Semrush vs Ahrefs
Semrush starts at $117.33/mo and Ahrefs at $108/mo on annual billing — but seat fees, project caps and tracked-keyword limits decide the real bill. See it costed below.
Costed for three setups
| Setup | Semrush | Ahrefs | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blogger · 1 site · 100 keywords weekly · 1 user | $117.33/mo SEO | $108/mo Lite | Ahrefs |
| Blogger · 1 site · 100 keywords weekly · 1 user (monthly billing) | $139.95/mo SEO | $129/mo Lite | Ahrefs |
| Small business · 5 sites · 500 keywords daily · 2 users | $162.33/mo SEO | $148/mo Lite | Ahrefs |
| Small business · 5 sites · 500 keywords daily · 2 users (monthly billing) | $184.95/mo SEO | $169/mo Lite | Ahrefs |
| Agency · 10 sites · 1,500 keywords daily · 3 users | $338.17/mo Pro+ (SEO + AI Search) | $328/mo Standard | Ahrefs |
| Agency · 10 sites · 1,500 keywords daily · 3 users (monthly billing) | $389/mo Pro+ (SEO + AI Search) | $369/mo Standard | Ahrefs |
At a glance
| Feature | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing unit | Per account + paid extra users | Per account (1 user) + paid seats |
| Watch out for | The pricing page does not say how many logins a plan includes — extra users are an add-on “starting at $45/mo”, so teams pay per head. | Each plan includes only 1 user; extra seats cost $40 (Lite), $60 (Standard) or $80 (Advanced) a month and are capped at 2, 5 and 10. |
| Cheapest paid (annual) | $117.33/mo | $108/mo |
| Cheapest paid (monthly) | $139.95/mo | $29/mo |
| Entry plan includes | SEO: 5 projects · 500 tracked keywords · daily updates · users Not listed · extra from $45/mo | Starter: unlimited projects · no rank tracking listed · update frequency Not listed · users Not listed |
| Forever free | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | 7 days | Not listed |
| Add-ons | Additional users starting at $45/mo; Lead Generation $90/mo; Base Report $10/mo; Pro Report $20/mo. Enterprise: custom pricing. | Content Kit from $99/mo; Report Builder $99/mo; Project Boost Pro $20/mo per project; Project Boost Max $200/mo per project; Traffic reports $99/mo; Brand Radar AI from $199/mo; custom prompt packages $50–$250/mo. Pay-as-you-go credits and extra users are charged automatically. |
All plans
Semrush
| Plan | Mo | Yr/mo | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 project · no rank tracking listed · update frequency Not listed · users Not listed |
| SEO | $139.95 | $117.33 | 5 projects · 500 tracked keywords · daily updates · users Not listed · extra from $45/mo |
| Starter (SEO + AI Search) | $199 | $165.17 | 5 projects · 500 tracked keywords · daily updates · users Not listed · extra from $45/mo |
| Pro+ (SEO + AI Search) | $299 | $248.17 | 15 projects · 1,500 tracked keywords · daily updates · users Not listed · extra from $45/mo |
| Advanced | — | — | 40 projects · 5,000 tracked keywords · update frequency Not listed · users Not listed |
Ahrefs
| Plan | Mo | Yr/mo | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs Free | $0 | $0 | unlimited projects · no rank tracking listed · update frequency Not listed · users Not listed |
| Starter | $29 | — | unlimited projects · no rank tracking listed · update frequency Not listed · users Not listed |
| Lite | $129 | $108 | 5 projects · 750 tracked keywords · update frequency Not listed · 1 user · +$40/user/mo (max 3) |
| Standard | $249 | $208 | 20 projects · 2,000 tracked keywords · update frequency Not listed · 1 user · +$60/user/mo (max 6) |
| Advanced | $449 | $374 | 50 projects · 5,000 tracked keywords · update frequency Not listed · 1 user · +$80/user/mo (max 11) |
| Enterprise | — | $1499 | 100 projects · tracked keywords Not listed · update frequency Not listed · 3 users · +$100/user/mo |
Gotchas
Semrush
- The pricing page does not say how many logins a plan includes — extra users are an add-on “starting at $45/mo”, so teams pay per head.
- SEO and Starter have the same 5-site / 500-keyword limits; Starter’s extra $59/mo buys AI Visibility, not more tracking.
- Annual billing saves up to 17% ($117.33/mo instead of $139.95 on SEO).
Ahrefs
- Each plan includes only 1 user; extra seats cost $40 (Lite), $60 (Standard) or $80 (Advanced) a month and are capped at 2, 5 and 10.
- Lite gives 1,000 credits per user per month — Standard and up are unlimited.
- Project limits apply to unverified sites; verified sites you own are unlimited.
- The pricing page does not state the rank-tracking update frequency.
FAQ
Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?
For 5 sites, 500 keywords tracked daily, 2 users, annual billing: Semrush $162.33/mo on SEO vs Ahrefs $148/mo on Lite. The answer flips with seat add-ons, project caps and daily vs weekly tracking — use the calculator on the SEO tools hub for your exact setup.
Do Semrush and Ahrefs have free plans or trials?
Semrush: Free plan: $0 — 1 demo project and 10 reports per day across the core tools, no credit card. Paid plans: 7-day free trial. Ahrefs: Ahrefs Free gives website owners limited free access to Site Explorer & Site Audit. Ahrefs says “We never run discounts” — no free trial is offered.
Which limits matter most when comparing SEO tools?
Included users and the price of extra seats, project/site caps, tracked keywords (and whether they update daily or weekly, pooled or per project), and whether the annual price is billed upfront. Our calculator checks each against the official plan cards.