COMPARISON
Ahrefs has the best backlink database in the industry, but they retired their disavow tool. If your primary need is toxic link detection and disavow file generation, here is how Disavow compares.
| Feature | Disavow | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Toxic backlink detection | 4-layer Smart Risk Engine | No dedicated toxic detection |
| Disavow file generation | One-click export | Retired / removed |
| Import existing disavow file | Yes — merge analysis | No |
| Backlink data quality | DataForSEO (comprehensive) | Ahrefs own crawler (excellent) |
| Domain authority metric | DA Score (0-100) | DR — Domain Rating (0-100) |
| New/lost backlink tracking | Yes | Yes (excellent) |
| Trusted domain whitelist | 100+ verified domains | None |
| Ease of use | Built for beginners | Moderate — power user tool |
| Focus | Backlink audit specialist | All-in-one SEO (backlinks best-in-class) |
| Free plan | Yes — 500 backlinks | Webmaster Tools (very limited) |
| Starting price | $39/month | $129/month |
| Keyword research | No | Yes (excellent) |
| Content explorer | No | Yes |
| Rank tracking | No | Yes |
Ahrefs removed their disavow feature because their stance is that Google is now good enough at ignoring bad links automatically. While there is truth to this for most sites, it leaves users who have manual actions, histories of manipulative link building, or active negative SEO attacks without a dedicated solution within the Ahrefs ecosystem.
This is exactly the gap Disavow fills. We are purpose-built for the workflow that Ahrefs abandoned: find toxic links, classify them accurately, and generate the disavow file Google needs.
Choose Ahrefs if you need the broadest and deepest backlink data available, combined with keyword research, content exploration, and competitive analysis. Ahrefs is best-in-class for backlink discovery and general SEO research. At $129/month, it is a professional investment for agencies and power users.
Choose Disavow if your specific need is auditing backlink health, identifying toxic links, and generating disavow files. You do not need a $129/month subscription to protect your site from spammy links. Our free plan scans up to 500 backlinks, and Pro at $39/month gives you unlimited backlinks with disavow file export.
Many users pair Ahrefs for discovery and competitive research with Disavow for the specific task of toxic link classification and disavow file management. The two tools complement each other well.
Try Disavow free — no credit card needed
Find toxic links and generate disavow files. The workflow Ahrefs retired, rebuilt from scratch.
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