Amazon owns two products called Alexa. It’s true. There’s the voice assistant at which you shout commands. And then there’s Alexa.com, a website traffic estimator which has been the go-to traffic tool for 25 years.

But all that is set to change — one of Amazon’s Alexas just lost in the Alexa thunderdome. Amazon decided to decommission Alexa.com, the website traffic analysis and ranking platform, as of spring 2022. [1]

Alexa Internet, the company that developed the Alexa.com website, launched in April 1996. Amazon acquired the website in 1999. Now, Alexa.com will shut down on May 1, 2022. Existing customers will have access to the service up until that date.

While Alexa's methods of estimating web traffic weren't perfect, Amazon's decision to kill the service is controversial, to say the least, and has left many businesses scratching their heads, wondering how they will continue tracking website traffic.

In this article, we’ll cover what Alexa provided (including web traffic and more). We’ll also cover the six best alternatives if you’re looking for a new solution for your business.

Important note: If you are searching for API pricing for these services, you will need to reach out for a direct quote.

Alexa’s Top Features

Alexa Traffic Rank

One of Alexa’s signature features is the Alexa Traffic Rank (aka Alexa Rank). [2] This tool enables users to estimate a website's popularity based on page views and daily visitors over the last 90 days.

Alexa browser extensions

Alexa started as a browser toolbar but the company eventually morphed their toolbar into an extension available for Google Chrome and Firefox users. This browser extension shows a website’s Alexa Traffic Rank along with metrics about similar websites and search analytics.

Certified Statistics

When a user signed up for "Certified Statistics" as part of the Alexa Pro package, Alexa would provide even more data for their website, including statistics on total page views, unique visitors, and so on.

6 Best Alexa Alternatives to Measure Website Popularity

SEMrush

Pros of SEMrush

• SEMrush Rank ranks internet domains based on website popularity 

• Google Chrome Extension available

• Historical data can go as far back as January 2012

• Some of the best SEO tools available

Cons of SEMrush

• Difficult for beginners to understand everything at first glance

• Additional $45 in fees for each additional user

• Other additional features also come with an additional cost

What is SEMrush?

SEMrush launched in 2008 and its popularity has grown steadily ever since. SEMrush is more a tool for search engine marketing (thus the “SEM” in the name) than pure website analytics — however, their website analytics tool is competitive with the offerings from Alexa and others.

The SEMRush Rank tool allows users to measure the popularity of any website by checking its organic visibility, a metric based on the site’s organic search traffic. 

SEMrush calculates website rankings daily, rather than Alexa.com’s 90 days. Plus, the data goes back as far as January 2012, giving users plenty of historical data to analyze and review.

However, it is worth noting that SEMrush does not have the most user-friendly dashboard, making it tricky for beginners to navigate. Not only that but there are also additional fees on top of your monthly subscription rate.

Additional users cost at least $45 per user and $100 per user on the Business Plan. Other features such as SEMrush Trends and Agency Growth Kit also cost extra.

Before you know it, you could be paying a hefty monthly fee. But if you are willing to pay top dollar and have a fair amount of experience in website traffic analysis — and you want access to industry-leading SEO tools as well — SEMrush could be an excellent choice for you.

Similarweb

Via: Comparecamp

Pros of Similarweb

• Highly scalable to suit your traffic measurement needs

• Extensive analytics

• Robust feature set for you to find the information you need

• Flexible pricing to suit your budget

Cons of Similarweb

• Data can sometimes be inaccurate due to collection methods

• The free version has limited comparison options

• You'll need to upgrade for Website Segment Analytics

• Matching the Trending Apps data with your marketing data can be confusing

What is Similarweb?

Out of all of the alternatives to Alexa.com, Similarweb is probably the most… well… similar.

Similarweb is known as one of the best tools for online intelligence and web measurement. It features extensive analytics and it’s scalable to suit your needs with highly competitive pricing. There is even a free version to try before you buy.

However, it is worth noting that the Website Segment Analysis tool is not available on the free version, and it can take a little while to figure out how to meld Similarweb’s data with your marketing data.

But once you learn the nuances of the layout and data displays, this tool can be an excellent replacement for Alexa.com.

Ahrefs

Via: Ahrefs

Pros of Ahrefs

• Ahrefs Rank shows website popularity

• A rich and detailed dataset

• Top-of-the-line SEO tools

Cons of Ahrefs

• Unlike others on this list, there is no free trial

• Not an easy tool to use for beginners

• Additional fees that can stack up

What is Ahrefs?

Ahrefs is a well-known company within digital marketing and SEO circles, renowned for helping customers optimize their websites, perform competitor analysis, run keyword research, track search rankings, and more.

Ahrefs is undeniably “SEO first” software — however, the tools they provide are also ideal for measuring website traffic.

The platform is robust and complex — but that can mean a learning curve for beginners. There’s also no free trial to figure out if this is the right product for your needs. (A paid one-week trial is $7, which is clearly very affordable — but still not free.)

With a range of different plans for you to choose from, though, Ahrefs could be a good alternative to Alexa.com if you can handle the dashboards and user interface and/or if you want SEO tools on top of website popularity tracking.

ComScore

Via: Comparecamp

Pros of ComScore

• Advanced reporting capabilities such as overnight reporting

• The power to combine metrics with other digital campaigns, showing unduplicated audiences across multiple formats

• There are cross-geographical campaign reporting capabilities

Cons of ComScore

• Expensive compared to other options on this list

• Due to a large number of products within the platform, some metrics can be tricky to track

What is ComScore?

ComScore offers customers statistical data regarding customer behavior across all sorts of digital mediums, including but not limited to website activity. 

The top benefit that ComScore offers customers is its large analytic suites. Their data collection is extensive, making it an excellent choice for marketing experts who want to perform a deep dive into their websites' popularity and performance.

However, due to ComScore's various platforms, website traffic analysis can get a little lost in the shuffle. Not to mention that if you are only using this tool for your website's activity, it is significantly more expensive than other more specialized options on this list.

Sitechecker

Pros of Sitechecker

• Most affordable Alexa alternative on this list

• Extremely user friendly and easy to navigate

• Usable for anyone from beginners to professionals

• On-page Chrome extension that executes on-page analysis of competing sites

Cons of Sitecheckers

• Tricky to solve issues due to minimal support documentation

• The backlink tool is manual

• The free plan has limited features

What is Sitechecker?

For digital marketers out there without enterprise-level needs, Sitechecker is an excellent choice that will help you familiarize yourself with website traffic measurement without breaking the bank. 

Starting at $29 per month for the Basic Plan, and with two more advanced choices to support you as your website grows, Sitechecker is the most affordable Alexa.com alternative in our evaluation.

But, as you would expect due to its price, there are limitations with this tool. For starters, the website's customer service and FAQ section are minimal, meaning you could be on your own trying to solve issues.

The depth of the statistical analysis is also limited. But if you are looking for a budget alternative to Alexa.com, and you don't need your tool to be as advanced as others on this list, Sitechecker could be right for you.

Moz Pro

Pros of Moz Pro

• The Site Traffic feature allows you to monitor organic traffic for insights and trends

• Lots of high-quality SEO features

• A range of different plans to suit different wants and needs

Cons of Moz Pro

• Top plans are expensive, and cheaper plans are limited

• Not the most user-friendly tool for beginners

What is Moz Pro?

Many digital marketing experts know Moz Pro due to its extensive SEO suite featuring tools like keyword explorer, link explorer, and rank tracker.

Moz Pro is also a viable replacement for Alexa.com’s website traffic measurement capabilities, thanks to the crawl feature and other useful tools.

Another great benefit that Moz Pro offers is the several different plans you have to choose from. While other providers offer two or three plans at most, Moz Pro offers four different tiers to help you find a plan that perfectly suits your needs.

Moz Pro is an SEO tool first and not a direct replacement to Alexa.com, but there are certainly benefits to the tool that will suit certain businesses.

Website Popularity Tools: Conclusion and Takeaways

Each of the potential substitutes in this article has specific benefits and disadvantages. Ultimately, the decision will come down to which aspects you deem necessary for your particular business. 

It is also worth remembering that all of these options have a free trial version, lower-priced trial, or money-back guarantee — so you can always try them out first without making a major financial commitment. 

• SEMrush - High-quality website traffic and SEO tool popular with digital marketers across the globe despite additional fees.

• Similarweb - Aggregates detailed traffic figures for any website, with clean and easy-to-understand dashboards.

• Ahrefs - Primarily focuses on SEO expertise, but offers tools for measuring website traffic, and provides high-quality data metrics for you to analyze.

• ComScore - Offers detailed analysis across several platforms, including website analytics, but comes with a hefty price tag.

• Sitechecker - The cheapest substitute available and perfect for anyone looking for top-line data to analyze.

• Moz Pro - Focuses heavily on SEO, but offers excellent website traffic measurement tools, such as the crawl feature.