Powerful SEO Monitoring Without the Ahrefs Price Tag
Get on-page SEO audits, AI visibility tracking, and automated weekly monitoring for 85% less than Ahrefs.
Pricing comparison
Lumio SEO
$19/mo or $190/year
40+ SEO checks, AI Visibility Score, weekly automated scans, AI-powered recommendations, visual UX analysis
Start freeAhrefs
$129/mo (Lite) or $249/mo (Standard)
Backlink analysis, keyword research, site explorer, site audit, rank tracker, content explorer
Save $1,300+ per year with Lumio SEO
Why choose Lumio SEO over Ahrefs?
Ahrefs has earned its reputation as one of the best SEO tools ever built. Its backlink index is unmatched, its keyword explorer is world-class, and its site explorer gives you deep competitive insights. If backlink analysis is the core of your SEO workflow, Ahrefs deserves its place in your toolkit.
But many website owners sign up for Ahrefs and quickly realize they're paying $129/month primarily to check if their pages are properly optimized — something that doesn't require a massive backlink database. They need to know if their title tags are right, if their pages load fast enough, if their content is structured correctly, and increasingly, whether AI search engines are surfacing their content.
Lumio SEO addresses this exact gap. For $19/month, you get a thorough on-page audit with 40+ checks, an SEO score from 0 to 100, visual UX analysis, and something Ahrefs doesn't offer at all: an AI Visibility Score that tracks your presence across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity. Plus, automated weekly scans mean you never miss a regression.
See the difference yourself
Scan your website free with Lumio SEO and compare the results to what you get from Ahrefs.
Analyze My Site FreeNo signup required. Results in 60 seconds.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Key advantages of Lumio SEO
85% Lower Cost
Lumio SEO is $19/month vs Ahrefs' $129/month Lite plan. Over a year, you save over $1,300. If on-page SEO monitoring is your primary need, there's no reason to pay for a full backlink suite.
AI Visibility Score — A Feature Ahrefs Doesn't Have
Lumio tracks how your content appears in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity. As AI-powered search grows, this visibility matters more every month. Ahrefs currently offers no equivalent feature.
Visual Page Analysis
Lumio analyzes the visual and UX aspects of your pages, not just the technical SEO elements. This helps you understand how layout, images, and design choices affect your search performance.
Zero-Friction Start
Run a complete SEO scan in 60 seconds without creating an account or entering a credit card. Ahrefs requires signup and payment to access any meaningful data beyond their free webmaster tools.
Set-and-Forget Weekly Monitoring
Lumio automatically rescans your pages weekly and tracks score changes over time. No need to configure projects, set up crawl schedules, or remember to check your dashboards.
When Ahrefs might be the better choice
Ahrefs has the best backlink database in the SEO industry, and Lumio doesn't offer backlink analysis at all. If understanding your link profile, finding link building opportunities, or analyzing competitors' backlinks is part of your workflow, Ahrefs is the right tool for that job.
Ahrefs also offers Keywords Explorer with click data, Content Explorer for content research, and Site Explorer for competitive analysis — all areas where Lumio has no equivalent. For SEO professionals who need comprehensive research capabilities alongside their auditing, Ahrefs provides a depth of data that a focused monitoring tool like Lumio isn't designed to match.
The bottom line
Choose Lumio SEO if you want affordable on-page SEO monitoring with AI visibility insights and don't need backlink or keyword research tools. Choose Ahrefs if backlink analysis is central to your SEO strategy, or if you need competitive research, keyword data with click metrics, and content exploration at a professional level.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Lumio SEO alongside Ahrefs?▾
Absolutely. Many SEO professionals use Ahrefs for backlink research and keyword analysis while using Lumio for day-to-day on-page monitoring and AI visibility tracking. At $19/month, Lumio is an easy addition to any SEO stack.
Does Ahrefs have an AI Visibility Score like Lumio?▾
No. Ahrefs focuses on traditional search metrics like backlinks, keywords, and organic traffic. Lumio's AI Visibility Score is a unique feature that tracks how your content appears in AI-powered search experiences like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity.
Is Lumio SEO's site audit as thorough as Ahrefs'?▾
Lumio runs 40+ on-page SEO checks per page, covering meta tags, content structure, performance, accessibility, and AI readiness. Ahrefs' site audit covers a broader range of technical issues across entire sites. For page-level on-page optimization, Lumio is thorough and actionable. For site-wide technical crawls, Ahrefs covers more ground.
Why is Lumio so much cheaper than Ahrefs?▾
Lumio is focused specifically on on-page SEO monitoring and AI visibility — it doesn't maintain a massive backlink index or keyword database, which are expensive to build and operate. This focused approach means Lumio can deliver excellent value at a fraction of the cost.
Check your site for free
Lumio SEO scans your website in 60 seconds with 40+ checks and gives you a clear action plan.
Analyze My Site FreeNo signup required. Results in 60 seconds.
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