Teams look past Semrush when the plan ladder no longer fits: the entry SEO plan covers 500 tracked keywords and 5 websites, extra users are billed separately, and Adobe now owns the vendor. Most move to Ahrefs or SE Ranking for the same all-in-one scope, or to a narrower tool such as Screaming Frog or AccuRanker when only one job matters.
Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within
the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. How it works:
placement disclosure · editorial process.
What each alternative does differently
1. Ahrefs
Search-focused suite with a large backlink index · Singapore
Ahrefs says it crawls the web itself and sells that data as one suite. Plans count users, projects and crawl credits instead of Semrush's per-toolkit structure. It has a free tier for verified sites, and AI prompt tracking sits in a separate add-on called Brand Radar.
Switch from Semrush if backlink research and keyword data matter most and you want one suite with a free tier for your own sites.
Pricing: Published monthly tiers from a €27 Starter plan for basic research, with Lite at €119 for one user, extra users billed separately and the Brand Radar AI add-on; Ahrefs Free (formerly Ahrefs Webmaster Tools) gives limited free access to Site Explorer and Site Audit for verified sites. (free plan)
Full review: #4 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Ahrefs →
2. SE Ranking
All-in-one SEO platform priced below the big two · United Kingdom
SE Ranking covers rank tracking, audits, keyword and backlink research in one tier ladder, with AI search tracking bundled into the Core plan. Its plans cap projects, tracked keywords and manager seats. A 14-day free trial needs no card. Agency white-label tools are a paid add-on.
Switch from Semrush if you want the same all-in-one scope with clearer limits per plan and a trial without a card.
Pricing: Published monthly tiers by projects, tracked keywords and seats, with Core listed at €109 a month or €87.20 billed annually, and add-ons for AI search visibility, the agency white-label pack and extra seats. (free trial)
Full review: #1 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit SE Ranking →
3. Mangools
Beginner-friendly suite built around KWFinder · Slovakia
Mangools splits the work into five small tools: KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner and SiteProfiler. Backlink data in LinkMiner comes from Majestic. It is aimed at keyword research and tracking by one person or a small team, with a free account and a 48-hour refund window.
Switch from Semrush if you do keyword research and rank tracking yourself and do not need a full marketing suite.
Pricing: Published monthly tiers with daily lookup limits, entry Basic tier under $40 a month on annual billing ($61 month to month), and a free plan with 5 keyword lookups per 24 hours. (free plan)
Full review: #3 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Mangools →
4. Moz Pro
Established SEO suite known for Domain Authority · United States
Moz Pro sells fixed tiers with tracked sites, tracked keywords and crawled pages stated per month, plus AI visibility prompts. Standard includes one user and three tracked sites. The page lists SEO and AI visibility features and does not list the advertising or traffic toolkits Semrush sells separately.
Switch from Semrush if your work is SEO and AI visibility only and you do not use advertising or social toolkits.
Pricing: Published monthly tiers starting under $100 a month, with limits on tracked keywords, queries and seats. (free trial)
Full review: #7 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Moz Pro →
5. SpyFu
Competitor keyword and PPC research tool · United States
SpyFu centers on competitor research: the SEO and PPC keywords rivals rank for or buy, and the ads they have tested. Its homepage also lists a site audit that drafts fixes. Its pages center on research, tracking and audits rather than a wider marketing suite.
Switch from Semrush if competitor keyword and ad research is the main job and you want something narrower.
Pricing: Low published monthly tiers, Basic at $39 a month or $29 billed annually with results and exports capped at 10,000 rows, Pro from $89 a month billed annually; limited free searches. (free plan)
Full review: #11 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit SpyFu →
6. Positive Surfer (formerly Surfer)
Content editor that scores drafts against top results · Poland
Surfer, now sold under the Positive brand, is built around writing and optimizing content, with plans counted in documents and AI prompts tracked. It is not a backlink or site-wide research tool. Its pricing page states infrastructure is hosted in Europe, which may matter for some buyers.
Switch from Semrush if writers and editors are your main users and content optimization is the daily task.
Pricing: Published monthly tiers based on the number of content pieces and seats; no standing free plan. (none)
Full review: #8 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Positive Surfer (formerly Surfer) →
7. AccuRanker
Dedicated rank tracker built for speed and scale · Denmark
AccuRanker does one thing: daily keyword rank tracking, priced by the number of keywords tracked, from 2,000 upward. It has GSC and GA reporting, an API on higher plans and a Danish head office. It has no backlink index, site audit or content tools.
Switch from Semrush if rank tracking at scale is the only part of Semrush you actually use.
Pricing: Published monthly pricing scaled by the number of keywords tracked, from €249 a month for 2,000 keywords, with 10% off for annual payment; demos on request and no free trial advertised. (none)
Full review: #9 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit AccuRanker →
8. Wincher
Affordable daily rank tracker for small sites · Sweden
Wincher is a rank tracker with daily ranking updates, a keyword explorer and PDF and CSV reporting. The entry plan allows 500 keywords, 10 websites and one user. White-labeled reports and API access start on the second plan. It does not offer backlink research or audits.
Switch from Semrush if you only track rankings for a few sites and want a lighter, cheaper tool.
Pricing: Low-cost published tiers by keywords and websites, from 500 keywords and up to 10 websites on the entry plan; a 7-day free trial and no free plan. (free trial)
Full review: #10 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Wincher →
9. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Desktop crawler for technical SEO audits · United Kingdom
Screaming Frog is a desktop crawler for Windows, Mac and Linux, licensed per user per year with no per-keyword limits. The free version crawls 500 URLs. It audits a site you crawl yourself and does not hold keyword rankings, competitor data or backlink data.
Switch from Semrush if technical audits are what you use Semrush for and you want to run crawls on your own machine.
Pricing: Free version limited to 500 URLs per crawl with the core audits only; the paid license is $279 per user per year, removes the limit and unlocks JavaScript rendering, scheduling, custom extraction, crawl comparison and the Search Console and GA4 integrations. (free plan)
Full review: #2 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Screaming Frog SEO Spider →
10. Google Search Console
Google's free performance and indexing console · United States
Search Console is Google's own free report on queries, clicks, impressions and indexing for sites you verify. It shows your performance, not competitors', and has no keyword database or backlink index. The API returns up to 50,000 rows of performance data per day per type.
Switch from Semrush if you mainly check your own search performance and indexing and can live without competitor data.
Pricing: Free; requires verifying ownership of the site. (free plan)
Full review: #6 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Google Search Console →
11. Yoast SEO
On-site SEO plugin for WordPress · Netherlands
Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin, free in its base version and sold as Premium per site per year. It guides on-page work inside the editor, redirects and internal linking. It does not track rankings, research competitors or audit backlinks, so it replaces only the content-side of Semrush.
Switch from Semrush if your site runs on WordPress and on-page guidance in the editor is the part you value.
Pricing: Free plugin; Premium is an annual per-site license of $118.80 that now includes the Local, News and Video SEO plugins, with WooCommerce SEO sold separately. (free plan)
Full review: #12 of 12 in our ranking ·
Visit Yoast SEO →
Questions and answers
Who owns Semrush now?
Adobe owns Semrush: Semrush's newsroom states that Adobe completed its acquisition of Semrush Holdings, Inc. and the company now describes itself as an Adobe company. The product name and plans on its pricing page are unchanged.
Can I cancel Semrush at any time?
Yes, Semrush's pricing FAQ says you can cancel, downgrade or upgrade at any time, unless you have custom terms and a signed agreement. Enterprise or negotiated contracts follow their own terms, so read the contract.
Is there a free Semrush plan or trial?
Yes, there are both: a free account with one demo project and 10 reports per day, and a free seven-day trial with cancel-anytime terms. Neither is a substitute for paid limits, which start at 5 websites and 500 keywords.
What does Semrush cost per user?
The SEO plan is listed at 134 euros a month, or 112.52 euros a month billed annually, for one user. Additional users start at 43 euros a month. Check the pricing page for your own currency and country.
Is there a free Semrush alternative?
Partly: Google Search Console is free for sites you verify, Ahrefs lists a Free plan that gives data on your own site, and Screaming Frog crawls 500 URLs free. None includes competitor keyword research at Semrush scale.
Which alternative covers the full Semrush scope?
Ahrefs and SE Ranking are the closest in scope: both bundle keyword research, rank tracking, audits, backlinks and AI visibility tracking. Compare their plan limits for projects, tracked keywords and users against your current Semrush plan.
