Ahrefs

Ahrefs Pte. Ltd.

7.5

Overall Score / 10

vsDifferent jobs — depends on your workflow

Semrush

Semrush Inc.

Overall Score / 10

Our Verdict

Different jobs — depends on your workflow

Choose Ahrefs if:

—You prioritize backlink analysis and link building
—You want the best content research tool (Content Explorer)
—You prefer a cleaner, more focused SEO-only interface

Choose Semrush if:

—You need PPC keyword research alongside SEO
—You want the broadest competitive intelligence
—You need social media management and local SEO tools

The biggest difference: Ahrefs has the largest backlink index and best content explorer; Semrush has the largest keyword database (25B+) and includes PPC/social tools

Side-by-Side Comparison

Criteria	Ahrefs	Semrush
Cheapest Paid Plan	$129/mo (Lite)Source: Ahrefs Pte. Ltd. pricing page →	$139.95/mo (Pro)Source: Semrush Inc. pricing page →
Free Tier	Yes Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: free site audit and backlink data for verified site owners	Yes 10 requests/day, 1 project, 10 keywords to track, limited data
Value for Money	7	7
Ease of Use	7	6
Feature Power	10	10
Setup Ease	7	6
Migration Ease	6	5
Transparency	7	6
Deployment	cloud	cloud
API Available	Yes	Yes
Platforms	Web	Web
Compliance	GDPR	GDPR, SOC 2 Type II

Data independently verifiedLast verified: March 2026Scoring methodology →Source policy →

Feature Comparison

Feature Comparison Matrix

20 features compared · 17 differences

Hide identical

Feature	Ahrefs	Semrush
Core
Backlink analysis	None	Full
Batch analysis	Full	None
Broken link checker	Full	None
Competitive analysis	Full	Full
Content Explorer	Full	None
Content gap analysis	Full	None
Content marketing toolkit	None	Full
Keyword research (25B+ keywords)	None	Full
Keywords Explorer	Full	None
Listing management	None	Full
Local SEO	None	Full
On-page SEO checker	None	Full
Position tracking	None	Full
PPC keyword research	None	Full
Rank Tracker	Full	None
SERP overview	Full	None
Site Explorer (backlink analysis)	Full	None
Integrations
API Access	Full	Full
Security
Site Audit	Full	Full
Social media management	None	Full

Pricing Comparison

Ahrefs Pricing

Lite$129/mo

5 projects, 6 months history, 1 user, 500 credits/mo

StandardPopular$249/mo

20 projects, 2 years history, 1 user, unlimited credits

Advanced$449/mo

50 projects, 5 years history, 1 user, Looker Studio integration

EnterpriseCustom

Unlimited projects, unlimited history, SSO, API

Semrush Pricing

Pro$139.95/mo

5 projects, 500 keywords to track, 10,000 results per report

GuruPopular$249.95/mo

15 projects, 1,500 keywords, content marketing tools, historical data

Business$499.95/mo

40 projects, 5,000 keywords, Share of Voice, API, extended limits

Who Should Choose Which?

Who should choose Ahrefs

Best for

SEO professionals needing the most comprehensive backlink data
Content marketers doing competitive analysis and keyword research
Agencies managing SEO for multiple clients

Avoid if

You have a very limited budget (starts at $129/mo)
You need PPC and advertising tools included (use Semrush)
You want an all-in-one marketing platform beyond just SEO

Who should choose Semrush

Best for

Marketing agencies needing SEO + PPC + content in one platform
Enterprise teams wanting the broadest competitive intelligence
PPC managers who also need SEO tools

Avoid if

You only need backlink analysis (Ahrefs has a deeper backlink index)
You have a limited budget and only need basic SEO (use Mangools)
You find the interface overwhelming and want simplicity

Switching Guidance

Switching from Ahrefs

Common triggers to leave:

•Need PPC and advertising tools in same platform
•Per-seat pricing too expensive for teams
•Want more all-in-one marketing features

Potential blockers:

•Historical backlink and ranking data
•Team trained on Ahrefs workflows
•Projects and tracked keywords configured

Switching from Semrush