# The 11 best Semrush alternatives in 2026 > 11 Semrush alternatives compared on price, seats and features: SE Ranking, Ahrefs, Moz Pro, SpyFu, Mangools, Ubersuggest and more, grouped by use case. Source: https://terradium.io/blog/semrush-alternatives Last updated 14 October 2026 · Prices checked 14 October 2026 **The short answer** For a full Semrush replacement at a lower price, start with **SE Ranking**: its Core plan tracks 2,000 keywords and 100 AI prompts daily for less than Semrush's entry SEO plan. If backlink and crawler data matter most, **Ahrefs** is the closest peer. For PPC competitor research, look at **SpyFu**, and for a simple, cheap starter kit, **Mangools** or **Ubersuggest**. **Terradium** isn't a Semrush replacement. It's the pick when your real problem is content and showing up in AI answers rather than backlinks or ads data. A Semrush alternative is any SEO tool that covers the jobs you use Semrush for (keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlink analysis or competitor research) at a lower price, with a simpler interface, or with a sharper focus on one of those jobs. Most teams don't need a like-for-like suite. They need the two or three Semrush features they actually open every week. ## Why people leave Semrush Semrush is a broad, capable suite, and for many teams it's worth the money. The reasons people look elsewhere are mostly about cost and fit: - **The entry price.** Semrush's cheapest paid SEO plan is $139/mo billed monthly, and AI-search tracking starts on the Starter (SEO + AI Search) plan at $199/mo. That's a lot for a solo site owner who mostly checks rankings. - **Seats.** Additional users start at $45/mo each, so a growing team pays noticeably more than the sticker price. - **Paying for breadth you don't use.** Semrush sells combined SEO + AI Search plans plus add-on toolkits. If you only need rank tracking and a site audit, much of what you pay for goes unused. - **Agency extras moved.** Semrush discontinued its Agency Growth Kit (which included the Client Portal and CRM). White-label reporting is now the Pro Report add-on at $20/mo. So why is Semrush so expensive? Mostly because it's priced as a multi-toolkit platform that charges for each additional user, not a single-purpose tool. If you need the whole platform, the price is defensible. If you don't, one of the tools below will likely cost less. ## Semrush alternatives at a glance Prices are each tool's cheapest paid plan, billed monthly, read off the vendor's pricing page on the date above. Where a vendor geo-prices or blocked our check, the table says "See pricing page" instead of guessing. | Tool | Type | Paid plans from | Free option | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | SE Ranking | All-in-one SEO suite | [$129/mo (Core)](https://seranking.com/subscription.html) | 14 days, no card trial | | Ahrefs | All-in-one SEO suite | [$129/mo (Lite)](https://ahrefs.com/pricing) | Ahrefs Free for your own verified sites | | Moz Pro | All-in-one SEO suite | [$49/mo (Starter)](https://moz.com/products/pro/pricing) | Free Moz account (limited) | | Similarweb | Competitive / market intelligence | [$199/mo (Competitive Intelligence)](https://www.similarweb.com/packages/web/) | Free limited data on similarweb.com | | SpyFu | Competitor research (SEO + PPC) | [See pricing page](https://www.spyfu.com/pricing) | See pricing page | | SEO PowerSuite | Desktop SEO software | [$29.10/mo (Professional)](https://www.link-assistant.com/pricing.html) | Free version (1 project, 500-URL crawl) | | Ubersuggest | Budget SEO tool | [See pricing page](https://app.neilpatel.com/en/pricing) | Free account (limited) | | Mangools | Beginner-friendly SEO toolkit | [See pricing page](https://mangools.com/plans-and-pricing) | Free account (limited) | | Majestic | Backlink analysis | [$49.99/mo (Lite)](https://majestic.com/plans-pricing) | None | | Ahrefs Free (Webmaster Tools) | Free SEO tool (site owners) | [Free](https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools) | Free for verified sites | | Terradium | AI visibility + AI SEO content | [$29/mo (Starter)](https://terradium.io/pricing) | 7 days trial | ## All-in-one Semrush alternatives These cover most of what Semrush does: keyword research, rank tracking, site audits and backlinks in one subscription. ### SE Ranking *All-in-one SEO suite · [$129/mo (Core)](https://seranking.com/subscription.html)* SE Ranking is the most direct "cheaper Semrush" on this list. The Core plan includes 10 projects, 2,000 keywords and 100 AI prompts tracked daily, and 250,000 audit pages a month. Growth moves to 30 projects, 3 manager seats, 5,000 keywords and 250 AI prompts daily. **Pros** - Daily keyword and AI-prompt tracking on the entry plan - 14-day free trial with no credit card - Extra manager seats start at $16, far less than Semrush's extra users - Agency Pack add-on for white-label reporting with 30 client seats **Cons** - Only one manager seat on Core - The Agency Pack is annual billing only - The fuller AI Results Tracker (AI Overviews, AI Mode, Perplexity, ChatGPT) is a separate $89/mo add-on **Best for:** Small marketing teams and agencies that want most of Semrush for less. ### Ahrefs *All-in-one SEO suite · [$129/mo (Lite)](https://ahrefs.com/pricing) · Ahrefs Free for your own verified sites* Ahrefs is Semrush's closest peer and the usual alternative for teams who care most about backlink and crawl data. Lite includes 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords and 100,000 crawl credits; higher plans raise every limit and the history window. **Pros** - Strong backlink, Site Explorer and Site Audit tooling - Ahrefs Free gives verified site owners Site Audit and Site Explorer at no cost - Paid plans include a handful of tracked AI prompts, with Brand Radar for deeper AI-visibility research **Cons** - No free trial - Rank Tracker updates weekly on every plan, while Semrush and SE Ranking update daily - Extra users cost $40 to $100/mo depending on plan, with caps on how many you can add **Best for:** SEO and link-building teams who want Semrush-level depth with a backlink focus. See our [Semrush vs Ahrefs comparison](https://terradium.io/blog/semrush-vs-ahrefs) for the head-to-head. ### Moz Pro *All-in-one SEO suite · [$49/mo (Starter)](https://moz.com/products/pro/pricing) · Free Moz account (limited)* Moz Pro is one of the longest-running SEO suites, known for Domain Authority and Link Explorer. The Standard plan includes 1 user, 3 tracked sites, 300 tracked keywords and 150 tracked AI prompts, and Moz has an entry Starter plan for people managing a single site. **Pros** - AI visibility tracking is included in every Standard-and-up plan (150 to 600 prompts across GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode and Perplexity, updated weekly) - A lower entry price than Semrush - A free Moz Community account gives limited access to MozBar, Keyword Explorer and Link Explorer **Cons** - Fewer tracked keywords than SE Ranking or Ahrefs at a similar price - Extra seats cost $49/mo each - AI prompt tracking updates weekly, not daily **Best for:** Small businesses and in-house marketers who want a familiar, lighter suite. Moz or Semrush? Pick Moz if you track a few sites and want AI prompts bundled; pick Semrush if you need PPC data, more toolkits, or daily tracking at scale. ### Similarweb *Competitive / market intelligence · [$199/mo (Competitive Intelligence)](https://www.similarweb.com/packages/web/) · Free limited data on similarweb.com* Similarweb is a market-intelligence platform first: website traffic, channels and competitor benchmarks. SEO tools (keyword research, rank tracker, site audit, backlinks) and AEO tools (AI brand visibility with 150 tracked prompts) start on the Competitive Intel & SEO & AEO plan. **Pros** - Traffic and channel estimates for any competitor's site - SEO, AEO and ad intelligence on one platform at higher tiers - Free limited data on similarweb.com **Cons** - The cheapest plan doesn't include the SEO or AEO tools - One user and 3 to 6 months of history on self-serve plans - Priced above Semrush once you add SEO **Best for:** Teams that need competitive traffic intelligence more than day-to-day SEO. ## Budget and PPC alternatives ### SpyFu *Competitor research (SEO + PPC) · [See pricing page](https://www.spyfu.com/pricing)* SpyFu focuses on competitor research: which keywords rivals rank for and which they buy in Google Ads. Its plans are Basic, Pro + AI (which bundles RivalFlow AI for SEO improvement and AI visibility) and Team/Agency. **Pros** - Unlimited keyword and domain searches on every paid plan - Strong on PPC competitor research, a Semrush strength many cheaper tools skip - 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscriptions **Cons** - Historical data is only on Pro + AI and Team/Agency - Narrower than Semrush: no full technical SEO suite - We couldn't read its pricing page, so check current prices there **Best for:** PPC specialists and marketers who mainly use Semrush to spy on competitors' keywords and ads. ### SEO PowerSuite *Desktop SEO software · [$29.10/mo (Professional)](https://www.link-assistant.com/pricing.html) · Free version (1 project, 500-URL crawl)* SEO PowerSuite is downloadable desktop software covering rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and keyword research. It's sold as yearly licenses (Professional is $349/yr), with discounts for 2- and 3-year terms. **Pros** - Unlimited projects and tracked keywords on paid plans - A free-forever version (1 project, no saving, 500-URL crawl) - All plans list Google AI Overviews tracking - White-label reports from the Enterprise plan **Cons** - No monthly billing - Desktop software you install, rather than a browser app **Best for:** Budget-conscious SEOs and small agencies who want unlimited tracking and don't mind a desktop app. ### Ubersuggest *Budget SEO tool · [See pricing page](https://app.neilpatel.com/en/pricing) · Free account (limited)* Ubersuggest is Neil Patel's budget keyword-research and site-audit tool. Its three paid tiers allow 150, 300 or 900 reports a day and 1, 7 or 15 projects, and you can buy a one-time lifetime plan instead of a subscription. **Pros** - Free account, and a 7-day trial on monthly plans - Lifetime plans for people who hate subscriptions - AI Search Visibility tracks 10 to 20 prompts per brand across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overview - Add-ons such as extra users are +$5/month each **Cons** - Rank tracking updates weekly - AI prompts update monthly to weekly depending on tier - Lifetime purchases are final and non-refundable - Geo-priced, so check the pricing page for your region **Best for:** Beginners and small businesses that want a cheap free Semrush alternative to start with. ## Beginner, backlink and free alternatives ### Mangools *Beginner-friendly SEO toolkit · [See pricing page](https://mangools.com/plans-and-pricing) · Free account (limited)* Mangools bundles five simple apps: KWFinder (keyword research), SERPChecker, SERPWatcher (rank tracking), LinkMiner (backlinks) and SiteProfiler. Every plan includes all five, plus 1 AI Search Watcher monitor with 5 prompts. **Pros** - Clean, beginner-friendly interface - All five apps on every plan - Free account, and a full refund within 48 hours of payment **Cons** - Rank tracking updates weekly except on the Agency plan - Lookup limits (100 KWFinder lookups per 24 hours on Basic) are tight for heavy research - Geo-priced, so check the pricing page for your region **Best for:** Bloggers and small-business owners who find Semrush overwhelming. ### Majestic *Backlink analysis · [$49.99/mo (Lite)](https://majestic.com/plans-pricing)* Majestic is a specialist backlink index, known for its Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics and its Fresh and Historic indexes. It doesn't try to be a suite. **Pros** - A focused backlink tool at a lower price than Semrush - Pro adds the Historic Index, raw exports and custom reports - 7-day money-back guarantee on Lite and Pro for first-time customers **Cons** - No keyword research, rank tracking or site audit to replace the rest of Semrush - Lite has the Fresh Index only and no API - Prices exclude VAT **Best for:** Link builders who used Semrush mainly for backlink analysis. ### Ahrefs Free (Webmaster Tools) *Free SEO tool (site owners) · [Free](https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools) · Free for verified sites* Ahrefs Free (formerly Ahrefs Webmaster Tools) gives you Site Audit, Site Explorer and Web Analytics for an unlimited number of websites you've verified. **Pros** - Free, with no trial clock - Site Audit with 170+ issue checks on your own sites - Includes 1 AI Content Helper document per month **Cons** - Only covers sites you own; competitor research needs a paid Ahrefs plan - 5,000 crawl credits per project per month, and up to 1,000 backlinks or keywords visible at once **Best for:** Site owners who want a free Semrush alternative for auditing and monitoring their own site. ## If you also need AI visibility Semrush now sells AI-search tracking inside its SEO + AI Search plans and as a standalone AI Visibility toolkit ($99/mo per domain for 25 prompts). Several tools above include some AI-prompt tracking too. If being cited in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews is the main goal, compare dedicated trackers in our [roundup of AI visibility tools](https://terradium.io/best-ai-visibility-tools) and the [AI rank tracker guide](https://terradium.io/ai-rank-tracker). ### Terradium *AI visibility + AI SEO content · [$29/mo (Starter)](https://terradium.io/pricing)* Terradium tracks your brand in AI answers and writes the content to fix the gaps. Each week it samples 15 questions on 3 of 4 engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Gemini), reports whether you're mentioned and your site is cited, and lists what to write next. It writes 30 articles a month with a multi-agent pipeline and publishes them to a built-in CMS or to your site via a signed webhook. **Pros** - AI visibility tracking and AI-written SEO content in one tool - A weekly Actions list built from the gaps in AI answers - 7-day free trial **Cons** - No backlink index, site crawler, Google rank tracking or PPC data - Samples weekly on 3 engines, less often than daily trackers - No keyword database at Semrush scale **Best for:** Small teams whose problem is content and AI answers, used next to (or instead of part of) a Semrush subscription. **Where Terradium fits** Terradium covers two jobs: tracking whether AI answers mention and cite you, and writing the articles that close the gaps. It's an add-on to an SEO suite, or a partial replacement if content and AI answers are most of what you used Semrush for. It does **not** replace a backlink index, a site crawler, Google keyword-position tracking, a large keyword database or PPC research. If you need those, keep Semrush or pick one of the alternatives above. You can check where you stand first with the free [AI visibility checker](https://terradium.io/tools/ai-visibility-checker). ## How to choose a Semrush alternative - **List the Semrush features you actually use.** If it's rank tracking and audits, SE Ranking or SEO PowerSuite will do. If it's backlinks, Ahrefs or Majestic. If it's competitor ads, SpyFu. - **Price the seats, not the plan.** Add the cost of every extra user. SE Ranking's seats start at $16; Semrush's start at $45. - **Check update frequency.** Ahrefs, Ubersuggest and most Mangools plans track rankings weekly. If you report daily movements, choose SE Ranking or stay on Semrush. - **Try before you commit.** SE Ranking and Semrush offer trials; Ahrefs doesn't, but Ahrefs Free lets you test its audit on your own site. - **Decide where AI answers fit.** If AI visibility matters, check whether the tool's included prompts and cadence are enough, or pair your suite with a dedicated tracker. - **Mind your platform.** If you work on a Mac, see our guide to the [best SEO software for Mac](https://terradium.io/blog/best-seo-software-for-mac-the-modern-macos-stack) before buying desktop tools. For more options, see our guides to [Ahrefs alternatives](https://terradium.io/blog/ahrefs-alternatives) and [Moz alternatives](https://terradium.io/blog/moz-alternatives). ## Questions **What is the best Semrush alternative?** For a full suite at a lower price, SE Ranking is the closest match: its Core plan tracks 2,000 keywords and 100 AI prompts daily. If backlink data matters most, Ahrefs is Semrush's closest peer. **Why is Semrush so expensive?** Semrush is priced as a multi-toolkit platform with per-seat pricing. The entry SEO plan is $139/mo billed monthly, AI-search tracking starts on the $199/mo Starter plan, and extra users start at $45/mo each. **Is there a free Semrush alternative?** Ahrefs Free gives you Site Audit, Site Explorer and Web Analytics for websites you've verified, at no cost. SEO PowerSuite has a free-forever version, and Mangools and Ubersuggest offer limited free accounts. Semrush itself also has a free plan with 10 reports a day. **Moz or Semrush: which should I pick?** Moz Pro is cheaper to start and bundles AI prompt tracking (updated weekly) into every Standard-and-up plan. Semrush tracks keywords daily, covers more sites on its entry plan and offers more toolkits, at a higher price. **Can Terradium replace Semrush?** Only partly. Terradium tracks whether AI answers mention and cite you and writes 30 SEO articles a month, but it has no backlink index, site crawler, Google rank tracking, large keyword database or PPC data.