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SEO SOFTWARE · MIGRATION GUIDE

Switching from Ahrefs to Semrush

Semrush Position Tracking imports keyword lists from TXT or CSV files, with tags in the same row. History stays behind, but a 7-day trial lets you rebuild your setup before paying.

Jump to migration steps Read the full comparison
By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 17, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Switching from Ahrefs to SemrushVerified Sep 17, 2026

Quick verdict: Export your tracked keywords from Ahrefs Rank Tracker, format them one keyword per row with tags comma-separated in the same cell, and import them into Semrush Position Tracking. Semrush can also pull keywords from Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Use the 7-day trial to rebuild your projects and confirm your plan’s limits before the first charge.

Estimate · your inputs

Switching Cost & Friction Estimator

Most buyers only budget for the new subscription. This estimates the hidden labor, data-cleanup, and retraining cost of actually making the switch.

25,000
10

Estimate assumes: 1 hour of data-mapping/cleaning labor per 2,000 records, a blended $75/hr ops rate, tiered migration & cleaning tooling fees, and 4 hours of retraining per seat at a $45/hr fully-loaded rate.

Estimated Migration Time —
Data Friction Rating —
Total Hidden Switching Cost $0

    Why teams move from Ahrefs to Semrush

    AI visibility in the plan

    Semrush includes AI search visibility from its Starter (SEO + AI Search) plan at $199/mo; Ahrefs sells it separately.

    A trial to rebuild in

    Semrush’s 7-day free trial lets you set up projects before paying.

    Scale across many sites

    Semrush Advanced covers 40 websites and 5,000 tracked keywords.

    How the migration actually works

    As with any SEO platform switch, you are re-creating your configuration rather than moving history.

    StepWhat you do
    1Export tracked keywords from AhrefsExport your Rank Tracker keyword list and tags.
    2Save what will not carry overDownload ranking history and reports from Ahrefs before your plan ends.
    3Format the file for SemrushOne keyword per row in its own cell, with that keyword’s tags comma-separated in the same cell. Save as CSV or TXT.
    4Set up Position TrackingCreate a Position Tracking campaign for each site.
    5ImportUnder Tagged Keywords, choose Import from, then TXT or CSV. You can also add keywords from Google Search Console or Google Analytics.
    6Re-run site auditsRun Semrush Site Audit to rebuild technical baselines.

    What this path doesn’t do for you:

    Ranking history, reports and audit history do not transfer; tracking starts fresh. Check your plan’s limits: the SEO and Starter plans cover 5 websites and 500 tracked keywords, so larger Ahrefs setups may need Pro+ or Advanced.

    Pricing side by side

    PlanAhrefsSemrush
    FreeAhrefs Free (sites you own)Limited free account
    Entry paidStarter — $29/mo; Lite — $129/moSEO — $139/mo ($117.33 annual)
    MidStandard — $249/moStarter (SEO + AI) — $199/mo; Pro+ — $299/mo
    TopAdvanced — $449/mo; Enterprise $1,499/moAdvanced — $549/mo; Enterprise custom

    List prices checked on the vendors’ pricing pages on September 17, 2026. Confirm current rates before you buy.

    Feature parity check

    CapabilityAhrefsSemrush
    Rank tracking keyword importTXT/CSV or pasteTXT/CSV, plus GSC and GA
    Ranking history importNoNo
    AI search visibilityBrand Radar add-on from $199/moIncluded from Starter (SEO + AI)
    Free trialNone7 days
    Extra users$40–$80/mo by tier, cappedFrom $45/mo each

    Going the other direction, or want the full comparison first?

    Read the Semrush vs Ahrefs comparison Switching from Semrush to Ahrefs instead?
    Verified data

    Security & access: what changes when you switch

    Security, offline and access rules that differ between Ahrefs and Semrush. Rows where both tools are the same (1) are left out; the full side-by-side is on each tool’s page: Ahrefs, Semrush.

    What changesAhrefs (today)Semrush (after)
    Other certificationsNot publishedPCI DSS Level 1source
    Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)YesEnterprisesourceYesGurusource
    SCIM user provisioningYessourceNot published
    Two-factor authenticationYesEnforcement: Workspace owner/admin setting (plan not stated)sourceYessource
    Data residency choicesNot publishedUS onlysource
    EncryptionEncrypted at rest (AWS RDS) and in transit (TLS)sourceAES-256 at rest; TLS 1.2+ in transitsource
    Mobile appsNot publishediOS, Androidsource
    Editorial assessment

    Before you cut over

    • Set up single sign-on in Semrush on Guru before you invite the team, so accounts are created through your identity provider rather than by hand.

    Checked September 19, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can Semrush import my Ahrefs keywords?

    Yes. Position Tracking imports TXT or CSV files, with tags comma-separated in the same cell as each keyword.

    Does ranking history transfer?

    No. Tracking starts fresh in Semrush, so export history from Ahrefs first.

    Is there a free trial?

    Yes, Semrush offers a 7-day free trial.

    How many keywords can I track?

    The SEO and Starter plans include 500 tracked keywords, Pro+ 1,500 and Advanced 5,000.

    Canonical data for the tools on this page

    Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

    AhrefsPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›SemrushPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
    Semrush vs AhrefsHead-to-head comparisonMoz Pro vs AhrefsHead-to-head comparisonMoz Pro vs SemrushHead-to-head comparison
    Semrush to AhrefsSwitching guideAhrefs to Moz ProSwitching guideMoz Pro to AhrefsSwitching guideMoz Pro to SemrushSwitching guideSemrush to Moz ProSwitching guide

    Sources

    Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

    Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

    Cite this page: HelpCompare, “Switching from Ahrefs to Semrush: A Step-by-Step Migration Guide”, helpcompare.com/ahrefs-to-semrush-migration/ (updated ).

    Source links on this site are checked every month; last check . How sources are checked.

    Start with the job

    Guides for the jobs this software does

    Plain-language guides: the steps, what to check before you buy, common mistakes, and every tool it takes with verified prices.

    Get more leads and customersImprove Google rankingsShow up on Google Maps and get reviewsBuild a websiteAll 50 job guides
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    Turn this into a one-page decision brief

    Verified prices costed for your team size, a check against your must-have requirements, the questions to settle before you sign, and a source for every figure. Print it, or paste it into an email to whoever approves the spend.

    Build a decision brief

    From shortlist to switched

    Built for the leader who owns the selection, answers for the spend, drives the rollout, and lives with the results. HelpCompare covers the whole decision, not just the first step.

    01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.132 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.264 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
    Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
    About the author

    Bill Belcamino

    Founder and author, HelpCompare

    Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent eight and a half years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

    “I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

    Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 17, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

    Read Bill’s story How we verify pricingSpot an error? Tell Bill