Side by side
| Feature | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | All-in-one SEO and AI search marketing platform for tracking rankings, competitors, brand mentions in AI answers, and website health. | All-in-one SEO and AI search visibility platform for tracking, researching, and growing brand presence across Google, AI answers, ads, and social. |
| Price from | 129 USD/mo | 117.33 USD/mo |
| Free plan | trial | yes |
| Platforms | web, api, chrome | web, api, chrome |
| API | yes | yes |
Ahrefs: key features
- Keyword research and search volume data in Keywords Explorer
- Competitor website analysis in Site Explorer
- Rank tracking in search engines and Google Search Console
- Brand Radar for tracking brand mentions and citations in AI chatbots
- Site Audit for finding and fixing website issues
- Social Media Manager for scheduling posts across channels
Semrush: key features
- Keyword research with a database of billions of keywords
- Backlink analysis and competitor insights
- AI visibility tracking and prompt-level monitoring
- Technical site audits and rank tracking
- Content creation tools with SEO and AI scoring
- Semrush MCP connection to AI assistants
FAQ
Is Ahrefs or Semrush better?
It depends on the job - compare prices, free plans and features in the table above.
Are Ahrefs and Semrush free?
Ahrefs: There is a free trial. The homepage offers a free sign-up option and free tools such as the AI Visibility Checker, AI Writing Tools, SEO Browser Extension and Word Count, plus free website health monitoring and Web Analytics. The pricing page lists paid plans only, so the scope of a free trial is not specified in the text. Semrush: Yes, there is a free plan. Free plan: 1 demo project, 10 reports per day across vital tools, help center and basic onboarding, and AI Visibility features. No credit card required.