Best SEO Tools · head-to-head
Semrush vs Ahrefs
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for seo tools. Ahrefs has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the public page it was captured from — the vendor's own wherever the vendor publishes the number, otherwise the named public source — with the date we captured it.
Ahrefs has the lower entry price — Semrush starts at $139.95/mo, Ahrefs at $0/mo. Free tier: Semrush No, Ahrefs Yes. HIPAA: Semrush —, Ahrefs —.
As of 2026-09-05 · figures link to their source below STALE
Side by side
Semrush
$139.95/mo entryAhrefs
$0/mo entrySources — Semrush: backlinko.com (verified 2026-09-05) STALE · 2026-06-14 · Ahrefs: ahrefs.com (verified 2026-09-03)
Key features
Semrush: Keyword research (6 tools); Rank tracking (4 tools); Technical SEO site audit (3 tools); Backlink analysis and link building (6 tools); Content optimization and marketing (4 tools); Competitive and market analysis (5 tools); Local SEO (6 tools); Social media management (4 tools); Paid advertising intelligence (3 tools); AI Visibility Toolkit (AI search monitoring); AI PR Toolkit; App Center marketplace
Ahrefs: Site Explorer (backlink and organic traffic analysis); Keywords Explorer (2.5B+ keyword database); Site Audit (technical SEO crawler); Rank Tracker (SERP position monitoring); Content Explorer (content research and gap analysis); Web Analytics (first-party, cookieless); Social Media Manager (beta); AI Content Helper; Brand Radar (AI search visibility monitoring); MCP connector for AI assistant integrations