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Moz Alternatives: Best SEO Tools to Rank in 2025

by Emily Gertenbach
January 14, 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.

PlatformFree Plan?Starting Paid PriceUnique FeatureBest For
SemrushYes$117.33 / monthAutomatic content topic groupingIn-depth SEO research
AhrefsYes$29 / monthGoogle Analytics alternativeSingle-site SEO
Exploding Topics ProYes$39 / monthTrend forecastsTrend discovery
ConductorNoUpon requestROI-focused reporting toolsCorporate marketing teams
SE RankingNo$52 / monthSocial media post schedulingSmall SEO projects
SpyFuYes$33 / monthTracks brand mentions in ChatGPT responsesBasic SEO research

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1. Semrush: Best For In-Depth SEO Research

Semrush is an all-in-one SEO tool.

Semrush Domain Overview dashboard displaying detailed site traffic information.

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:

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 ProsSemrush Cons
Generous free planSpecial features may require a paid plan
Social media management toolsSome 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.

Ahrefs rank tracker report

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 ProsAhrefs Cons
Monitor traffic and site health for freeVery limited free access to any keyword research tools
Large batch keyword analysis toolsCredit-based usage system applies to some plans
Easy-to-understand site audit reportsOffers 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.

The Exploding Topics Pro Trends Database displays available business topics.

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.

An Exploding Topics view of the "B2B content marketing" trend

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 freeMeta Trends and on-demand reports only available to paid users
Easily track important trends via the Pro dashboardOffers 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.

A Conductor webpage with green and white graphics illustrating tool integrations.

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 ProsConductor Cons
Reports tailored to the needs of corporate stakeholdersPricing structure isn’t transparent
Free SEO extensionMay 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.

The SE Ranking keyword overview displays difficulty, volume, and CPC metrics.

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 ProsSE Ranking Cons
Affordable plan pricingNo free plan
AI search optimization toolsNo historical keyword SERP data on cheapest plan
Optional white-label reporting for agenciesAll 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.

SpyFu domain overview page

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 ProsSpyFu Cons
Generous free planLimited tools for technical auditing
User-friendly interfaceMust 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:

PlatformKeywords in Database
MozOver 1.25 billion
Semrush25.3 billion
Ahrefs28.7 billion
SpyFuOver 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

A Moz backlink analysis report shows domain authority, net domain growth, and more.

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:

  1. Know what people are looking for and discussing, even if their Google search history doesn’t reflect those interests
  2. 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

Semrush data in Looker Studio

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 ProSemrushAhrefsSE RankingSpyFu
Price per month$39$117.33$29$52$33
User seats11111
Number of projects15Varies5Varies
Tracked keywords50 / month500 / monthUp to 100 / month500 / month5,000 / week
Backlink tools?YesYesNoYesYes
Content optimization tools?NoYesNoAdd-onNo
Site audit tools?YesYesYesYesNo


(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:

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.