VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

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Head-to-head

Ahrefs vs Listen Notes comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

Ahrefs adds App & Website Traffic coverage that Listen Notes skips.

Listen Notes includes Data APIs, Alerts, Education, and Other categories that Ahrefs omits.

Ahrefs highlights: Comprehensive toolkit: Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Web Analytics., Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free) provides a lighter version of Site Explorer and Site Audit, plus Web Analytics for verified sites., and Looker Studio connectors available for Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, and Site Audit — reserved for Advanced and above..

Listen Notes is known for: Podcast API v2: search, directory, insights; official client libraries; OpenAPI spec & mock server for keyless testing., Pricing tiers with concrete quotas: FREE (300 req/mo), PRO (base fee with 5k req/mo included + tiered overages), ENTERPRISE (annual contract, larger quotas, relaxed caching/no-logo)., and Plan-based search result caps & rate limits: FREE up to 30 results/query (2 req/s, 20 req/min); PRO up to 300 results/query (medium rate limit); ENTERPRISE up to 10,000 results/query (high rate limit)..

Listen Notes offers mobile access, which Ahrefs skips.

Ahrefs logo

Ahrefs

ahrefs.com

A leading SEO and web-traffic intelligence suite. The free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools unlocks limited access to Site Explorer, Site Audit, and Web Analytics for verified sites, while full platform plans expand into deep backlink, keyword, and content analysis. Higher-tier subscriptions govern credits, export limits, historical data windows, and API access.

Platforms

Web
API

Pricing

Free
Subscription

Quick highlights

  • Comprehensive toolkit: Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Web Analytics.
  • Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free) provides a lighter version of Site Explorer and Site Audit, plus Web Analytics for verified sites.
  • Looker Studio connectors available for Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, and Site Audit — reserved for Advanced and above.
  • Automated email alerts for new or lost backlinks, keyword changes, and web mentions, with flexible delivery options.
  • API v3 is included with Enterprise plans (with limited test queries available to all users).

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Listen Notes logo

Listen Notes

listennotes.com

Podcast search engine plus developer Podcast API (search/directory/insights) and purchasable datasets. Free plan allows light testing; PRO is a metered subscription with tiered overages and specific search‑result/rate‑limit allowances; Enterprise relaxes caching/logo rules and increases quotas & SLAs. Listen Alerts monitors 3.6M+ podcasts for keyword mentions with email/RSS and Zapier/IFTTT hooks. Datasets can be exported as CSV/SQLite for analytics, PR/sales, and finance alt‑data use cases. API base URL is https://listen-api.listennotes.com/api/v2 with API‑key auth.

Platforms

Web
API
Mobile

Pricing

Free
Subscription
One-time

Quick highlights

  • Podcast API v2: search, directory, insights; official client libraries; OpenAPI spec & mock server for keyless testing.
  • Pricing tiers with concrete quotas: FREE (300 req/mo), PRO (base fee with 5k req/mo included + tiered overages), ENTERPRISE (annual contract, larger quotas, relaxed caching/no-logo).
  • Plan-based search result caps & rate limits: FREE up to 30 results/query (2 req/s, 20 req/min); PRO up to 300 results/query (medium rate limit); ENTERPRISE up to 10,000 results/query (high rate limit).
  • Advanced fields & endpoints on higher tiers: transcripts, batch fetch, RSS/large image, email, latest_episode_id, Listen Score & Global Rank.
  • Listen Alerts: 24/7 monitoring of new episodes mentioning keywords; daily email digests, per‑alert RSS feeds; connects via Zapier/IFTTT and RSS to Slack/Trello/Airtable etc.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

1 overlap

Both tools cover this research theme.

Where they differ

Ahrefs

Distinct strengths include:

App & Website Traffic
  • Comprehensive toolkit: Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Web Analytics.
  • Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free) provides a lighter version of Site Explorer and Site Audit, plus Web Analytics for verified sites.
  • Looker Studio connectors available for Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, and Site Audit — reserved for Advanced and above.
  • Automated email alerts for new or lost backlinks, keyword changes, and web mentions, with flexible delivery options.

Listen Notes

Distinct strengths include:

Data APIs
Alerts
Education
Other
  • Podcast API v2: search, directory, insights; official client libraries; OpenAPI spec & mock server for keyless testing.
  • Pricing tiers with concrete quotas: FREE (300 req/mo), PRO (base fee with 5k req/mo included + tiered overages), ENTERPRISE (annual contract, larger quotas, relaxed caching/no-logo).
  • Plan-based search result caps & rate limits: FREE up to 30 results/query (2 req/s, 20 req/min); PRO up to 300 results/query (medium rate limit); ENTERPRISE up to 10,000 results/query (high rate limit).
  • Advanced fields & endpoints on higher tiers: transcripts, batch fetch, RSS/large image, email, latest_episode_id, Listen Score & Global Rank.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeAhrefsListen Notes
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: APIs & SDKs

Unique: App & Website Traffic

Shared: APIs & SDKs

Unique: Data APIs, Alerts, Education, Other

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Other

Other

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, API

Web, API, Mobile

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free, Subscription

Free, Subscription, One-time

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Comprehensive toolkit: Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Web Analytics.
  • Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free) provides a lighter version of Site Explorer and Site Audit, plus Web Analytics for verified sites.
  • Looker Studio connectors available for Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, and Site Audit — reserved for Advanced and above.
  • Automated email alerts for new or lost backlinks, keyword changes, and web mentions, with flexible delivery options.
  • API v3 is included with Enterprise plans (with limited test queries available to all users).
  • Enterprise also adds SSO, two-factor authentication, and higher data allowances.

Unique

  • Podcast API v2: search, directory, insights; official client libraries; OpenAPI spec & mock server for keyless testing.
  • Pricing tiers with concrete quotas: FREE (300 req/mo), PRO (base fee with 5k req/mo included + tiered overages), ENTERPRISE (annual contract, larger quotas, relaxed caching/no-logo).
  • Plan-based search result caps & rate limits: FREE up to 30 results/query (2 req/s, 20 req/min); PRO up to 300 results/query (medium rate limit); ENTERPRISE up to 10,000 results/query (high rate limit).
  • Advanced fields & endpoints on higher tiers: transcripts, batch fetch, RSS/large image, email, latest_episode_id, Listen Score & Global Rank.
  • Listen Alerts: 24/7 monitoring of new episodes mentioning keywords; daily email digests, per‑alert RSS feeds; connects via Zapier/IFTTT and RSS to Slack/Trello/Airtable etc.
  • Podcast Datasets: batch export by keyword/category/playlist/iTunes IDs or full‑database Enterprise export; delivered as CSV or SQLite.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Not yet

Not yet

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

Standard listing

Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Ahrefs and Listen Notes both support?

Both platforms cover APIs & SDKs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Ahrefs and Listen Notes require subscriptions?

Both Ahrefs and Listen Notes keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

Listen Notes ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Ahrefs focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Ahrefs differentiates itself with Comprehensive toolkit: Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, and Web Analytics., Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free) provides a lighter version of Site Explorer and Site Audit, plus Web Analytics for verified sites., and Looker Studio connectors available for Site Explorer, Rank Tracker, and Site Audit — reserved for Advanced and above., whereas Listen Notes stands out for Podcast API v2: search, directory, insights; official client libraries; OpenAPI spec & mock server for keyless testing., Pricing tiers with concrete quotas: FREE (300 req/mo), PRO (base fee with 5k req/mo included + tiered overages), ENTERPRISE (annual contract, larger quotas, relaxed caching/no-logo)., and Plan-based search result caps & rate limits: FREE up to 30 results/query (2 req/s, 20 req/min); PRO up to 300 results/query (medium rate limit); ENTERPRISE up to 10,000 results/query (high rate limit)..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.