8 Best Semrush and Ahrefs Alternatives in 2026: Tools Compared

SE Ranking is the closest thing to a cheaper Semrush: one login covers rank tracking, site audits, keyword research, backlink checks and competitor gaps, with the same project-based shape. Core, at $129 a month or $103.20 billed annually, covers 10 projects and 2,000 tracked keywords a day, and Growth, at $279 a month, adds three manager seats and 5,000 keywords a day, with white-label reports through the Agency Pack add-on at $69 a month. Semrush Pro costs $139.95 a month for one user and no white-label reports.

The catch is the data underneath. The backlink index is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush, and the keyword caps are shared across the whole account, so a busy user hits the ceiling. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and the content and local marketing tools cost extra as add-ons.

Moz Pro is the friendliest alternative to the big two. The keyword tools are plain, the site audit reads clearly, and Domain Authority is still the metric clients ask about by name. Starter, at $49 a month or $39 billed annually, is the cheapest entry among the big-name suites, and Standard, at $99 a month, covers three sites and 300 tracked keywords with an on-page grader.

The catch is depth. Starter covers one site and 50 keywords, and there is no free trial on Starter. The link index is thinner than Ahrefs or Semrush, so deep link audits need a second tool, and extra seats cost $49 a month each, which adds up for a team.

Serpstat is the alternative for teams that need data out of the tool. Team, at $129 a month or $100 billed annually, includes three users, unlimited projects, 500 searches a day, 50,000 position checks a month and API access, plus 1,500 AI Visibility checks a month. Ahrefs adds API access on Lite at $129 a month with one user, and Semrush sells API access as a paid add-on, so Serpstat is the cheapest API in this list.

The catch is that Individual, at $69 a month, has no API and only five projects, so the data work starts at Team. There is no free plan, only a 7-day trial, and the backlink index is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush, so rival link profiles are thinner here.

Mangools is the simplest alternative to the big suites: five focused apps, KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner and SiteProfiler, under one login, with every plan including the full set. Basic, at $49 a month or $29.90 billed annually, covers 100 keyword lookups a day and 200 tracked keywords, and the Agency plan, at $89.90 a month billed annually, covers 1,500 keywords and 10 logins. Nothing is locked behind a higher tier except limits.

The catch is depth. There is no site audit, so technical work needs a second tool, and there are no white-label reports on any plan. The backlink data comes from Majestic rather than a first-party index, and Basic allows one login, so a team means Premium at $44.90 a month billed annually.

Ubersuggest Individual, at $29 a month or $16 a month billed annually, is the cheapest full suite in this list: keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and AI tracking for one site, plus two AI articles a month and 250 monthly credits. The $290 lifetime option suits a user who plans to stay on one tool for years, and seven $5 add-ons buy extra searches or keywords without a tier jump.

The catch is the single-project limit and the lifetime fine print. Individual covers one site, so a second site means Business at $49 a month. The lifetime purchase excludes most AI features and is non-refundable, and the free plan allows about three searches a day.

SpyFu is the alternative for competitor research, not for a full suite. Basic, at $29 a month billed annually or $39 monthly, gives unlimited search results and data exports, 100 domain overviews a day and six months of history, and Pro + AI at $119 a month adds 10-plus years of history, API access and custom branded reports. The PPC data, which keywords rivals buy and what their ads say, is the part Semrush charges $139.95 a month to see.

The catch is scope. SpyFu has no site audit, no on-page grader and no content tool, so it cannot replace Semrush or Ahrefs on its own. Basic caps exports at 10,000 rows, and the lead lists are thin outside the US, so pair it with a cheap audit tool.

Similarweb is the alternative that does something the big two do not: it shows how much traffic rival sites get, where it comes from and who the audience is. Starter, at $125 a month billed annually, covers one user with traffic analysis, keyword research and competitive benchmarking, and the AEO plan, at $99 a month billed annually, adds AI brand visibility across six chatbot platforms.

The catch is that Similarweb is a traffic tool first and an SEO tool second. It has no site audit, no keyword difficulty scores and no rank tracker like the suites, so it adds to Semrush or Ahrefs rather than replacing them. There is no free plan, only free tools and a 7-day trial, and the higher tiers are quote-only.

Sitechecker is the alternative for teams that hate paying per seat. Basic, at $99 a month or $83 billed annually, includes unlimited users on every plan, with site audits, rank tracking, backlink monitoring and AI visibility tracking included. Standard, at $249 a month, covers 20 websites and 2,500 keywords, and Premium, at $449 a month, adds white-label reports on your own domain.

The catch is the price floor. Basic costs $99 a month, which sits between Moz Pro Starter at $49 and SE Ranking Core at $129. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial and a set of free SEO tools, and the backlink data is thinner than Ahrefs.