As someone who’s been in the SEO game for a while, I have used Semrush heavily for years. It was my go-to tool for keyword research and competitor analysis. However, I relied on Ahrefs for off-page SEO since I found its backlink research quite accurate and easy to absorb.
Similarly, I have trusted Clearscope and have used the tool for content optimization for almost four to five years. I also use various other SEO tools for such specific use cases.
Be it the pricing or feature set of Semrush that made you look for an alternative, we have the set of tools that can address your needs. In this article, I have tested and covered six tools that bring something unique to the table. I’ll describe my experience with each tool, what I liked (and didn’t), and why you might want to make the switch.
*The products are listed alphabetically and include SEO tools listed on G2. Some of them offer a free trial. I have included the starting price of their paid plan for easy comparison.
Semrush is an SEO tool with various features, including keyword research, SEO audit, backlink analysis, and value-added functionality. An alternative to Semrush would have all or some of these features. They may effectively serve different market segments and cater to specific use cases.
Based on my research, a good Semrush alternative would:
Below are the leading Semrush alternatives I found on the market, which offer competitive — or, in some cases, better value than Semrush.
This list is based on G2 reviews from 2025. We'll keep updating it to reflect the latest and best alternatives. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.
I have used Semrush and Ahrefs for a long time. They seem similar to me for the SEO work we did. However, I found Ahrefs to support off-page SEO better. For on-page elements, Ahrefs and Semrush do a similar job.
However, from a usability standpoint, I’d go with Semrush because of the Ahrefs credit system. It feels like I’m running out of credits and need to keep that thought in mind, which doesn’t give me such a great experience. Without the credit system, I’d pick Ahrefs.
Although the Ahrefs Lite plan starts from $129 a month, the company offers a Starter plan that costs $29 a month. It’s suitable for professionals who don’t have heavy SEO needs but need a point of reference to inform their strategy and execution.
Source: Ahrefs
To list Ahrefs as an alternative, I compared the backlink research, keyword data, site audits, and various other functionalities of the two software programs. In my research, I found that Ahrefs does a better job at backlink research than Semrush. However, Semrush's keyword data, with its overall UI, seems better and much easier to understand and use.
Source: Ahrefs
For site audits, both Semrush and Ahrefs did a pretty decent job tracking technical SEO issues, finding missing H1s, and recognizing 404 errors.
If you are okay with the credit system, Ahrefs seems to be reliable SEO software and a decent Semrush alternative.
“I am using Ahrefs to do SEO research. The primary tool I use is their Rank Tracking tool. I like it best because they arguably have the largest crawler network outside search engines.”
- Ahrefs Review, Cassian Y, Founder
“Pricey compared with other tools out there. It is not good for small-sized businesses and projects because of the cost.”
- Ahrefs Review, Ellen C, Marketing Associate
Clearscope is a content-first SEO platform that lets you optimize content for better search engine rankings. I use Clearscope regularly in my writing projects. It gives me a comprehensive set of keywords that improve on-page SEO for my blogs and landing pages.
Clearscope compares the pages' ranking for a particular keyword on the SERP. Based on this analysis and the analysis of the broader SE trends from the keywords, it suggests words to include in a content piece.
Source: Clearscope
It comes with a grade assessment. You get a better grade or the highest A++ when you successfully include Clearscope’s keyword recommendations in your content. It estimates the readability of your content and lets you optimize it to match the competition on the SERP.
“I love how Clearscope automates many aspects of writing good SEO content. It also brings some gamification into the game — I love writing and trying to get as high a grade as possible while still keeping good readability and quality in the content itself.”
- Clearscope Review, Melisa A N, Consultant
Some of its suggestions for keywords seem irrelevant. This is when competitors have covered the same in their content. Their content might not be the best to take inspiration from or do something similar.
“Not much. The only shortfall I noticed is that the space to 'create report', the most important area in CL, looks like a search bar. So, if I wanted to search for older reports, I'd have accidentally typed it out into this tab and would have lost a credit. It's just a UX thing, and once you get used to using CL, it'll be okay. I hope it soon brings in a good plagiarism feature.”
- Clearscope Review, Ashitha J, Content Marketing Manager
Moz Pro is power-packed with comprehensive SEO features and functionalities. It was the first software I actively used while learning about SEO and content marketing.
It lets you track your website’s health and offers link building and keyword suggestions for SEO wins. Most importantly, it has tons of learning content for SEO and inbound marketing. It gives site warnings when it detects issues on your webpages.
The tool takes a little effort but produces accurate results when identifying irrelevant and spammy backlinks. You can use this data to disavow spammy links pointing to your website. It is really easy to use and helpful, as it delivers the guidance you need to optimize your website for search engines.
“Moz is easy to use for a novice to the SEO world. It steps you through the basics and provides helpful tools and capabilities as you get more familiar with the full suite. I appreciate the helpful hints on optimizing my sites and being able to run checks on keywords, etc.”
- Moz Pro Review, Bar W, Senior Director
I can only look at three competitors within a campaign, and I cannot add more for a detailed comparison.
“Every software has some drawbacks. The one minor dislike is that sometimes, when choosing a reporting period, it seems to be a little glitchy, and takes a minute to get the reporting periods correct. Not a big deal, but annoying.”
- Moz Pro Review, Brian H, Vice President of Marketing
Seobility is a complete package of website crawler, rank tracker, backlink monitor, and competitor analysis in one platform. The best part is that it offers a free plan for new users, and paid plans arguably offer more value than other SEO tools.
Although I found its ability to analyze technical issues amazing, the tool has a smaller keyword database than giants like Semrush. It’s a decent SEO tool for those seeking an affordable, all-in-one solution. I like that each feature is neatly organized into separate tabs, making it easier to navigate through the tool.
It comes with a rank tracking system that allows you to rank multiple websites together and check the ones performing the best.
“I love the detail it goes into on each area of SEO: Tech, Meta, Structure, and website content. Every page is broken down during a crawl, giving you a detailed report of each area that needs fixing and how to fix it. It's easy to use. Crawls are fast, and their features allow you to compare SEO with other local businesses.”
- Seobility Review, Claire F, Professional Photographer
I felt it was tricky to implement the technical SEO recommendations. It would be great to have priority in optimizing different things.
“While Seobility is a powerful SEO tool, the free version has some limitations, such as the number of keyword checks and crawl pages per day. Additionally, the backlink analysis could be more extensive than other SEO tools. However, its price and ease of use still offer great value.”
- Seobility Review, Marius B, Administrator
SE Ranking arguably gives more value for just $52 compared to paying extensively for using the other tools. The SERP ranking checker lets you track 250 keywords on the lowest plan. They offer a Keyword Manager feature that enables you to manage up to 10,000 keywords on a list. If you upgrade to a Pro plan, you get the functionality to download around 50,000 keywords in one report at just $95.20/month.
To do this on Semrush, I need to be on a plan that costs between $200 and $300. With SE Ranking, you get value for the price you’re paying. You can tag keywords, check content scores, and integrate them with Google Analytics and the Search Console.
Source: SE Ranking
I personally liked the way I was able to identify competitors and conduct keyword gap analysis while assessing keyword difficulty, cost-per-click data, and keyword trends available. SE Ranking also has Domain Trust and Page Trust scores, similar to Domain Rating in Ahrefs.
“I find SE Ranking very easy to use, as it's easy to navigate different products and services. It feels very intuitive, and even if I have any questions or problems, I can find answers in a database or contact the support team to get my answers. In my current position, I use SE Ranking daily and couldn't be happier.
When my company transitioned from the previous service we used, the SE Ranking team helped us migrate all the data we collected, so the integration went smoothly. Thanks to the new SMM service, we've been able to cancel another service subscription and have all the work done on social media channels from SE Ranking.
I highly recommend SE Ranking for website and SEO specialists or agencies and other professionals who want to keep track of their data in one place.”
- SE Ranking Review, Viktoriia D, Project Manager
The learning curve is steep. When trying to click some links, prompts to upgrade the tool appear. If the UI showcased what I had access to, it would have been a much better experience.
“The interface is a bit confusing initially because we need to change our habits when switching tools.”
- SE Ranking Review, Remi B, Head of Digital Strategy and AI
Similarweb is a great tool for performing competitive SEO research. It starts at $125/month. I tested the tool and got an overview of detailed traffic insights, including website visits, traffic sources, and audience demographics. It’s easy to compare our website traffic with that of our competitors. This analysis showcases the strengths and weaknesses of our digital strategy.
I love how Similarweb shows trends in the broader market. The insights helped me understand the consumer and the target market in detail while using the benchmarks.
Source: Similarweb
I could see what other people were searching for in real time to optimize content based on current trends. It was easy to understand how competitors’ paid and SEO strategies impacted our keyword rankings.
“Similarweb is a great data analytics tool that can be tailored to your business needs. I like the fact that it is easy to follow and that customization can be made with the help of their excellent support team! The support team is hands-on. I use Similarweb on a weekly basis, and it is easy to integrate into your overall workflow. On top of that, the implementation was also really seamless.”
- Similarweb Review, Kevin S, Partner Manager
“Given my frequency of usage, I found the tool a bit expensive. Having the opportunity to select some options would be appreciated. Besides, I often spot discrepancies between our internal data and data shown by Similarweb, which can lead to confusion and doubts about competitors' data.”
- Similarweb Review, Thibault D, Chief Marketing Officer
Feel like you have an information overload? This comparison table makes it easier for you.
|
Semrush alternative |
Best for |
Free version |
Pricing |
|
Ahrefs |
Best for off-page SEO |
Free trial available with limited access |
$129/month |
|
Clearscope |
Best for optimizing content for search engines |
Not available |
$189/month |
|
Moz Pro |
Best for all-purpose SEO |
Free-trial available |
$49/month |
|
Seobility |
An all-in-one SEO software at an affordable cost |
Free-trial available |
$50/month |
|
SE Ranking |
Best for SEO reporting and analytics |
Free-trial available |
$52/month |
|
Similarweb |
Best for comparing broader SEO trends on the market |
Free-trial available |
$199/month |
Semrush is a comprehensive SEO suite for companies of all sizes. It might be a little costly for smaller companies. The software has robust features and functionality that cater to more advanced use cases and are suitable for medium-sized companies and large enterprises.
If you’re seeking a broader overview of market trends, Similarweb might better suit your needs. However, when you're intensely focused on SEO growth and need insights to understand the market, competition, and growth trends, Semrush is more suitable.
These two tools are similar in features and functionality. I found Ahrefs to be better than Semrush for off-page SEO. However, Ahrefs has credit limits; therefore, if you heavily use SEO software, Semrush would be a better alternative.
When it comes to an SEO tool, the term “best” borrows its definition from the use case, company size, and market segment. Therefore, based on this factor, Semrush can be the best SEO tool for some companies. However, this might not always be the case.
Yes, Semrush is an American public company.
Exploring alternatives opened my eyes to how diverse and influential the SEO tool market has become. Depending on what you need, whether it's Clearscope’s content optimization, Ahrefs’ backlink data, or SE Ranking’s affordable all-in-one approach, there’s likely a better fit out there for your workflow and budget.
Personally, I’ve ended up mixing and matching tools based on the task at hand. For example, I use Clearscope when I’m working on content strategy and Ahrefs when I need to dive deep into competitor profiles. No tool is perfect, but each one offers a fresh perspective and a more tailored experience.
The goal of the article was to give you a glimpse of the tool from the inside. Use it to inspire your points of discussion in demos and walkthroughs. This will help you clear up any confusion around your specific use case for SEO software.
Looking for more options? Check out the highly-rated SEO tools on G2.
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