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SEO Software

Semrush vs Ahrefs: Which SEO Platform Is Worth It in 2026?

The two biggest all-in-one SEO platforms, both now selling AI search visibility. Here is what each costs for one user, for a team, and for tracking AI answers.

By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 17, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Semrush logoFrom $117.33/mo billed annually ($139 monthly)

Semrush

VS
Ahrefs logoFrom $29/mo (Starter); full toolset from $129/mo (Lite)

Ahrefs

Run the cost calculator Compare pricing tiers
Semrush vs AhrefsVerified Sep 17, 2026
Bottom line Editorial assessment

Which is better, Semrush or Ahrefs?

Choose Semrush if you want AI search visibility in the same subscription, a free trial, or high website and keyword limits; choose Ahrefs if you are one or two people wanting SEO data at the lowest entry price. On monthly billing Ahrefs Lite is $129/mo versus $139/mo for Semrush SEO. Ahrefs sells AI visibility separately via Brand Radar from $199/mo.

Quick verdict: For a single user on monthly billing, Ahrefs Lite ($129/mo) undercuts Semrush’s SEO plan ($139/mo), and Ahrefs has a $29 Starter tier for light keyword and competitor research. Semrush offers a 7-day free trial and a limited free account; Ahrefs never discounts and offers no trial beyond its free plan for site owners. Semrush bundles AI search visibility into its Starter and higher plans; Ahrefs sells AI visibility as a separate Brand Radar add-on from $199/mo.
Verified data

Semrush vs Ahrefs: quick facts

At a glanceSemrushAhrefs
CategorySEO Software
Entry priceFrom $117.33/mo billed annually ($139 monthly)From $29/mo (Starter); full toolset from $129/mo (Lite)
Free planLimited free account — 10 Analytics requests/day, 1 projectAhrefs Free — limited Site Explorer & Site Audit for sites you own

Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?

For one user, slightly: Ahrefs Lite is $129/mo against $139/mo for Semrush’s SEO plan on monthly billing, and Ahrefs Starter costs $29/mo. With annual billing both save up to 17%, taking Semrush SEO to $117.33/mo. Once you add AI search tracking, Semrush’s Starter plan at $199/mo includes it, while Ahrefs charges for Brand Radar separately from $199/mo.

Verified data

Semrush vs Ahrefs at a glance

CategorySemrushAhrefs
Free optionLimited free account — 10 Analytics requests/day, 1 projectAhrefs Free — limited Site Explorer & Site Audit for sites you own
Free trial7 daysNone — Ahrefs says it never runs discounts
Entry tierSEO — $139/mo ($117.33/mo annual): 5 websites, 500 tracked keywordsStarter — $29/mo; Lite — $129/mo: 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 6 months of history
Mid tierStarter (SEO + AI Search) — $199/mo ($165.17 annual); Pro+ — $299/mo ($248.17 annual): 15 websites, 1,500 keywordsStandard — $249/mo: 20 projects, 2,000 tracked keywords, 2 years of history
Top self-serve tierAdvanced — $549/mo ($455.67 annual): 40 websites, 5,000 keywords, API accessAdvanced — $449/mo: 50 projects, 5,000 tracked keywords, 5 years of history
EnterpriseCustom pricing$1,499/mo, annual commitment required
Extra usersFrom $45/mo eachLite up to 2 at $40/mo; Standard up to 5 at $60/mo; Advanced up to 10 at $80/mo
AI search visibilityIncluded from Starter (SEO + AI Search)Brand Radar add-on from $199/mo

Verified September 17, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources

Prices from semrush.com/prices and ahrefs.com/pricing, checked September 17, 2026. Monthly-billing prices shown unless marked annual; both vendors advertise up to 17% off for annual billing.

Editorial assessment

How they actually differ

Both platforms cover keyword research, rank tracking, site audits and backlink analysis. The practical differences are in packaging: how limits scale, how extra users are charged, and whether AI search visibility is in the base price.

AI search visibility

Semrush now sells its paid tiers above the SEO plan as “SEO + AI Search”: Starter, Pro+ and Advanced include AI visibility tracking alongside SEO. Ahrefs keeps AI visibility in Brand Radar, sold separately from $199/mo, with custom prompt-tracking packages from $50/mo. If you need to track how your brand appears in AI answers, price that in before comparing base plans.

Trials, discounts and refunds

Semrush offers a 7-day free trial and a limited free account (10 Analytics requests a day, one project, 10 tracked keywords). Ahrefs states that it never runs discounts and does not generally issue refunds; its free option is Ahrefs Free, which gives site owners limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for their own sites.

Editorial assessment

Pros & cons

Semrush

Pros

  • 7-day free trial and a limited free account
  • AI search visibility included from Starter
  • Scales to 40 websites and 5,000 tracked keywords on Advanced
  • API access on Advanced

Cons

  • SEO plan is $10/mo more than Ahrefs Lite on monthly billing
  • Extra users start at $45/mo each
  • Top self-serve tier (Advanced) costs $549/mo
  • Enterprise pricing is custom

Ahrefs

Pros

  • $29/mo Starter tier for light research
  • Lite undercuts Semrush’s entry plan ($129 vs $139)
  • Up to 5 years of historical data on Advanced
  • Clear per-tier caps and prices for extra users

Cons

  • No free trial and no discounts
  • Refunds generally not issued
  • AI visibility (Brand Radar) costs extra from $199/mo
  • Lite includes only 750 tracked keywords and 6 months of history
Verified data

Cost calculator: what does your team actually pay?

Semrush

 
$0/mo

Ahrefs

 
$0/mo
 

Illustrative estimate using monthly-billing list prices, checked September 17, 2026. Semrush extra users are published as “starting at $45/mo” and are counted at that floor here; Ahrefs extra-user prices and caps are per tier. Excludes Ahrefs Brand Radar and other add-ons.

Choose Semrush if…

You want AI search visibility in the same subscription as your SEO tools, you want to trial before paying, or you manage many websites and keywords.

Choose Ahrefs if…

You are one or two people who want strong SEO data at the lowest entry price, and you do not need AI visibility tracking bundled in.

Total cost over time

Uses your selections above. Estimate excludes add-ons, overages, and negotiated discounts.

Ready to pick your SEO platform?

Semrush offers a 7-day trial; Ahrefs offers a free plan for sites you own. Confirm current pricing before you subscribe.

See Semrush pricing See Ahrefs pricing
Verified data

Semrush vs Ahrefs: security, offline & remote work

How Semrush and Ahrefs compare on compliance reports, sign-in controls, offline access and the setup details that matter for remote, hybrid and in-office teams. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checkedSemrushAhrefs
Security & compliance
SOC 2 reportNot publishedNot published
ISO/IEC 27001Not publishedNot published
Other certificationsPCI DSS Level 1sourceNot published
HIPAA (BAA)Not publishedNot published
GDPR data processing agreementDPA offeredsourceDPA offeredsource
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)YesGurusourceYesEnterprisesource
SCIM user provisioningNot publishedYessource
Two-factor authenticationYessourceYesEnforcement: Workspace owner/admin setting (plan not stated)source
Admin audit logNot publishedNot published
Data residency choicesUS onlysourceNot published
EncryptionAES-256 at rest; TLS 1.2+ in transitsourceEncrypted at rest (AWS RDS) and in transit (TLS)source
Self-hosting optionNot publishedNot published
Offline access
Offline modeNot documentedNot documented
Desktop appsNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsiOS, AndroidsourceNot published
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlistingNot publishedNot published
Device & session controlsNot publishedNot published
Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

  • Audit reports: we found no SOC 2 or ISO/IEC 27001 statement on either vendor’s site. For regulated or enterprise buyers, request security documentation before committing.
  • Single sign-on: Semrush includes it on Guru; Ahrefs includes it on Enterprise. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the plan that includes SSO, not the entry plan.
  • Working offline: Semrush and Ahrefs don’t document an offline mode. Details are in the Offline mode row above.

Semrush: worth knowing

  • RemoteSemrush's mobile app is a Position Tracking companion (projects, visibility, traffic and keyword positions), not the full toolkit. source
  • SecuritySAML SSO is set up by request, and password login stays available until the integration is tested and you ask for it to be disabled. source
  • SecuritySemrush hosts service data in the US on Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform and Digital Reality data centers. source

Ahrefs: worth knowing

  • SecurityAhrefs says SOC 2 certification is in progress and not yet complete. source
  • SecuritySAML SSO is Enterprise-only; Lite, Standard and Advanced plans do not include it. source
  • SecurityAdmins can make SAML the only login method, but owners and admins keep email/password access as a fail-safe. source
  • SecurityWhen 2FA is enforced, members without it are signed out until they set it up, and new invitees must set it up before joining. source

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

Is Semrush or Ahrefs cheaper?

For one user on monthly billing, Ahrefs Lite ($129/mo) is $10 cheaper than Semrush’s SEO plan ($139/mo), and Ahrefs Starter costs $29/mo. Both offer up to 17% off for annual billing.

Does Semrush or Ahrefs have a free trial?

Semrush offers a 7-day free trial and a limited free account. Ahrefs has no trial; its free option, Ahrefs Free, gives site owners limited Site Explorer and Site Audit access for their own sites.

Which includes AI search visibility?

Semrush includes AI visibility from its Starter (SEO + AI Search) plan at $199/mo. Ahrefs sells AI visibility through Brand Radar, a separate add-on from $199/mo.

How much do extra users cost?

Semrush lists additional users from $45/mo each. Ahrefs charges $40/mo per extra user on Lite (up to 2), $60 on Standard (up to 5) and $80 on Advanced (up to 10).

Can I move my rank tracking from one to the other?

You can move your tracked keyword lists (both tools import keywords from TXT or CSV files), but neither imports the other’s ranking history, so tracking history starts fresh.

Migration Guides

Already decided? Here’s how to actually switch.

Step-by-step migration guides covering what transfers automatically, what doesn’t, and how to handle the gap, in both directions.

Switching from Semrush to Ahrefs Switching from Ahrefs to Semrush
Editorial assessment

When to Buy — and When to Walk Away

Every “best SEO tool” listicle tells you why to buy. Here’s the other half: the specific conditions under which Semrush or Ahrefs is the wrong purchase for your team.

Semrush

Buy Semrush if:

  • You need to track brand visibility in AI answers as well as classic rankings
  • You want to trial the tool with real projects before paying
  • You manage many websites and need high keyword-tracking limits

Do NOT buy Semrush if:

  • You are a solo user who only needs core SEO data at the lowest price
  • You will add many users and have not priced extra seats
  • You do not need AI visibility and would be paying for it on Starter and above

Ahrefs

Buy Ahrefs if:

  • You want the lowest entry price for serious SEO data
  • You value long historical data on higher tiers
  • You only need light keyword and competitor research; Starter is $29/mo

Do NOT buy Ahrefs if:

  • You need to trial before buying; Ahrefs offers no trial
  • You need AI visibility tracking and do not want a separate add-on
  • You may need a refund; Ahrefs says it does not generally issue them

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›
Moz Pro vs AhrefsHead-to-head comparisonMoz Pro vs SemrushHead-to-head comparison

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, “Semrush vs Ahrefs: Which SEO Platform Is Worth It in 2026?”, helpcompare.com/semrush-vs-ahrefs/ (updated ).

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

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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.

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