Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Google Search Console
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Google Search Console is a search engine optimization software solution offered by Google.N/A
RavenTools
Score 7.6 out of 10
N/A
Raven Tools from the Tennessee company of the same name is Internet or search engine marketing optimization software consisting of popular tools targeted at SEO specialists who need research automation. To that end it contains the familiar set of website research and auditing, competitor monitoring, rank tracking, and also content investigation to see that material on the site is keyword-rich yet topically relevant. Social media and backlink checking tools facilitate outreach and drive traffic…
$49
per month
Semrush
Score 8.6 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
Google Search ConsoleRavenToolsSemrush
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Small Biz (2 users)
$49
per month
Start (4 users)
$109
per month
Grow (8 users)
$199
per month
Thrive (20 users)
$299
per month
Lead (40 users)
$479
per month
Pro
$139.95
per month
Guru
$249.95
per month
Business
$499.95
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Google Search ConsoleRavenToolsSemrush
Free Trial
NoNoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeOptional
Additional Details17% discount for annual pricing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Google Search ConsoleRavenToolsSemrush
Considered Multiple Products
Google Search Console
Chose Google Search Console
Usually, I use multiple tools and GSC is the first on my list along with Google Analytics since both of these tools are free and are sufficient for monitoring, analyzing and managing digital marketing for a small business. However, there are some limitations to these tools like …
Chose Google Search Console
SEMRush is a supplementary tool we use to provide competitive analysis. While it does, or should, provide the same data that Search Console does, but I only fully trust Search Console when it comes to basic performance in Google for the sites we develop and own. SEMRush, and …
Chose Google Search Console
I would say that the two work together. I think that anyone who has a website should have and be knowledgeable of Google Search Console and Google Analytics. HubSpot, SEMRush, and programs like SEO Spider have similar features but Google's free features are unbeatable. The paid …
Chose Google Search Console
Google Search Console is obviously not as robust as a paid service like SEMRush, but it provides quick, easy, at-a-glance insights to make our jobs easier.
Chose Google Search Console
We also use SEMRush for our sites to get a better overall picture of our backlinks, keywords, rankings, etc for all our search engine optimization needs, but at a cost of $99/month, it can be quite expensive and does what Google Search Console does for free, albeit in a more …
Chose Google Search Console
We are using Ahrefs and SEMRush along with the search console. Ahrefs helps in creating our backlink strategy while SEMRush for content gaps and opportunities. Search console is more preferred as it is completely free and data comes straight from Google. But you cannot see …
Chose Google Search Console
We use both SEMRush and Google Search Console. Google Search Console and SEMRush share some similar features, but they're two very different software suites. SEMRush is a more robust platform for SEO and SEM. It offers a lot more features than Google Search Console, …
Chose Google Search Console
All of these other tools have positives and negatives. We use Google Search Console along with Semrush in the past and are using it with Ahrefs right now. Search Console is like the foundation of monitoring our search presence and these other tools are what lets us do the heavy …
Chose Google Search Console
I think these tools are a lot better than GSC, to be honest, because they bring everything together in one place and offer better keyword analysis capabilities. However, I would select GSC over these tools because it is Google's proprietary data, and ultimately, I am optimizing …
Chose Google Search Console
It's a product from the same team as the no. 1 search engine. It's free, so there's no burden, and you can use it for as long as you want and for as big a company as possible. Others are very expensive, and data can be inaccurate sometimes. Google Analytics serves a different …
Chose Google Search Console
GSC does not give you as much information as a paid tool, but it does give you direct clicks to keywords which these other tools have no way of knowing.
Chose Google Search Console
Google Search Console needs to be used alongside other tools like that ones I mentioned. By itself, it's only able to provide basic information for baseline issues. Thankfully, it does integrate well with a lot of other services and can be useful when linked up to those tools. …
Chose Google Search Console
The best part about Google Search Console is it is FREE to use. However, the performance report shared by Google Search Console may not be as detailed as the one shared by Ubersuggest. Ubersuggest also has tons of other additional features and they have a free version too. I …
Chose Google Search Console
The search console provides more detailed data on actual real-world performance. The search console also helps with submitting new websites for indexing whereas other tools only analyze existing SERP results. The search console also gives additional data of keywords that a page …
Chose Google Search Console
The data is more accurate in Google Search Console and you can communicate back with Google using this tool.
Chose Google Search Console
I wouldn't really call Google Search Console a competitor of these major SEO software that has backlink management, competitive research, keyword research, PPC research, and so much more a part of them. It's just a bare-bones SEO tool and sitemap submission specifically for …
Chose Google Search Console
Google Search Console does a lot more than most webmaster tools and is easier to navigate than Bing Webmaster Tools. One other tool that we predominately use is SerpCheetah, which provides real-time organic keyword positioning rank in the SERP and can be broken down by device, …
Chose Google Search Console
The paid software mentioned all provide great insights and areas of opportunity. Those insights coupled with Google's free Search Console allow one to make changes directly into the SERPs. The ability to push a page to be crawled ensures that your changes will be seen by google …
Chose Google Search Console
Google is the dominant search engine so its a dead-given that you want to be using their platform for optimizing and managing your website presence on Google. No other platform compares to Google Search Console when it comes to accessing raw data on how google is viewing your …
Chose Google Search Console
Google search console has different features than the other tools and provides help in ways other tools don't such as sitemap optimization and overall impressions of your brand online.
Chose Google Search Console
For me, the biggest asset of Search Console is that it's a free product! You don't need to pay extra to obtain data that other tools will give you. If you want to know which keywords your visitors are using to find you, then look no further.
Google Search Console is also a …
Chose Google Search Console
There are not other products like Google Search Console.
RavenTools
Chose RavenTools
RavenTools created a stronger platform that allowed us to really streamline our processes and keep our clients happy by providing monthly insights to the progress, successes, and advantages of our team creating marketing and executing efforts. My agency had been long-time fans …
Chose RavenTools
ActiveCollab was okay for task management, but it doesn't hold a candle to all of the funtionality built into RavenTools. I feel like RavenTools is THE must-have tool for people in my industry.
Chose RavenTools
I have used Majestic, Moz, and SEMrush for similar things and I like all these tools. I like majestic's interface best for competitive analysis and backlink exploration. I prefer some of Moz's tools to Raven, but Raven has the advantage of compiling data from all these …
Chose RavenTools
RavenTools, seoClarity, and BrightEdge are all ostensibly the same things—one-stop shops for SEO analysis of multiple domains. However, versus those other tools, RavenTools is a completely different beast. Its strength is in its reporting, which is modular and highly …
Semrush
Chose Semrush
Google Search Console is free, so that's a point in GSC's favor. BrightLocal is excellent at search ranking reports but not as strong on other fronts. SEMrush is very good at analyzing companies to which you don't have direct access, such as competitors and prospects.
Chose Semrush
SEMRush is a great program for when you want data similar to that of Google Search Console, but when you don't have access to the website's Google account. It allows you to see some of the same or similar data like traffic over time and what queries they've been ranking for. We …
Chose Semrush
For tracking rankings, traffic, and competitor research, SEMrush does a great job compared to the other tools I've used. Moz used to be one of the best tools out there and I think their keyword volume metrics are still the most accurate in the industry, but the Moz Pro package …
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
Semrush is nice and working on integrating more SEM. It still does not have as many reporting features for SEM as RavenTools, but you can tell they are working on it. It has more features than SpyFu or BrightLocal. Although I like BrightLocal's interface a little better, …
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
Honestly, Semrush is the only product like it that I've used extensively. Although I have used Moz free version before and didn't love 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
Frankly, once I started using Semrush and found very quick success, I had no desire or reason to try others. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I did use some other SEO tools in the past, but it was so long ago I don't even recall the names anymore.
Chose Semrush
Semrush has integrated all in one and easy to navegate around its dashboard
Chose Semrush
Semrush is an all in 1 tool for SEO and SEA, and does specific things really well even better then the competition.
The mean issue i could have with Semrush is the pricing, for $119 a month you get the full tool but with limitations of projects, users etc.
When you wanna add more …
Chose Semrush
Semrush is more intuitive and well-rounded. I didn't use Ahrefs too much, but it felt more complex to use and a bit more fragmented. Moz seemed to diminish in usefulness from when I started using it. Semrush does everything Moz does, but better, more comprehensively, and with …
Chose Semrush
Semrush is more comprehensive than Ahrefs. It has more features.
Chose Semrush
I have used ahrefs and MOZ in the past, but it was handled by other people and I was one of the business leads. ahrefs is very solid in certain areas of links, but SEMrush has a very deep database and that is part of the appeal. They also have a solid connection to Google. …
Chose Semrush
I used Moz for years before switching to SEMrush (I was trained on it at my old job), and SEMrush is better in just about every way except for maybe blog content/resources.

Ahrefs looks like a worthy competitor and we may have gone with them if SEMrush were not more affordable. …
Chose Semrush
Point by point and task for task, Semrush is the better value.
Chose Semrush
Semrush is full of detailed information that I haven't found on Ubersuggest, Keysearch, Google Ads or others.
When looking for keywords that are higher volume and low competition, I just haven't found anything else that does the job like Semrush.
Plus, I can save my lists of …
Chose Semrush
I used a few other similar tools, each tool has its own strength. The main reason I suggest to use SEMRush is it gives 360-degree view of competitors' research.
Chose Semrush
- SERPs is great for keyword research (volume, cost, etc.), but when it came to reporting, I found the tool clunky and hard to use. It was difficult to manage multiple projects and I didn't feel like I was always getting accurate data.
- HubSpot has great analytics tools, but …
Chose Semrush
SEMRush is simpler and easier to use compared to other platforms, yet is just as powerful.
Chose Semrush
The reason why I like SEMRush is that you get some of the best webinars in the business and it's really many software combined in one. They also keep adding beta features so they keep improving the software.
Chose Semrush
We have used a few similar products to SEMrush at different points. Generally the breadth of information in SEMrush is one of the biggest reasons to use it. If your focus is more specific on SEO Moz Pro might be a better choice. If you are exclusively focused on SEM/PPC it …
Chose Semrush
SEMRush has a much stronger position when you compare it to other alternatives. The reason being that there are only a few tools that provide an overall service including both SEO and SEM. Also, the fact that it allows competitor analysis and a side by side analysis of KPIs …
Chose Semrush
The ability to test almost all features for free, to learn the [long term] potential, helps to better understand what aspects of marketing tasks can help more. It also has multiple tools in various areas of SEM and SEO, something that not all tools have available.
Features
Google Search ConsoleRavenToolsSemrush
SEO
Comparison of SEO features of Product A and Product B
Google Search Console
4.9
56 Ratings
44% below category average
RavenTools
8.4
12 Ratings
9% above category average
Semrush
7.9
154 Ratings
3% above category average
Keyword analysis7.748 Ratings10.011 Ratings8.6154 Ratings
Backlink management5.744 Ratings7.012 Ratings8.3147 Ratings
SERP ranking tracking6.646 Ratings10.012 Ratings8.3150 Ratings
Page grader3.733 Ratings10.011 Ratings7.6129 Ratings
Competitive analysis1.418 Ratings10.011 Ratings8.5149 Ratings
Site audit / diagnostics7.748 Ratings10.012 Ratings8.0150 Ratings
Site recommendations5.444 Ratings2.011 Ratings7.6139 Ratings
Task management1.019 Ratings8.08 Ratings6.691 Ratings
SEO Channels
Comparison of SEO Channels features of Product A and Product B
Google Search Console
7.2
53 Ratings
5% below category average
RavenTools
10.0
10 Ratings
28% above category average
Semrush
8.2
140 Ratings
8% above category average
Local SEO5.837 Ratings10.08 Ratings8.1128 Ratings
Social SEO8.019 Ratings10.010 Ratings8.0106 Ratings
Mobile SEO7.449 Ratings10.08 Ratings8.3113 Ratings
Global SEO7.743 Ratings10.08 Ratings8.2114 Ratings
SEO Platform & Account Management
Comparison of SEO Platform & Account Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Search Console
8.1
53 Ratings
4% below category average
RavenTools
10.0
12 Ratings
17% above category average
Semrush
8.5
125 Ratings
1% above category average
Multi-domain support8.047 Ratings10.010 Ratings8.2115 Ratings
Integration with web analytics tools8.150 Ratings10.012 Ratings8.7119 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Google Search ConsoleRavenToolsSemrush
Small Businesses
Nozzle
Nozzle
Score 10.0 out of 10
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
Advanced Web Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking
Score 8.2 out of 10
Enterprises
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Score 8.5 out of 10
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
Score 8.5 out of 10
Dupli Checker (DupliChecker.com)
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Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Google Search ConsoleRavenToolsSemrush
Likelihood to Recommend
9.3
(54 ratings)
8.0
(26 ratings)
8.2
(154 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(16 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(6 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(10 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
6.1
(8 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
9.9
(17 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Google Search ConsoleRavenToolsSemrush
Likelihood to Recommend
Google
It's suited for all use cases, but for big companies, the data might be crippling, so an add-on tool to analyse the data would be a good companion for GSC to solve this issue. Therefore, I think it's suited for any use case with some add-ons and companions needed for analysis.
Read full review
RavenTools
If you are looking for a one-stop shop for MOST things related to digital marketing, RavenTools is a great solution. You will be able to monitor social media, Google tools, email campaigns, and much more from one spot. It really cuts down on time spent moving from account to account. If you are looking for clean and easy to read reports for clients, RavenTools is perfect for that as well. It provides tools and reports that can be used by internal and external teams alike.
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
Google
  • Google Search Console insights is a great feature which provides an overview of my top content, how my new content is performing, etc.
  • It gives detailed information around backlinks - who is linking to us, how many backlinks do we have, how is the internal linking within the website, etc.
  • I like the graph feature that shows how the website is performing overall in one month, three months etc. Seeing the graph can help us understand whether it is trending upward or downward and we can shift strategies accordingly.
Read full review
RavenTools
  • RavenTools has teamed up with SEO services like Moz and Magestic SEO to provide detailed data about the SEO health of your own websites as well as how they compare to your competitors' websites. I can directly compare number of backlinks, page speed, domain authority, integration of Google Analytics, presence of robots.txt files, on-site social media engagement, and home page load time. This a great way to get an idea of how your site stacks up against others and what can be done to improve it.
  • RavenTools' automated reports are mostly great (I'll cover the negatives later). You can create reports with as much data as you would like and schedule them to arrive as often as you would like. I have SEO, social media, and site performance reports delivered to my team and me every Monday covering the last 10 days, and a broader quarterly report arrives in the inboxes of a few executives once a quarter.
  • RavenTools' graphs are often easier to read and decipher than graphs found in Google Analytics. Part of the reason is the graph height. Google Analytics graphs are fairly short, so it's difficult to see smaller variations in the data. Those variations are more pronounced within RavenTools using the data.
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
Google
  • It can be a little difficult to navigate
  • More training resources would be an asset. A beginner is given the power to completely destroy a sites search results at the push of a button. Likewise it is a powerful tool to enhance search results also.
  • An option to take care of multiple versions of the same site simultaneously would be helpful. An option to use the same validation script across all versions and administer them simultaneously would be a time save (i.e. non-www, www, http://, and https:// versions of the same site).
Read full review
RavenTools
  • The data it gets from Webmaster Tools and Analytics is great and reporting on it is easy - however, when you're looking at the charts for keyword placement on screen the graphic can be hard to read and often I find myself just checking GWT and BWT separately for easier information if no report needs to be generated.
  • RavenTools comes with an iPhone app so you can check on your campaigns and clients when you're not at your desk, however, the app crashes quite a bit when you get to the Google Analytics portion of the screen.
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
Google
No answers on this topic
RavenTools
A year ago or so, Raven abandoned many of their organic rank reporting tools in an attempt to favor some Adwords intelligence. The market rebelled, as did I; in our desperation to find an alternative to Raven, none could be found and a great majority of users didn't want/need Adwords data. Months later, Raven reverted. I'd renew with Raven not just because nothing else cuts it, but because they are both trying to innovate, and listening to customers.
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
Google
It's easy to use, but some features are lacking a clear explanation. Somethings don't always match up. For example, the Core Web Vitals often doesn't match what you would see in the Chrome Lighthouse report or the Google Page Speed Insights tool. The tool itself is a little too basic and has to be used alongside other SEO tools and other Google properties such as Analytics
Read full review
RavenTools
Certain areas, Social Media scheduling, could stand to undergo a complete overhaul. However, most of the RavenTools interface is easy to use. You will not have any issues getting up and running and should there be an issue, the customer service is really good. They also continue to preform updates that make the usability even better
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
Google
No answers on this topic
RavenTools
No answers on this topic
Semrush
Semrush available when you need it!
Read full review
Performance
Google
No answers on this topic
RavenTools
No answers on this topic
Semrush
SemRush performs well with few errors!
Read full review
Support Rating
Google
As it is a free tool, you mainly have to rely on their knowledge base and forums. Google has provided in-depth guides and KB for every function of the search console. So, you can refer to it in case of any problem. You can also ask questions on their forums but direct support is not available.
Read full review
RavenTools
RavenTools has some of the best Customer Support I have ever received. They are quick to respond and will keep you posted on the progress of your issue. You truly feel as if you are getting customized service. No human is perfect and I have had one situation in which I had to reach out multiple times, but overall I fully trust and approve of their process
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
Google
No answers on this topic
RavenTools
No answers on this topic
Semrush
I did it by myself and do not have a comment!
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Google
SEMRush is a supplementary tool we use to provide competitive analysis. While it does, or should, provide the same data that Search Console does, but I only fully trust Search Console when it comes to basic performance in Google for the sites we develop and own. SEMRush, and other products like it, does provide much more in-depth insights that can help drive business decisions, including site performance on other search engines, along putting organic and paid search performance in one spot. However, SEMRush costs money while Search Console is free.
Read full review
RavenTools
I don't have a lot of experience with other tools although we have had a lot of demos of other products. We have often found that by utilizing features in Raven that we didn't know about we could have the same functionality without using another reporting tool. This allows us to continue using one integrated reporting tool.
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.
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Scalability
Google
No answers on this topic
RavenTools
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
Google
  • Given that this is a free tool, the return on investment has been particularly high - we've identified and addressed a few site issues that could have meant a reduction in search traffic.
  • Our organic search traffic has been on the rise in part due to the insights gained from the search traffic analytics provided within the console.
Read full review
RavenTools
  • RavenTools has been invaluable in helping us improve ranking through website audits. The ease with which we can correct issues once they arise has resulted in approximately 35% increased productivity from our audit team.
  • It would be helpful if the reports were nice enough that they could be customer-facing. We have to put the data into our own reporting forms for customer presentation.
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