Compare · SEO suites and rank trackers

Ahrefs vs Semrush

Ahrefs and Semrush are the two biggest SEO suites, and both now track AI search. At the time of writing (September 2026), Ahrefs Lite is $129/mo, Standard $249/mo and Advanced $449/mo; Semrush's SEO plan is $139/mo, with SEO + AI Search plans at $199, $299 and $549. Both save up to 17% yearly.

They've converged on features, so the choice comes down to details. Ahrefs is known for its backlink index and clean interface, but rank tracking updates weekly and there's no free trial. Semrush tracks ranks daily, has a 7-day trial, and sells extra toolkits for local, content, social and ads.

Ahrefs vs Semrush side by side

From each product’s own site or our research, at the time of writing (September 2026). Prices and terms change, so check before you decide.

Comparison of Ahrefs and Semrush
Feature	Ahrefs	Semrush
Entry price	Lite $129/mo (Starter $29/mo is more limited)	SEO $139/mo
Mid plan	Standard $249/mo	Pro+ $299/mo (SEO + AI Search)
Rank tracking	750 / 2,000 / 5,000 keywords, weekly	500 / 1,500 / 5,000 keywords, daily
AI prompts in plans	5 / 10 / 20; Brand Radar from $199/mo	50 / 100 / 200 daily on AI Search plans
Backlink data (claimed)	35T external backlinks in history	43T backlinks
Keyword data (claimed)	28.7B filtered keywords	28.8B keywords
Extra users	$40 to $100/mo each by plan	From $45/mo each
Trial	None; Ahrefs Free for verified sites	7 days
Other toolkits	Content Kit from $99/mo, Report Builder $99/mo	Local, Content, Traffic & Market, Social, Ads

Which should you pick?

Pick Ahrefs if…

Backlink research and link audits are central to your work.
Weekly rank updates are enough.
You want brand tracking across six AI indexes (Brand Radar).

Ahrefs’s site · LaunchRanked vs Ahrefs

Pick Semrush if…

You want daily rank tracking and more AI prompts in the base plans.
You also do local SEO, content marketing, social or PPC.
You want a free trial before paying.

Semrush’s site · LaunchRanked vs Semrush

Where LaunchRanked fits

Disclosure: LaunchRanked is our product. Where we list it, we say so, and we place it under the use case it fits rather than at the top by default. Everything else here is from the vendors’ own sites or our research, and we say where they’re better.

LaunchRanked isn't an SEO suite. We don't have a keyword database, a backlink index or a rank tracker, and we're not a substitute for either tool here. Both are research suites for people who'll use them weekly.

If what you actually want is content published and existing pages fixed, Autopilot ($49/mo, founding price, early access) publishes 30 articles a month and rewrites titles and snippets on pages ranking on page 1–2 of Search Console. Done-for-you (from $999/mo) runs the whole playbook for you.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ahrefs or Semrush cheaper?

At entry level they're close: Ahrefs Lite $129/mo vs Semrush SEO $139/mo, at the time of writing (September 2026). Ahrefs also has a $29/mo Starter plan with fewer features. Extra users cost more on both than people expect.

Which has the bigger backlink database?

Both claim tens of trillions of backlinks: Ahrefs 35 trillion in its history, Semrush 43 trillion. The numbers are counted differently, so test both on sites you know.

Which is better for AI search tracking?

Semrush includes more prompts in its AI Search plans (50 to 200, daily). Ahrefs includes fewer in plans, but its Brand Radar add-on covers six AI indexes.

Sources we checked

Checked on their own sites on 23 September 2026. Prices and terms change, so check before you buy. Domain ratings are approximate third-party estimates.