Semrush alternatives

By Web Tool Ratings editors · Updated Oct 10, 2026 · How we rate

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Semrush starts at $139 a month. If that’s more than you need (or you need something it doesn’t do best) these are the strongest alternatives.

The full list

Best overall alternative

Ahrefs

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.5 · Best for sEOs focused on backlinks and competitor research

Best-in-class backlinks; Starter plan from $29/month and free Webmaster Tools.

Category: SEO
Free plan: Yes
Paid from: $29/mo

From $29 /moVisit Ahrefs Full review

Best for content teams

Surfer

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.2 · Best for content teams writing SEO articles

Optimize articles without paying for a full research suite.

Category: SEO
Free plan: No
Paid from: $59/mo
Billed yearly: $49/mo

From $59 /moVisit Surfer Full review

Best free way to research topics

Perplexity

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.5 · Best for research and questions where you want sources

Free AI search with sources for quick topic research.

Category: AI assistant
Free plan: Yes
Paid from: $20/mo
Billed yearly: $16.67/mo

From $20 /moVisit Perplexity Full review

Best for beginners

Moz Pro

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.2 · Best for beginners and small businesses that want an approachable SEO suite

Moz Pro from $49/mo with an easier interface.

Category: SEO
Free plan: No
Paid from: $49/mo

From $49 /moVisit Moz Pro Full review

Cheapest competitor research

SpyFu

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.3 · Best for small businesses and PPC marketers researching competitors cheaply

Competitor keywords and ads from $29/mo yearly.

Category: SEO
Free plan: No
Paid from: $39/mo
Billed yearly: $29/mo

From $39 /moVisit SpyFu Full review

Best for traffic intelligence

Similarweb

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.3 · Best for competitive research and market sizing beyond SEO

Full-funnel traffic estimates.

Category: SEO
Free plan: Yes
Paid from: $125/mo

From $125 /moVisit Similarweb Full review

Compared at a glance

Tool	Our rating	Category	Free plan	Paid from	Year 1 (cheapest paid)
Ahrefs	4.5/5	SEO	Yes	$29/mo	$348
Surfer	4.2/5	SEO	No	$59/mo	$588
Perplexity	4.5/5	AI assistant	Yes	$20/mo	$200
Moz Pro	4.2/5	SEO	No	$49/mo	$588
SpyFu	4.3/5	SEO	No	$39/mo	$348
Similarweb	4.3/5	SEO	Yes	$125/mo	$1,500

Checked Oct 10, 2026. Details change: confirm on the provider’s site.

Other Semrush alternatives worth knowing

SE Ranking: popular lower-cost all-in-one suite for agencies and small businesses.
Mangools: simple, affordable keyword and SERP tools for beginners.
Ubersuggest: budget keyword tool with a lifetime option.
Google Search Console: free and essential for your own site’s data.

We haven’t rated these yet; check their current pricing pages before buying.

How to choose

Need backlinks most? Ahrefs. Mostly writing content? Surfer. Tight budget? A low-cost suite plus Google Search Console. Compare Ahrefs vs Semrush, Moz vs Semrush or read our Semrush review.