Summary and recommendation
Ahrefs does not support SCIM provisioning on any plan. While the SEO analytics platform offers SAML 2.0 SSO integration with identity providers like Okta and Azure AD, this only handles authentication, not user lifecycle management. Even on Ahrefs' Enterprise plan ($1,249/month annual), users must be manually created in Ahrefs before SSO can work. The platform does offer Just-in-Time (JIT) provisioning, but this only creates accounts during first login—it doesn't handle deprovisioning when employees leave or role changes.
For marketing teams managing SEO tools, this creates a significant security gap. When SEO analysts, content marketers, or agency contractors leave, their Ahrefs access remains active until manually removed. Given that Ahrefs contains sensitive competitive intelligence and keyword data worth thousands in monthly subscriptions, dormant accounts represent both a security risk and compliance issue. The manual overhead becomes particularly problematic for agencies managing multiple client workspaces or large marketing teams with frequent role changes.
The strategic alternative
Stitchflow provides managed provisioning automation for Ahrefs without requiring the Enterprise plan or custom development work. Works with any Ahrefs subscription and any identity provider. Flat pricing under $5K/year, regardless of team size.
Quick SCIM facts
| SCIM available? | No |
| SCIM tier required | N/A |
| SSO required first? | Yes |
| SSO available? | Yes |
| SSO protocol | SAML 2.0 |
| Documentation | Official docs |
Supported identity providers
| IdP | SSO | SCIM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okta | Via third-party | ❌ | Ahrefs Link Manager available in OIN. SCIM provisioning available on Enterprise plan. |
| Microsoft Entra ID | Via third-party | ❌ | SAML 2.0 SSO supported with Azure AD. SCIM available on Enterprise plan. |
| Google Workspace | Via third-party | ❌ | No native support |
| OneLogin | Via third-party | ❌ | No native support |
The cost of not automating
Without SCIM (or an alternative like Stitchflow), your IT team manages Ahrefs accounts manually. Here's what that costs:
The Ahrefs pricing problem
Ahrefs gates SCIM provisioning behind premium plans, forcing significant cost increases for basic user management.
Tier comparison
| Plan | Price | SSO | SCIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/month (1 project) | ||
| Lite | $108/month annual | ||
| Standard | $208/month annual | ||
| Advanced | $374/month annual | ||
| Enterprise | $1,249/month annual |
Pricing structure
| Plan | Price | SSO | SCIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/month (1 project) | ||
| Lite | $108/month annual | ||
| Standard | $208/month annual | ||
| Advanced | $374/month annual | ||
| Enterprise | $1,249/month annual |
What this means in practice
For teams on Standard ($208/month) upgrading to Enterprise ($1,249/month)
The JIT provisioning limitation
Users must manually log in through SSO at least once before appearing in your Ahrefs workspace. IT can't pre-provision accounts, view all assigned users, or audit who has access without checking both your IdP and Ahrefs separately.
Additional constraints
Summary of challenges
- Ahrefs does not provide native SCIM at any price tier
- Organizations must rely on third-party tools or manual provisioning
- Our research shows teams manually provisioning this app spend significant hidden costs annually
What the upgrade actually includes
Ahrefs requires their Enterprise plan ($1,249/month annually, $1,499 monthly) to access SCIM provisioning. Here's what comes bundled with that massive price jump:
SCIM Provisioning Features
Additional Enterprise Features
Critical limitation: Even with SCIM enabled, workspace owners and admins always retain email/password login access as a backup method, creating potential security gaps in SSO-only environments.
Stitchflow Insight
For most IT teams, roughly 80% of Enterprise features are SEO-specific tools that provide zero value for identity management. You're paying enterprise SEO tool pricing ($15K+/year) just to get basic user provisioning.
What IT admins are saying
Ahrefs's Enterprise-only requirement for automated provisioning creates significant budget pressure for IT teams:
- Enterprise plan costs $1,249-$1,499/month just to get SCIM - over 3x the Advanced plan price
- Manual user management required on all lower tiers, even for teams spending $5K+ annually
- No middle-tier option for SSO/SCIM despite Advanced plan supporting 50 projects
- Workspace owners retain email/password access even in "SSO-only mode," creating security gaps
SCIM user provisioning exclusive to Enterprise. Users assigned in IdP auto-added to workspace. Unassignment removes access.
Price increased April 2024.
The recurring theme
Ahrefs forces a massive pricing jump to access basic identity management features. Teams spending thousands annually on Advanced plans still can't automate user provisioning, creating ongoing manual overhead and security risks when employees leave.
The decision
| Your Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Small SEO team (<10 users) on Standard/Advanced | Manual management is workable |
| Already on Enterprise plan with stable team | Use native SCIM: it's included in your plan |
| Need SCIM but can't justify $15K+/year for Enterprise | Use Stitchflow: automation without Enterprise costs |
| Marketing agency managing multiple client accounts | Use Stitchflow: automation essential for client onboarding |
| Large organization with compliance requirements | Use Stitchflow: better audit trail and human oversight |
The bottom line
Ahrefs forces you into their $15K+/year Enterprise plan just to get basic SCIM provisioning. For most marketing teams, that's massive overkill when you just need automated user management. Stitchflow delivers the same provisioning automation for under $5K/year, working with any Ahrefs plan.
Automate Ahrefs without third-party complexity
Stitchflow delivers SCIM-level provisioning through resilient browser automation, backed by 24/7 human in the loop for Ahrefs at <$5K/year, flat, regardless of team size.
Technical specifications
SCIM Version
Not specifiedSupported Operations
Not specifiedSupported Attributes
Not specifiedPlan requirement
Not specifiedPrerequisites
Not specifiedKey limitations
- Enterprise plan required
- Workspace owner/admins always retain email/password access
- SSO-only mode still allows admin credential login for troubleshooting
Configuration for Okta
Integration type
Okta Integration Network (OIN) app
Prerequisite
SSO must be configured before enabling SCIM.
Where to enable
Ahrefs Link Manager available in OIN. SCIM provisioning available on Enterprise plan.
Use Stitchflow for automated provisioning.
Unlock SCIM for
Ahrefs
Ahrefs doesn't offer SCIM. Get an enterprise-grade SCIM endpoint in your IdP, even without native support.
See how it works