vioscaleAI
Comparison

Ahrefs vs Semrush

On the evidence we track, Semrush leads this comparison with a composite score of 58/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Ahrefs full profile →Semrush full profile →
Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
Ahrefs52
★Semrush58
Score
vioscaleAI score
Ahrefs52 / 100medium · 55%
Semrush58 / 100medium · 53%
Pricing
Free tier
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✗
Model
Ahrefsfreemium
Semrushcommercial
Price level
Ahrefslow
Semrushhigh
Starting price
Ahrefs–
Semrush$139.95
Transparent
Ahrefs✗
Semrush✓
Integrations
Count
Ahrefs3
Semrush18
Security
Iso27001
Ahrefs✓
Semrush–
Soc2
Ahrefs✓
Semrush–
Market
Availability
Content
Faq
Ahrefs7 items
Semrush6 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for seo tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Pricing
Pricing transparency
AhrefsContact-sales
SemrushContact-sales
Free tier / free tool
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Pricing model
Ahrefs-
SemrushFlat
Data
Backlink index
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Keyword research database
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Capability
Rank tracking
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Technical site audit / crawler
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Content optimisation (SERP-driven)
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Competitor / SERP intelligence
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Coverage
Local / mobile SERP support
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Countries / locales covered
AhrefsNot specified
SemrushGlobal; Pro plan covers 30+ markets for advertising data; 142 regional keyword d
Integration
Public API
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Search Console / GA4 integration
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Deployment
Deployment
AhrefsCloud
SemrushCloud

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Ahrefs

Platform that combines artificial intelligence with a comprehensive web index to provide marketing reports, competitive analysis, automated workflows, and real-time monitoring capabilities for SEO and brand visibility.

Independently observed

Semrush

Leader

Comprehensive SEO and visibility platform that helps businesses understand competitor strategies, track keyword performance, audit technical issues, and monitor how their brand appears in search results and AI-generated answers.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Ahrefs

Free tier
as of verify ↗

Semrush

Leader
from $139.95/moSubscription7-day trial

From $139.95/month. 7-day free trial.

  • SEO Toolkit Pro$139.95/mo
    • Keyword research
    • Competitor analysis
    • Rank tracking
    • Technical site audit
    • Backlink analysis
  • SEO Toolkit Guru$249.95/mo
    • Everything in Pro
    • SEO Writing Assistant
    • Topic Research
    • Historical Data
    • Multi-targeting in Position Tracking
    • +1 more
  • SEO Toolkit Business$499.95/mo
    • Everything in Guru
    • SEO Share of Voice tracking
    • API Access
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Ahrefs✓
Semrush✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

In common (2)
  • Google Search Console
  • Google Analytics

Ahrefs

6 total - 4 not shared
  • Google Analytics 4
  • Data Studio
  • IndexNow
  • Google Business Profile
Independently observed

Semrush

Leader
24 total - 22 not shared
  • Google Ads
  • Google Shopping
  • Meta Ads
  • Microsoft Ads
  • LinkedIn Ads
  • TikTok Ads
  • TikTok Organic
  • CallRail
  • HubSpot
  • Mailchimp
  • Matomo
  • ChatGPT
  • Google AI Overviews
  • Gemini
  • Perplexity
  • Facebook Ads
  • TikTok
  • Looker Studio
  • LinkedIn
  • Lovable
  • Claude
  • Adobe
Independently observed
Still deciding?

Ahrefs or Semrush: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.