Among the many SEO tools available today Ahrefs is considered one of the most powerful. Whether you are a digital marketer, content creator, or an SEO expert, platforms like Ahrefs offer valuable information on backlinks, keywords, site audits and many more. But some users want to save money and are considering subscribing to an Ahrefs shared account.
In my opinion, it is a shared account strategies have considerable disadvantages which might be troubling in the future. In this post, you’ll learn the major risks of shared accounts, why having your own subscription dedicated specifically to Ahrefs is the right choice, and other strategies to keep your budget under control.
An Ahrefs shared account is a type of account where multiple users share access to one paid subscription account usually advertised on some dubious third party websites or in informal user forums. These accounts claim to reduce the cost and make the plan easily accessible to most.
Such arrangements can include but are not limited to: Group purchases where you chip in for access credentials. Subscriptions managed by third party sellers promising cheaper access. And last but not least Shared login details across teams or individuals without proper authorization from Ahrefs.
Though the cost savings might seem attractive, there’s a lot you lose out on.
Why Sharing An Ahrefs Account Is A Bad Idea
While sharing an Ahrefs account might seem like a good value proposition at first, there are numerous ethical and practical issues. Below are the reasons why shared accounts should be avoided.
Violates Ahrefs Terms of Service
The first and most important thing to be aware of is that sharing accounts violates Ahrefs’ Terms of Service. Users who subscribe to Ahrefs are bound by the contract terms which include fair use policies restricting them from allowing unauthorized users access to the account’s login credentials.
The consequences of such violations can include:
Immediate suspension of accounts for all parties concerned.
Possible legal action if users had affected the standing of Ahrefs.
Indefinite bans from the service even after a user opts to buy a subscription intending to use the service solely for personal use.
Shared account usage poses the danger of being permanently blacklisted from the service—which is damaging to the user’s background.
Reduced Performance and Unreliable Access
Ahrefs describes how it gives out resources like API quotas, keywords, backlink analysis, and even crawl budgets per account due to a tiered subscription system. These account resources are managed by a single user account. In this case, there are many other users on the account.
While using a shared account, it is possible for multiple users to exceed the provided limits.
Higher than normal traffic may trigger some security systems locking you out.
Activities that use the same servers cause a decrease in performance.
If you are analyzing 10,000 keywords and another user is conducting a site audit, both of you may only get partial data for the achieved results.
No Personalization Features
Ahrefs allows users with specific needs to analyze specific data and provides personalized tools. Users can save reports, create keyword lists, build APIs, and even set specific updates relevant to them. However, in the case of a no-frills account.
The other users overwritting the common data does not allow for the saving of insights.
Other users will overwrite previously attained data.
Access control to certain documents cannot be allowed.
The lack of personalization is key for observing long term SEO plans as that shared accounts can’t provide.
Lack of Data Security
Credential sharing practices put you at the risk of.
Your login credentials being sold.
Third parties having weak security will put your protected information.
Everything can be hacked along with unsecured data thus can claim ownership.
Data leaks can not only damage your SEO strategies but could also leak valuable client or company information which can lead to loss of financial resources and reputation.
Reduced Customer Service and Service Updates
Paid subscriptions allow users to contact customer service in case of issues. On the contrary, shared accounts limit your ability to:
Receive any technical support from Ahrefs.
Get updated with new features and tools added by the platform.
Report bugs and inconsistencies that need custom solutions and corrections.
Most providers operating under shared accounts will leave you hanging when things go sideways, with little to no post-purchase support.
Other Options Aside From Shared Accounts
If the described restrictions make you consider shared accounts, there exist ethical and legal ways to subsidize Ahrefs or obtain alternative data without ethical risks.
Move to a Lower-Tier Plan
Ahrefs offers different subscription tiers to cater to all their users:
Lite plan ($99/month): Most suitable for individual users or small businesses with little demand.
Standard Plan ($199/month): Tailored for groups running and managing multiple, cross-collaborative SEO campaigns.
Lower-tier plans offer compliance without creating gaps in access to major components.
Search for Free or Low-Priced Resources
Even though Ahrefs might be the best in the business, there are cheaper and even free resources that can help you achieve optimal results. For example:
Google Search Console (Free): Supplies excellent data on traffic, indexing, keywords, etc.
Moz Free Tools: Provides basic keyword and domain authority analysis.
Ubersuggest: Offers free and paid plans that provide cost effective SEO insights compared to Ahrefs.
These resources paired with short-term subscriptions to Ahrefs can further stretch your budget.
The Right Way to Share a Business Plan
Ahrefs offers multi-user access features in Advanced and Agency tiers which legally allows for shared use. These are ideal for:
Agencies managing SEO for several clients.
Teams working collaboratively on large-scale projects.
With your combined team resources, you can ensure that everyone has secure, seamless access to the tools they require.
Ahrefs offers free trials and special promos to new users from time to time. These are great ways to enjoy the benefits of the platform without the need to fully pay upfront for a plan.
To stay updated on the special offers, subscribe to Ahrefs’ newsletter.
The Benefits of Investing in Ahrefs
No matter if you are an individual freelancer or a part of a bigger organization, investing in an officially sanctioned Ahrefs account comes with peace of mind and concrete advantages: A secure infrastructure comes with a paid account compared to a shared one.
SEO ranking achieved through reliable recommendations.
Access and Support for state-of-the-art tools.
At the end of the day, you do not only use Ahrefs ethically, but also ensure that you don’t fall behind in the competitive space of SEO.
Don’t Leave Your SEO Success To Chance, Get Ahrefs!
Sole accounts might look an appealingly easy way out, however, these come will dire consequences that mitigates any potential savings. Reduced ethicality aside, overall efficiency concerns raise the question of whether a dedicated subscription is needed to realize the full benefits of Ahrefs.
If you’re looking for the easiest way to jump-start your business’s SEO engine, we’d suggest starting with Lite or Standard. They’ll be able to provide the insight your business needs to expand ethically.
My name is Janet Jackson Seo and I work as a SEO Expert. I appreciate the process of developing an innovative approach and employing logic, particularly when it concerns future studies and SEO optimization. As an SEO expert I have known how to set up SEO campaigns fully and how to monitor their achievements.
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