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Semrush vs Ahrefs: what each costs
Across 4 like-for-like jobs (ties count for each), Ahrefs is cheapest in 4, Semrush in 0. The cheapest way in is Ahrefs Starter at $29 against Semrush SEO at $139, 79% less (that plan tracks no keywords).
Daily rankings: Semrush, or Ahrefs plus a tracker?
Every Semrush plan updates rankings daily; every Ahrefs plan weekly. At each of Ahrefs' plan sizes, here is Semrush's cheapest daily plan against the Ahrefs plan with the cheapest separate daily tracker added.
| Keywords | Ahrefs, weekly | Semrush, daily | Cheapest daily tracker | Ahrefs + tracker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750 | $129Lite | $299Pro+ | Wincher Standard, ≈ $99 | ≈ $228 |
| 2,000 | $249Standard | $549Advanced | SE Ranking Core, $129 | $378 |
| 5,000 | $449Advanced | $549Advanced | SE Ranking Growth, $279 | $728 |
At 750 and 2,000 keywords, Ahrefs with a separate daily tracker still costs less than Semrush alone (≈ $228 against $299, 24% less; $378 against $549, 31% less).
The same job, priced on both
| Job | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | $139SEO | $29Starter |
| 500 keywords, weekly | $139SEO | $129Lite |
| 750 keywords, weekly | $299Pro+ | $129Lite |
| 1,500 keywords, weekly | $299Pro+ | $249Standard |
| 25 AI prompts, daily, 3+ engines | $99Base (Semrush AI Visibility) | $50Custom prompts Basic (Brand Radar) |
Monthly prices billed monthly, in US dollars; marked is the cheaper. "No plan" means the published plans don't state enough for that job.
Where the two differ
- Way in: Ahrefs Starter at $29 against Semrush SEO at $139, 79% less (that plan tracks no keywords).
- Rank tracking: Semrush updates daily and Ahrefs updates weekly.
- Lowest cost per keyword: Semrush $0.11 (Advanced, 5,000 daily) and Ahrefs $0.09 (Advanced, 5,000 weekly) a month.
- Seats: Semrush no stated seat count, extra from $45 a month; Ahrefs 1 user on Lite, extra $40 a month.
- AI prompts: Semrush includes 50 from Starter ($199) and sells Semrush AI Visibility from $99 and Ahrefs includes 5 from Lite ($129) and sells Brand Radar from $50.
- Yearly billing: Semrush saves 16% on SEO; Ahrefs shows no yearly price on its page.
Plans in one line each
- Semrush: SEO $139, Starter $199, Pro+ $299 and Advanced $549 a month; Semrush AI Visibility from $99.
- Ahrefs: Starter $29, Lite $129, Standard $249, Advanced $449 and Enterprise $1,499 a month; Brand Radar from $50.
Semrush vs Ahrefs, answered
Is Semrush cheaper than Ahrefs?
On the cheapest plan: Ahrefs Starter at $29 against Semrush SEO at $139, 79% less (that plan tracks no keywords). Across the 4 jobs on this page, Semrush is cheapest in 0 and Ahrefs is cheapest in 4.
Which costs less for a team of three?
Ahrefs Lite at $209; Semrush doesn't say how many users a plan includes, so it can't be priced for three.
Do Semrush and Ahrefs track AI prompts?
Semrush includes 50 from Starter ($199) and sells Semrush AI Visibility from $99 and Ahrefs includes 5 from Lite ($129) and sells Brand Radar from $50.
Every figure here is quoted on the tools' own pages: Semrush pricing · Semrush AI Visibility pricing · Ahrefs pricing · Brand Radar pricing. Your own numbers: plan finder, cost per keyword, cost per user.
Prices read from each vendor's own pricing page on .