Ahrefs vs Semrush
Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Ahrefs
SEO suite known for its backlink index, with keyword research, site audits, rank tracking and a free tier.
Semrush
All-in-one SEO and online visibility suite for keyword research, competitor analysis, audits and rank tracking.
The short answer
Ahrefs suits SEO specialists and agencies whose work centres on backlinks and competitor research, and it gives site owners free audits of their own verified sites. Semrush suits marketing teams who want one subscription covering SEO, PPC research, local, content and social tasks. The biggest difference is focus: Ahrefs goes deep on search and link data, Semrush goes wide across search marketing.
Ahrefs or Semrush: our take
Both are all-in-one SEO suites with keyword research, rank tracking, site audits and competitor analysis, so for many day-to-day tasks either will do. Ahrefs built its name on its backlink index, which its Site Explorer draws on to show a site's links, top pages and organic keywords, and it reports a history of 35 trillion external backlinks. Its interface is generally described as clean and fast. Semrush covers similar SEO ground with large regional keyword databases, then extends into PPC research, local SEO, content marketing, social media and tracking how brands appear in AI search answers. That breadth is its main draw, though the interface is more crowded and takes longer to learn.
Pricing works differently. Ahrefs has a genuinely useful free tier, Ahrefs Free, which gives owners of verified sites audits (5,000 crawl credits a month per project), web analytics and SEO metrics. Its paid plans start with a low-cost Starter tier, which includes 200 Site Explorer credits, and lower plans are restricted by usage credits, so heavy users tend to end up on expensive tiers. Semrush has a very limited free account and a free trial of Semrush One; its plans are priced per user per month, with extra toolkits and add-ons sold separately, so the bill grows with every seat and module. Both run in the browser, and Ahrefs also has a browser extension.
Pick Ahrefs if link building, content gap research and competitor analysis are the core of your job, or if you mainly want free audits and metrics for sites you own. Pick Semrush if one team handles organic search alongside paid search, local listings and content, and you would rather manage one vendor than several tools. Agencies sometimes keep both, since their data sets differ, but most teams can choose based on whether they need depth in SEO or breadth across marketing.
Which should you pick?
Choose Ahrefs if…
- SEO specialists and agencies who rely on backlink and competitor data
- You need Browser extension, which Semrush doesn't list
- Large, frequently updated backlink index
- Free audits and analytics for your own verified sites
Choose Semrush if…
- Agencies and marketing teams wanting one suite for SEO, competitor and content research
- Very broad toolset covering most search marketing tasks
- Large keyword and competitor databases
About each app
What is Ahrefs?
Ahrefs built its reputation on one of the largest backlink indexes outside Google, and its Site Explorer remains a standard tool for checking any site's links, top pages and organic keywords. Around it are Keywords Explorer, Rank Tracker, Site Audit, content research tools, web analytics and newer features that track brand visibility in AI assistants. It is popular with SEO specialists, agencies and content teams who want reliable data and a clean interface. Ahrefs Free, formerly Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, gives site owners site audits, web analytics and SEO metrics for their own verified websites at no cost. Paid plans run from a low-cost Starter plan to Lite, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise, priced per month with usage credits on lower tiers. Prices have climbed over the years and lower plans are restrictive, so heavy users end up on expensive tiers. It runs in the browser, with a browser extension.
What is Semrush?
Semrush is one of the two dominant all-in-one SEO suites, alongside Ahrefs. Its SEO toolkit covers keyword research with large regional databases, competitor domain and traffic analysis, backlink analysis, site audits, position tracking and on-page recommendations, and it has grown into adjacent areas such as local SEO, content marketing, PPC research, social media and, more recently, tracking how brands appear in AI search answers. It is used by agencies, in-house marketing teams and freelancers who want one subscription for most search work. There is a limited free account and a free trial of paid plans; subscriptions are priced per user per month in tiers, with toolkits and add-ons sold separately, and Semrush One bundles SEO with AI visibility. The breadth is the main draw, but the bill grows quickly with extra seats and toolkits, and the interface can feel crowded. It runs in the browser.
Side by side
| Attribute | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, Browser extension | Web |
| Best for | SEO specialists and agencies who rely on backlink and competitor data | Agencies and marketing teams wanting one suite for SEO, competitor and content research |
| Status | Active | Active |
Ahrefs vs Semrush pricing
Ahrefs: free plan + paid
- Free tier: Ahrefs Free for verified sites source
- Free site audit: 5,000 crawl credits/month per project source
- Starter plan: 200 Site Explorer credits source
Platforms
| Platform | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ||
| Browser extension |
Ahrefs facts
4 of 4 verified- Free tier
- Ahrefs Free for verified sites
- Checked Oct 25, 2026ahrefs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “You can use Ahrefs Free on an unlimited number of verified websites .”
- Free site audit
- 5,000 crawl credits/month per project
- Checked Oct 25, 2026ahrefs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Yes, you get 5,000 crawl credits per verified project per month.”
- Backlinks history
- 35 trillion external backlinks
- Checked Oct 25, 2026ahrefs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “35 T External backlinks history”
- Starter plan
- 200 Site Explorer credits
- Checked Oct 25, 2026help.ahrefs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Free versus Starter Compared to Ahrefs free account, the Starter plan allows you to use: 200 credits to check any website in Site Explorer”
Semrush facts
3 of 3 verified- Free trial
- Yes (Semrush One)
- Checked Oct 25, 2026semrush.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “TRY SEMRUSH ONE FOR FREE The unified SEO and AI search solution”
Pros and cons of Ahrefs
- Large, frequently updated backlink index
- Free audits and analytics for your own verified sites
- Clean, fast interface
- Lower plans are restrictive with usage credits
- Expensive on higher tiers
- Fewer PPC and social features than Semrush
Pros and cons of Semrush
- Very broad toolset covering most search marketing tasks
- Large keyword and competitor databases
- AI search visibility tracking alongside classic SEO
- Costs rise fast with extra users and toolkits
- Crowded interface with a learning curve
- Free account is very limited
Other apps to consider
Ahrefs vs Semrush: common questions
Is Ahrefs better than Semrush?
Ahrefs suits SEO specialists and agencies whose work centres on backlinks and competitor research, and it gives site owners free audits of their own verified sites. Semrush suits marketing teams who want one subscription covering SEO, PPC research, local, content and social tasks. The biggest difference is focus: Ahrefs goes deep on search and link data, Semrush goes wide across search marketing.
Is Ahrefs free?
Ahrefs has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Semrush free?
Semrush has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Ahrefs or Semrush open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Ahrefs and Semrush support?
Ahrefs: Web and Browser extension. Semrush: Web.