Head to head
Semrush vs Ahrefs
Short answer. Semrush and Ahrefs are both seo suite tools, so this is a like-for-like choice. Ahrefs is the cheaper way in at Starter $29/mo (Lite $129/mo) against from $139/mo ($117.33/mo annual). Both handle AI search the same way (Tracking). Choose Semrush if you match its target profile: sEO professionals, marketers and agencies that need the deepest data and competitive analysis available. Choose Ahrefs if you match its: sEOs, publishers and agencies whose work centres on backlink, keyword and competitor analysis.
Semrush
The broadest SEO and competitive-intelligence suite, now split into an SEO plan and higher tiers that bundle AI search visibility tracking.
from $139/mo ($117.33/mo annual)7-day free trial, plus a permanent free plan
Visit Semrush (opens in a new tab)
Ahrefs
SEO suite built on one of the largest independent web crawlers, with the strongest backlink dataset and a separately priced Brand Radar product for AI-answer research.
Starter $29/mo (Lite $129/mo)Free plan for verified sites; no general free trial
Visit Ahrefs (opens in a new tab)
Side by side
| Semrush | Ahrefs | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | SEO suite | SEO suite |
| Entry price | from $139/mo ($117.33/mo annual) | Starter $29/mo (Lite $129/mo) |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, plus a permanent free plan | Free plan for verified sites; no general free trial |
| AI search (GEO) | Tracking | Tracking |
| Best for | SEO professionals, marketers and agencies that need the deepest data and competitive analysis available. | SEOs, publishers and agencies whose work centres on backlink, keyword and competitor analysis. |
| Integrations | Google Search Console, Google Analytics, WordPress, Looker Studio, API, MCP | Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Looker Studio, API, MCP |
| Languages | Multilingual | Multilingual |
Where they actually differ
Ten capabilities, same definition for both tools, taken from each vendor's published documentation. The rows below are only the ones where the two disagree, because those are the rows that decide the purchase.
| Capability | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| On-page optimization | Yes | Partial |
| AI visibility tracking | Yes | Partial |
Pricing compared
Semrush: The $139 SEO plan does not include AI visibility. Prompt tracking starts with the $199/mo Starter plan (50 prompts daily), rising to 100 on Pro+ and 200 on Advanced. A free plan exists with no card required.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | Limited daily lookups, no credit card required. |
| SEO | $139/mo ($117.33 annual) | 5 websites, 500 keywords tracked daily, position tracking, site audit. |
| Starter (SEO + AI Search) | $199/mo ($165.17 annual) | Adds AI visibility tracking, 50 prompts tracked daily across Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. |
| Pro+ | $299/mo ($248.17 annual) | 100 prompts tracked daily plus expanded limits. |
| Advanced | $549/mo ($455.67 annual) | 200 prompts tracked daily, largest limits. |
Ahrefs: Brand Radar AI, the AI-visibility product, starts at $199/mo on top of a plan, with custom prompt packages from $50/mo. Annual billing saves about 17%.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Ahrefs data limited to sites you verify ownership of. |
| Starter | $29/mo | Entry access with reduced limits. |
| Lite | $129/mo | 5 projects, 6 months of historical data, 750 tracked keywords. |
| Standard | $249/mo | 20 projects, 2 years of history, 2,000 tracked keywords. |
| Advanced | $449/mo | 50 projects, 5 years of history, 5,000 tracked keywords. |
| Enterprise | $1,499/mo | Uncapped API access, unlimited history, annual commitment. |
| Brand Radar AI (add-on) | from $199/mo | Research across 271M+ organic prompts, custom prompt tracking. Prompt packages from $50/mo. |
Entry price is the wrong number to compare on its own. Add seats, add the tier that unlocks the feature you came for, and the gap usually moves. Run both through the stack cost calculator to see the annual figure.
Semrush in detail
The broadest SEO and competitive-intelligence suite, now split into an SEO plan and higher tiers that bundle AI search visibility tracking. AI visibility is a paid tier rather than an add-on: the $139 SEO plan excludes it, and prompt volume scales with price from 50 to 200 daily.
Strengths
- Deepest dataset and competitive analysis in the category
- Free plan and 7-day trial make evaluation cheap
- AI visibility is native to the platform, not a separate subscription
Limits
- Expensive once you need AI search: the real entry point becomes $199/mo
- Many features gated behind higher tiers or paid add-ons
- Extra seats start at $45/mo
Read the full Semrush review →
Ahrefs in detail
SEO suite built on one of the largest independent web crawlers, with the strongest backlink dataset and a separately priced Brand Radar product for AI-answer research. Brand Radar AI is a paid add-on rather than an included feature, but its prompt corpus is unusually large: research across 271M+ organic prompts plus custom prompt tracking.
Strengths
- Best backlink and keyword data available commercially
- Free plan for your own verified sites, plus a $29 Starter
- Brand Radar's prompt corpus is the largest published in the category
Limits
- Starter is heavily limited; real work starts at Lite ($129/mo)
- AI visibility costs an extra $199/mo minimum
- Data-focused: nothing here writes or publishes content
How to choose between them
Go with Semrush when
- Deepest dataset and competitive analysis in the category
- Free plan and 7-day trial make evaluation cheap
- AI visibility is native to the platform, not a separate subscription
Go with Ahrefs when
- Best backlink and keyword data available commercially
- Free plan for your own verified sites, plus a $29 Starter
- Brand Radar's prompt corpus is the largest published in the category
Whichever way you lean, run the trials on the same brief before you commit: Semrush gives you 7-day free trial, plus a permanent free plan and Ahrefs gives you free plan for verified sites; no general free trial. Judging output on your own topic beats any comparison table, including this one.
Frequently asked questions
Semrush vs Ahrefs: which is better?
Neither is better in the abstract. Semrush suits seo professionals, marketers and agencies that need the deepest data and competitive analysis available. Ahrefs suits seos, publishers and agencies whose work centres on backlink, keyword and competitor analysis. Match the tool to the job you actually need done and the answer is usually obvious; if it is not, our tool finder narrows it in about a minute.
Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?
Ahrefs has the lower entry price: Starter $29/mo (Lite $129/mo) against from $139/mo ($117.33/mo annual). Entry price is not total cost though, because both vendors gate features by tier. Compare full plan tables on the pricing comparison.
Which one is better for AI search visibility?
They are level on this: both are rated Tracking on our scale. Tracks how AI engines answer, but does not produce the content that fixes it. If AI visibility is the priority, look at the dedicated trackers.
Can I use Semrush and Ahrefs together?
Yes, and plenty of teams do. The common stack pairs a tool that produces work with a tool that measures or researches it, because those two jobs rarely live in the same product. Before you stack, price the combined subscription in the stack cost calculator: two mid-tier tools often cost more than one plan that covers both.
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Last verified 2 August 2026. Prices, plans and features on this page were read on each vendor's own site on that date. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm before you buy. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.