Is Ahrefs Brand Radar Free? What Access Actually Costs
Ahrefs offers ways to preview or sample AI visibility, but full Brand Radar index access and larger custom-prompt programs are paid.
Ahrefs currently offers a free visibility preview on the Brand Radar landing page and describes included custom-prompt checks on eligible paid Ahrefs plans. Full access to a single platform index is listed at $199 per month, while all-platform access is listed at $699 per month with 2,500 custom-prompt checks. Separate custom-prompt tiers are listed from $50 per month. Verify the checkout and account entitlements because pricing, regions, beta indexes, and included limits can change.
This pricing guide separates the free preview, paid Ahrefs-plan allowances, single-platform index access, all-platform access, and custom-prompt tracking. Prices were checked against official Ahrefs pages on 2026-08-16 and are not a quote or guarantee.
Public Brand Radar pricing checked on 2026-08-16
| Access type | Public price | Best fit | Check before purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free public preview | Free preview | Quick directional look at a brand | Result depth, exports, history, and account requirements |
| Single platform index | $199/month per index | Teams focused on one AI surface | Exact index, region, currency, and included features |
| Selected platforms | Product page may total selections; example shown was $398/month | Teams choosing more than one index without the full bundle | Final selected indexes and checkout total |
| All platforms | $699/month | Cross-platform index research and 2,500 custom checks | Current platform availability and beta packaging |
| Custom prompts Basic | $50/month for 2,500 checks | Focused monitoring sample | Assistants, locations, frequency, and overage |
| Custom prompts Growth | $100/month for 7,000 checks | Larger recurring prompt set | Usage model and $0.015 listed overage per check |
| Custom prompts Scale | $250/month for 25,000 checks | High-frequency or multi-market tracking | Usage model and $0.010 listed overage per check |
Choose the smallest package that answers the question
- Preview: Use it to decide whether the product category and visible sample are relevant; do not treat it as a full trial of every report.
- Included custom prompts: Existing Lite-or-higher subscribers can test a fixed set of important questions before adding a large index purchase.
- One index: Choose this when one assistant or search surface dominates the audience and the broad historical index matters.
- All platforms: Choose this for cross-platform discovery and reporting when the team will use the breadth.
- Website readiness first: Use a technical and content audit before buying more monitoring when crawlability, page quality, or conversion measurement is still weak.
See which AI crawlers actually reach your website.
Track visits from GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, search bots, and other discovery agents-then see which public pages attract their attention.
- Monitor leading AI and search crawlers
- Review which public pages receive visits
- Connect crawler activity to your visibility work
Main Explanation
“Free” can describe three different experiences. The public Brand Radar page lets visitors preview AI visibility for a brand. Ahrefs also says Lite and higher plans include custom prompts, which can act as a practical starting sample for existing subscribers. Neither should be confused with unrestricted access to every historical platform index and all reporting features.
Ahrefs' current Help Center lists single-platform access at $199 per month per index and all-platform access at $699 per month, including 2,500 custom-prompt checks per month. The product page may present a selected-platform total such as $398 per month depending on the chosen indexes. Treat the final checkout and account screen as authoritative for the exact selection, currency, tax, and regional package.
Custom prompts have a different cost model. Ahrefs lists Basic at $50 per month for 2,500 checks, Growth at $100 for 7,000, and Scale at $250 for 25,000, with lower per-check overage rates at higher tiers. A “check” depends on the selected assistant, location, and refresh event. Tracking one question daily across several assistants can therefore consume far more checks than tracking it monthly on one assistant.
Beta channels require another qualification. Ahrefs currently describes YouTube, Reddit, and TikTok indexes as free for Lite-or-higher subscribers while in beta and warns that an index can become a paid add-on after beta. Grok collection also has a documented temporary limitation. A procurement note should record which indexes are included today rather than assuming the bundle will remain unchanged.
Estimate cost from the decision, not from the largest possible prompt list. For broad competitor discovery, one paid platform index may be enough if the audience is concentrated. For executive reporting across several assistants, the all-platform package may be easier to manage. For a focused list of revenue questions, custom prompts alone may be the more efficient test. Freeze the intended assistants, locations, and frequency before comparing price.
A smaller site should also budget for action. Visibility monitoring has limited value if no one can improve the cited pages, fix technical access, publish evidence, or measure conversions. TruboRankAI is a lower-cost website-first workflow for scanning discoverability, AEO, GEO, crawler activity, and GSC context. It complements rather than reproduces Brand Radar's large response index, so compare jobs rather than headline prices alone.
Practical Steps
- List the exact platforms and markets that influence the buying journey.
- Decide whether you need broad index research or only custom prompts.
- Calculate checks from prompts, assistants, locations, and frequency.
- Confirm current entitlements in the Ahrefs account.
- Record beta indexes and temporary collection limits.
- Compare the final checkout total, not an old review price.
- Assign owners and budget for the resulting website and content actions.
- Review value after a fixed measurement period using referrals and conversions separately.
Stop guessing whether AI crawlers see your best pages.
Use crawler activity as an early discovery signal, identify pages that receive attention, and find important pages that may need a clearer path.
- Monitor leading AI and search crawlers
- Review which public pages receive visits
- Connect crawler activity to your visibility work
Turn AI crawler visits into a repeatable visibility workflow.
Monitor discovery over time, compare activity across important pages, and use the evidence to decide what deserves attention next.
- Monitor leading AI and search crawlers
- Review which public pages receive visits
- Connect crawler activity to your visibility work
FAQ
Can I try Ahrefs Brand Radar without paying?
The public product page offers a free visibility preview. Eligible paid Ahrefs plans also include custom-prompt checks, but full platform-index access is paid.
Is Brand Radar available without a full Ahrefs subscription?
Ahrefs pricing says Brand Radar can be purchased as a standalone tool and includes an Ahrefs Free account. Verify the current checkout package.
Why can two Brand Radar price pages look different?
One may show a per-index price, another a selected-platform total or all-platform bundle. Region, currency, beta packaging, and plan entitlements can also affect the display.
How are custom-prompt checks consumed?
Usage depends on how many prompts, assistants, locations, and refreshes are selected. Daily multi-assistant tracking consumes more checks than a monthly single-assistant setup.
Is the cheapest option always best?
No. Choose the package that supports a defined decision and leaves enough capacity to act on source, website, content, and conversion gaps.
Sources and methodology
Prices and access rules were transcribed from Ahrefs' official product, Help Center, and pricing pages on 2026-08-16. The article treats them as a dated public snapshot, distinguishes per-index, bundle, and prompt-check pricing, and directs readers to verify checkout and account entitlements.
These references support the changeable facts and study findings discussed above. Results depend on each source's sample, date, market, query set, and measurement method.