ahrefs-seo-toolbar vs detailed-seo-extension
Ahrefs SEO Toolbar vs Detailed SEO Extension — features, pricing, and which to choose for your SEO workflow in 2026.
Quick Verdict
When you need quick SEO insights while browsing, you're looking at two very different approaches. Ahrefs SEO Toolbar brings the power of Ahrefs' massive backlink database directly to your browser, while Detailed SEO Extension focuses purely on extracting on-page SEO elements without external data dependencies.
The choice comes down to whether you need comprehensive SEO metrics or just want clean on-page data extraction. Ahrefs connects to their paid platform for deeper insights, while Detailed keeps everything simple and self-contained.
Feature Comparison
Ahrefs SEO Toolbar delivers domain rating, URL rating, backlink counts, and traffic estimates for any page you visit, pulling from Ahrefs' industry-leading database. It also includes on-page SEO auditing, broken link detection, and SERP overlay data showing competitor metrics directly in Google search results. The toolbar requires an Ahrefs account for full functionality, though basic features work without one. Detailed SEO Extension takes a different approach, focusing entirely on on-page elements you can see immediately. It extracts page titles, meta descriptions, all heading tags (H1-H6), canonical URLs, hreflang attributes, and schema markup in a clean, organized interface. There's no external data dependency — everything comes from the page itself. The key difference is scope: Ahrefs shows you how a page performs in the broader SEO space with backlinks and traffic data, while Detailed shows you exactly what's on the page from a technical SEO perspective.
Pricing Comparison
Both extensions are free to download and use, but there's a catch with Ahrefs. While you can install the toolbar without payment, the most valuable features like domain metrics, backlink data, and traffic estimates require an active Ahrefs subscription starting at $129/month. Without a subscription, you're limited to basic on-page data. Detailed SEO Extension is completely free with no subscription requirements. Since it only extracts visible page elements, there are no database costs to pass on to users. This makes it genuinely free for unlimited use across any website.
Best For
Ahrefs SEO Toolbar is better if you're already an Ahrefs subscriber or your work requires competitive analysis and backlink research. SEO professionals doing competitor research, link prospecting, or content gap analysis will find the SERP overlay and domain metrics invaluable for quick competitive intelligence while browsing. Detailed SEO Extension is better for technical SEO audits, developers working on SEO implementations, or anyone who needs clean extraction of on-page elements. If you're checking schema markup, reviewing heading structures, or auditing meta tags across multiple pages, the focused interface beats sorting through Ahrefs' more complex data.
The Verdict
Choose Ahrefs SEO Toolbar if you need comprehensive SEO intelligence and have the budget for an Ahrefs subscription. For everyone else doing technical SEO work or basic on-page analysis, Detailed SEO Extension delivers exactly what you need without the subscription cost or data complexity.