Semrush alternatives (2026): 8 tools compared for buyers
Looking for an alternative to Semrush? These 8 tools do the same job with a different focus. Each one is compared on who it suits, its key features, pros and cons, and what each vendor publishes on security, admin and contract terms.
Why buyers look beyond Semrush
- Expensive for small teams.
- Add-on pricing adds up.
- Steep learning curve.
- Solo site owners on a tight budget (reviewers repeatedly call it expensive)
- Teams needing many seats cheaply: extra users start at EUR 43 per month each.
From Semrush's published plan limits and recurring themes in public reviews. See the Semrush review for the full picture.
Semrush alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|
 Semrush Current | Marketing teams that want keyword, audit, backlink and AI visibility tools in one login. | EUR 112.52/month billed annually (SEO plan), EUR 134 billed monthly | Free plan, Free trial |
 Ahrefs | SEO and link-building teams who value backlink and competitor data. | $29/month (Starter); $129/month (Lite) | Free plan |
 Moz Pro | Small businesses (about 58% of G2 reviewers) | $49/month monthly or $39/month annual (Starter, third-party sources) | Free trial |
 SE Ranking | Small agencies that need white-label reports and many client projects (via Agency Pack) | EUR 87.20/month billed annually (Core); EUR 109/month billed monthly | Free trial |
 Mangools | Freelancers and small sites that mainly need keyword research and rank tracking. | Not confirmed by the vendor: not confirmed by the vendor; third-party listings cite about $29.90/month (Basic, annual billing) | No |
 Serpstat | Small businesses and freelancers who want an all-in-one SEO suite at a low monthly price. | $50/month (Individual) | Free trial |
 Surfer SEO | Content teams optimizing articles against top-ranking pages. | $49 per month billed yearly (Discovery) | No |
 Google Search Console | Every site owner as the first-party source of Google query and click data. | Free | Free plan |
 Ubersuggest | Small businesses and solo marketers on a tight budget. | $29/month (Individual), per third-party sources | Free plan, Free trial |
The 8 best Semrush alternatives
Ahrefs
Bootstrapped SEO suite known for its backlink index, priced per plan with paid extra seats and AI add-ons.
Link builders and SEO teams of one to three people choose it for backlink and competitor data. Extra seats are billed one by one, and AI checks, Brand Radar and reports are paid add-ons. Individuals on a budget find the cost the main obstacle.
- Best for
- SEO and link-building teams who value backlink and competitor data.
Key features
- Technical site audit
- Crawl credits per month: 100,000 (Lite), 500,000 (Standard), 1.5M (Advanced)
- Rank tracking
- Tracked keywords: 750 / 2,000 / 5,000 on Lite / Standard / Advanced.
- Content optimization and AI features
- AI prompt checks: 150 / 300 / 600; Brand Radar AI add-on from $199/mo.
- Reporting and white label
- Report Builder add-on $99/mo (50 reports, 500 widgets, scheduling)
Pros
- Accurate SEO data.
- Strong backlink and competitor analysis.
Cons
- Expensive for individuals and small businesses.
- AI tool inaccuracies.
- No local SEO tools.
Pricing: $29/month (Starter); $129/month (Lite) · Free plan
Moz Pro
SEO suite with rank tracking, site crawl and link research, sold in four tiers with a low seat count.
Small businesses that want a friendly rank checker and link research should compare the four tiers, which track 50 to 3,000 keywords. Seats are limited to 1 to 3, and G2 shows recently weaker reviews, so ask about product direction during the trial.
- Best for
- Small businesses (about 58% of G2 reviewers)
- Company size
- Small businesses (58.1% of G2 reviewers)
Key features
- Rank tracking
- Tracked keywords 50 / 300 / 1,500 / 3,000 across tiers (third-party)
- Project and credit limits
- Seats 1 / 1 / 2 / 3 across tiers (third-party)
Pros
- Feature depth in rank checker and link research.
- Ease of use and setup (G2 sub-scores about 8.6 and 8.8 of 10)
Cons
- Reviews show a recent decline per G2 comparison summary.
- Limited autonomous or AI task features.
Pricing: $49/month monthly or $39/month annual (Starter, third-party sources) · Free trial
SE Ranking
All-in-one SEO platform with rank tracking, site audit, backlink and keyword research, and white-label reporting sold through an Agency Pack add-on.
Small agencies get white-label reports and client seats, but only after paying for the Agency Pack add-on at EUR 59 per month on annual terms. SMB teams get tracking, audits and research in one account. Test backlink coverage against a rival, since reviewers find the index smaller.
- Best for
- Small agencies that need white-label reports and many client projects (via Agency Pack)
- Company size
- SMBs and small agencies.
Key features
- Keyword research database
- Vendor states a 4.2B keyword database across 188 country databases.
- Technical site audit
- Audit page quota per plan: 250k pages/month Core, 2M Growth.
- Backlink index and analysis
- Vendor cites 1.9B backlink profiles; some agency reviewers find the index smaller than rivals.
- Rank tracking
- Daily tracking: 2k keywords Core, 5k Growth; extra keywords from EUR 20.80 (Core) or EUR 30.40 (Growth)
Pros
- Keyword research, tracking, audits and reporting in one account.
- White-label reports are useful for agency clients.
- Responsive support with live chat.
Cons
- Backlink database smaller than some alternatives.
- White-label reporting costs extra via the Agency Pack.
- Competitor traffic estimates are only directional.
Pricing: EUR 87.20/month billed annually (Core); EUR 109/month billed monthly · Free trial
Mangools
Suite of lightweight SEO tools (KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner, SiteProfiler) aimed at individuals and small teams.
Individuals and tiny agencies who mostly need keyword lookups and rank checks will appreciate the short learning curve across its separate tools. Daily lookup caps apply by plan, no crawler is included, and no SSO is published. Confirm current pricing with the vendor.
- Best for
- Freelancers and small sites that mainly need keyword research and rank tracking.
- Company size
- Freelancers, small businesses, small agencies.
Key features
- Keyword research database
- KWFinder; vendor claims 2.5B+ keywords.
- Backlink index and analysis
- LinkMiner; vendor claims 9.5 trillion backlinks.
- Rank tracking
- SERPWatcher; weekly updates, daily on Agency plan per vendor.
- Competitor analysis
- SERPChecker and SiteProfiler.
Pros
- Simple, fast interface.
- Per-tool focus keeps learning curve short.
Pricing: Not confirmed by the vendor: not confirmed by the vendor; third-party listings cite about $29.90/month (Basic, annual billing)
Serpstat
All-in-one SEO suite with keyword research, rank tracking, site audit and API access, sold in four tiers from $50 per month.
Freelancers and small businesses can cover keyword research, rank tracking and audits from $50 a month, while agencies should check the Agency plan for white label reports and API quota. Seats cap at 30 on one plan, and no SSO documentation is published.
- Best for
- Small businesses and freelancers who want an all-in-one SEO suite at a low monthly price.
- Company size
- Solo SEOs to agencies (G2: 80.3% of reviews from small business)
Key features
- Keyword research database
- Keyword research and keyword clustering tools.
- Technical site audit
- Site audit with 30,000 to 1,500,000 pages per plan.
- Rank tracking
- Position checks: 10,000 to 500,000 per month by plan.
- Content optimization and AI features
- AI Visibility checks, 1,500/month on Team and up.
Pros
- Strong support rating on G2.
- Wide feature set for the price.
Cons
- Fewer recent G2 reviews than larger rivals.
Pricing: $50/month (Individual) · Free trial
Surfer SEO
Content optimization platform that scores drafts against SERP competitors and now tracks AI search visibility.
Rebranded: Surferseo.com redirects to surfer.ai, the product is now branded Surfer with AI search tracking.
Writers and editors who optimize drafts against the pages already ranking will spend most of their time in its Content Editor. Plans bundle seats, capped at 10 on Peace of Mind, plus an AI prompt tracker. Backlinks and technical crawling need another tool.
- Best for
- Content teams optimizing articles against top-ranking pages.
- Company size
- Content marketers, small teams, agencies.
Key features
- Rank tracking
- Pages tracked: 10 to 500 by plan.
- Content optimization and AI features
- Content scoring and editor, document quotas per plan; AI prompt tracker on paid plans.
- Project and credit limits
- Documents 120-360/unlimited, pages tracked 10-500, AI prompts 0-100.
Pros
- Intuitive interface.
- Content Editor is a standout.
- Helpful content auditing.
Pricing: $49 per month billed yearly (Discovery)
Google Search Console
Google's free service showing how a site appears in Google Search, with indexing, performance and link data.
Every site owner should verify a property here first, because the query, click and indexing numbers come straight from Google at no cost. Expect no competitor data and no third-party keyword volumes, so pair it with a paid suite when you need those.
- Best for
- Every site owner as the first-party source of Google query and click data.
- Company size
- All sizes.
Key features
- Keyword research database
- Shows queries that triggered your own site only.
- Technical site audit
- Indexing and crawl issue reports, re-indexing requests, alerts.
- Backlink index and analysis
- Links report of sites linking to yours.
- Rank tracking
- Performance report: impressions, clicks, queries; filter by date and search type (web, image, video, news)
Pros
- Free first-party keyword and ranking data.
Cons
- Data limitations and accuracy questioned.
- Interface hard for beginners.
Pricing: Free · Free plan
Ubersuggest
Low-cost SEO tool for keyword ideas, rank tracking and basic audits, sold monthly or as a one-time lifetime purchase.
Solo marketers and small shops on a tight budget can pick monthly billing or a one-time lifetime purchase. The Individual plan covers a single website and 125 tracked keywords. Reviewers find it shallower than established suites, so try it on your own keyword list.
- Best for
- Small businesses and solo marketers on a tight budget.
- Company size
- Small businesses (about 73.5% of G2 reviewers)
Key features
- Rank tracking
- Individual plan tracks 125 keywords (third-party)
- Project and credit limits
- Individual: 1 website, 125 tracked keywords (third-party)
Pros
- Affordable compared with larger suites.
- Easy to use and set up (G2 ease of use 9.1, setup 9.2)
Cons
- Lacks depth of functionality of established tools.
- Support is the lowest-scored G2 dimension (8.1)
Pricing: $29/month (Individual), per third-party sources · Free plan, Free trial
How to choose a Semrush alternative
Start with what made you look: a missing feature, a team that outgrew the plan or a bill that grew faster than the team. Then compare the shortlist on the points that matter most for this kind of software.
- Keyword research database: Size and freshness of the keyword data decide research quality.
- Technical site audit: Crawl depth and issue prioritization reveal fixable ranking blockers.
- Backlink index and analysis: Index size and update speed drive competitor link research.
- Rank tracking: Daily tracking by location and device is needed for reporting.
- Content optimization and AI features: Content scoring and brief tools support writers.
- Competitor analysis: Gap analysis shows where rivals win traffic.
Security, admin and contract terms compared
Switching tools means a new security review. This is what Semrush and each alternative state publicly about single sign-on, provisioning, audit logs and the contract; a blank means the vendor does not say.
| Tool | SAML SSO | SCIM | Audit logs | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush | Not published | Not published | Not published | Free trial 7 days, cancel anytime per pricing page; monthly billing available. |
| Ahrefs | Enterprise only. | Not published | Not published | Enterprise requires annual commitment; other plans monthly or annual. |
| Moz Pro | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| SE Ranking | Not published | Not published | Not published | Monthly plan available; cancel anytime effective end of term; no refund of paid or unused funds except poor service. |
| Mangools | Not published | Not published | Not published | Upgrade, downgrade or cancel anytime; full refund if requested within 48 hours of payment (not for two consecutive subscriptions) |
| Serpstat | Not published | Not published | Not published | Monthly plans available; trial 7 days with auto-renewal. |
| Surfer SEO | Not published | Not published | Not published | Upgrade/downgrade anytime; annual billed upfront. |
| Google Search Console | Not published | Not published | Not published | Free, no contract. |
| Ubersuggest | Not published | Not published | Not published | Monthly or one-time lifetime purchase per third-party listings. |
When to stay with Semrush
- Marketing teams that want keyword, audit, backlink and AI visibility tools in one login.
- Teams that can live with 5 to 15 websites per plan.
Semrush alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Semrush?
Ahrefs is the closest alternative for most teams: SEO and link-building teams who value backlink and competitor data. Moz Pro suits teams that small businesses (about 58% of G2 reviewers).
Is there a free alternative to Semrush?
Ahrefs, Google Search Console and Ubersuggest offer a free plan. Free plans usually cap users, features or history, so check the limits against your team size.