Ahrefs vs. Semrush

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Ahrefs
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Ahrefs is an SEO tool providers. Ahrefs Site Explorer provides a suite of tools including a component for backlink & on-page SEO analysis, online brand mentions tracking, and domain comparison tool for competitor analysis, etc. They refer to themselves as “the largest index of live backlinks.”
$99
per month
Semrush
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
Semrush is a relatively popular search engine optimization tool set from the company of the same name based in Pennsylvania and founded in 2008. Largely the platforms relies on competitive intelligence, and features SEO staples like backlink checking, keyword analysis to refine SEO and PPC campaigning and locate low-cost / high-yield keywords, analysis of competitors who co-occupy desired ad and listing spaces, domain vs. domain analysis, as well as site audit and domain tracking. Semrush can…
$139.95
per month
Pricing
AhrefsSemrush
Editions & Modules
Lite
$99.00
per month
Standard
$179.00
per month
Advanced
$399.00
per month
Agency
$999.00
per month
Pro
$139.95
per month
Guru
$249.95
per month
Business
$499.95
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
AhrefsSemrush
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional Details17% discount for annual pricing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AhrefsSemrush
Considered Both Products
Ahrefs
Chose Ahrefs
As a backlink management tool, Ahrefs Site Explorer is the best out there. Being able to look into backlinks and check for any that may be harming our sites is a process that the Ahrefs Site Explorer makes possible. While it does offer keyword tracking as well, I've found the SE…
Chose Ahrefs
The closest competitor to Ahrefs Site Explorer would likely be SEMRush. Ahrefs seems to have a significantly larger amount of data to work with. They claim that their service is powered by the second most active crawler in the world, next to Google.
Chose Ahrefs
The way Ahrefs presents the data collected is much more intuitive and easy to understand than the way SEMRush offers it.
The interface of Ahrefs is more user-friendly than the one from SEMRush. I can get lost in the way SEMRush presents the data, and their help guides are not as …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is my clear choice when I need to better understand the link profile of my clients' websites as its database is unmatched. However, when it comes to keyword research, it is second only to Semrush. I wouldn't say that it's worse than Semrush as each is focused on …
Chose Ahrefs
Sadly we are coming [to] terms that even trough there are more and more options that Ahrefs has they are still incomplete or not working good enough. And the most important options (like frequent updates on rankings) are behind the most expensive membership.

Right now we mainly …
Chose Ahrefs
In my opinion, Ahrefs is the best backlink tool out there. Moz and SEMRush are also great tools for SEO, but if you strictly want to research your own backlinks and see what your competitors have in terms of backlinks, Ahrefs is the best way to do that. It's an easy platform to …
Chose Ahrefs
In my experience, Ahrefs and Semrush are both powerful tools for improving SEO and content marketing efforts. However, I chose to use Ahrefs over Semrush for a few reasons. Firstly, Ahrefs has a stronger focus on backlink analysis and identifying potential link building …
Chose Ahrefs
It's competitive with Semrush, Moz and other tools of that same ilk. It's great for serious SEO work - not at the Enterprise level - but at the small business, small agency level. I would not consider it competitive with BrightEdge, Conductor, SEOClarity, etc. - but it IS …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is easier to use, their features deliver understandable and logical recommendations, and in my opinion and most importantly — they list parent topics, which is huge when designing/redesigning a website.
Chose Ahrefs
We found the user interface of Ahrefs slightly better than the rest. Also, the details involved in the outputs we more informative. For example, once an audit is done, the steps that are involved in fixing that issue are well explained in Ahrefs. Also, I found Ahrefs backlink …
Chose Ahrefs
I got recommendations from my coworkers
Chose Ahrefs
With the digital initiatives we have currently underway, both are really valuable so we keep them both. The digital ecosystem changes so rapidly that only relying on one SEO tool is, in my opinion, not a great idea, as each has its own strengths and weaknesses. And the cost is …
Chose Ahrefs
It's very clear that Ahrefs has a larger database than their competitors. I never run into issues where this tool isn't able to evaluate keywords - even if they are very long tail niche keywords.

The link section of the tool is also very useful. Ahrefs is able to clean up the …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs provides more accurate and important data compared to other services. It has become a very trusted service among the SEO community and collected tremendous amount of data over the years of operation. Ahrefs is designed to meet the needs of a very demanding SEO expert, …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs is more flexible for a large organization and overall has more features than competitors packed within a single tool. Other tools just don't have as much ability as the Ahrefs tool does. We also found the UI to be overall better on Ahrefs and easier to understand than …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs has the best backlink data even compared to funded competitors. On top of that, their analysis and tutorials make it possible to get value easily. Monitoring your website, your competitors, and finding SEO opportunities is very easy and there are some sophisticated …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs has more features and more accurate data than its competitors. While both Moz and Majestic are great tools and can be used as complimentary to Ahrefs, if you have to choose one tool, definitely choose Ahrefs. It has the biggest database of links and better stats for …
Chose Ahrefs
Ahrefs Site Explorer gives us an easier way of obtaining backlinks when we're doing link building, whereas with other products I have a more difficult time finding viable backlinks. The keyword list you can export from Ahrefs is also a lot more clear than in other products …
Chose Ahrefs
I feel like Ahrefs Site Explorer is the best in class for this type of tool. Moz has made great strides recently with their keyword research and backlink tool. It's come a long way, but I still feel Ahrefs Site Explorer is better at looking at sites, giving actionable insights, …
Chose Ahrefs
You can dip deeper with Ahrefs Site Explorer's data. It is great for crawling websites, doing website audits too. For deep analysis and research, Ahrefs is a step ahead of its competitors. Ahrefs has many tools like site & keyword explorer, content explorer, rank tracker, site …
Semrush
Chose Semrush
I have some experience using Ahrefs and Moz, but I find the interface to be more user-friendly in Semrush.
This is particularly useful when we show clients the tool or take screenshots directly from Semrush for client-facing documents.
Chose Semrush
Moz isn't very powerful and better suited to beginners. Ahrefs is on par with Semrush, just a personal preference. Rank Ranger has inaccurate data and a terrible user interface.
Chose Semrush
We have used both Ahrefs and Semrush extensively at our agency and Semrush remains the tool of choice. We find that Semrush has the largest selection of tools & features to use, with the highest accuracy, and provides top-tier analysis recommendations. It's really is the …
Chose Semrush
Semrush is amazing. Not only is it easy to use, it's better than Moz or Ahrefs combined. The Keyword Research tool and planner is incredible. it makes it easy to pull what keywords we want to rank for and add them to our keyword list. It's helped with productivity and workflow. …
Chose Semrush
We also use Ahrefs, but since upgrading our Semrush account, we have less and less need for it.
Chose Semrush
Semrush overall UI is much better than Ahrefs and also more easier to use. Although both the tools have similar features, the reporting asp[etc if semrush is a lot better. Even the pricing of Ahrefs is a bit more expensive then semrush in my opinion.
Chose Semrush
Our company uses nearly every major SEO tool. Semrush has its advantage in its UI/UX and competitive landscape while others have their advantages in other places like bulk management, backlinks (Ahrefs) and, auditing (SF).
Chose Semrush
Semrush provides a great amount of data to help with market and channel research while keeping current with changes in the search environment and how that impacts the competitive space for digital marketers. Other tools appear every week as things progress so quickly in search …
Chose Semrush
Semrush has better brand recognition and value compared to its competitors. It has a futuristic vision and has been growing consistently organically and inorganically. It has helped achieve ROI and better inbound strategy YoY and thus we chose to go with Semrush. Also, our …
Chose Semrush
Semrush is a good middle ground and it’s not a tool you are going to be disappointed with. I think it’s good at all aspects of SEO so if you don’t have a specific strategy in place it’s going to be your best option.
Chose Semrush
SEMRush has many more features than the other tools, and the workflow, or ways you access the tool, were smoother as well.
Chose Semrush
For me, Semrush has a good UX and is a trustworthy source of organic traffic data. When compared to other tools, they sometimes could be pretty much off when I observe data in Google Search Console and Google Analytics. That's why I think Semrush does a pretty good job for any …
Chose Semrush
Semrush is a little pricey; it works very well and is very useful.
Chose Semrush
It's a close call, but ultimately SEMRush is the better product and has better service.
Chose Semrush
I believe that both tools offer valuable insights into the digital ecosystem and both are tools that marketers really need to have access to. Semrush was the first SEO tool I really got to know when I started doing digital marketing, and it will probably be a tool I use for …
Chose Semrush
As an agency starting out I began with Moz. While my memory is not that great of those earlier years, it served us well but we switched because we were looking to upgrade at the time and found RavenTools had a better offering for the money. Again we really enjoyed Raven and …
Chose Semrush
Overall, I preferred the structure and the completeness of the SEMRush tool over the competitors. Many competitors had multiple tools to log into and learn with different interfaces and looks. Love how SEMRush has everything in one place and is more intuitive then these other …
Chose Semrush
Semrush has integrated all in one and easy to navegate around its dashboard
Top Pros
Top Cons
TrustRadius Insights
AhrefsSemrush
Highlights

TrustRadius
Research Team Insight
Published

Customers have primarily utilized Ahrefs for its backlink analysis features. They regularly mention how the detailed insights and metrics provided help them evaluate their own and competitors’ link profiles, aiding in shaping their SEO strategies. Moreover, they commend the software for its keyword research functionality, where users express that it presents extensive data to identify high-ranking keywords and understand keyword difficulty effectively.

 

On the other hand, Semrush users often use it for its comprehensive suite of SEO tools, including keyword research, site audits, and competitor analysis. Reviewers have noted that the content template feature, which provides SEO recommendations for content creation, has been a helpful tool for addressing their specific SEO needs. Furthermore, customers repeatedly highlight the social media toolkit, stating that it allows for easy tracking of social media performance and scheduling posts, a use case not commonly associated with Ahrefs.

Features
AhrefsSemrush
SEO
Comparison of SEO features of Product A and Product B
Ahrefs
7.7
71 Ratings
1% below category average
Semrush
7.8
152 Ratings
1% above category average
Keyword analysis9.468 Ratings8.8152 Ratings
Backlink management8.869 Ratings8.2145 Ratings
SERP ranking tracking9.167 Ratings7.9148 Ratings
Page grader5.961 Ratings6.8127 Ratings
Competitive analysis9.169 Ratings8.5147 Ratings
Site audit / diagnostics7.264 Ratings8.3148 Ratings
Site recommendations5.360 Ratings7.3137 Ratings
Task management7.132 Ratings7.090 Ratings
SEO Channels
Comparison of SEO Channels features of Product A and Product B
Ahrefs
7.7
62 Ratings
1% above category average
Semrush
7.9
138 Ratings
4% above category average
Local SEO7.650 Ratings7.3126 Ratings
Social SEO6.847 Ratings8.0104 Ratings
Mobile SEO6.946 Ratings7.7111 Ratings
Global SEO9.356 Ratings8.5112 Ratings
SEO Platform & Account Management
Comparison of SEO Platform & Account Management features of Product A and Product B
Ahrefs
8.6
59 Ratings
1% above category average
Semrush
8.7
123 Ratings
3% above category average
Multi-domain support8.956 Ratings8.4113 Ratings
Integration with web analytics tools8.429 Ratings9.0117 Ratings
Best Alternatives
AhrefsSemrush
Small Businesses
Nozzle
Nozzle
Score 10.0 out of 10
Nozzle
Nozzle
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Advanced Web Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking
Score 8.2 out of 10
Advanced Web Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking
Score 8.2 out of 10
Enterprises
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Score 8.6 out of 10
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Score 8.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
AhrefsSemrush
Likelihood to Recommend
9.3
(76 ratings)
8.8
(152 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(5 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(4 ratings)
7.5
(8 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.8
(14 ratings)
9.9
(17 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
AhrefsSemrush
Likelihood to Recommend
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a must have in the SEO toolbox. It is one of the leading tools in the industry for serious SEO research. It can do almost everything you need on the non-technical side of SEO. In my opinion, it is not great if you need a detailed technical tool that identifies errors and helps with fix suggestions. In that instance, I think there are better tools on the market. But - for content and keyword related tasks, I think it's must have.
Read full review
Semrush
This is suited to plan for keywords in a single market, but it struggles when you need to consolidate several markets. It is well-suited to discover new keywords directly related to the ones being used currently to expand the content the company is creating to get better results.
Read full review
Pros
Ahrefs
  • I have been using this platform in my organization to develop several SEO tools to help to grow our website much.
  • It has all the main features which include competitor research, keyword research, website audit, content research, and rank tracking.
  • I have been using all these functions in the organization for several purposes. It provides complete information and complete performance details of the SEO.
  • It provides us the detailed keyword research with volume, CPC, and other information.
Read full review
Semrush
  • Great visuals for keyword position tracking, love that you can see the page that is ranking
  • Enjoyed the auto-generated reporting feature (specifically in the context of keyword position tracking)
  • Shows many different and useful views for competitive research
  • Great templated keyword research tools for those who are not as hands-on with SEO
  • I LOVE the Keyword Magic Tool for honing in on longtail, high-opportunity keywords
Read full review
Cons
Ahrefs
  • Can't export graphs: some graphs within the tool would be useful as an export. Unfortunately, exporting them is not an option.
  • No "blanket" reporting options: though Ahrefs is excellent for gathering and exporting intel/data, there are no blanket SEO reports provided. Exporting data is great, but simple report exporting would make it better.
Read full review
Semrush
  • Extra seats can be expensive, as [an] agency with multiple team members this can be frustrating
  • Backlink data is not great, misses out a lot of backlinks (better off using a specialist backlink tool like Link research tools LRT)
  • Tracking multiple keywords, across multiple clients can be costly
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Ahrefs
Their index is too vast to ignore when looking at a complete backlink profile. We find links in Ahrefs that do not appear in any other link detection tool. For this reason, it's a must for our agency to use for the foreseeable future. Plus, it's very affordable considering the data you get
Read full review
Semrush
I [previously] used Semrush for many years and I cannot find any other tool being so complete and easy to use.
Read full review
Usability
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is very easy to use - you can jump right in and understand most of the assets. Overall, the dashboard snapshots give a very good picture of inbound link activity. For deeper analysis of historical trends, the system can become cumbersome, making it hard to do full work without exporting and reformatting the data.
Read full review
Semrush
The interface is a little less intuitive than it could be. The data is often available but filtering and manipulating the data can be a little difficult at times. Expanded comparisons would be helpful since most of the time seeing more than a few competitors at a time allows for a better sense of how to forecast.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Ahrefs
No answers on this topic
Semrush
Semrush available when you need it!
Read full review
Performance
Ahrefs
No answers on this topic
Semrush
SemRush performs well with few errors!
Read full review
Support Rating
Ahrefs
Ahrefs has always been responsive when there's been a technical issue with the site. There are usually very little problems, but if there are, they announce it on their social media accounts which keeps its customers informed. Email support is prompt and the customer service people are very helpful, knowledgable and friendly.
Read full review
Semrush
I'm in a FB group for Semrush paid users and it amazing! They are fast to respond, take suggestions and help with questions. I have not felt alone in using this product at all. Highly recommend their support team. When I had an issue I can jump into the group and they will help get me the right person to help or even tag their programmers to look at something that is going on. Love the group!
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Ahrefs
No answers on this topic
Semrush
I did it by myself and do not have a comment!
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Ahrefs
Majestic and Ahrefs are really close in terms of tool. Ahrefs does offer competitive comparison and they do have a more up to date data base. Majestic however has a more comprehensive historical view of sites which is also extremely valuable. Majestic also offers a link velocity chart that is missing on Ahrefs. Ahrefs makes up for this with their links gained/lost calendar which Majestic is missing.
Read full review
Semrush
We have used both Ahrefs and Semrush extensively at our agency and Semrush remains the tool of choice. We find that Semrush has the largest selection of tools & features to use, with the highest accuracy, and provides top-tier analysis recommendations. It's really is the ultimate all-in-one tool when comparing other performance measurement tools in the digital marketing space.
Read full review
Scalability
Ahrefs
No answers on this topic
Semrush
Semrush is flexible and scalable software which can be deployed across multiple departments and sites as needed.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Ahrefs
  • Ahrefs Site Explorer has helped with any comprehensive backlink analysis and backlink profile management we've had.
  • Ahrefs Site Explorer has helped tremendously in getting manual penalties lifted for certain sites.
  • Aherfs Site Explorer has been helpful in identifying 404 error pages.
Read full review
Semrush
  • Using Semrush on behalf of our clients, we have seen some impressive growth in organic visibility, traffic, conversion and revenue, across multiple industries.
  • The site checks available with Semrush have helped us to pitch and sell our services, securing new clients.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Ahrefs Screenshots

Screenshot of Analyze backlinks and keywords of any website to find opportunities for your organic traffic growthScreenshot of Check your website for 100+ pre-defined SEO issuesScreenshot of Get relevant keyword ideas supported by accurate SEO metricsScreenshot of Find the most shared and linked-to content on any topicScreenshot of Track your and your competitors' search rankings