SEO Tools

What Are the Best Semrush Alternatives in 2026?

Published 2026-07-17 · Researched and price-checked on official sources

Semrush replaced its Pro, Guru, and Business plans with a new four-tier lineup in 2026. Every paid plan now bundles AI visibility features. The best Semrush alternatives depend on what you need: Ahrefs for backlink research, Moz for budget-conscious beginners, and SE Ranking for GEO tracking at a lower price.

Key facts

What matters

Semrush restructured its plans in 2026: Pro/Guru/Business became SEO ($117.33/mo annual), Starter ($165.17/mo), Pro+ ($248.17/mo), and Advanced ($455.67/mo), with AI visibility features bundled at every paid tier.
Ahrefs starts at $129/mo monthly (roughly $107/mo annual) and is the strongest alternative for backlink research and content analysis, with more keywords per dollar at entry level.
SE Ranking starts at $103.20/mo annual with GEO tracking included, making it the cheapest path to AI-search visibility monitoring among all three alternatives.
Moz Pro starts at $79/mo annual and covers SEO basics well, but its AI and GEO features are less developed than Semrush or Ahrefs.

What Changed in Semrush Pricing?

Semrush's old plan names (Pro, Guru, Business) disappeared in 2026 and were replaced by a four-tier lineup built around both traditional SEO and AI-search visibility. Every paid plan now includes some level of AI visibility tracking: keyword monitoring across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Here is the new lineup, verified on Semrush's official pricing page on July 17, 2026:

SEO ($117.33/mo annual, $139/mo monthly): the entry-level paid plan. 5 websites, 500 keywords, basic SEO tools. No AI visibility features beyond basic tracking.
Starter ($165.17/mo annual, $199/mo monthly): adds AI visibility tracking for 5 domains across Google Search, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Same SEO limits as the SEO plan.
Pro+ ($248.17/mo annual, $299/mo monthly): 15 websites, 1,500 keywords, expanded AI visibility tracking. This is the practical minimum for agencies.
Advanced ($455.67/mo annual, $549/mo monthly): 40 websites, 5,000 keywords, full API access. Includes Share of Voice metrics.

The free tier still exists ($0/mo, 1 demo project, 10 reports per day) but is a trial, not a working tool for anyone managing a real site.

The biggest shift: AI visibility features are no longer an add-on. They are baked into every plan starting at Starter. That means anyone serious about tracking their brand's presence in AI search results must pay at least $165/mo. The old $119/mo Pro plan with basic SEO only is now the $117.33/mo SEO plan, which drops AI visibility entirely.

Semrush Alternatives Compared: Pricing and Limits

Below is a side-by-side comparison of Semrush against three alternatives, using annual pricing verified on each vendor's official site on July 17, 2026. All prices shown are annual rates (paid upfront) since that is what most buyers actually commit to.

1. Ahrefs: The Strongest Backlink and Content Alternative

Ahrefs is the most direct Semrush competitor. It matches Semrush on keyword and backlink data and pulls ahead on content research with its Content Explorer. The plans, verified on ahrefs.com/pricing on July 17, 2026:

Lite: $129/mo monthly, roughly $107/mo annual (17% savings). 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 6 months of historical data, 1 user included. Add 2 more users at $40/mo each.
Standard: $249/mo monthly, roughly $207/mo annual. 20 projects, 2,000 keywords, 2 years of historical data. Add 5 more users at $60/mo each.
Advanced: $449/mo monthly, roughly $373/mo annual. 50 projects, 5,000 keywords, 5 years of historical data. Add 10 more users at $80/mo each.

Where Ahrefs wins: more historical data on every plan (6 months on Lite vs minimal history on Semrush SEO), Content Explorer for topic research, and a cleaner interface for backlink analysis. The Lite plan at roughly $107/mo annual gives you 750 keywords versus 500 on Semrush SEO at $117.33/mo.

Where Ahrefs loses: no built-in AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT or Perplexity at the time of verification. Ahrefs' AI features focus on custom prompts and AI suggestions within Keywords Explorer rather than external AI-search monitoring. User seats cost extra on every plan, while Semrush bundles more seats at comparable tiers.

Read our full breakdown: Ahrefs vs Semrush comparison.

2. Moz Pro: Budget-Friendly SEO Basics

Moz Pro is the cheapest entry point among established SEO platforms. Verified on moz.com/products/pro/pricing on July 17, 2026 (annual pricing, 20% savings):

Standard: $79/mo annual ($99/mo monthly). 1 user, 3 tracked sites, 300 keywords, 400K pages crawled per week.
Medium: $143/mo annual ($179/mo monthly). 2 users, 10 tracked sites, 1,500 keywords, 500K pages crawled per week.
Large: $239/mo annual ($299/mo monthly). 3 users, 25 tracked sites, 3,000 keywords, 1.25M pages crawled per week.

Where Moz wins: price. The Standard plan at $79/mo is the lowest-cost entry of any established SEO platform on this list. Moz also includes AI content briefs and AI prompt suggestions at every paid tier, something Semrush gates behind the $165 Starter plan. The MozBar browser extension and Domain Authority metric remain widely used.

Where Moz loses: keyword tracking limits are lower than Semrush at every tier (300 keywords on Standard vs 500 on Semrush SEO). Moz's AI visibility and GEO features are less developed: it tracks AI search presence but does not offer the same depth of ChatGPT and Perplexity monitoring that Semrush Starter provides. For agencies managing many clients, the 3-user cap on Large is restrictive.

3. SE Ranking: The GEO-Aware Budget Pick

SE Ranking has added GEO tracking across AI Overviews, AI Mode, Perplexity, and ChatGPT, making it the only alternative on this list that matches Semrush on AI-search monitoring at a lower price. Verified on seranking.com/pricing.html on July 17, 2026 (annual pricing, 20% savings):

Core: $103.20/mo annual ($129/mo monthly). 10 projects, 1 manager seat, 2,000 keywords, 5 domains in GEO research, 250K pages per month in audit, 25K API credits.
Growth: $223.20/mo annual ($279/mo monthly). 30 projects, 3 manager seats, 5,000 keywords, 15 domains in GEO research, 2M pages per month in audit, 100K API credits.
Enterprise: custom pricing with flexible limits and full API access.

SE Ranking also sells add-ons: the Agency Pack (+$69/mo annual for white-label reporting and client seats) and AI Search (+$71.20/mo annual for expanded AI visibility tracking with 200 prompts).

Where SE Ranking wins: it is the only tool here that includes GEO research (tracking brand presence across AI search platforms) on the entry-level plan at $103.20/mo. Semrush requires the $165 Starter plan for comparable AI visibility features. The keyword tracking limits are generous: 2,000 keywords on Core versus 500 on Semrush SEO.

Where SE Ranking loses: the backlink index is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush. The platform is less known than Semrush, which means fewer integrations and a smaller community. The GEO features are still maturing: SE Visible (the AI search dashboard) is newer than Semrush's AI visibility tools.

Who Should Switch Away From Semrush

You only need backlink and keyword data, not AI visibility tracking. The new Semrush SEO plan at $117.33/mo drops AI features that were previously standard on Pro. If you do not track AI search presence, Ahrefs Lite at roughly $107/mo annual gives you more keywords (750 vs 500) and more historical data.
You are a solo SEO or small team on a tight budget. Moz Pro Standard at $79/mo annual or SE Ranking Core at $103.20/mo annual both undercut Semrush's entry pricing. SE Ranking is the better pick if GEO tracking matters; Moz is adequate for traditional SEO only.
You manage many client sites and need generous limits per dollar. SE Ranking Core includes 10 projects and 2,000 keywords at $103.20/mo. To get 15 projects on Semrush you need Pro+ at $248.17/mo. The per-project cost is dramatically lower on SE Ranking.

Who Should Stay With Semrush

You already use Semrush and need AI visibility tracking. The Starter plan at $165.17/mo bundles AI monitoring across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini. No alternative matches this breadth at the same price: SE Ranking Core is cheaper but has fewer AI integrations; Ahrefs lacks external AI-search monitoring.
You need the broadest toolset in one subscription. Semrush includes SEO, content marketing, competitor research, local SEO, social media, and PPC tools. Ahrefs and Moz focus more narrowly on SEO. If you use Semrush's non-SEO features (social media poster, PPC keyword tool, listing management), switching means paying for separate tools.
You are an agency that needs the Advanced plan's API and Share of Voice. At $455.67/mo annual, Semrush Advanced is priced comparably to Ahrefs Advanced ($449/mo) but includes the full AI visibility suite and API access. For agencies running large-scale SEO programs, the breadth justifies the cost.

At a glance

Tool (entry plan)	Annual price	Monthly price	Projects/sites	Keywords	Users	AI/GEO tracking
Semrush SEO	$117.33/mo	$139/mo	5 websites	500	1	Basic only
Semrush Starter	$165.17/mo	$199/mo	5 websites	500	1	Full (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini)
Ahrefs Lite	~$107/mo	$129/mo	5 projects	750	1 (+$40/extra)	Custom prompts only
Moz Pro Standard	$79/mo	$99/mo	3 sites	300	1	Basic AI briefs
SE Ranking Core	$103.20/mo	$129/mo	10 projects	2,000	1 manager	GEO research (5 domains)

Semrush alternatives: entry-level annual pricing and limits (verified July 17, 2026)

FAQ

Why did Semrush change its plan names?

Semrush renamed Pro/Guru/Business to SEO/Starter/Pro+/Advanced in 2026 as part of a broader shift toward bundling AI-search visibility features into every paid tier. The new names reflect the product's expansion beyond traditional SEO into GEO and AI-search monitoring.

Is there a free Semrush alternative?

Semrush offers a free tier with 1 demo project and 10 reports per day. Moz and SE Ranking both offer free trials (14 days for SE Ranking, Moz has a free tier with limited features). Ahrefs has a free Webmaster Tools tier for verified site owners. None of these free options replace a paid SEO tool for professional use.

Which Semrush alternative is best for agencies?

SE Ranking Growth ($223.20/mo annual) is the strongest agency pick: 30 projects, 3 manager seats, 5,000 keywords, and 15 domains in GEO research. The Agency Pack add-on (+$69/mo) adds white-label reporting and client seats. Ahrefs Standard ($249/mo) is better for backlink-heavy agency work but lacks GEO tracking.