#1. Ahrefs - Best for technical SEO audits and monitoring backlinks for sites you own.
What Is It?
Ahrefs is a titan in the SEO industry. While notoriously expensive, their free Webmaster Tools (AWT) product offers unparalleled site auditing and backlink data.
Free Tier Breakdown
What you get: If you verify domain ownership via Google Search Console, AWT allows you to monitor keyword rankings, backlinks, and run site health audits completely free.
The catch: You can only view data for websites you personally own. You cannot use the free tier to research competitors.
Pros
- Access to industry-leading backlink data
- In-depth site health and technical audits
- Completely free for your own domains
Cons
- No competitor research on the free plan
- Data limits apply to massive enterprise sites