SEO, social & analytics: build, buy or switch?
5 tools compared on 3-year cost, cheaper options and risk. Prices checked October 2026.
| Tool | Verdict | From | Buy, 3 yrs | Build, 3 yrs | Cheapest option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs | SWITCH | $29/mo | $3,888 | $8,005 | Ahrefs Free (free) |
| Buffer | BUY | $15/mo | $900 | $4,825 | Meta Business Suite (free) |
| Hootsuite | SWITCH | $99/seat/mo | $3,564 | $5,845 | Meta Business Suite (free) |
| Hotjar | SWITCH | $39/mo | $1,404 | $5,185 | Microsoft Clarity (free) |
| Semrush | SWITCH | $117.33/mo | $4,224 | $8,005 | Ahrefs Free (free) |
3-year costs use each tool’s typical plan and team size and $30/hour for your time. Open a tool to change them.
Ahrefs
SEO, social & analytics
Switch to Mangools, and use Ahrefs Free for audits. You’d pay $26 a month instead of $108.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $3,888
- Build, 3 yrs
- $8,005
Buffer
SEO, social & analytics
Buy it. At $25 a month for five channels, Buffer costs less than the API breakage you’d chase.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $900
- Build, 3 yrs
- $4,825
Hootsuite
SEO, social & analytics
Switch to Buffer. Ten channels cost $50 a month there, against $99 for Hootsuite Standard.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $3,564
- Build, 3 yrs
- $5,845
Hotjar
SEO, social & analytics
Switch to Microsoft Clarity. It records sessions and draws heatmaps for $0, with no traffic cap.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $1,404
- Build, 3 yrs
- $5,185
Semrush
SEO, social & analytics
Switch to Mangools. It costs $26 a month against Semrush’s $117, and Google Search Console is free.
- Buy, 3 yrs
- $4,224
- Build, 3 yrs
- $8,005
Paying for more than one of these?
Stack Scan spots tools that do the same job and shows what you’d save by keeping one.
Verdict key: BUILD = Build it · BUY = Buy it · HYBRID = Hybrid · SWITCH = Switch. How we score.