Semrush

Semrush Inc.

Overall Score / 10

vsDifferent jobs — depends on your workflow

Ahrefs

Ahrefs Pte. Ltd.

7.5

Overall Score / 10

Our Verdict

Different jobs — depends on your workflow

Choose Semrush if:

—You prioritize backlink analysis and link building
—You want the best content research tool (Content Explorer)
—You prefer a cleaner, more focused SEO-only interface

Choose Ahrefs if:

—You need PPC keyword research alongside SEO
—You want the broadest competitive intelligence
—You need social media management and local SEO tools

The biggest difference: Ahrefs has the largest backlink index and best content explorer; Semrush has the largest keyword database (25B+) and includes PPC/social tools

Side-by-Side Comparison

Criteria	Semrush	Ahrefs
Cheapest Paid Plan	$139.95/mo (Pro)Source: Semrush Inc. pricing page →	$129/mo (Lite)Source: Ahrefs Pte. Ltd. pricing page →
Free Tier	Yes 10 requests/day, 1 project, 10 keywords to track, limited data	Yes Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: free site audit and backlink data for verified site owners
Value for Money	7	7
Ease of Use	6	7
Feature Power	10	10
Setup Ease	6	7
Migration Ease	5	6
Transparency	6	7
Deployment	cloud	cloud
API Available	Yes	Yes
Platforms	Web	Web
Compliance	GDPR, SOC 2 Type II	GDPR

Data independently verifiedLast verified: March 2026Scoring methodology →Source policy →

Feature Comparison

Feature Comparison Matrix

20 features compared · 17 differences

Hide identical

Feature	Semrush	Ahrefs
Core
Backlink analysis	Full	None
Batch analysis	None	Full
Broken link checker	None	Full
Competitive analysis	Full	Full
Content Explorer	None	Full
Content gap analysis	None	Full
Content marketing toolkit	Full	None
Keyword research (25B+ keywords)	Full	None
Keywords Explorer	None	Full
Listing management	Full	None
Local SEO	Full	None
On-page SEO checker	Full	None
Position tracking	Full	None
PPC keyword research	Full	None
Rank Tracker	None	Full
SERP overview	None	Full
Site Explorer (backlink analysis)	None	Full
Integrations
API Access	Full	Full
Security
Site audit	Full	Full
Social media management	Full	None

Pricing Comparison

Semrush Pricing

Pro$139.95/mo

5 projects, 500 keywords to track, 10,000 results per report

GuruPopular$249.95/mo

15 projects, 1,500 keywords, content marketing tools, historical data

Business$499.95/mo

40 projects, 5,000 keywords, Share of Voice, API, extended limits

Ahrefs Pricing

Lite$129/mo

5 projects, 6 months history, 1 user, 500 credits/mo

StandardPopular$249/mo

20 projects, 2 years history, 1 user, unlimited credits

Advanced$449/mo

50 projects, 5 years history, 1 user, Looker Studio integration

EnterpriseCustom

Unlimited projects, unlimited history, SSO, API

Who Should Choose Which?

Who should choose Semrush

Best for

Marketing agencies needing SEO + PPC + content in one platform
Enterprise teams wanting the broadest competitive intelligence
PPC managers who also need SEO tools

Avoid if

You only need backlink analysis (Ahrefs has a deeper backlink index)
You have a limited budget and only need basic SEO (use Mangools)
You find the interface overwhelming and want simplicity

Who should choose Ahrefs

Best for

SEO professionals needing the most comprehensive backlink data
Content marketers doing competitive analysis and keyword research
Agencies managing SEO for multiple clients

Avoid if

You have a very limited budget (starts at $129/mo)
You need PPC and advertising tools included (use Semrush)
You want an all-in-one marketing platform beyond just SEO

Switching Guidance

Switching from Semrush

Common triggers to leave:

•Only using SEO features and paying for PPC/social you don't need
•Ahrefs has better backlink data for your workflow
•Interface complexity slows down the team

Potential blockers:

•Historical project data and ranking trends
•Team trained across SEO + PPC + content features
•Custom reports and dashboards configured

Switching from Ahrefs