Side by side
| Feature | Semrush | Surfer |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | All-in-one SEO and AI search visibility platform for tracking, researching, and growing brand presence across Google, AI answers, ads, and social. | Content optimization and AI visibility platform helping SEO and marketing teams rank on Google and get cited by ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. |
| Price from | 117.33 USD/mo | 82 EUR/mo |
| Free plan | yes | trial |
| Platforms | web, api, chrome | web, chrome, api |
| API | yes | yes |
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
Surfer: key features
- Optimized content editor based on real-time SEO data
- AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and AI Overviews
- SEO audit and site plan
- Topic and content idea discovery matched to search intent
- Existing page improvement and content gap analysis
- Chrome extension, API and MCP
FAQ
Is Semrush or Surfer better?
It depends on the job - compare prices, free plans and features in the table above.
Are Semrush and Surfer free?
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. Surfer: There is a free trial. Free tools include a free AI visibility audit, a Chrome extension, AI detector and AI humanizer, plus a free AI search optimization course. The main platform is offered as a free start option on the homepage ('Start for Free'), with limits not specified in the provided text.