Semrush has some of the best SEO and digital marketing features money can buy.
What’s the problem then?
Semrush comes with a hefty price tag (2 weeks free here).
In other words:
Semrush is not affordable for everyone which lead people to look for alternatives.
And trust me, it’s not an easy task considering the number of good AND bad SEO tools out there. So I’m going to introduce you to the best Semrush alternatives.
I’ll also show you precisely how each of them stack up against Semrush.
What Will I Learn?
There are tons of SEO tools that claim to be Semrush alternatives.
But that simply isn’t true. Most of these tools can’t compete with Semrush’s features.
So, to help you avoid the traps, I curated a list of my top 6x Semrush alternatives.
As you might have already guessed, my favourite Semrush alternative is… Ahrefs.
You can get free access to Ahrefs tools & data by using Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
Ahrefs does pretty much everything you would ever need to do from an SEO standpoint, from advanced keyword research through to powerful competitor analysis.
Ahrefs even boasts the largest backlink database (see my best backlink checker case study), second only to Google. No wonder it is one of the top Semrush alternatives.
Ahrefs is the BEST tool available when it comes to:
You get an incredible amount of data for reporting on key link analysis metrics.
The Ahrefs spider crawls 5 million web pages every 5 minutes. Now that’s a lot of data if you ask me…
Ahrefs also has excellent organic search reports providing a massive amount of usable information about:
…And more.
This analysis helps you to create an effective SEO strategy that bamboozles your competitors and sees you ranking higher over time.
I’m sure you can see why Ahrefs is my number one Semrush alternative.
There aren’t a lot of cons when it comes to Ahrefs. But it certainly isn’t perfect either.
The biggest con is that only one user can use the Ahrefs tools at any given time.
This can cause an issue if multiple team members need the tools for different projects simultaneously.
Is link building your biggest requirement in an SEO tool?
You can’t do much better than Ahrefs. They have a huge index of over 23 trillion links.
Let that sink in for a moment!
Their SEO tool suite is very comprehensive because it can handle any SEO task you have for any project comfortably.
Even if you have a large website… Ahrefs will be able to handle it! Ahrefs is designed to process lots of data in a short period of time.
Don’t forget you can use Ahrefs Webmaster Tools to get free access to tons of their tools and data.
If you are an SEO professional or run an agency – Ahrefs is the best Semrush alternative. The paid Ahrefs plans start from $99 per month.
Interested in learning more about Ahrefs? Check out my full Ahrefs review.
Now, if you don’t want to get Ahrefs, no worries. I’m going to introduce to you more(paid AND free) Semursh alternatives.
Are you ready?
Let’s get started!
SEO Powersuite is another all-in-one SEO tool that will handle your SEO campaigns end to end.
When you buy SEO Powersuite you get access to 4 powerful tools:
Together these make up an extensive SEO tool kit.
Always look for more keyword suggestions to target?
SEO Powersuite has one of the best keyword suggestion tools available. Inside of the Rank Tracker application you have 19 different tools dedicated to keyword research.
You will never run out of potential keywords to target again.
What about link building?
SEO SpyGlass is an excellent backlink analysis and link building tool. You get 50+ different metrics for evaluating links on both:
But that’s not all. They also have 2.7 trillion links in their index.
With this data, you can easily switch over to LinkAssistant to find even more link building opportunities and execute the link building campaign directly inside the application.
GROWTH HACK: Download my link building checklist to make sure you’re only building links that matter.
I think we can ALL agree:
SEO Powersuite is a great Semrush alternative if you want an all-in-one easy yet effective tool. (Check out my SEO Powersuite vs Semrush post for an in-deep comparison)
It helps that it’s also one of the most affordable SEO tools available for freelancers and small businesses.
Unfortunately, SEO Powersuite isn’t a cloud-based software. It’s a desktop-based software which means that you will need to:
…Each application on your computer before using it.
Although the cheaper pricing is a pro… It can quickly become a con.
When you buy SEO Powersuite you buy ONE license for ONE computer.
And if you want multiple users?
You will need to buy multiple licenses. For one person it’s very affordable but the price stacks up when you need to buy more licenses for different team members.
SEO Powersuite is one of the cheapest all-in-one SEO software available…
…As long as you don’t have a huge team.
If you are a freelancer or just doing SEO for your own business – SEO Powersuite is a great Semrush alternative.
You can take care of everything from on-page SEO to advanced link building strategies. SEO Powersuite licenses start from $299 per year.
Feel free to check out my complete SEO Powersuite review.
Here’s the truth: SEO tools often have a very steep learning curve.
But with Moz Pro… It’s not like that at all. Moz Pro is probably the easiest all-in-one SEO tool to use.
From helping you find the right target keywords to tracking your rankings over time, Moz Pro removes a lot of the complexity out of SEO.
But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s not powerful.
Moz Pro features include:
Moz Pro is a great tool for those looking to make SEO campaigns uncomplicated.
Struggling to know what keywords to target?
Moz Pro’s keyword research tool is excellent. The tool is easy to use and makes it super simple to do in-depth keyword research.
Their keyword suggestions make it easier to choose keywords too.
Moz also has one of the best user interfaces from any tool I have ever used, making it perfect for beginner SEOs.
You can easily access each individual tool and Moz has plenty of information about using their tools to execute SEO campaigns.
Moz also created a Google Chrome extension called MozBar. You can quickly go to any website, open MozBar and immediately get an SEO overview of that website.
And if you don’t want to spend heaps of time analysing your competitors, MozBar makes it fast and efficient.
To make things better:
Their link building analysis tool called Open Site Explorer helps you manage your own link profile and uncover other link building opportunities.
Everything sounds great so far right so… what’s the catch?
Where Moz Pro lacks is the amount of data they offer within their tool suite. Compared to alternatives like Semrush and Ahrefs…
Moz Pro pales in comparison.
On top of that, creating reports for clients is a bit slow and Moz Pro often takes a fair bit of time to do in-depth crawls on competitors.
In general, it offers a weaker competitor analysis tool than other platforms. This makes using competitors’ data to improve your own SEO a lot more difficult.
You just don’t get the in-depth insights that a tool like Semrush offers.
And guess what?
Moz Pro is about the same price as Semrush. It starts at $99 per month making it a hard sell for SEO pros.
Moz offers a great number of tools in an easy to use platform.
Although the tools may lack some of the power that other SEO tools have, it does exactly what it’s supposed to do… Make SEO easy.
Moz Pro is a perfect tool for:
…With only a handful of clients.
You have access to a massive amount of free training and information about using Moz Pro making it even easier to execute SEO campaigns.
As the name suggests…
SpyFu is an SEO tool that spies on your competitor’s websites. You get to see exactly how your competitors perform in the SERPs.
Use SpyFu to search for any domain and see exactly what keywords your competitors are ranking for and how many clicks they are getting each month.
Pretty cool (and sly), right?
SpyFu features include:
You can use all of these insights provided by SpyFu to optimise your own website and protect your rankings from competitors.
Want to see how your competitors are currently performing?
With SpyFu it’s easy to get a breakdown of your competitor’s:
Use all of this information to imitate what’s working for them.
Yes, that’s right… You are being encouraged to uncover your competitors’ SEO strategy and take it as your own.
SpyFu also has one of the largest databases in SEO spanning back over 20 years.
This means you can look at changes in competitors rankings for as long as they have been around. You can even see:
Talk about powerful SEO…
To go with SpyFu‘s SEO tools you also get a beautiful and easy to use interface displaying lots of complex data in an understandable way.
Need to analyse your own website?
SpyFu is predominantly a competitor analysis software- as they say on their website:
This means that although it analyses your competitors really well, it doesn’t do a great job of pointing out areas where you can improve your own website…
…Something they are starting to work on.
SpyFu’s keyword research tool is pretty basic meaning it doesn’t have advanced filtering or as many suggestions for you to work with. The job gets done, but it’s just very basic compared to a tool like Semrush.
SpyFu’s backlink analysis game is also lacking.
Although the link analysis metrics and data are there to use, it’s very basic. SpyFu’s link index just isn’t as powerful or as big as many other major SEO tools.
Want more information on your competitors?
SpyFu is one of the best tools available for analysing your competitors and using that information to grow your own rankings.
As much as I love SpyFu, as a Semrush alternative, it doesn’t offer the volume of:
…That Semrush does.
SpyFu truly shines if you just want to get more advanced insights into your competitors.
Comparatively, the pricing is significantly cheaper than all the other all-in-one SEO tools. Get access to all of SpyFu’s features for just $39 per month.
Bonus: If those alternatives don’t convince you, you can also take a look at Serpstat. Read my serpstat review to learn more.
Doing SEO on a budget?
No worries, I’ve got you covered- Bellow are 2x free Semrush alternatives that I recommend.
Google Keyword Planner is one of the most underrated free SEO tools on the market.
Why?
Because it contains data from Google themselves!
Google Keyword Planner is found inside of your Google ads account. Although not strictly an SEO tool – if you need accurate keyword research on a budget…
…Google Keyword Planner is the way to go.
One of the big benefits of Google Keyword Planner is the number of ways you can find potential keywords. You can find keywords by:
The tool goes to work and suggests potential target keywords.
And if you want to only target keywords that will bring an ROI?
A powerful feature in Keyword Planner is forecasting.
This feature provides forecasts about a keyword’s potential performance which is all calculated by the estimated number of clicks and likely conversions.
You can find keywords that Google thinks will result in real conversions.
Google Keyword Planner gives you access to accurate estimated data on keywords such as average monthly searches and even competition level.
You can do so much with Google Keywords and best of all… It’s free!
Aside from only being a keyword research tool…
Google Keyword Planner isn’t the easiest tool to use. The user interface just isn’t that intuitive despite the number of updates Google has given it over the years.
Lots of the metrics are only rough estimates. And when I say rough…
I mean really rough.
For example, when you are looking at the competition level of a specific keyword, Keyword Planner only shows whether it is:
Broad and rough data makes it hard to decide whether the keyword you are researching is worth targeting.
A powerful free keyword research tool created by the largest search engine in the world?
It’s clear why you would choose Google Keyword Planner.
As a Semrush alternative Google Keyword Planner simply doesn’t compare. But when it comes to keyword research, it really holds its own…
Especially because it’s free.
Want to see how to use Keyword Planner to find great keywords to target? Check out my Google Keyword Planner tutorial.
Ubersuggest came out of almost nowhere.
Neil Patel (one of the most well-known digital marketers and SEO consultants on the planet) acquired it in February 2017.
He has made it what it is today – a powerful keyword scraper that is easy to use.
With Ubersuggest you can:
All of these tools are put into a beautiful and straightforward user interface.
The Neil Patel blog is built directly into the website with Ubersuggest which means there are tons of free resources to use and learn from.
Want accurate data? You got it!
Ubersuggest provides really accurate data for keyword research making it one of the best alternatives that I have found.
There are a lot of metrics you can view:
This makes it easy to choose keywords for your SEO campaign.
If you want to take it further…
…You can filter results to get more keyword suggestions including getting keyword recommendations based on related questions people type into Google.
Once you sign up for an account you can also add your domain. This unlocks the ability to have Ubersuggest do an SEO audit on your website.
If that wasn’t enough for a free tool…
Ubersuggest has a simple rank tracking tool that tracks your rankings for both desktop and mobile. You also get a trend score which shows your SEO campaigns performance over time.
When it comes to:
…Ubersuggest doesn’t really compare as a Semrush alternative.
Although it’s simple and easy to use, it just doesn’t have the historical data and analysis capabilities.
Do a lot of SEO audits?
Ubersuggest’s website auditing tool is basic – only showing you the bigger website issues. If you have a larger website it just won’t do enough for you.
On top of that, you have a cap on the number of searches you can do per day which is… Quite limiting if you ask me.
If you want to get full functionality out of it and do serious SEO keyword research, you will need to upgrade to a premium account eventually.
Want an SEO tool that is easy to use and cost-effective?
You can’t really go past Ubersuggest. Even after upgrading to a premium account, it is still one of the cheapest SEO tools available.
Ubersuggest starts from just $12 per month.
Ubersuggest is a great SEO tool for:
…You get all of the key metrics you need at a very affordable price (if not for free).
Bonus: if you’re not convinced by any of these free options, you can check out Keywords Everywhere. It offers free and paid features.
So there you have it… My top 6x best Semrush Alternatives.
No surprise here, Ahrefs is the best Semrush alternative – the only SEO tool that can go head to head with Semrush.
Get the free version of Ahrefs by signing up for Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
Or if after all of your research you still want to use SEMRush…
…you can get SEMRush for 14 days here!
GROWTH HACK: How to increase your search traffic in just 28 days.
And just to recap…
Here is a recap of the tools featured in our list above:
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