Answer the Public vs Ahrefs
In the SEO tool ecosystem, Ahrefs is the “Swiss Army Knife” while Answer the Public (ATP) is a “Scalpel”. For engineers and data-driven marketers, the choice isn’t about which is “better”, but which fits your data pipeline.The Data Source Difference
Ahrefs: Clickstream & Database
Ahrefs builds its keyword database by buying clickstream data (petabytes of browser history) and crawling the web.- Pros: Accurate search volume, click metrics, difficulty scores.
- Cons: Lag time. New trends take time to appear in the database.
Answer the Public: Live Autocomplete
ATP queries the search engine right now.- Pros: Real-time. If it’s trending on Google today, it shows up today.
- Cons: No historical volume data (unless enriched via third party).
The “Unbundling” Argument
Ahrefs charges ~$99/month for a seat. If you just need keyword ideas, that’s expensive overhead. The Engineer’s Approach: Instead of paying for a UI you don’t use, you can build a modular stack:- Discovery: Apify Actor (ATP Scraper) for raw, real-time questions.
- Metrics: Google Ads API (or a cheaper volume provider) for data enrichment.
- Clustering: Python script + OpenAI embeddings.
Cost Comparison
| Feature | Ahrefs (Lite) | Apify Actor (ATP) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $99/mo | Pay-per-usage (~$5/mo) |
| Data Freshness | Database update cycle | Real-time |
| API Access | Enterprise plans only ($$$) | Native & Cheap |
| Usage Limit | 500 credits/mo | Unlimited (scale with proxy cost) |
When to Use Which
Use Ahrefs when:- You need backlink data (their moat).
- You need reliable historical search volume.
- You want an all-in-one dashboard for non-technical users.
- You are building a programmatic SEO site.
- You need to monitor trending topics before they hit major databases.
- You want to integrate keyword research into a custom app or workflow.