Conductor in this roundup because its pricing isn’t public.)
Deciding on a Moz Alternative: My Recommendations
Moz is a solid SEO tool, but it lacks some important features that other platforms offer. For example, if you’re focused on digital marketing, data on trending topics is going to be important to you.
If you're thinking about moving away from Moz, I recommend:
- Signing up for a free Semrush trial
- Getting an Exploding Topics Pro trial for just $1
Semrush is a comprehensive platform with a larger keyword database compared to Moz. The addition of an Exploding Topics Pro subscription will help you to uncover more keywords and see changes in trends over time.
This combination is perfect if you want to grow your organic traffic quickly and try everything that Semrush has to offer.