Semrush vs Ahrefs: Add-On Toolkits, Local Listings and Analytics
Semrush, part of Adobe since April 2026, sells SEO and SEO + AI Search plans, then offers Local, Content, Traffic & Market, Social, Advertising, AI Visibility and AI PR as separate toolkits. A team adds paid search research or directory listings only when it needs them. Ahrefs keeps most research on one plan ladder: Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker and Brand Radar appear from Lite, while Content Explorer, Portfolios and Batch Analysis start on Standard. Ahrefs also runs its own cookieless Web Analytics script, where Semrush relies on a Google Analytics connection for first-party traffic.
Semrush
Best for: SEO teams and agencies that want keyword research, rank tracking, audits and AI answer monitoring in one subscription.
Ahrefs
Best for: SEO specialists and in-house teams that research competitors' backlinks and keywords and want AI search mentions tracked in the same tool.
Choose Semrush if...
you want to bolt PPC ad history, Google Shopping research or directory listing management onto your SEO plan as separate toolkits.
Choose Ahrefs if...
you want backlink, keyword and AI-mention research on one plan ladder plus a cookieless analytics script for your own sites.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Dimension | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Paid search research | Stronger here | |
| Local listings | Stronger here | |
| Own-site analytics | Stronger here | |
| AI search tracking | Comparable | Comparable |
| Backlink research | Comparable | Comparable |
| Reporting connectors | Comparable | Comparable |
We name a winner for each dimension and never one overall winner. The right pick depends on which of these matters most for your use case.
Plans and Pricing Side by Side
Semrush
From $117.33/mo (annual billing) · Free plan · Free trial
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free |
| SEO | $139 | $117.33 |
| Starter (SEO + AI Search) | $199 | $165.17 |
| Pro+ (SEO + AI Search) | $299 | $248.17 |
| Advanced (SEO + AI Search) | $549 | $455.67 |
Checked October 12, 2026 on Semrush's pricing page.
Ahrefs
From $29/mo · Free plan
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29 | Not listed |
| Lite | $129 | Not listed |
| Standard | $249 | Not listed |
| Advanced | $449 | Not listed |
| Enterprise | Not listed | $1,499 |
Checked September 28, 2026 on Ahrefs' pricing page.
Annual columns show the monthly cost when billed yearly. Vendors change prices often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Market Signal Compared
| Score (0 to 100) | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Market Signal | 81 | 77 |
| Market strength | 90 | 85 |
| Momentum | 49 | 50 |
| Traffic strength | 91 | 87 |
| Search visibility | 92 | 83 |
| Authority | 89 | 82 |
| Brand and market presence | 89 | 87 |
| Data confidence | Medium | Medium |
Market Signal measures each product's online footprint and momentum from Ahrefs and Semrush data, scored against other tools in its category (SEO software (43 tracked)). It shows market presence, which is not the same as product quality. Data through September 2026. How the score works
Integrations and Support
Both connect with: Google Search Console
| Semrush | Ahrefs | |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations only one lists | Google Analytics, Data Studio | None listed |
| Support | Help center, Live chat | Help center |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German | English, German, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Italian and 3 more |
| Headquarters | Boston, MA | Singapore |
From each vendor's integrations and support pages. Lists show notable integrations, not every connector.
Other Tools to Consider
If neither Semrush nor Ahrefs fits, these are the closest alternatives we list, ordered by Overall Score.
Yoast
WordPress SEO plugin with metadata, content analysis and schema.
Google Search Console
Google's own console for search performance, indexing status and URL-level crawl diagnostics.
Moz Pro
Established SEO suite built around Domain Authority.
SE Ranking
SEO platform pairing ZIP-level rank tracking with AI search visibility monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PPC research part of a Semrush SEO plan?⌄
Semrush lists Advertising as its own toolkit, separate from the SEO plans. It covers Advertising Research for competitor bids and ad copy, PLA Research for Google Shopping, AdClarity for display, video and social ads on the toolkit's higher tier, and Ads Launch Assistant. Ahrefs keeps paid keywords, ads and paid pages reports inside Site Explorer.
What can I use without paying for either tool?⌄
A free Semrush account gets one demo project and 10 reports per day across tools, and most Semrush toolkits offer a seven-day trial with exports switched off. Ahrefs has no trial; its free account opens Site Explorer and Site Audit for sites you verify, plus Web Analytics and one AI Content Helper document a month.
How far back does historical data go?⌄
Ahrefs ties history to the plan: six months on Lite, two years on Standard, five years on Advanced and unlimited on Enterprise. Semrush lists historical SEO data from its Pro+ plan upward, and historical Traffic & Market data sits in that toolkit's higher tier. Check the tier before planning a multi-year trend report.
Can Ahrefs handle local SEO for a multi-location business?⌄
Ahrefs Rank Tracker follows desktop and mobile rankings in 190+ countries, and GBP Monitor lets you bulk edit Google Business Profiles, get change alerts and reply to reviews. It does not push listings to other directories. Semrush Local does that through Listing Management, sold per location alongside Map Rank Tracker and review tools.
Written by SEM Solutions Editorial Team
Last updated October 12, 2026