Semrush vs Ahrefs: Semrush tracks rankings daily, Ahrefs fares better with unprompted reviewers
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Moz Reviews · Updated October 5, 2026
Both are deep SEO suites with keyword databases near 28 billion terms and backlink indexes in the tens of trillions. The practical differences are rank tracking, how you can try them, and what reviewers say.
Pick Semrush if you need daily rank tracking, want a free plan or a trial before paying, or want a refund window on an annual plan. Pick Ahrefs if you want more tracked keywords on the first full plan (750 on Lite against 500 on Semrush SEO), a lower list price, and the stronger review record on G2 and with unprompted Trustpilot reviewers. If both are more tool than you need, Moz is the lower-cost option covered below.
Semrush vs Ahrefs at a glance
| Compared on | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $139/mo (SEO plan) | $29/mo (Starter); Lite $129/mo |
| Yearly price | SEO plan $117.33/mo billed yearly (save up to 17%) | Save up to 17% billed yearly |
| Entry plan | SEO plan: 5 websites, 500 tracked keywords; extra users from $45/mo | Lite: 1 user, 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords; extra users $40/mo (up to 2) |
| Rank tracking updates | Daily | Weekly on every plan |
| AI prompt tracking | None on the SEO plan; 50 prompts tracked daily from the $199 Starter plan | Brand Radar AI, sold from $199/mo |
| Free plan / trial | Free plan (10 reports a day, no card); 7-day trial needs a card | No trial; free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools needs site verification |
| Refund policy | 7-day money-back on first annual (12-month+) plans only; none on monthly | No refunds in general; unused monthly plans may request one, which Ahrefs may decline |
| Keyword database (vendor's claim) | Over 28 billion keywords, 142 databases | 28.7 billion filtered keywords from a 110 billion keyword database |
| Backlink index (vendor's claim) | More than 43 trillion backlinks, 390 million referring domains, refreshed at least hourly | About 35 trillion external backlinks, updated every 15 to 30 minutes |
| G2 rating | 4.4 (4,052 reviews) | 4.5 (717 reviews) |
| Trustpilot TrustScore | 1.7 (1,407 reviews) | 2.2 (323 reviews) |
| Trustpilot unprompted, latest 50 reviews | 1.52 average (48 of 50 unprompted) | 2.1 average (50 of 50 unprompted) |
| Ownership | Adobe, since April 28, 2026 | Private and bootstrapped: Ahrefs Pte. Ltd., Singapore |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-10-05. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Trustpilot samples: each company's 50 most recent reviews, off-topic ones left out. Semrush: August 11 to October 5, 2026 (48 unprompted averaging 1.52; 2 invited averaging 3.0). Ahrefs: March 25, 2025 to October 3, 2026 (all 50 unprompted, averaging 2.1). Pulled October 5, 2026. Some Semrush pages say 26 billion keywords.
Semrush vs Ahrefs on price and entry plans
Ahrefs lists a $29 a month Starter plan, and Lite costs $129 a month. Semrush's first paid plan, SEO, costs $139 a month, or $117.33 a month billed yearly. Ahrefs says yearly billing saves up to 17%.
Lite tracks 750 keywords across 5 projects for one user. Semrush's SEO plan tracks 500 keywords across 5 websites. Extra users cost from $45 a month on Semrush and $40 a month on Ahrefs, which caps Lite at 2 extra. For AI visibility, Semrush adds 50 daily prompts on its $199 Starter plan, and Ahrefs sells Brand Radar AI from $199 a month. Reviewers of both name price as the main drawback.
“Semrush can feel both expensive and overwhelming, particularly for beginners or smaller teams who may not need all of its features right away.”Sanskriti T., G2, August 2026
Semrush vs Ahrefs on keyword and link data
The two claim similar keyword coverage: Semrush over 28 billion keywords across 142 geographic databases, Ahrefs 28.7 billion filtered keywords from a 110 billion keyword database. On links, Semrush claims more than 43 trillion backlinks, refreshed at least hourly, and Ahrefs about 35 trillion external backlinks, updated every 15 to 30 minutes. Each company counts its own way, so these totals alone will not settle which index suits your sites.
Semrush vs Ahrefs on rank tracking
Semrush updates tracked rankings daily, starting on its $139 SEO plan. Ahrefs Rank Tracker updates weekly on every plan, including Enterprise at $1,499 a month. If you report daily ranking moves to clients, Semrush is the one that does it out of the box.
“Rank tracking isn’t as strong or flexible as some competitors”Mallikarjuna M., G2, April 2026
Semrush vs Ahrefs on trials, refunds, and reviews
Semrush has a free plan (10 reports a day, no card) and a 7-day trial that needs a card. It refunds within 7 days only on a first subscription of 12 months or longer. Ahrefs has no trial and says it never runs discounts; its free Webmaster Tools requires verifying you own the site. Ahrefs does not issue refunds in general, though a monthly subscriber who has not used the service can ask.
Ahrefs leads on reviews. It scores 4.5 on G2 from 717 reviews against Semrush's 4.4 from 4,052. Among the 50 most recent Trustpilot reviews of each, Ahrefs's unprompted reviews average 2.1 and Semrush's 1.52. Many recent unprompted Semrush reviews describe charges after a trial and refused refunds.
Where Semrush wins
- Daily rank tracking from its first plan; Ahrefs updates weekly.
- A free plan with 10 reports a day and a 7-day trial. Ahrefs has no trial.
- A 7-day money-back guarantee on first annual plans.
Where Ahrefs wins
- 750 tracked keywords on Lite, against 500 on Semrush's SEO plan.
- Lower list prices: Starter at $29 and Lite at $129 a month, against $139.
- Higher review scores: 4.5 on G2, and a 2.1 unprompted Trustpilot average against 1.52.
- Cheaper extra users: $40 a month, against from $45 on Semrush.
When neither fits: Moz
If you manage a few sites, are still learning SEO, or mainly want to track AI visibility, both suites may cost more than you need. Moz Pro Standard is $99 a month ($79 billed yearly) for 3 sites, 300 tracked keywords, and 150 tracked AI prompts across GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity. Moz Pro Starter is $49 a month for one website, and a free Moz account gives limited Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, and MozBar access. Reviewers praise its ease of use, learning resources, and Domain Authority score.
The trade-offs are real. Moz says its keyword database holds 1.25 billion+ keywords, far fewer than either suite. Moz Pro tracks rankings weekly, like Ahrefs. It rates 4.3 on G2 (608 reviews), below both, and the 34 unprompted reviews among its 50 most recent on Trustpilot average 1.29. Moz offers no refunds, and its 7-day trial becomes a paid plan unless you cancel. Compare it in detail in Moz vs Semrush and Moz vs Ahrefs, or read the Moz reviews.
See Moz pricingMore Semrush and Ahrefs options
See Semrush alternatives, Ahrefs alternatives, and the best SEO software roundup.
Semrush vs Ahrefs FAQ
Is Semrush or Ahrefs cheaper?+
Ahrefs has the lower list prices: a $29 a month Starter plan and Lite at $129 a month, against $139 a month for Semrush's SEO plan. Semrush publishes a yearly price of $117.33 a month for the SEO plan; Ahrefs says yearly billing saves up to 17%. Semrush also has a free plan with 10 reports a day.
Is Semrush better than Ahrefs?+
It depends on what you need. Semrush tracks rankings daily, offers a free plan and a 7-day trial, and refunds first annual plans within 7 days. Ahrefs tracks more keywords on its first full plan (750 against 500), rates higher on G2 (4.5 against 4.4), and its unprompted Trustpilot reviews average 2.1 against Semrush's 1.52.
How do Semrush and Ahrefs reviews compare?+
Ahrefs leads on both. G2: Ahrefs 4.5 (717 reviews), Semrush 4.4 (4,052). Trustpilot, 50 most recent reviews each: Ahrefs's 50 unprompted reviews average 2.1, and Semrush's 48 unprompted reviews average 1.52. Overall TrustScores are Ahrefs 2.2 (323 reviews) and Semrush 1.7 (1,407).
Is there a cheaper alternative to Semrush and Ahrefs?+
Moz Pro Standard is $99 a month ($79 billed yearly) for 3 sites, 300 tracked keywords, and 150 tracked AI prompts, with weekly rank updates. Its keyword database is smaller (1.25 billion+), and it rates 4.3 on G2 (608 reviews), below both. Moz Pro Starter is $49 a month for one website.