Ahrefs vs Semrush
A side-by-side comparison of Ahrefs and Semrush — pricing, free tiers, and who each tool is genuinely best for.
| Tagline | Backlink-led SEO toolset with deep crawling and keyword data | All-in-one SEO, content, and competitive research platform |
| Category | AI SEO | AI SEO |
| Pricing | From ~$129/mo (Lite); Standard and Advanced tiers higher; limited free tools available | From ~$140/mo (Pro); Guru and Business tiers higher; add-ons extra |
| Free tier | ||
| Best for | SEO teams that prioritize best-in-class backlink data and crawl-based site analysis. | SEO professionals and agencies that want one platform for research, tracking, audits, and competitive analysis. |
| Not for | Writers wanting an in-editor content optimization scorer rather than a research-and-audit platform. | Users who only need lightweight content scoring and find the breadth and price excessive. |
| Use cases | Backlink analysis Keyword research Site audit crawling Competitor content research | Keyword research Competitor analysis Site audit Rank tracking |
| Visit Ahrefs | Visit Semrush |