Ahrefs vs Semrush
Should a small agency pay for Ahrefs or Semrush?
Short answer: Ahrefs: Free plan. Paid plans from $29 per month for Starter. Semrush: Free plan. Paid plans from $139 per month. For 5 people the cheapest paid plan with a list price costs $29 a month on Ahrefs and $139 on Semrush. We checked both prices against the vendors' pricing pages on November 5, 2026.
Facts only. No verdict yet.
This page lists checked facts for both tools. Kerry's verdict and the flaw he found in each appear after he reviews them. See how we check prices and label pages.
| Detail | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Headline price | Free plan. Paid plans from $29 per month for Starter | Free plan. Paid plans from $139 per month |
| Lowest paid plan with a list price | Starter: $29 per month | SEO: $139 per month, or $117.33 per month billed annually (per month, monthly billing) |
| Cost of that plan a month for a team of 5 | $29 on Starter (flat) | $139 on SEO (flat) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | The pricing page does not advertise a free trial. Its FAQ says Ahrefs never runs discounts. | The footer of the prices page says Try Semrush free for seven days. Cancel anytime. |
| Best for | SEO and link building teams that need backlink and competitor data. Agencies and in-house marketers who track rankings and site health. Teams that want AI search monitoring next to classic SEO data | SEO specialists and content marketers who want one suite for research and tracking. Agencies and small teams that track several sites. Marketers who want AI visibility reports next to SEO data |
| Skip it if | Buyers who want a free trial, since the pricing page does not advertise one. Small budgets that need a very low entry price for the full toolset, since Lite costs $129 per month | Users who want a pay-per-request data feed, since plans are monthly and capped. Buyers who want a flat price for every need, since the Advanced plan has custom pricing |
| Price checked | November 5, 2026 | November 5, 2026 |
Full pages: Ahrefs and Semrush. Price rows use each vendor's own billing basis, so check the plan tables before you compare totals.
What are Ahrefs and Semrush?
An SEO and AI visibility platform built on its own web index and search database. A marketing platform for SEO, competitor research, and AI search visibility. We checked both against the vendors' own pages, with prices checked on November 5, 2026. Neither entry is a review unless it carries Kerry's verdict.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a marketing platform for visibility in search engines, AI answer tools, and social media. It runs on a proprietary web index. Main tools include Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Rank Tracker, Site Audit, and Content Explorer. Brand Radar and Prompt Tracking monitor how a brand appears in AI search. Ask Ahrefs is an assistant that queries a user's data. The site also offers an API and MCP options. Ahrefs names content marketers, SEO and link builders, PPC specialists, agencies, ecommerce brands, and SaaS companies as users. Paid plans start with one seat, and extra seats cost more.
Semrush
Semrush is a marketing platform for brand visibility in search results and in AI-generated answers. The tools include keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and technical site audits. It also offers an AI Visibility tool that tracks how often language models cite a brand. Other modules cover content optimization, local listings, ad insights, digital PR, and social scheduling. The homepage lists enterprises, small teams, freelancers, and agencies as users. Roles named include SEO specialists, content marketers, and growth marketers. Semrush also offers an API, an App Center, and an MCP server for AI assistants. Adobe announced the completion of its acquisition of Semrush on April 28, 2026.
What jobs does each tool cover?
Ahrefs lists 5 jobs and Semrush lists 4, taken from each vendor's own description and checked November 5, 2026. 1 of the jobs appear in both lists. The integration lists show where each tool connects to the rest of a stack. Overlap on paper does not prove the tools are interchangeable.
Ahrefs
- Research competitor sites and backlinks
- Find keywords
- Track rankings
- Audit site health
- Monitor brand mentions in AI search
Semrush
- Research keywords
- Analyze backlinks and competitors
- Track rankings
- Monitor brand visibility in AI answers
Listed only for Ahrefs: Ahrefs API, MCP, Google Search Console, Ahrefs Free tools. Listed only for Semrush: Semrush MCP, ChatGPT, Lovable, Semrush API, App Center.
How much do Ahrefs and Semrush cost?
Ahrefs: Free plan. Paid plans from $29 per month for Starter. Semrush: Free plan. Paid plans from $139 per month. Both prices were checked against the vendors' pricing pages on November 5, 2026. Vendors count different things, such as people, channels, runs or credits, so a lower headline price does not always mean a lower bill.
Ahrefs plans
| Plan | List price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29 per month | Ahrefs describes it as the plan to see what people search and check competitors. Other limits were not recorded. |
| Lite | $129 per month | 1 seat included, with 2 more seats at $40 per month each. 750 tracked keywords. |
| Standard | $249 per month | 1 seat included, with 5 more at $60 each. 2,000 tracked keywords. |
| Advanced | $449 per month | 1 seat included, with 10 more at $80 each. 5,000 tracked keywords. |
| Enterprise | $1,499 per month | Starts at 3 seats, with more at $100 per month each. Annual commitment required. |
Semrush plans
| Plan | List price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 demo project and 10 reports per day. No credit card required. |
| SEO | $139 per month, or $117.33 per month billed annually (per month, monthly billing) | 5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily. |
| Starter | $199 per month, or $165.17 per month billed annually (per month, monthly billing) | 5 websites, 50 AI prompts daily, and 500 keywords tracked daily. |
| Pro+ | $299 per month, or $248.17 per month billed annually (per month, monthly billing) | 15 websites and 1,500 keywords tracked daily. An Advanced plan has custom pricing. |
How much does Ahrefs cost for a team?
For 5 people, Ahrefs's Starter plan costs $29 a month at list price on monthly billing. These totals multiply the vendor's list price by team size, checked November 5, 2026. Seat limits, minimums and annual discounts can change the real bill, so check the vendor's page. The table lists every paid plan at 1, 3, 5 and 10 people.
| Plan | Priced per | 1 person | 3 people | 5 people | 10 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | plan | $29 | $29 | $29 | $29 |
| Lite | plan | $129 | $129 | $129 | $129 |
| Standard | plan | $249 | $249 | $249 | $249 |
| Advanced | plan | $449 | $449 | $449 | $449 |
| Enterprise | plan | $1,499 | $1,499 | $1,499 | $1,499 |
How much does Semrush cost for a team?
For 5 people, Semrush's SEO plan costs $139 a month at list price on monthly billing. These totals multiply the vendor's list price by team size, checked November 5, 2026. Seat limits, minimums and annual discounts can change the real bill, so check the vendor's page. The table lists every paid plan at 1, 3, 5 and 10 people.
| Plan | Priced per | 1 person | 3 people | 5 people | 10 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEO | plan | $139 | $139 | $139 | $139 |
| Starter | plan | $199 | $199 | $199 | $199 |
| Pro+ | plan | $299 | $299 | $299 | $299 |
Who should pick Ahrefs and who should pick Semrush?
Pick Ahrefs if sEO and link building teams that need backlink and competitor data. Pick Semrush if sEO specialists and content marketers who want one suite for research and tracking. These points follow from what each vendor says it offers and charges, checked November 5, 2026. They are not a review. Reviews appear once Kerry has used both tools.
Pick Ahrefs if
- SEO and link building teams that need backlink and competitor data
- Agencies and in-house marketers who track rankings and site health
- Teams that want AI search monitoring next to classic SEO data
Skip Ahrefs if
- Buyers who want a free trial, since the pricing page does not advertise one
- Small budgets that need a very low entry price for the full toolset, since Lite costs $129 per month
Pick Semrush if
- SEO specialists and content marketers who want one suite for research and tracking
- Agencies and small teams that track several sites
- Marketers who want AI visibility reports next to SEO data
Skip Semrush if
- Users who want a pay-per-request data feed, since plans are monthly and capped
- Buyers who want a flat price for every need, since the Advanced plan has custom pricing
What should you check before you pay for either?
Before you pay for Ahrefs or Semrush, run five checks: count what each bills on, check the billing basis, try the free plan or trial, read the plan limits, and plan how you would leave. Prices were checked on November 5, 2026. Each check takes a few minutes and can save a month of fees.
- Count what each tool bills on. Write down how many people, channels, runs or credits you use in a normal month, then price both tools on that number.
- Check the billing basis. Annual billing is often cheaper than monthly, and the list prices in the plan tables use the basis shown in each row.
- Run the free plan or trial first when one exists. Ahrefs: The pricing page does not advertise a free trial. Its FAQ says Ahrefs never runs discounts. Semrush: The footer of the prices page says Try Semrush free for seven days. Cancel anytime.
- Read the limits on the plan you plan to buy, such as seat caps, usage caps and features held back for higher tiers.
- Decide how you would leave. Look for data export and cancellation terms before you move real work in.
Common questions
What is the difference between Ahrefs and Semrush?
An SEO and AI visibility platform built on its own web index and search database. A marketing platform for SEO, competitor research, and AI search visibility.
Does Ahrefs or Semrush have a free plan?
Ahrefs: yes. Semrush: yes. Checked November 5, 2026.
How much do Ahrefs and Semrush cost?
Ahrefs: Free plan. Paid plans from $29 per month for Starter. Semrush: Free plan. Paid plans from $139 per month. Billing bases differ between vendors, so read the plan rows before you compare.