7 best Semrush alternatives
This page compares seven SEO tools people use in place of Semrush, from full research suites to budget keyword tools and a free option from Google. Free plans, starting prices and plan limits were taken from each vendor's official pricing page on October 12, 2026. All research for this page was done with Firecrawl Alexandria.
Semrush alternatives compared
Starting prices as each vendor lists them on its pricing page, checked October 12, 2026.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs | Backlink research and competitor analysis | Yes (free plan) | Starter at $29/month; Lite at $129/month | No (open source) |
| SE Ranking | Small agencies and in-house teams that want an all-in-one suite for less | No (free plan) | Core at $129/month, or $103.20/month billed annually | No (open source) |
| Moz Pro | Marketers who want familiar authority metrics and free browser tools | Yes (free plan) | Starter at $49/month; Standard at $99/month, or $79/month paid yearly | No (open source) |
| Mangools | Solopreneurs and freelancers who want a simple, low-cost toolkit | Yes (free plan) | Mangools Basic at $37.70/month billed annually ($452.40/year) | No (open source) |
| Serpstat | Budget-conscious teams that need keyword, rank and audit data | No (free plan) | Individual at $50/month | No (open source) |
| Ubersuggest | Small business owners managing one website on a tight budget | Yes (free plan) | Individual at $16/month, $192 billed annually | No (open source) |
| Google Search Console | Site owners who want free data on their own Google performance | Yes (free plan) | Free | No (open source) |
| Semrush(for reference) | SEO and search visibility | Yes (free plan) | SEO plan at $139/month, or $117.33/month billed annuallySemrush pricing | See vendor |
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Why people look for Semrush alternatives
The entry price is high for small sites
The cheapest paid Semrush plan costs $139 per month, or $117.33 per month on annual billing, and covers 5 websites and 500 tracked keywords. Historical SEO data and content optimization start on Pro+, which costs $299 per month.
Source: Semrush pricing
Extra seats add to the bill
Each plan price covers one login. Semrush sells additional users as an add-on starting at $45 per month, so a team of three pays for two extra seats on top of the plan.
Source: Semrush pricing
The free plan is a trial-sized sample
Semrush's Free plan allows 1 demo project and 10 reports per day across its tools. That is enough to try the interface, and too little for ongoing keyword research or rank tracking on a live site.
Source: Semrush pricing
Reviewers question the cost for lean teams
TrustRadius summarizes pricing and licensing as a concern raised by 2 of 5 reviewers. One solopreneur writes that they moved to a cheaper tool because the price did not suit a lean operation, and another calls Semrush pricey for smaller businesses.
Source: TrustRadius: Semrush reviews
The 7 best Semrush alternatives in detail
1. Ahrefs
Visit siteBest for Backlink research and competitor analysis
Ahrefs covers site analysis, keyword research, rank tracking and site audits, and it runs its own backlink index. It also sells Brand Radar for tracking how brands appear in AI answers.
Strengths
- Own backlink index with link history
- Free tier for your own site
- Low-cost Starter plan for basic research
Watch out for
The full toolset starts at $129 per month on Lite, and extra users and pay-as-you-go credits add charges on top.
- Starting price
- Starter at $29/month; Lite at $129/month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- Ahrefs Free gives website owners limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit. Standard is $249/month, Advanced $449/month and Enterprise $1,499/month with an annual commitment. Paying annually saves up to 17%, and Ahrefs says it never runs discounts.
- Source
- Ahrefs pricing
2. SE Ranking
Visit siteBest for Small agencies and in-house teams that want an all-in-one suite for less
SE Ranking bundles rank tracking, keyword and competitor research, backlink analysis and site audits, with add-ons for AI search tracking, agency reporting and API access. Its entry plan costs less than Semrush's entry plan.
Strengths
- Lower entry price than Semrush
- Free assisted migration on annual plans
- Add-ons for AI search and agency reporting
Watch out for
Features like AI search tracking, the agency pack and API access are paid add-ons, so the total can climb past the base price.
- Starting price
- Core at $129/month, or $103.20/month billed annually
- Free plan
- No
- Note
- Growth is $279/month, or $223.20/month billed annually. A 14-day free trial includes up to 10 projects and 750 tracked keywords per day. Annual plans are billed upfront.
- Source
- SE Ranking pricing
3. Moz Pro
Visit siteBest for Marketers who want familiar authority metrics and free browser tools
Moz Pro offers keyword research, link research, rank tracking and site crawls, plus AI content briefs on every plan. Moz also publishes free tools, including a browser extension and a free keyword research tool.
Strengths
- $49/month plan for a single website
- Free keyword and backlink tools
- 20% saving on yearly billing
Watch out for
The Standard plan includes only 2 AI content briefs per month, and several features sit on the Medium plan or higher.
- Starting price
- Starter at $49/month; Standard at $99/month, or $79/month paid yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- A free Moz Community account gives limited access to MozBar, Keyword Explorer and Link Explorer. Starter covers one website. Medium is $179/month ($143/month paid yearly) and Large is $299/month ($239/month paid yearly). Separate free SEO tools are available.
- Source
- Moz Pro pricing
4. Mangools
Visit siteBest for Solopreneurs and freelancers who want a simple, low-cost toolkit
Mangools bundles a keyword finder, SERP checker, rank tracker, backlink tool and site profiler, with an AI Search Watcher add-on. The tools are designed for beginners.
Strengths
- Low annual price
- Interface built for beginners
- Free mini SEO tools and free account
Watch out for
The headline prices assume annual billing, and paying month to month costs noticeably more.
- Starting price
- Mangools Basic at $37.70/month billed annually ($452.40/year)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- Monthly billing is available at a higher rate; the page shows annual billing saving $279.60 a year on Basic. Premium is $52.70/month and Agency $97.70/month on annual billing. A free account sign-up is offered, but its limits are not listed on the pricing page.
- Source
- Mangools pricing
5. Serpstat
Visit siteBest for Budget-conscious teams that need keyword, rank and audit data
Serpstat covers keyword research, competitor analysis, rank tracking, backlink analysis and site audits, with an LLM brand monitor and API access on higher plans. Plans are sized by export rows, position checks and audited pages.
Strengths
- Entry plan priced well below Semrush
- API credits on Team plans and up
- 7-day free trial
Watch out for
The Individual plan has limits on projects, daily searches and exports, and API credits are not included at that tier.
- Starting price
- Individual at $50/month
- Free plan
- No
- Note
- Team is $100/month, Team x2 $169/month and Agency $410/month. The page advertises savings of up to 27% with annual billing, and it is unclear whether the listed prices are the monthly or annual rate. A 7-day free trial requires a card and a $1 verification charge.
- Source
- Serpstat pricing
6. Ubersuggest
Visit siteBest for Small business owners managing one website on a tight budget
Ubersuggest from Neil Patel offers keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, backlink data and AI writing credits. It sells monthly, yearly and one-time lifetime plans.
Strengths
- Lowest yearly price in this list
- One-time lifetime plan option
- Free account with limited use
Watch out for
Plan allowances are measured in monthly credits and AI articles, and lifetime purchases are final and non-refundable.
- Starting price
- Individual at $16/month, $192 billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- Yearly plans are marketed as 5 months free. Business is $27.17/month ($326 billed annually) and Enterprise $54.75/month ($657 billed annually). Monthly and lifetime prices are shown behind toggles and were not captured. The FAQ says you can downgrade to a free account, and monthly plans include a one-time 7-day free trial.
- Source
- Ubersuggest pricing
7. Google Search Console
Visit siteBest for Site owners who want free data on their own Google performance
Google Search Console shows the queries that bring visitors to your site, along with impressions, clicks and average position in Google Search. It also reports indexing problems, Core Web Vitals and rich result issues, and it lets you submit sitemaps.
Strengths
- Free, with data straight from Google
- Email alerts for site issues
- URL Inspection for crawl and index details
Watch out for
It covers only your own verified sites and only Google Search, so it cannot replace Semrush for competitor or backlink research.
- Starting price
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Note
- Search Console is free with a Google account. It only covers sites you verify ownership of, so it does not provide competitor data.
- Source
- Google Search Console
How this page is built
Every price on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing page, read with Firecrawl and checked on October 12, 2026. Each figure links to the page it came from.
To run the same research yourself, connect Firecrawl to ChatGPT and ask it to compare any tool's alternatives. It reads live pricing pages and pulls data from Firecrawl Alexandria providers such as AlternativeTo. Developers can make the same calls through the API.
Try these prompts in ChatGPT
“Compare the current starting prices of Semrush, Ahrefs and SE Ranking from their official pricing pages.”
“Which Semrush alternatives have a free plan, and what are the limits?”
“Find open source or self-hosted alternatives to Semrush and list their licenses.”
“Read Semrush's pricing page and explain what each plan includes.”
Semrush alternatives FAQ
- What is the best free alternative to Semrush?
- Google Search Console is fully free and shows the queries, clicks and positions your own site gets in Google Search. For keyword and competitor research, Ahrefs Free, Ubersuggest and Mangools offer free accounts with limited use, and Moz publishes free keyword and backlink tools.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Semrush?
- Yes. On listed prices, Ubersuggest Individual is $16 per month billed annually, Mangools Basic is $37.70 per month billed annually, Ahrefs Starter is $29 per month and Serpstat Individual is $50 per month. Semrush's SEO plan is $139 per month, or $117.33 per month billed annually.
- Is Ahrefs better than Semrush?
- Both cover keyword research, competitor analysis, rank tracking and site audits. Ahrefs has a $29 per month Starter plan and a free tier for your own site, while its full Lite plan is $129 per month. Semrush's SEO plan is $139 per month. The better fit depends on which reports you use most and how many users need access.
- Does Semrush have a free plan?
- Yes. Semrush's Free plan costs $0 per month and includes 1 demo project and 10 reports per day across its tools, with no credit card required. The SEO, Starter and Pro+ plans also offer a free trial.
- Which Semrush alternative is best for agencies?
- SE Ranking offers an Agency Pack add-on and free assisted migration on annual plans, and its Growth plan is $279 per month. Serpstat has an Agency plan at $410 per month, and Ahrefs charges $40 to $100 per month for each extra user depending on the plan. Each charges more as you add clients, keywords or seats.