Semrush alternatives

Semrush: All-in-one SEO and competitive research suite. From $139.95/mo, running on Web, API, Chrome extension.

Every tool here shares a category with Semrush. For each: what it costs against Semrush, where it runs, and the one claim its own listing makes that Semrush's does not.

Where Semrush runs out of road

A broad SEO and competitive research suite covering keyword research, site audits, backlink analysis, rank tracking and competitor visibility across organic and paid channels.

Semrush's own listed limits, in its words:

  • The sheer number of tools is overwhelming for anyone who only needs keyword tracking
  • Pricing climbs quickly once API access or larger project counts are needed
  • The free tier is thin — most real work requires a paid plan

Alternatives to Semrush, by what they cost to start

Of the 5, 2 start cheaper, 1 sits level on price and 2 cost more to start. 3 reach past its categories.

Cheaper to start than Semrush

Lower entry price than Semrush, a free tier it lacks, or both.

  • Context.dev

    From $25/mo — $114.95 a month under Semrush.

    Web and API only, where Semrush also ships Chrome extension. Shares the Data & Analytics ground, reaches into Automation & Agents, and leaves SEO to Semrush.

    In its favour
    Every credit comes from one pool, so scraping, search, brand and extraction don't need four subscriptions to reason about
    The catch
    Credit-metered across six different products, so forecasting a month's spend takes more arithmetic than a flat seat price

    Semrush vs Context.dev, side by side

  • Hex

    From $36/mo — $103.95 a month under Semrush.

    Web only, where Semrush also ships API and Chrome extension. Data & Analytics only, where Semrush also works across SEO.

    In its favour
    Multiplayer editing genuinely works like a shared doc, which most notebook tools don't offer
    The catch
    Compute is billed separately from seats, so costs are less predictable than a flat per-user price

    Semrush vs Hex, side by side

Priced level with Semrush

Within a step of Semrush on entry price, so the rest decides.

  • Julius AI

    No published entry price, against Semrush's $139.95/mo.

    Web only, where Semrush also ships API and Chrome extension. Shares the Data & Analytics ground, reaches into Research, and leaves SEO to Semrush.

    In its favour
    Fast for one-off exploratory questions compared to building a dashboard from scratch
    The catch
    Like any LLM-driven analysis, it can misinterpret a column or miscalculate silently — outputs need spot-checking

    Semrush vs Julius AI, side by side

A step up in price from Semrush

More to start than Semrush, so the difference has to earn it.

  • Surfer SEO

    No published entry price, against Semrush's $139.95/mo. No free tier to sit on, which Semrush does give you.

    Web only, where Semrush also ships API and Chrome extension. Shares the SEO ground, reaches into Marketing, and leaves Data & Analytics to Semrush.

    In its favour
    SERP Analyzer surfaces competitor structure and term usage quickly
    The catch
    Chasing a high Content Score can nudge writing toward keyword-stuffed prose if used mechanically

    Semrush vs Surfer SEO, side by side

  • Clearscope

    From $129/mo — $10.95 a month under Semrush. No free tier to sit on, which Semrush does give you.

    Web only, where Semrush also ships API and Chrome extension. SEO only, where Semrush also works across Data & Analytics.

    In its favour
    NLP term suggestions are precise and tied to what's actually ranking, not guesswork
    The catch
    Chasing the grade can still produce mechanical, term-stuffed writing without editorial judgment

    Semrush vs Clearscope, side by side

Widen the search

Semrush sits in SEO (3 tools) and Data & Analytics (4 tools). Each page holds the full set, filterable by pricing and platform.