Head to head
Ahrefs vs Semrush
Both platforms are scored with the same methodology and the same category rubric. Nothing on this page is influenced by advertising.
70/100Higher score | 45/100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Category rank | #1 | #5 |
| Confidence | Medium confidence | High confidence |
| External Reputation | — | — |
| AI Authority | 73 | 55 |
| Web Authority | — | 25 |
| Expert Assessment | 65 | 55 |
| TOP10 User Score | — | — |
| Pricing | $29/mo (Starter); next tier Lite at $129/mo · free tier: Ahrefs Free — $0, limited Site Explorer and Site Audit access for your own verified site only; cancelled customers are downgraded to it | From $139.95/month for SEO Classic entry tier (third-party aggregator, NOT vendor-verified) · free tier: Not verified this session — no free-plan or trial terms were confirmed |
| Pricing model | Subscription with credit-based and per-seat/per-project add-ons | Subscription (tiered) with separately priced per-domain add-on |
| Best for | Funded in-house SEO teams and agencies that need best-in-class backlink and competitor data plus AI-search visibility tracking in one tool, with budget tolerance of $249–$449/mo before add-ons, and enterprise buyers who need SSO, audit logs and uncapped API access. | Agencies and in-house teams that need multi-project keyword tracking with historical data, can use API access, and have procurement capacity to negotiate an annual or multi-year contract. |
| Avoid if | You need to trial before buying, require daily rank tracking, run a solo blog or very small site, have a team larger than a few seats on a lower plan, cannot absorb automatic PAYG overages, need mature local-SEO or social features (both still beta), or require 24/7 support. | You are a solo operator or small team tracking several domains (the per-domain AI Visibility add-on compounds), you need month-to-month flexibility given the concentration of billing and cancellation complaint channels, or you have more than three collaborators and no budget for per-seat expansion. |
| Markets | SMB, Freelancers and consultants, Agencies, In-house marketing teams, Enterprise | Agencies, SMB, Enterprise, In-house marketing teams |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | Singapore (16 Raffles Quay, #33-03 Hong Leong Building, Singapore 048581) | Boston, Massachusetts, United States (per BBB profile) |
A higher TOP SCORE means more of the evidence favours that platform on this methodology — it is not a recommendation, and it does not account for your specific requirements. Advertisers are never declared the winner of a comparison.