Compare Ahrefs to SearchUp Lab

Name: SearchUp Lab
Price: 39 NZD

Compare pricing, SEO rank tracking, competitor insights, and AI visibility features to see which platform fits your workflow.

Built as one tool, not stitched from two

One platform for traditional SEO rank tracking and AI engine optimisation. No need to stitch together multiple tools.

Rankings

One bill, not a stack

Ahrefs' credit system plus seat fees plus Brand Radar plus report add-ons can push a lean agency setup to 2–2.5× the sticker price. SearchUp Lab's plans are flat — what you see on the pricing page is what you pay.

Competitor Intelligence

AI visibility from plan one

You don't need to bolt on a $398–$699/mo product to see how ChatGPT, Gemini, or AI Overviews mention your brand. It's tracked alongside rankings from the Starter plan up.

SERP Features

Built for the daily check-in

Ahrefs is deep — a full research suite for link-building and content strategy. If your team's real job is "did we move, and are we showing up in AI," SearchUp Lab is scoped to exactly that, without paying for tools you won't open.

What you're actually comparing

Ahrefs is the deeper research tool — bigger backlink index, keyword database, and site audit. But for teams whose job is simply tracking rankings and AI mentions day to day, here's how the two stack up.

Features	SearchUp Lab	Ahrefs
Pricing
Entry price / month	$39 NZD (Starter)	$49 NZD (Starter, credit-based) / $222 NZD (Lite, usable tier)
Projects & Keywords
Projects on entry plan	1	5
Rank-tracked keywords, entry plan	50 - tracked daily	750 - spent from a shared monthly credit pool
AI-tracked keywords, entry plan	5, included	0 — requires Brand Radar (separate bill)
Tracking Frequency
AI tracking frequency	Weekly (Daily on Agency plan for priority terms)	Continuous, but priced per platform ($199/mo each) or $699/mo for all six
Competitor Tracking
Competitor tracking	3–10 competitors, included	Available, drawn from the credit pool
Team & Access
Extra seats	Included up to plan limit (1–3)	+$40–$80/mo per seat
Reporting	Included, all plans	Included; white-label report builder is a paid add-on
Trial & Guarantee
Free trial	14 days, no card required	No standard free trial in 2026
Money-back guarantee	14 days, no questions asked	Refunds are restrictive

SearchUp Lab

Pricing

Entry price / month $39 NZD (Starter)

Projects & Keywords

Projects on entry plan 1
Rank-tracked keywords, entry plan 50 - tracked daily
AI-tracked keywords, entry plan 5, included

Tracking Frequency

AI tracking frequency Weekly (Daily on Agency plan for priority terms)

Competitor Tracking

Competitor tracking 3–10 competitors, included

Team & Access

Extra seats Included up to plan limit (1–3)
Reporting Included, all plans

Trial & Guarantee

Free trial 14 days, no card required
Money-back guarantee 14 days, no questions asked

Ahrefs

Pricing

Entry price / month $49 NZD (Starter, credit-based) / $222 NZD (Lite, usable tier)

Projects & Keywords

Projects on entry plan 5
Rank-tracked keywords, entry plan 750 - spent from a shared monthly credit pool
AI-tracked keywords, entry plan 0 — requires Brand Radar (separate bill)

Tracking Frequency

AI tracking frequency Continuous, but priced per platform ($199/mo each) or $699/mo for all six

Competitor Tracking

Competitor tracking Available, drawn from the credit pool

Team & Access

Extra seats +$40–$80/mo per seat
Reporting Included; white-label report builder is a paid add-on

Trial & Guarantee

Free trial No standard free trial in 2026
Money-back guarantee Refunds are restrictive

Ahrefs vs SearchUp Lab, answered

Is Ahrefs better than SearchUp Lab?

For deep backlink research, keyword discovery at scale, and site audits, Ahrefs is the more powerful tool — it's built as a full SEO research suite. SearchUp Lab isn't trying to replace that; it's built for the narrower, recurring job of tracking rank and AI visibility without the credit system or the separate Brand Radar subscription.

Why does Ahrefs cost more once you add AI tracking?

Ahrefs' AI visibility tool, Brand Radar, is currently free during its beta but is billed separately from Ahrefs' core plans — publicly priced at $398/mo for select platforms or $699/mo for all six, with custom-prompt tracking as a further add-on. SearchUp Lab includes AI-tracked keywords in every plan from Starter up.

Can I switch plans later?

Yes — you can upgrade or downgrade at any time. Changes take effect immediately, and the difference is prorated on your next bill. Annual billing is available with a 15% discount.

Do you offer a free trial?

Yes, 14 days of full access to your chosen plan, no credit card required. If you don't continue, your account is simply downgraded to a limited free tier — nothing is charged automatically.