Semrush vs. Ahrefs

More than SEO. Built for growth.
Semrush gives you the full marketing picture—AI visibility, SEO, social media, PPC, and content marketing.
Ahrefs, meanwhile, focuses primarily on backlinks and rankings, with newer features branching into other marketing areas.
Let’s compare the two—so you can choose the platform that fuels your next big win.

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How Does Semrush Compare to Ahrefs?

Both platforms are powerful, but there are some key differences

AI optimization	Semrush	Ahrefs
Visibility tracking in AI tools (ChatGPT, Google, Perplexity)
Brand sentiment analysis
Competitor AI visibility benchmarking
AI optimization recommendations
LLM prompt tracking
Keyword research & analysis
Keyword database (Organic & paid)	26.6B Google keywords	20.4B Google keywords
SERP analysis
Search intent analysis
Position tracking (including local)
SERP features analysis	49+	16
Personalized keyword metrics
Historical data	Dates back to 2012	Dates back to 2015
Technical SEO
Site audit
JavaScript rendering
Core Web Vitals
Log file analysis
Paid advertising
PPC keyword research
AI-powered ad creative generator
Competitor ad campaign analysis
PLA research
Local SEO
Listing management
Review management
Google Maps rank tracking
GBP optimization
Social media
Social media analytics
Post scheduling
AI-powered content creation
Competitor monitoring
Link building
Backlinks database	43 trillion links	35 trillion links
Link profile analysis
Anchor text data
Link outreach management
Content marketing
Topic finder
Content brief generator
AI article generator
Content optimizer
Plagiarism checker
Reporting and integrations
Custom report builder
White label reports
App marketplace
Additional features
Market research
Audience research
Competitor analysis
API access
Pricing	Varies by toolkit. SEO Toolkit starts at $139.95/month.	Starter plan is $29/month. Main subscriptions start at $129/month.

Note: Data as of May 2025. Notice an error in our comparison data? Please let us know.

How Does Semrush Compare to the Competition?

Semrush uncovers insights and streamlines your marketing tasks, so you can achieve outstanding results.

Get a Clear View of Your Brand’s Visibility In AI Tools

Monitor how your brand appears across ChatGPT, Google, Perplexity, and other major AI platforms.

See where your brand gets mentioned in AI-generated responses, track competitor visibility, and analyze sentiment across AI tools.

Track AI Visibility

Speed Up Content Creation with AI

Create SEO-ready articles with just a few clicks.

Enter a topic you're interested in, generate a detailed content brief automatically, and create an SEO-optimized article using AI.

Create Content Faster

Find the Right Keywords for Your Website

Browse through one of the largest keyword databases on the market and pick the perfect keywords for your website.

Semrush provides important metrics like search volume, Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD %) that’s tailored to your site, and search intent to help you make data-driven decisions.

Find Keywords

Analyze Backlink Profiles & Find Opportunities

Get a complete view of any website’s backlinks with tools that use our database of 43 trillion links.

Plus, find new opportunities by seeing where your competitors get their best links, discovering relevant backlink prospects in your niche, and using our outreach tools to build relationships with potential link partners.

Analyze Backlinks

Audit Your Site to Find & Fix Technical Issues

Scan your website for 140+ SEO checks to take the guesswork out of technical SEO.

Quickly spot problems that could hurt your rankings and get clear steps to fix them. Plus, track your site's overall health to make sure your website stays technically sound.

Audit Your Site

Boost Your Visibility in Local Search

Put your business in front of nearby customers by optimizing your website for local SEO.

Monitor your rankings in local search results, manage your business listings across the web, and track your reviews on Google and other platforms—all from one place.

Get Started on Local SEO

Manage and Improve Your Social Media Presence

Create and execute your social media strategy across platforms.

Schedule posts, track performance, analyze your competition, and get actionable insights to grow your audience.

Manage Social Media

Uncover Market Data & Insights

Stay ahead of market trends with detailed data on your industry, competitors, and target audience.

Analyze traffic patterns, spot market opportunities, and understand what strategies are working in your space.

Get Market Insights

Here’s why marketers love Semrush

1 / 4

“I've been using Semrush for 7+ years now and heavily rely on it to help me move whatever site I'm working on to the top of Google.”

Casey Camilleri MarxDigital Marketing Director, Nlyte Software

“What I appreciate most about Semrush is that it covers all areas of search with its tools, so I can have a 360-degree view of my projects.”

Esther GiménezSenior SEO & UX Consultant, Annalect, Omnicom Media Group

“If you ask an agency to deliver 10x organic search growth through content, they will assign a large team to your project. Our content team, in contrast, runs activities with Semrush without having an army of people specialized in SEO.”

Fabrizio BallariniResponsible for SEO, Wise

“When it comes to pure value, Semrush wins. That’s mostly because you get a fully-featured SEO software suite AND Google Ads software for the same monthly price.”