How to Use Ahrefs for Free in 2026 (My Honest Guide)
Hello guys, welcome back to my blog. A lot of you keep asking me one thing again and again in my DMs, how to use Ahrefs for free without paying for the expensive plans. So today I decided to write a proper post about it. I will show you the exact free tool I personally use, how to set it up, and what you actually get for free. So lets get into it.
How to Use Ahrefs for Free Using Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
If you ask me how to use Ahrefs for free, my answer is always the same, use Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, also called AWT. This is the official free version made by Ahrefs itself, not some third party trick or workaround.
I personally use Ahrefs free account for my own smaller sites. It lets the website owner get some part of the full Ahrefs, very limited compared to paid plans, but honestly good enough for small website owners like me and probably you also. You do not get everything, but what you get is more then most other free SEO tools out there.
What You Actually Get in the Free Ahrefs Account
So what exactly do you get for free. Based on my own use and Ahrefs’ own webmaster tools page, here is a simple table.
| Free Tool | What It Does For You |
|---|---|
| Site Audit | Full technical SEO crawl of your own verified site, checks over 170 issues |
| Site Explorer (own site only) | See your backlinks and which keywords your pages rank for |
| Web Analytics | Privacy friendly traffic tool, no cookies, shows visitors and top pages |
| Core Web Vitals | Check your site speed and performance data |
I use Site Audit and Site Explorer the most out of these three, because backlinks and fixing errors are the two things I care about for my own blogs.
What Is Missing in the Free Plan
Now let me be honest with you guys, the free plan is not the full Ahrefs, so don’t expect everything.
- No Keywords Explorer, so you cannot find brand new keyword ideas
- No Rank Tracker, so you cannot track your rankings daily over time
- You can only check your own verified website, not competitor sites
- Data updates weekly, not daily like the paid plans
I think this is fair honestly, because Ahrefs also needs to make money from the paid plans, and this free version is more of a gift for small site owners like us.
Step by Step, How I Verify My Site for Free Ahrefs
This is the part where most people get stuck, so let me explain how I personally do it, step by step.
- Go to Ahrefs Webmaster Tools signup page and create your free account.
- Add your website URL that you want to verify.
- Choose your verification method. I always use the Google Search Console option because it is the fastest one.
- To get the free account, you must verify your email id, the same one you used for your GSC property. This way Ahrefs confirms that you actually own the site.
- Once verified, you also get GSC data pulled directly inside your Ahrefs dashboard, which I find quite useful.
If you don’t want to use GSC, Ahrefs also give you other options like uploading an HTML file, adding a meta tag in your homepage header, or adding a DNS TXT record with your domain provider. But honestly, if your GSC is already set up, the email verification method is by far the easiest and fastest one, it took me less then a minute.
Free Ahrefs vs Paid Ahrefs, Quick Comparison
I know a lot of you also want to know how much you are missing out on by using the free version. Here is a quick honest table.
| Point | Free (AWT) | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0 | Starts around $29/mo, according to Ahrefs pricing page |
| Site Explorer | Own site only | Any site, including competitors |
| Keyword Research | Not included | Full Keywords Explorer included |
| Rank Tracking | Not included | Full Rank Tracker included |
| Data Updates | Weekly | Daily |
| Best For | Small blogs, personal sites | Agencies, businesses, serious SEO work |
Who Should Use the Free Ahrefs Account
I always tell my readers, be honest with yourself before picking any tool.
Free Ahrefs is good for you if:
- You run a small blog or personal website
- You just want to fix technical errors and check your own backlinks
- You are not ready to spend money on tools yet
You may need the paid version if:
- You do SEO for clients
- You want to research competitor backlinks and keywords
- You need daily rank tracking for many keywords
If your site is still small, I think the free plan is more then enough for now. You can always upgrade later once your traffic and budget grows. Meanwhile keep learning free SEO basics from places like Google Search Central and Moz’s Beginner Guide to SEO.
Quick Facts Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Free Tool Name | Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT) |
| Cost | Free, $0 |
| Verification Needed | Yes, own site verification required |
| Fastest Verification | Google Search Console email match |
| Site Audit Issues Checked | 170+ |
| Own Crawler Used | AhrefsBot |
| Competitor Data | Not available in free plan |
FAQ
Q: How to use Ahrefs for free? A: You can use Ahrefs for free through Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. Just sign up, verify your own website, and you get free access to Site Audit, Site Explorer, and Web Analytics for that site.
Q: Do I need to pay anything to verify my site on Ahrefs? A: No, verification is completely free. I personally just used my GSC email id and it took less then a minute.
Q: Can I check competitor websites on the free Ahrefs plan? A: No, the free plan only lets you check your own verified website, not competitors. For that you need a paid plan.
Q: Is the free Ahrefs account good enough for small websites? A: Yes, if you ask me, it is more then enough for small website owners. I use it myself for my smaller sites and it covers the basics well.
Q: What is the easiest way to verify my site on Ahrefs? A: For me, connecting through Google Search Console with the same email id was the fastest method, much quicker then the HTML file or DNS options.
Final Words
So guys, this was my honest guide on how to use Ahrefs for free. I covered what free tools you get, what is missing, and the exact steps I use to verify my own site with my GSC email id. If you have a small website, I really think you should try this free version before spending any money on the paid plans. Keep on visiting my blog for more simple SEO guides like this one.
