SEO Tools
Ahrefs vs Semrush: Which SEO Tool Should You Use?
Ahrefs vs Semrush is now a comparison of two platforms that both cover classic SEO and AI-search monitoring. Ahrefs Lite is $129/month and includes 750 tracked keywords plus 5 custom AI prompts. Semrush's classic Pro toolkit is $139/month, while the $199/month Semrush One Starter bundle adds full AI Visibility features.
What matters
- Ahrefs Lite lists 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 5 custom AI prompts, 100,000 crawl credits, and 6 months of historical data.
- Semrush keeps two plan tracks: classic SEO Pro/Guru/Business and Semrush One Starter/Pro+/Advanced. The classic names have not been retired.
- Semrush SEO Pro is $139 monthly or $117.33/month billed annually; Semrush One Starter is $199 monthly or $165.17/month billed annually.
- Ahrefs also has a $29 Starter plan and a limited Free account, so Lite is not its cheapest paid entry.
What is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs is an SEO toolset built on what the company describes as the world's second-most active web crawler, with more than 10 years of data. Its core tools include Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, Brand Radar custom prompts, an MCP server, and a beta Social Media Manager.
Those documented capabilities support choosing Ahrefs for backlink, keyword, audit, and AI-prompt workflows. They do not prove that its interface or link results will be better for every user, so buyers should use the trial or a short subscription to test their own domains.
What is Semrush?
Semrush sells multiple toolkits for SEO, AI visibility, content, advertising, social, local, and market research. Its classic SEO Toolkit keeps the Pro, Guru, and Business tiers. Semrush One combines the corresponding SEO tier with AI Visibility under the Starter, Pro+, and Advanced names.
Semrush One tracks mentions, citations, sentiment, and daily prompts across surfaces including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. The classic SEO Toolkit provides traditional SEO workflows and limited AI-search reporting, but not the same prompt-tracking package.
Ahrefs vs Semrush: Pricing Compared
Do not align plans by name alone. Ahrefs Lite and Semrush SEO Pro are the closest classic-SEO entry tiers. Semrush One Starter costs more because it adds the full AI Visibility toolkit.
Ahrefs Lite is $129/month and lists 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 5 custom prompts, and 6 months of historical data. Semrush SEO Pro is $139/month or $117.33/month billed annually and lists 5 monitored websites plus 500 tracked keywords. Semrush One Starter is $199/month or $165.17/month billed annually, with 50 daily AI prompts and one domain for AI brand performance.
Ahrefs' separate $29 Starter tier is useful for light research but has 200 monthly credits, 50 Rank Tracker keywords, and no export rows. It is not equivalent to Lite or Semrush Pro.
Feature Comparison: Where Each Tool Wins
Backlinks and research: Both vendors provide backlink and competitor-research tools. Ahrefs documents its crawler scale and long history; a buyer should compare results for the actual sites they monitor instead of accepting a universal “winner.”
AI visibility: Both now support custom prompt tracking. Ahrefs includes 5, 10, or 20 daily custom prompts on Lite, Standard, and Advanced. Semrush One includes 50, 100, or 200 daily prompts and broader brand-performance reporting on Starter, Pro+, and Advanced.
Site audits: Ahrefs Lite lists 100,000 monthly crawl credits. Semrush SEO Pro documents up to 100,000 pages per month, with higher limits on Guru and Business. Compare per-project limits as well as account totals.
Adjacent marketing: Semrush sells separate or bundled toolkits for content, advertising, social, local, and market research. Ahrefs' current lineup also includes Brand Radar, Web Analytics, Report Builder, and a beta Social Media Manager, so older claims that it is “SEO only” are stale.
Who Should Choose Ahrefs
- Teams whose main workflows are backlink research, keyword research, rank tracking, and site audits
- Buyers who want custom AI-prompt checks included in the same core plan
- Developers who need the documented MCP and API allowances on paid plans
- Verified-site owners who can start with Ahrefs Free or the constrained $29 Starter tier
Who Should Choose Semrush
- Teams that want classic SEO and the full Semrush AI Visibility toolkit in one bundle
- Brands that need more included daily prompts and domain-level AI brand-performance reports
- Organizations that also buy Semrush toolkits for content, advertising, social, local, or market research
- Buyers who prefer the classic SEO Pro/Guru/Business track without the full AI bundle
Alternatives to Ahrefs and Semrush
Neither tool is the right fit for every budget or workflow. Mangools is a smaller suite centered on keyword, SERP, rank-tracking, backlink, and site-profile tools. SE Ranking combines SEO and GEO tracking with published project, keyword, prompt, audit, and API limits. A zero-budget workflow can start with Google Search Console plus Ahrefs Free for verified sites. Check each vendor's current pricing page before committing.
At a glance
| Feature | Ahrefs Lite | Semrush SEO Pro | Semrush One Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $129 | $139 | $199 |
| Annual equivalent | Check local pricing | $117.33 | $165.17 |
| Projects / websites | 5 projects | 5 websites | 5 websites |
| Tracked keywords | 750 | 500 | 500 |
| Custom AI prompts | 5 | Not included in classic toolkit | 50 daily |
| Site audit allowance | 100K crawl credits/month | 100K pages/month | Pro SEO limits |
| Plan role | Core SEO plus limited AI prompts | Classic SEO | SEO plus full AI Visibility |
FAQ
Is Ahrefs better than Semrush for backlinks?
Ahrefs documents the scale and history of its crawler, but that does not guarantee more useful results for every domain. Run the same competitor and link-gap queries in both tools before choosing on backlink data alone.
Does Semrush have a free plan?
Yes. Semrush lists a free tier with one demo project and 10 reports per day. Ahrefs also provides a limited Free account for verified sites. Neither free tier should be presented as equivalent to the paid plans.
Can I track AI search visibility with Ahrefs?
Yes. Ahrefs includes custom prompt checks on Lite and higher plans. Semrush One adds a broader AI Visibility toolkit with daily prompt tracking and brand-performance reports. Compare included checks, platforms, and reporting rather than assuming either product lacks AI tracking.