Semrush: pricing, pros and cons
Semrush is the broadest toolkit here, stretching into paid search, social and content. The all-in-one bill is considerably larger than the all-in-one sticker.
- Price
- $139.95/moestimate
- At 50 people
- $1,679/yr
- Free tier
- Yes10 requests a day, which is enough to try it and no more.
- Website
- semrush.com
NoteLocal SEO, agency and API access are all separately priced add-ons.
Specification
What Semrush supports
The dimensions every SEO platform in our catalogue is compared on.
- Keyword database
- 25 B keywords
- Backlink index
- 43 T links
- Rank tracking
- Yes
- Technical site audit
- Yes
- Content optimisation
- Yes
- Local SEO
- Yes
- Crawler
- Cloud
- Competitor research
- Yes
- SAML single sign-on
- No
- SOC 2
- Yes
- EU data residency
- No
- Self-hostable
- No
- Open source
- No
- Public API
- Yes
- Native mobile apps
- Yes
The honest assessment
Semrush: pros and cons
The all-in-one option, priced so that the all-in-one bill is a lot larger than the sticker.
What it does well
- Covers organic, paid, social and content in one subscription
- Keyword Magic Tool is the most usable keyword explorer in the category
- Position tracking and reporting are strong enough for client-facing agencies
What it costs you
- Add-ons mean the real monthly cost is routinely double the headline price
- Extra users cost roughly the price of a second subscription
- Breadth comes at the cost of depth — backlink data trails Ahrefs
Fit
Who Semrush suits
Choose it if
- Agencies reporting across organic, paid and content for the same client
- Teams who want keyword research that a generalist can use
Look elsewhere if
- Anyone whose budget assumes the headline price is the real one
- Teams who only need backlink data, where Ahrefs is deeper
Head to head
Semrush compared
Direct comparisons against every other SEO platform we cover.
4 alternatives
Other SEO platforms worth a look
Everything else we cover in seo tools, cheapest first.
Questions
Semrush, answered
What is Semrush best for?
Agencies reporting across organic, paid and content for the same client. Teams who want keyword research that a generalist can use. In short: the broadest toolkit in SEO, stretching into paid search, social and content marketing.
What are the downsides of Semrush?
Add-ons mean the real monthly cost is routinely double the headline price. Extra users cost roughly the price of a second subscription. Breadth comes at the cost of depth — backlink data trails Ahrefs. The trade-off in one line: The all-in-one option, priced so that the all-in-one bill is a lot larger than the sticker.
How much does Semrush cost?
$139.95 a month for the whole account regardless of headcount — about $1,679 a year. There is a free tier. Local SEO, agency and API access are all separately priced add-ons.
What are the best Semrush alternatives?
In seo tools the credible alternatives are Ahrefs, Moz Pro, Screaming Frog, Ubersuggest. Which fits depends on your team size, budget and non-negotiables — our questionnaire ranks all of them against your answers in about three minutes.
Is Semrush worth switching away from?
Only if one of its real drawbacks is costing you something concrete. The all-in-one option, priced so that the all-in-one bill is a lot larger than the sticker. If none of the downsides above describe your situation, staying is almost always cheaper than moving — a migration costs weeks, and a tool that merely annoys you is not worth them.
Prices are unverified estimates — useful for comparing orders of magnitude, not for budgeting. Confirm the current figure with the vendor before you commit to anything.
Is Semrush still the right call for your team?
Answer about a dozen questions and we will rank Semrush against every alternative in seo tools — with the reasoning shown, and the cost of switching at your actual seat count.