Semrush
Semrush is the most feature-broad SEO and digital marketing suite in the cluster - keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, content optimization, local and AI visibility, plus API and MCP access, with the widest add-on ecosystem.
Verified against: semrush.com as of 2026-09-20
Quick verdict: Semrush earns 4.5/5 in our research-based assessment - the pick when you want the widest SEO + AI-search surface in one suite. The 2026 AI push added ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI tracking to every tier with 50-200 prompts, making it the most complete AI-search visibility option in the cluster. MCP access on Starter and above is the cleanest agent integration. The cost reflects the breadth: $139/mo SEO is the floor and $549/mo Advanced is where the API lives. Pick Ahrefs for backlink depth, Moz for the cheaper entry, Screpy for a free tier, or SpyFu for pure competitor ad data. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
- Our rating: 4.5/5
- Strongest dimension: Functionality (5/5, research only)
- Weakest dimension: Localization (3/5, research only)
- Pricing: 7-day free trial (all tiers) · $139/mo (SEO, monthly)
- Verification: Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-20. Sources: semrush.com
Semrush pricing details
- 7-day free trial (all tiers)
- paid plans from $139/mo (SEO, monthly)
- sEO $139/mo / Starter $199/mo / Pro+ $299/mo / Advanced $549/mo
- sEO ~$117.33/mo / Starter ~$165.17/mo / Pro+ ~$248.17/mo / Advanced ~$455.67/mo (billed annually, save up to 17%)
All tiers include AI search visibility tracking. SEO: 5 sites / 500 keywords. Starter: +MCP / 50 AI prompts / 5 sites. Pro+: 15 sites / 1500 keywords / 100 prompts. Advanced: 40 sites / 5000 keywords / 200 prompts + API. Add-ons: users $45/mo, Lead Gen $90/mo, Base Report $10/mo, Pro Report $20/mo. Enterprise custom.
In our index: No free plan (7-day trial all tiers). SEO $139/mo / Starter $199/mo / Pro+ $299/mo / Advanced $549/mo. Annual ~16% off. Add-ons: users $45/mo, Lead Gen $90/mo, Base Report $10/mo, Pro Report $20/mo.
How Semrush scores across our 6 index dimensions
- Functionality: 5/5 (research only)
- Usability: 4/5 (research only)
- Stability: 5/5 (research only)
- Collaboration: 5/5 (research only)
- Localization: 3/5 (research only)
- Value: 4/5 (research only)
Score rationale: Widest feature surface in the cluster - SEO, content, local, AI visibility, API and MCP all in one suite. The 2026 AI add-on push makes it the most complete AI-search tracking option. No free plan; 7-day trial only. No hands-on; figures from the official pricing page.
What Semrush does well
- Widest feature surface: keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, content optimization, local, AI visibility, API and MCP all in one suite
- 2026 AI add-on: all tiers now track ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI visibility with 50-200 prompts
- MCP access on Starter and above - the cleanest agent integration in the cluster
- Add-on ecosystem: Lead Gen, Base/Pro Report, extra users at $45/mo
Where Semrush falls short
- Priced at a premium for the breadth - SEO at $139/mo is the floor, Advanced at $549/mo
- 7-day trial is short for a feature this wide
- No free plan - no standing free tier unlike Screpy
- API on Advanced only; below that tiers have no direct API
How Semrush compares to other SEO Tools tools
Our index tracks 5 SEO Tools tools. Semrush sits at 4.5/5, with seo ~$117.33/mo / starter ~$165.17/mo / pro+ ~$248.17/mo / advanced ~$455.67/mo (billed annually, save up to 17%). Here are the 4 closest alternatives we hold pricing and scoring evidence for.
- Ahrefs — 4.5/5 · $29 Starter (1 month only, then converts to Lite) · $129/mo (Lite, monthly)
Ahrefs is a backlink-driven SEO platform pairing the world's second-most active crawler with rank tracking, keyword research, site audits and AI visibility monitoring, priced by credit pool and user seat. - Moz — 4.2/5 · 14-day free trial (Medium tier) · $99/mo (Standard, monthly)
Moz Pro is a long-established SEO suite focused on Domain Authority metrics, keyword tracking, site audits and backlink research, now with AI Overviews tracking and AI Visibility Dashboards on every tier. - SpyFu — 4.1/5 · 14-day free trial · $59/mo (Starter, monthly)
SpyFu is a competitive intelligence platform focused on advertising and SEO keyword data - see what keywords competitors rank for, what ads they run and where their traffic comes from - positioned as a lighter, more affordable alternative to Ahrefs or Semrush. - Screpy — 4.0/5 · Free plan · $19/mo (Pro, monthly)
Screpy is an AI-powered all-in-one SEO and site monitoring platform combining rank tracking, PageSpeed, uptime, backlinks, AI content generation and AI visibility prompts in one dashboard, with a genuinely free tier.
Frequently asked questions about Semrush
How much does Semrush cost?
7-day free trial (all tiers); paid plans from $139/mo (SEO, monthly); sEO $139/mo / Starter $199/mo / Pro+ $299/mo / Advanced $549/mo; sEO ~$117.33/mo / Starter ~$165.17/mo / Pro+ ~$248.17/mo / Advanced ~$455.67/mo (billed annually, save up to 17%). Billing detail: All tiers include AI search visibility tracking. SEO: 5 sites / 500 keywords. Starter: +MCP / 50 AI prompts / 5 sites. Pro+: 15 sites / 1500 keywords / 100 prompts. Advanced: 40 sites / 5000 keywords / 200 prompts + API. Add-ons: users $45/mo, Lead Gen $90/mo, Base Report $10/mo, Pro Report $20/mo. Enterprise custom. Figures verified 2026-09-20.
Does Semrush have a free plan?
No free plan is listed for Semrush, but a trial is offered (7-day free trial (all tiers)). Paid plans start at $139/mo (SEO, monthly).
What is Semrush rated in our index?
Semrush sits at 4.5/5 in our index, strongest on functionality (5/5, research only) and weakest on localization (3/5, research only). Semrush earns 4.5/5 in our research-based assessment - the pick when you want the widest SEO + AI-search surface in one suite. The 2026 AI push added ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI tracking to every tier with 50-200 prompts, making it the most complete AI-search visibility option in the cluster. MCP access on Starter and above is the cleanest agent integration. The cost reflects the breadth: $139/mo SEO is the floor and $549/mo Advanced is where the API lives. Pick Ahrefs for backlink depth, Moz for the cheaper entry, Screpy for a free tier, or SpyFu for pure competitor ad data. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
What are the drawbacks of Semrush?
Priced at a premium for the breadth - SEO at $139/mo is the floor, Advanced at $549/mo 7-day trial is short for a feature this wide No free plan - no standing free tier unlike Screpy API on Advanced only; below that tiers have no direct API.
What does Semrush do well?
Widest feature surface: keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, content optimization, local, AI visibility, API and MCP all in one suite 2026 AI add-on: all tiers now track ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI visibility with 50-200 prompts MCP access on Starter and above - the cleanest agent integration in the cluster Add-on ecosystem: Lead Gen, Base/Pro Report, extra users at $45/mo.
How was Semrush verified?
Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-20. Sources: semrush.com.
What are the alternatives to Semrush?
We track Ahrefs, Moz, Screpy, SpyFu as the closest alternatives in our SEO Tools index, and 5 head-to-head comparisons against Semrush are available.