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Updated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison

Ahrefs vs Semrush:
which should you use?

Ahrefs and Semrush, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.

Find your best fit

The 30-second answer

Ahrefs is built for marketing & content creation. Semrush is built for marketing & content creation.

Pricing, simplified

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

2 of 2 have a free plan 0 of 2 prices re-read automatically · how we know No paid placement

The 30-second comparison

If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.

Ahrefs and Semrush side by side, with the better fit for each row.
CategoryAhrefsSemrushBetter fit
What it's built forIts own crawler and index rather than a licensed one, which is why its backlink data is the reference point most others are compared against.Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.Tie
Free planYes. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free indefinitely, but only for sites you verify you ownYes. Free account, capped at around ten results per report and ten reports a dayTie
Cheapest way to pay$29 a month.$139.95 a month.Ahrefs
What the paid tiers cost
  • One person, from $29/month
  • Enterprise, from $1499/month
  • One person, from $139.95/month
Tie
What to watch out forThe free tier is Webmaster Tools and only works on sites you can verify you own — no competitor research without paying.The free account is heavily capped — around ten results a report and ten reports a day — which is enough to evaluate and not to work.Tie
Made byAhrefs — Singapore, SG.Semrush — Boston, US.Tie

Ahrefs is ahead on 1 of the 6 rows compared — cheapest way to pay — and it is not about how well it does the job. On fitness for the work, it and Semrush are level. Treat this as a tiebreaker, not a recommendation.

Ahead on the small print

Ahrefs

Its own crawler and index rather than a licensed one, which is why its backlink data is the reference point most others are compared against.

✓ Its own crawler and index rather than a licensed one, which is why its backlink data is the reference point most others are compared against. ✓ You want the cheaper paid plan, $29 against $139.95 ✓ It is built for marketing & content creation ✓ Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free indefinitely, but only for sites you verify you own
Choose Semrush instead if…

Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.

Semrush is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.

✓ Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed. ✓ It is built for marketing & content creation ✓ Free account, capped at around ten results per report and ten reports a day ✓ It is aimed at working professionals

How we know

Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.

The 1 row that decided this page, with the source for each.
RowFavoursWeightWhere it came from
Cheapest way to payAhrefsEverything elseFrom each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below.

The prices

Ahrefs. Read by hand off ahrefs.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. ahrefs.com/pricing

Semrush. Read by hand off semrush.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. semrush.com/pricing/seo-ai-search

The ratings

The category these two share. Marketing & Content Creation — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.

The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.

What this is not

Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.

To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.

Choose based on what you’re doing

All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.

01

General-Purpose AI Assistants

Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.

Ahrefs
Not a good fit
Semrush
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
02

Search, Research & Academics

Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.

Ahrefs
Bad fit
Semrush
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
03

Writing, Communication & Language

Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.

Ahrefs
Not a good fit
Semrush
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
04

Coding, Data & Technical Work

Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.

Ahrefs
Bad fit
Semrush
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
05

Business, Finance & Professional Work

Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.

Ahrefs
Not a good fit
Semrush
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
06

Image & Design

Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.

Ahrefs
Not a good fit
Semrush
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
07

Video

Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.

Ahrefs
Not a good fit
Semrush
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
08

Audio, Voice & Music

Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.

Ahrefs
Bad fit
Semrush
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
09

Marketing & Content Creation

Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.

Ahrefs
Built for this
Semrush
Built for this
Best choice: Tie
10

Productivity, Automation & Personal Life

AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.

Ahrefs
Bad fit
Semrush
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
Pick Ahrefs if

Its own crawler and index rather than a licensed one, which is why its backlink data is the reference point most others are compared against.

Singapore, SG
Its own crawler and index rather than a licensed one, which is why its backlink data is the reference point most others are compared against.
You want the cheaper paid plan, $29 against $139.95
It is built for marketing & content creation
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free indefinitely, but only for sites you verify you own
Pick Semrush if

Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.

Boston, US
Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.
It is built for marketing & content creation
Free account, capped at around ten results per report and ten reports a day
It is aimed at working professionals

Pricing, simplified

The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.

PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Ahrefsby Ahrefs
Semrushby Semrush
Free version
Ahrefs
Yes — Free plan availableAhrefs Webmaster Tools is free indefinitely, but only for sites you verify you own
Semrush
Yes — Free plan availableFree account, capped at around ten results per report and ten reports a day
Individual plans
Ahrefs
Starter $29 / month
Lite $129 / month$108 / month (annual)
Standard $249 / month$208 / month (annual)
Advanced $449 / month$374 / month (annual)
Semrush
SEO $139.95 / month$117.33 / month (annual)
Starter $199 / month$165.17 / month (annual)
Pro+ $299 / month$248.17 / month (annual)
Advanced $549 / month$455.67 / month (annual)
Business plans
AhrefsNot sold to teams
SemrushNot sold to teams
Enterprise
Ahrefs
From $1499 / user / month
SemrushNot published
View full details
AhrefsView Ahrefs pricing
SemrushView Semrush pricing
Interactive

Tell us what you use AI for

Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.

The verdict for that job
Evenly matched
Close call. Both cover marketing & content creation at the same level; both have a free plan you can start on; Ahrefs is cheaper to start paying for, $29 against $139.95.
6 rows compared

Frequently asked questions

Is Ahrefs or Semrush better?

Ahrefs is ahead on 1 of the 6 rows compared — cheapest way to pay — and it is not about how well it does the job. On fitness for the work, it and Semrush are level. Treat this as a tiebreaker, not a recommendation. both have a free plan you can start on; Ahrefs is cheaper to start paying for, $29 against $139.95. Ahrefs: Its own crawler and index rather than a licensed one, which is why its backlink data is the reference point most others are compared against. Semrush: Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.

Is Ahrefs or Semrush cheaper?

Ahrefs — paid plans start at $29 a month against $139.95 a month.

Do Ahrefs and Semrush both have free plans?

Yes. Ahrefs: Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free indefinitely, but only for sites you verify you own. Semrush: Free account, capped at around ten results per report and ten reports a day.

What should I watch out for?

Ahrefs: The free tier is Webmaster Tools and only works on sites you can verify you own — no competitor research without paying. Semrush: The free account is heavily capped — around ten results a report and ten reports a day — which is enough to evaluate and not to work.

Read more

Ahrefs

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Semrush

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Best AI for Marketing

Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.

How we compare AI tools
Every row is generated from the same record the rest of the site is built on, so this page cannot drift from what we say elsewhere. We separate winner, tie and depends rather than forcing each category into a ranking, and we drop rows where both sides say the same thing. A pick is only called an overall pick when it leads on rows about how well the tool does the job; a lead that rests on price or audience alone is labelled as one. Nothing here is a hands-on test — how we know lists the source and date behind every deciding row.