# SE Ranking vs Ahrefs: which do AI models recommend for SEO, September 2026

GTM AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, SEO and content optimization platforms. Zero of twelve models named SE Ranking first on the direct prompt; one named Ahrefs. Page: https://gtm-ai-index.com/marketing/seo-content-optimization/se-ranking-vs-ahrefs/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE Ranking | 6% | #5 of 16 | 8% | 24 | 11 of 12 |
| Ahrefs | 4% | #6 of 16 | 14% | 51 | 12 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Qwen 3.7 Flash: ahrefs first (first choices: Ahrefs, Semrush) (alternatives: Clearscope, HubSpot, SE Ranking, Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, Surfer SEO)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither first, one named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Conductor)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Semrush, Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, SE Ranking)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Surfer SEO)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Frase, MarketMuse, Semrush)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, MarketMuse, Surfer SEO)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither first, one named (first choices: Keygrip) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Screaming Frog, Semrush, Surfer SEO)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, MarketMuse, Screaming Frog, Surfer SEO)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, NeuronWriter, Surfer SEO)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, MarketMuse)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Sight AI) (alternatives: Intero Digital, Stratabeat, Ubersuggest, Virayo, Writesonic)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: HubSpot Content Hub, HubSpot Marketing Hub) (alternatives: Clearscope, MarketMuse, Semrush, Surfer SEO)

## What the models said about SE Ranking

- "SE Ranking is solid for agencies and cost-conscious teams, but may fall short for enterprises needing deeper backlink analysis or more advanced SEM integration" (Perplexity Sonar, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "SE Ranking jumped significantly (now ~$103+/mo)" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "The best SEO and content optimization platform for a company with a limited budget is SE Ranking, which costs $55/month" (Llama 4 Maverick, budget prompt, first choice)
- "or SE Ranking ($44/month) if you want a complete SEO platform including content optimization features" (Mistral Small, budget prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Ahrefs

- "Avoid: Enterprise tools (Ahrefs/Semrush $99–$139); overkill for small budgets." (Grok 4.1 Fast, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "Tools to Skip on a Budget - Ahrefs ($108+/mo)" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "The price increase in 2024 changed the value calculation, with the Lite plan jumping from $99 to $129 per month" (Claude Haiku 4.5, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Choose Ahrefs or Semrush if you need a baseline tool for overall website health, backlink tracking, and competitor espionage." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Go with Semrush (for the extra marketing tools) or Ahrefs (if you care primarily about backlinks)" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "The best SEO content optimization tool for a mid-sized B2B company would be Ahrefs or SEMrush" (Llama 4 Maverick, paraphrase prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.