Cookie settings

Necessary cookies keep the site working. Analytics helps us see which pages are useful. Change your choice at any time from the footer.

Cookie policy on this site — full details: cookie categories, how we store your choice in the browser, and how to withdraw consent.

Necessary

Core site functions and your consent choice. Always on.

Analytics

Helps us understand how the site is used. Loaded only after you allow it.

GitHubDownload ZIP

Ahrefs Site Audit vs LibreCrawl

Ahrefs Site Audit (Cloud SEO crawler inside an all-in-one SEO platform) and LibreCrawl (Open-source web-based SEO crawler (self-hosted)) on the same 24 capabilities, with a source for every cell and charts counted from the table.

Checked 21 October 2026 against each vendor's own public pages. Sources below.

Ahrefs Site Audit

Cloud SEO crawler inside an all-in-one SEO platform

Paid plans: Starter $29/mo; Lite $129/mo; free tierRuns in the vendor cloud

LibreCrawl

Open-source web-based SEO crawler (self-hosted)

Free, $0; donations requestedRuns on your machine

Compatibility at a glance

Ahrefs Site Audit scores 75 on coverage and 75 on automation; LibreCrawl scores 29 and 50. Both out of 100, counted from the table.

Out of 24 capabilities we compare for every tool.

9both have
7only Ahrefs Site Audit
4only LibreCrawl

Market map

Crawl, audit and data coverage / Automation and AI agents: SpiderHead 71·83, Screaming Frog 92·75, Sitebulb 88·58, Ahrefs Site Audit 75·75, Semrush Site Audit 63·75, SEOnaut 8·25, LibreCrawl 29·50, advertools 21·2500252550507575100100Crawl, audit and data coverage →Automation and AI agents →SpiderHeadScreaming FrogSitebulbAhrefs Site AuditSemrush Site AuditSEOnautLLibreCrawlAadvertools
Scores are counted from the table: yes = 1, partly = ½, no or not found in public docs = 0, as a share of the rows on each axis. Horizontal: Crawl, audit and data coverage (12 rows). Vertical: Automation and AI agents (6 rows). Hover or focus a marker for the breakdown; click to keep it open.

Coverage by group

Share of rows each tool covers in a group, 0–100, counted from the table below.

30Price and setup5 rows90
0Interfaces2 rows25
100AI agents and integrations2 rows50
83Crawl3 rows33
80Audit5 rows50
63Data sources4 rows0
50Reports and follow-up3 rows50
58Overall24 rows46

Side by side

CapabilityAhrefs Site AuditLibreCrawl
Price and setup
Free to usePartly: Paid plans: Starter $29/mo; Lite $129/mo; free tierYes: Free, $0; donations requested
Open sourceNo: Proprietary SaaSYes: Yes, MIT licence
Runs on your machineNo: Crawl runs in Ahrefs cloudYes: Self-hosted; Local mode on 127.0.0.1
Works without an accountNo: Free account and verified site requiredPartly: Not in Local mode; login in Standard mode
Free tierYes: 5,000 crawl credits per verified project/monthYes: No URL cap stated; guests 3 crawls/24h
Interfaces
Desktop appNo: Web app onlyNo: Web UI in browser (Docker or Python)
Command lineNo: Not found in public docsPartly: python main.py --local; no crawl CLI
AI agents and integrations
MCP server for AI agentsYes: Official hosted remote MCP, paid plans from LiteNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
APIYes: API v3 Site Audit endpoints, paid plans from LiteYes: Session-auth HTTP API, 19 endpoints
Crawl
JavaScript renderingYes: Optional JavaScript execution in crawl settingsYes: Yes, via Playwright (Chromium)
Scheduled crawlsYes: Scheduled crawls plus Always-on audit (Lite+)Not found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Custom extractionPartly: Post-crawl search of raw/rendered HTML; no XPath foundNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Audit
Audit checksYes: 170+ issues, per Site Audit pageNot found in public docs: No count; 13 check areas listed
HreflangYes: Hreflang issues and graph viewYes: Listed among audit checks
Structured dataYes: Checked against 190+ Google/Schema.org requirementsPartly: Schema listed among audit checks
Core Web Vitals / LighthouseYes: CrUX and Lighthouse metrics; PSI API keyYes: PageSpeed Insights Core Web Vitals
AccessibilityNot found in public docs: Not found in public docsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Data sources
Google Search ConsolePartly: GSC import/verification of projects; deeper use unclearNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Google Analytics 4Not found in public docs: Not found in public docsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Backlink dataYes: Own index in Site Explorer (free: 1,000 shown)Not found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Keyword dataYes: Organic keywords in Site Explorer (free: 1,000 shown)Not found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Reports and follow-up
Report exportsYes: CSV and ZIP bulk issue exportYes: CSV, XLSX, JSON, XML (site: CSV/JSON/XML)
Task list and fix recheckPartly: Crawl-to-crawl comparison and alerts; no task list foundPartly: Issue filtering; no task tracking found
Reads Screaming Frog exportsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
yespartlynonot found in public docs

Where each one is stronger

Ahrefs Site Audit

  • Large first-party backlink and keyword datasets alongside the audit, in one account
  • Hosted crawling with no local setup and high crawl speeds on verified sites
  • Always-on audit with email alerts and scheduled crawls without running anything locally
  • Official hosted MCP server and API v3 with Site Audit endpoints for AI agents
  • Free access for verified sites through Ahrefs Webmaster Tools

LibreCrawl

  • Fully open source under MIT, so the code can be modified and self-hosted.
  • Multi-user mode with isolated sessions and tiers for teams sharing one server.
  • Browser plugin system: JavaScript files add custom tabs reading crawl data.
  • Documented HTTP API with crawl start, stop, pause, resume and export endpoints.
  • Built-in PageSpeed Insights and JavaScript rendering via Playwright.

Questions

Which is cheaper, Ahrefs Site Audit or LibreCrawl?
Ahrefs Site Audit: Paid plans: Starter $29/mo; Lite $129/mo; free tier. LibreCrawl: Free, $0; donations requested. Prices as published on 21 October 2026; check the vendors' pricing pages before you buy.
Does Ahrefs Site Audit or LibreCrawl run on my own machine?
Ahrefs Site Audit: crawl runs in Ahrefs cloud. LibreCrawl: self-hosted; Local mode on 127.0.0.1.
Can AI agents use Ahrefs Site Audit or LibreCrawl?
MCP server — Ahrefs Site Audit: official hosted remote MCP, paid plans from Lite; LibreCrawl: not found in public docs. API — Ahrefs Site Audit: aPI v3 Site Audit endpoints, paid plans from Lite; LibreCrawl: session-auth HTTP API, 19 endpoints.
Is Ahrefs Site Audit free?
Yes, for verified sites: Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (now Ahrefs Free) includes Site Audit with 5,000 crawl credits per verified project per month. Analyzing competitors requires a paid plan.
Is LibreCrawl free?
Yes. The README and website state it is free and MIT-licensed; the author asks for optional donations.

How we compared

  • Every cell comes from the vendor's own public pages (product, documentation, pricing, release notes, repository) on 21 October 2026.
  • “Not found in public docs” means we could not confirm it from an official source, not that the feature is missing. Charts count it as 0.
  • Prices and plans change. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
  • Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.

Sources

Ahrefs Site Audit is a trademark of Ahrefs Pte. Ltd.. LibreCrawl is a trademark of LibreCrawl project (open source). Names and icons identify the products compared; SpiderHead is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Ahrefs Pte. Ltd. or LibreCrawl project (open source). Owners can ask us to remove an icon via contact.

Compare with SpiderHead

SpiderHead vs Ahrefs Site AuditCloud SEO crawler inside an all-in-one SEO platformSpiderHead vs LibreCrawlOpen-source web-based SEO crawler (self-hosted)All tools, one table8 SEO crawlers and audit tools

Try SpiderHead on your own site

Download ZIPAll features