vs
Semrush vs Ahrefs
Both sit in SEO & marketing. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: Ahrefs starts $110 a month cheaper than Semrush ($29 against $139, 79% less) on its Starter tier. Paying annually takes Semrush to $117.33/mo (16% off). Both figures were read from the vendors' own pricing pages on the dates shown below.
Semrush
semrush.com
SEO, paid search, content, social and PR tooling in one suite — enormous surface area, priced accordingly.
Free planSEO & Marketing
Visit SemrushAhrefs
ahrefs.com
A very large link index plus keyword, rank-tracking and site-audit tooling. The reference point for backlink data.
SEO & Marketing
Visit Ahrefs| Semrush | Ahrefs | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $139/mo | $29/mo |
| Entry plan | SEO | Starter |
| Paid annually | $117.33/mosave 16% | — |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | 6 Sept 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free trial |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Category | SEO & Marketing | SEO & Marketing |
| Around since | 2008 | 2011 |
Every price here was read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 21 Sept 2026. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Semrush vs Ahrefs, answered
- Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?
- No — Ahrefs is the cheaper entry point, at $29 a month against Semrush's $139, 79% less.
- Do Semrush or Ahrefs have a free plan?
- Semrush publishes an ongoing free plan; Ahrefs does not.
- What is the difference between Semrush and Ahrefs?
- Semrush: SEO, paid search, content, social and PR tooling in one suite — enormous surface area, priced accordingly. Ahrefs: A very large link index plus keyword, rank-tracking and site-audit tooling. The reference point for backlink data.
- Which one is cheaper paid annually?
- Ahrefs, at $29 a month against Semrush's $117.33. Semrush drops to $117.33 a month paid yearly (16% off), while Ahrefs publishes no annual discount we could read, so it stays at $29.
