Why Should You Look for SEMrush Alternatives?
Are you looking for a SEMrush alternative? Whether you want to save money or just find something easier to use, you have plenty of great options.
SEMrush has certainly earned its reputation as the go-to platform for numerous marketers and businesses worldwide. But it is not fitting everyone. The most common barrier is the cost. Some businesses might find the tool expensive, so they should check some SEMrush alternatives that offer similar features at a lower entry point.
Obviously, it may be pricey for smaller businesses or freelancers, because they often prefer SEMrush competitors. But its wide range of tools and insights offers unmatched value and also makes it a worthwhile investment for those who are looking to improve their SEO and digital marketing strategies.
Why would you need to pay for features that you don’t even use?
For those who still have doubts, we provided a list of alternatives to SEMrush. That will help you find the right fit. Switching to a specialized tool allows you to pay only for what you use.
Read this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the best SEMrush alternatives, and thoroughly examine their unique features, pricing structures and strengths. Ready to explore?
Best SEMrush Alternatives
Here is a detailed look at the top tools that can help you find a free alternative to SEMrush.
1. SE Ranking
SE Ranking stands out as the best SEMrush alternative for freelancers, agencies and businesses. It provides a complete toolkit to manage and optimize online presence efficiently, offering professional depth without complexity.
Features
SE Ranking covers all SEO essentials, giving complete access to backlink profiles and keyword ranking data. Website Audit tool identifies technical issues preventing growth, while customizable white-label reporting helps agencies maintain professional branding. The Content Marketing suite accelerates content creation by generating briefs from SERP leaders and using AI for writing. For local businesses, the platform will let you manage Google Business profiles from a single dashboard. Also, tracking Google Maps rankings across multiple locations is possible. Finally, the cutting-edge AI Toolkit monitors the brand’s visibility. It tracks performance in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
Pricing
SE Ranking understands that different businesses have unique needs and budgets and therefore offers a variety of pricing plans tailored to suit various requirements.
- The Pro plan is the most affordable option, designed for those looking for a reliable SEO tool set without breaking the bank. It offers two options depending on how many keywords you need to track daily, with pricing starting at $119 per month.
- The Business plan includes three options built for higher keyword volumes, starting at $259 per month.
- The API plan is available as an add-on for $149 per month.
You only pay for what you actually need because each plan has its own set of features and restrictions. For those who want to explore SE Ranking’s capabilities before committing, a free 14-day trial is available. Also, if you sign up for an annual subscription, you’ll get a 20% discount and a free migration to easily move your project data from another platform.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Provides an excellent price-to-performance ratio and also often can be less expensive than other competitors. | Extra Costs for Add-ons. Specific content tools often require additional fees or higher-tier subscriptions. |
| A true all-in-one platform that includes unique SEO tools. | The tool’s advanced functionalities may feel overwhelming for new users. |
| Simple, one-click switching between tracking performance by specific country and city. | Full API access is generally locked behind the most expensive Business plan, limiting integration options for smaller agencies. |
| Allows direct export of keyword data to Google Sheets |
SE Ranking vs SEMrush
SE Ranking is the superior choice if you need professional functionality without the enterprise price tag. While SEMrush is a heavyweight with massive data, SE Ranking covers all core SEO needs (tracking, audits and research) at a cost up to 55% lower. This makes it a smart financial decision for businesses that require powerful tools without the heavy overhead.
The platform is also significantly better suited for teams and collaboration. Unlike SEMrush, which strictly limits access (often providing only one seat even on expensive plans), SE Ranking encourages teamwork by including up to 5 manager seats and unlimited projects. This flexibility removes the hidden costs usually associated with scaling an agency or marketing department.
Finally, SE Ranking has a much smoother user experience. Its interface is cleaner so that new users to start working immediately. Users don’t feel overwhelming complexity, that is often found in SEMrush. Backed by higher user satisfaction ratings and a longer 14-day trial, it is the ideal alternative for growing businesses that want a professional tool set that is easy to navigate.
2. Sistrix
Sistrix is best suited for advanced SEO professionals, agencies and enterprise brands who prioritize strategic clarity over raw data volume. It focuses heavily on visualizing ranking changes to spot trends easily.
Features
Sistrix is built around its central feature, the Visibility Index. It’s the industry standard for measuring overall SEO success. The Keyword Discovery tool identifies optimal terms by analyzing volume and competition. The On-Page Optimizer detects technical, speed and content issues. You can also spy on rival strategies and backlinks with the Competitor Analysis feature and visualize this data.
Pricing
Sistrix offers four main subscription tiers:
- The Start plan costs €119/month and is designed for freelancers or startups needing basic visibility tracking and on-page error detection.
- The Plus plan is €239/month, adding three user seats, content marketing tools and training workshops.
- The Professional plan costs €419 per month, including API access and full historical data.
- The Premium plan is €799/month with advanced features like extensive export credits, user rights management, VIP support.
Only the Start and Plus tiers can have a free trial, but advanced plans can request a demo. Sistrix operates on a monthly basis, allowing users to cancel subscriptions at any time.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Uses daily ranking data from 40+ countries to identify trends and volatility. | Interface can lag when processing large data sets. |
| Exceptional accuracy for regions like Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy. | Data is weaker outside Europe. |
| Transparent data collection and scoring methodologies. | Lacks advanced tools. |
| Provides precise scores segmented by subdomain, directory, or device type. | The link module lacks essential metrics like trust scores and link authority. |
Sistrix vs SEMrush
Sistrix is the preferred choice for professionals who value strategic clarity over raw data volume. The Visibility Index feature offers a clearer performance score than SEMrush. While Semrush dominates globally, Sistrix offers superior data accuracy for European markets. SEMrush charges high for each extra seat. But Sistrix allows agencies to add team members much more affordably.
If you need a specialized, high-precision tool for European SEO that allows flexible access for your entire staff, Sistrix is the smarter investment.
3. Serpstat
Serpstat is a comprehensive SEMrush alternative designed for businesses and marketers to streamline SEO tasks like rank tracking and competitor analysis. It offers professional functionality without the high complexity of larger platforms.
Features
Serpstat’s main features include keyword research for 230 countries, daily rank tracking and backlink analysis. Keyword Clustering groups search terms to build topical relevance and the Site Audit prioritizes technical errors by severity. The platform also offers a unique “Missing Keywords” feature, which helps you discover keywords that your competitors rank for, but you don’t. With Competitor Analysis, you can reverse-engineer what your competitors are doing by spotting their traffic sources and keyword gaps. Also, the platform includes AI Tools that assist with writing, paraphrasing and checking text for originality within the dashboard.
Pricing
Serpstat offers three main subscription tiers to fit different need:
- The Individual plan costs $69/month and is ideal for freelancers or single users managing basic projects.
- The Team plan has 2 options: Teams starts at $129/month and is suitable to small agencies and Team x2 is $209/month to double operational limits.
- The Agency plan is priced at $499/month, offering enterprise-level features.
New users can get a 7-day free trial, specifically for Individual or Team plans. You can save up to 27% with annual billing.
Also, there are some discounts just for enterprises, non-profits and long-term contracts.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Broad feature coverage, like rank tracking, backlinks and audits | Keyword and backlink databases are small. |
| Supports question-based searches and clustering for efficient topic generation. | Technical audits can be slow on larger sites or during peak hours. |
| Trial offers full access without feature gating. | Lacks deeper real-time content scoring and recommendations. |
Serpstat vs SEMrush
Serpstat is a top SEMrush alternative for small to medium-sized businesses. Serpstat covers all the essential data for a much lower price. That makes it more accessible for small teams. Additionally, Serpstat gives you AI content tools and API access in its lower-tier plans.
If you need an SEO toolset that doesn’t require a big budget to unlock key features, Serpstat is a better alternative to SEMrush.
4. Raven Tools
Raven Tools is a SEMrush alternative offering an all-in-one SEO and digital marketing platform for agencies, freelancers and businesses. Instead of relying solely on its own data, it pulls insights from major sources like Majestic, Moz and Google into one dashboard to streamline workflow.
Features
Raven Tools offers site audits, keyword research, rank tracking, and backlink checks. It excels in reporting with white-label reporting and marketing automation tools. You can pull data from different sources into reports with easily.
The Link Building Manager works like a CRM for your outreach, organizing campaigns and tracking successful placements. The Site Auditor flags technical issues, giving a simple “health score” and a prioritized checklist to guide fixes. This creates a unified hub for managing all SEO tasks.
Pricing
Raven Tools offers five pricing tiers:
- The Small Biz plan costs $49/month and allows 2 domains with 2 user seats.
- The Start plan is priced at $109/month with 20 domains, 4 users.
- The Grow plan costs $199/month, supporting 80 domains, 8 users.
- The Thrive plan is $299/month for 160 domains, 20 users.
- The massive Lead plan costs $479/month for 320 domains, 40 users.
All plans have a free 7-day trial. Annual billing includes a 30% discount.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Supports customizable white-label reports with logo and color branding. | Domain overview and data displays are surface-level, restricting analysis. |
| Connects with Google Analytics 4 and GSC. | Offers fewer keyword suggestions, lacks difficulty scores. |
| Provides comprehensive site audits with generous crawl limits. | Lacks content marketing, ad research and link intersect tools. |
| Includes high keyword tracking allowances. | The user interface is frequently described as confusing. |
Raven Tools vs SEMrush
Raven Tools is the superior alternative to SEMrush for agencies that need a budget-friendly, white-label reporting solution. Raven Tools provides a streamlined way to generate professional reports for clients without the high costs. Its biggest advantage lies in Site Auditing: with crawl limits up to 7 million pages per month. This makes it ideal for technical SEOs auditing massive sites without SEMrush’s strict data limits.
5. Moz Pro
Moz Pro is the ideal SEMrush alternative for small businesses, offering an easy-to-use toolkit to boost rankings without complex data. Its clean design and educational resources make it a favorite for marketers looking to grow both traffic and skills.
Features
Moz Pro offers tools like SEMrush. Keyword Explorer uses “Difficulty” and “Priority” scores to help targeting terms they can actually rank for, while Bulk Keyword Analysis checks up to 100 keywords at once. The Site Crawl tool runs weekly audits and ranks errors by importance. Link Explorer tracks backlinks and domain authority. The On-Page Optimization tool grades pages and gives specific improvement steps. The Custom Reports tool saves time by building branded PDFs that send automatically, keeping clients updated without any extra effort.
Pricing
Moz Pro offers four subscription tiers:
- The Starter plan costs $49/month and is limited to one website.
- The Standard plan is $99/month for small businesses.
- The Medium plan is $179/month, adding full access to keyword research tools and two user seats.
- The Large plan costs $299/month.
A 7-day free trial is available for Standard and Medium plans. Annual billing offers a 20% discount, but there is a strict no-refund policy.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Includes multi-user access for teams. | Smaller Keyword index than rivals. |
| A unique “Brand Authority” score measures brand strength beyond links. | Exports limited to 1,000 keyword suggestions per query. |
| Audit features don’t sacrifice campaign slots. | Lacks global search volume data and total website traffic estimates. |
| Generous API access and on-demand rank tracking. | Cannot identify broken outbound links. |
Moz Pro vs SEMrush
Moz Pro is better for growing teams. Unlike SEMrush, Moz includes multiple seats in its higher plans. This makes it a much cheaper option for agencies that need to grant access to several team members. It also excels in technical SEO for massive websites due to generous crawl limits. Moz allows you to crawl and audit large sites without hitting strict caps. Additionally, if your workflow requires affordable API access or unique “on-demand” rank tracking, this SEMrush alternative offers the flexibility that SEMrush lacks.
6. Ahrefs
Ahrefs suits advanced professionals who prioritize deep backlink analysis and technical precision. Best known for its massive data capabilities, Ahrefs offers powerful tools that optimize technical SEO, outperform competitors and handle SEO changes without stress.
Features
Ahrefs’ key features include keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, site audits and competitor analysis. Site Explorer analyzes backlinks and reverse-engineering rival strategies. Keywords Explorer uses a “Traffic Potential” metric to estimate realistic organic traffic. Site Audit visualizes technical health, flagging 170+ errors instantly. The Content Explorer helps you find high-performing topics and competitor gaps. Brand Radar tracks visibility in AI search results and large language models.
Pricing
Ahrefs operates on a tiered pricing model:
- The Starter plan costs $29/month.
- The Lite plan costs $129/month.
- The Standard plan is priced at $249/month.
- The Advanced plan costs $449/month.
- The Enterprise plan starts at $1,499/month.
Unlike most SEMrush competitors, Ahrefs does not offer a free trial, but site owners can use Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for free.
Ahrefs has a no-refund policy, although paying annually can save 17%. Extra functionalities and extra user seats are paid enhancements.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Maintains one of the largest and accurate backlink indexes. | Does not offer a free trial. |
| Offers a unique “Traffic Potential” metric to estimate actual clicks. | Poor integration with tools like Google Analytics. |
| Supports keyword research for YouTube, Amazon, Bing. | Daily keyword ranking updates require a costly add-on. |
| Allows working with unlimited verified websites. | Key tools often require upgrading to higher tiers. |
Ahrefs vs SEMrush
For experts who prioritize pure SEO data over a broad marketing suite, Ahrefs is the clear winner. Ahrefs focuses entirely on organic search, unlike SEMrush, which includes PPC and content tools. This results in the most accurate backlink analysis and keyword research data on the market. For link building, Ahrefs is the superior option. It offers a quicker and more efficient data retrieval.
You should choose Ahrefs if your main objective is a comprehensive, technical SEO evaluation instead of handling paid advertising campaigns
7. Mangools
If you are a blogger or small business owner looking for a simple way to execute SEO strategies, Mangools is your best bet. It offers five easy-to-use separate apps that are covering essential tasks, making professional SEO accessible to everyone.
Features
Mangools consists of “The Big 5” tools. KWFinder finds long-tail keywords and Google Autocomplete questions. SERPChecker analyzes competitors using metrics like “Citation Flow” and “Trust Flow”. SERPWatcher tracks organic traffic share with a “Performance Index”. LinkMiner allows you to preview the specific page where a backlink is located directly in the dashboard. With the SiteProfiler feature, you can check a domain’s authority.
These tools work together seamlessly to provide an all-in-one SEO solution that covers all the essential aspects of search engine optimization.
Pricing
Mangools offers three main subscription tiers:
- The Mangools Basic plan costs $30.50/month and doesn’t have extra user seats.
- The Mangools Premium plan ($40.50/month) includes 3 extra seats.
- The Mangools Agency plan ($70.50/month) has 5 extra seats and higher limits.
Unlike many competitors, Mangools has a “completely free plan”. Additionally, there is a 10-day Free+ allows testing full capabilities with generous limits. Paying annually will save 35%.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| LinkMiner uses the majestic index for high-quality link database. | Lacks depth and scale required for big teams with hundreds of clients. |
| Complex data is presented in clean, visual formats. | Keyword and backlink databases have few records. |
| Has a great tool for finding low-competition long-tail keywords | Lacks a dedicated, deep technical audit tool. |
Mangools vs SEMrush
Mangools is the champion of User Experience (UX) and affordability. Mangools offers an intuitive interface that beginners can master without tutorials. It removes enterprise-level complexity to focus on essential tasks. Mangools covers all essential SEO tasks (keyword research, rank tracking and backlink analysis) for a fraction of the cost, starting at around $30.50/mo compared to SEMrush’s $199/mo.
Choose Mangools, as a SEMrush alternative, if you are a freelancer or blogger who needs a clean, budget-friendly tool for straightforward SEO tasks.
8. Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a budget-friendly SEMrush alternative that helps entrepreneurs, bloggers and small businesses improve their online presence. Developed by Neil Patel, it acts as a gateway to search marketing by stripping away the complexity of enterprise software.
Features
Ubersuggest provides a range of valuable features, including keyword research, content ideas, backlink analysis and competitor traffic analysis. The core Keyword Overview provides search volume and SEO difficulty. The “Content Ideas” feature displays high-performing articles to inspire your strategy. The Site Audit scans for critical errors and gives you a simple “On-Page SEO Score”. The Backlink Opportunity tool finds sites linking to competitors but not to you, simplifying outreach. Recently, they added AI writing features that create page titles and content outlines automatically. The platform also offers a Chrome extension that integrates with Google search results.
Pricing
Ubersuggest has 3 tiers with a lifetime license option.
- The Individual plan ($12/month or $120 lifetime license) supports 1 website.
- The Business plan costs $20/month ($200 lifetime) and covers 2-7 websites.
- The Enterprise/Agency plan costs $40/month ($400 lifetime) and supports 8-15 websites.
A 7-day free trial is available, but for monthly subscriptions only. Lifetime payments are non-refundable.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers a unique lifetime payment option. | Keyword suggestion database is small compared to premium tools. |
| Identifies high-performing content with social share metrics. | Does not provide broken link building data. |
| Covers the basics well (SEO difficulty scores, cost-per-click data, global keyword volume). | Reports cannot be customized with logos or branding. |
Ubersuggest vs SEMrush
Ubersuggest is the perfect entry point for solopreneurs and small businesses who need core SEO features without the complexity. Its standout advantage is the unique lifetime subscription model, offering long-term value compared to SEMrush’s expensive monthly recurring payments. While SEMrush serves agencies managing PPC, social and content at scale, Ubersuggest focuses on delivering actionable data for basic keyword and competitor research.
If you are just starting out and value simplicity over raw power, Ubersuggest is the better fit.
9. SpyFu
SpyFu is designed for PPC managers and strategists who need to uncover rival SEO and ad strategies. Unlike general all-in-one suites, it focuses heavily on competitor data. It reveals your competitors’ paid and organic keywords in Google Ads. This allows you to make your own ads better and outperform the competitors.
Features
SpyFu’s main features encompass a wide range of functionalities, specifically excelling in competitor intelligence. PPC Competitor Research uncovers purchased Google Ads keywords, historical ad variations and estimated spend. The “Kombat” tool compares domains to spot organic keyword gaps. The platform also combines backlink analysis with an outreach tool to help you find contact info for partners. Additionally, SpyFu offers rank tracking and custom branded reports, making it easy to share insights with clients or team.
Pricing
SpyFu offers three main pricing plans:
- The Basic plan costs $39/month for essential data.
- The Pro+ AI plan is $119/month (with a promo of $59 for the first month) for advanced insights.
- The Team/Agency plan costs $249/month for managing multiple client projects.
Annual billing saves approximately 25%. SpyFu does not offer a free trial, but offers a free version. Paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers 10+ years of historical data. | No built-in site audit feature. |
| Excels at “spying” on competitor ad copies and budgets. | Data accuracy can be inconsistent for smaller niche sites or non-US markets. |
| Offers unlimited search results and exports on higher tiers. | Lacks integration options with other marketing platforms. |
SpyFu vs SEMrush
SpyFu is the champion of value, particularly if your primary focus is strictly on competitor research and PPC analysis. SpyFu offers a budget-friendly solution for uncovering rival strategies without paying for a “do-it-all” platform. A major advantage is access to historical data on all plans, a feature SEMrush often restricts to expensive tiers. Additionally, SpyFu provides unique Google Ads templates to speed up campaign creation and offers generous rank tracking limits. Choose SpyFu if you need specialized intelligence on a budget.
10. SEO PowerSuite
SEO PowerSuite is ideal for freelancers and agencies who want to manage as many projects as they like with zero data restrictions. It is a desktop suite of four powerful tools. This setup keeps your data secure on your own computer while letting you scale your business cost-effectively.
Features
SEO PowerSuite integrates four tools. Rank Tracker monitors endless keywords across 550+ search engines with hyper-local results. Website Auditor fixes technical errors and provides content recommendations. SEO SpyGlass detects toxic links to prevent penalties. LinkAssistant simplifies the growth part with a built-in email tool for your outreach campaigns. Everything integrates with Google Analytics and Search Console for centralized reporting.
Pricing
SEO PowerSuite offers four plans, billed annually:
- The Free Forever plan allows for unlimited evaluation.
- The Professional plan: $59.70/month (billed as $716/year).
- The Enterprise plan: $139.70/month ($1,676/year).
- The Max+ plan: $190.35/month ($2,284/year).
SEO PowerSuite uses annual billing only and doesn’t offer monthly plans. Instead of a trial, it provides a free version for unlimited interface testing. Subscriptions can be canceled anytime, but refunds are not provided.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reports can be customized and exported in PDF/HTML. | Desktop-only software requires installation and complicates use across devices. |
| A forever-free plan is available that grants basic access to all four tools. | Updates must be manually triggered and reports do not automatically reflect the latest data. |
| Projects can be accessed offline. | Resource-heavy architecture can cause lag. |
SEO PowerSuite vs SEMrush
SEO PowerSuite wins on volume and price. The comparison here is “Desktop unlimited vs. Cloud speed.” Its flat-rate model is unbeatable for tracking 10,000+ keywords or auditing massive websites without SEMrush’s enterprise fees. Its standout advantage is the “unlimited” nature of its tools. Unlike SEMrush’s strict tiered limits, SEO PowerSuite allows for unlimited rank tracking and crawling. It also offers greater flexibility in research, allowing you to compare against five competitors in keyword gap analysis and up to 11 in link intersect tools (SEMrush limits to four).
Choose SEO PowerSuite if you prioritize unlimited data and affordability over the convenience of a browser-based tool.
Conclusion
The “best” SEO tool isn’t just about raw power or the highest price tag. It’s about what actually fits your workflow, your team and your wallet right now. You have a lot of powerful options that won’t cost you much, but have all the features that you need.
Try all the alternatives to SEMrush using free trials. And find the one that makes your life easier.
FAQ
It depends on your goals. Ahrefs rules for technical SEO and data. Mangools and Ubersuggest offer the best value for beginners. SE Ranking is the perfect middle ground for agencies needing scalable features for a fair price.
There is no completely free tool that matches SEMrush’s full power. However, you can build a powerful free stack. Tools like Ubersuggest, Moz, and SEO PowerSuite offer limited free versions that handle basic keyword research and site auditing. SEO PowerSuite, for instance, has a ‘forever free’ plan for desktop users. You can combine these with free resources like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to manage your SEO without a paid subscription.
SEMrush wins for all-in-one digital marketing. SE Ranking offers the best balance of professional features and affordability for growing teams. Ahrefs is the industry leader for technical SEO and link building data. Ubersuggest is the clear winner for beginners who prioritize simplicity and low costs over deep data.
If you are a big business managing SEO, PPC – absolutely. But if you strictly need rank tracking or keyword research, you can likely get similar results with a cheaper alternative and save money.
Thank you, great article!
I’ll check the SE ranking.