Semrush alternatives
Which Semrush alternative fits your job? 6 compared, with September 2026 prices
Semrush does a lot, and it is priced for it. Here is who each alternative suits, what it costs today, and when staying on Semrush is the better call.
Disclosure: SearchBlueprint makes this page and is one of the 6 tools on it, listed first. Every other tool's price and features come from its own website, read on September 29, 2026, and each card says when another tool is the better pick.
- The shortlist
- 1SearchBlueprintSmall teams that want a plan for their own site more than a data suite.
- 2SE RankingAgencies that want a Semrush-style toolkit with room for clients.
- 3AhrefsTeams whose work is backlinks and competitor research.
- 4Moz ProSmall businesses that want core SEO metrics for one site.
- 5Mangools (KWFinder)Freelancers who mostly need keyword research, cheaply.
- 6SpyFuMarketers researching competitors' paid and organic keywords.
The short answer
If you use Semrush for research across many sites, SE Ranking and Ahrefs are the closest swaps. If you mainly need to know what to do next on your own site, you may not need a suite at all.
What Semrush is good at
Semrush has the data. Per their pricing page, the SEO plan covers 5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily with keyword research and competitor analysis, and the Starter plan adds 50 AI prompts tracked daily. Pro+ and Advanced raise the limits and add history and API data.
Why teams look at alternatives
- The SEO plan is $139/mo, and AI search tracking starts at $199/mo on the Starter plan.
- Extra users start at $45/mo each.
- The free plan stops at 10 reports a day.
Per Semrush's own pricing page, read September 29, 2026.
At a glance
Prices as each vendor states them on September 29, 2026, in US dollars. Check their site before you buy.
| Tool | Best for | Entry price | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| SearchBlueprint | Small teams that want a plan for their own site more than a data suite. | Free first plan, then $150/mo (Base) | Your first strategy run free, plus 61 free tools with no signup |
| SE Ranking | Agencies that want a Semrush-style toolkit with room for clients. | $129/mo (Core), or $103.20/mo billed annually | 14-day free trial, no credit card |
| Ahrefs | Teams whose work is backlinks and competitor research. | $29/mo (Starter); core plans from $129/mo (Lite) | Ahrefs Free account, plus free tools such as a keyword generator and an AI visibility checker |
| Moz Pro | Small businesses that want core SEO metrics for one site. | $49/mo for one website; Standard $99/mo, or $79/mo paid yearly | Free trial; a free Moz Community account gives limited Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer and MozBar access |
| Mangools (KWFinder) | Freelancers who mostly need keyword research, cheaply. | $37.70/mo (Basic), billed annually | Free account with 5 KWFinder lookups a day; 48-hour money-back guarantee |
| SpyFu | Marketers researching competitors' paid and organic keywords. | $39/mo (Basic), or $29/mo billed annually | No free plan; 30-day money-back guarantee |
The alternatives, one by one
1.SearchBlueprint
Our productBest for: Small teams that want a plan for their own site more than a data suite.
One run on your URL gives you a keyword map (which page on your site targets which search), a site structure and a list of pages to write next. On paid plans the on-page plan suggests a new title and headings for each page it reads.
- Entry price
- Free first plan, then $150/mo (Base)
- Free option
- Your first strategy run free, plus 61 free tools with no signup
Pick another tool if: It is not a data suite: no backlink index, no historical data and no daily tracking of keyword positions. If that is the job, a suite on this list does it.
2.SE Ranking
Best for: Agencies that want a Semrush-style toolkit with room for clients.
Core includes unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research, 10 projects, 2,000 keywords and 100 AI prompts tracked daily, and 250,000 audit pages a month.
- Entry price
- $129/mo (Core), or $103.20/mo billed annually
- Free option
- 14-day free trial, no credit card
Pick another tool if: White-label reporting is an add-on, the Agency Pack.
3.Ahrefs
Best for: Teams whose work is backlinks and competitor research.
Starter at $29/mo covers keyword and competitor research; Lite at $129/mo adds 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords and 5 tracked AI prompts, with API and MCP access on core plans.
- Entry price
- $29/mo (Starter); core plans from $129/mo (Lite)
- Free option
- Ahrefs Free account, plus free tools such as a keyword generator and an AI visibility checker
Pick another tool if: Brand Radar, the AI prompt database, is priced separately from $199/mo.
4.Moz Pro
Best for: Small businesses that want core SEO metrics for one site.
A $49/mo plan covers one website. Standard at $99/mo adds 3 tracked sites, 300 tracked keywords and 50 AI prompts checked weekly across four AI models.
- Entry price
- $49/mo for one website; Standard $99/mo, or $79/mo paid yearly
- Free option
- Free trial; a free Moz Community account gives limited Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer and MozBar access
Pick another tool if: AI prompts are checked once a week.
5.Mangools (KWFinder)
Best for: Freelancers who mostly need keyword research, cheaply.
Basic allows 100 keyword lookups a day and tracks 200 keyword positions, with API and MCP access, and a free account gives 5 lookups a day.
- Entry price
- $37.70/mo (Basic), billed annually
- Free option
- Free account with 5 KWFinder lookups a day; 48-hour money-back guarantee
Pick another tool if: Basic has no extra seats, and backlink data is lighter than a suite's.
6.SpyFu
Best for: Marketers researching competitors' paid and organic keywords.
Basic includes 10,000-row search results and exports and 5,000 keyword positions tracked weekly, and their pricing page lists more than 10 years of historical data.
- Entry price
- $39/mo (Basic), or $29/mo billed annually
- Free option
- No free plan; 30-day money-back guarantee
Pick another tool if: There is no free plan; you get a 30-day money-back guarantee instead.
When to stay on Semrush
- You track hundreds of keyword positions every day across several sites.
- Your work is research-heavy: competitor traffic, historical data and backlinks.
- You report on prompt-level AI answers and want them checked every day in the same tool.
- Your team already knows the suite and uses more than two parts of it.
Switching from Semrush
- 1Export your keyword lists and project keywords from Semrush as CSV before you cancel.
- 2List what you really used last month; that is the job the new tool has to do.
- 3Start a trial or free plan of the alternative that fits that job, and rebuild one project first.
- 4Run both for one billing cycle, then cancel the one you opened least.
Questions people ask
Is Semrush free, and what is the best free alternative?
Semrush has a free plan, but it stops at 10 reports a day, and paid plans come with a 7-day free trial. No free tool matches the paid suite. For free keyword data, Google Keyword Planner and the free tiers of Moz, Mangools and Ahrefs cover the basics, and our free tools check volume, difficulty and intent with no signup.
Is Ahrefs better than Semrush?
For backlinks, many teams think so; for a broad toolkit with AI search in the same plan, Semrush covers more. Compare the plan you would actually buy.
Is Semrush still independent?
No. Semrush's homepage says Adobe has completed its acquisition of Semrush.
Is SearchBlueprint a Semrush alternative?
For some teams. If you used Semrush to decide what to do next on your own site, the strategy run does that job. If you need its data, stay on a suite.
Before you pick a tool, see what your own site needs.
Start with the plan for your own site: which page targets each search, and what to write next. The first one is free.
- Free first plan
- No credit card
- Keep your plan