VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

View Ahrefs View Wayback Machine (Internet Archive)Back to Home

Head-to-head

Ahrefs vs Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) 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 Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) skips.

Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) includes Data APIs, Citations & Source Pinning, 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..

Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) is known for: On‑demand archiving via Save Page Now (SPN2) with POST/GET; options include capture_outlinks, capture_all, capture_screenshot, custom UA/cookies, and conditional capture (if_not_archived_within)., Snapshot discovery: Availability API (/wayback/v1/available) returns the closest archived capture to a URL/time; CDX Server API lists/filters captures; Memento TimeGate/TimeMap endpoints enable time‑based content negotiation., and Operational endpoints: user status (remaining/active SPN sessions) and system status (overload/OK) for SPN2..

Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) offers mobile access, which Ahrefs skips.

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).

Community votes (overall)

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Wayback Machine (Internet Archive)

web.archive.org

General‑purpose web archiving used widely in financial research to cite and compare historical webpages (IR pages, fund fact sheets, product sites). Save Page Now (SPN2) enables on‑demand snapshots with options like outlink capture and full‑page screenshots. Availability and CDX APIs expose snapshot discovery; Memento provides time‑based negotiation. Rate limits/quotas apply to SPN2; crawling and replay behavior may vary by target site robots/policies. Some large platforms (e.g., Reddit) restrict Wayback access to content.

Platforms

Web

API

Mobile

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

On‑demand archiving via Save Page Now (SPN2) with POST/GET; options include capture_outlinks, capture_all, capture_screenshot, custom UA/cookies, and conditional capture (if_not_archived_within).
Snapshot discovery: Availability API (/wayback/v1/available) returns the closest archived capture to a URL/time; CDX Server API lists/filters captures; Memento TimeGate/TimeMap endpoints enable time‑based content negotiation.
Operational endpoints: user status (remaining/active SPN sessions) and system status (overload/OK) for SPN2.
Mobile & extensions: official iOS/Android apps and browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) for quick saving and lookup.
Quotas/limits (SPN2): per‑minute, per‑day, per‑URL, resource size and screenshot size limits; concurrency dampening by host; max outlinks/embeds returned.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

1 overlap

Both tools cover this research theme.

APIs & SDKs

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.

Wayback Machine (Internet Archive)

Distinct strengths include:

Data APIs

Citations & Source Pinning

Other

On‑demand archiving via Save Page Now (SPN2) with POST/GET; options include capture_outlinks, capture_all, capture_screenshot, custom UA/cookies, and conditional capture (if_not_archived_within).
Snapshot discovery: Availability API (/wayback/v1/available) returns the closest archived capture to a URL/time; CDX Server API lists/filters captures; Memento TimeGate/TimeMap endpoints enable time‑based content negotiation.
Operational endpoints: user status (remaining/active SPN sessions) and system status (overload/OK) for SPN2.
Mobile & extensions: official iOS/Android apps and browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) for quick saving and lookup.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	Ahrefs	Wayback Machine (Internet Archive)
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: APIs & SDKs Unique: App & Website Traffic	Shared: APIs & SDKs Unique: Data APIs, Citations & Source Pinning, 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
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 On‑demand archiving via Save Page Now (SPN2) with POST/GET; options include capture_outlinks, capture_all, capture_screenshot, custom UA/cookies, and conditional capture (if_not_archived_within). Snapshot discovery: Availability API (/wayback/v1/available) returns the closest archived capture to a URL/time; CDX Server API lists/filters captures; Memento TimeGate/TimeMap endpoints enable time‑based content negotiation. Operational endpoints: user status (remaining/active SPN sessions) and system status (overload/OK) for SPN2. Mobile & extensions: official iOS/Android apps and browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) for quick saving and lookup. Quotas/limits (SPN2): per‑minute, per‑day, per‑URL, resource size and screenshot size limits; concurrency dampening by host; max outlinks/embeds returned. Timestamps and replay: captures are timestamped (UTC) and replayed with toolbar metadata; screenshot capture available as a separate archived asset.
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 Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) 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 Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) require subscriptions?

Both Ahrefs and Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) 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 Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) stands out for On‑demand archiving via Save Page Now (SPN2) with POST/GET; options include capture_outlinks, capture_all, capture_screenshot, custom UA/cookies, and conditional capture (if_not_archived_within)., Snapshot discovery: Availability API (/wayback/v1/available) returns the closest archived capture to a URL/time; CDX Server API lists/filters captures; Memento TimeGate/TimeMap endpoints enable time‑based content negotiation., and Operational endpoints: user status (remaining/active SPN sessions) and system status (overload/OK) for SPN2..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

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