TL;DR / Key Takeaways
- SE Ranking Core ($129/mo) tracks 2,000 keywords daily across 10 projects; Semrush's $139 SEO plan tracks 500 across 5 sites.
- For 10 sites and 1,500 keywords, Semrush needs Pro+ at $299/mo vs SE Ranking Core at $129: $2,040 a year more on monthly billing.
- Semrush reports far larger databases (28.8B keywords, 43T backlinks vs SE Ranking's 5.5B and 2.7T) plus PPC and market toolkits.
- SE Ranking includes content, local and API credits in the base plan; Semrush has a free plan and more AI prompts on Starter and Pro+.
- Pick SE Ranking for tracking and reporting, Semrush for research depth.
Short answer: for the same tracking workload, SE Ranking costs a fraction of Semrush: $129 a month gets 10 projects and 2,000 daily keywords, while Semrush needs its $299 Pro+ plan for 15 sites and 1,500 keywords. Pick SE Ranking for rank tracking, audits and client reporting on a budget. Pick Semrush when you need its much larger keyword and backlink databases, PPC and market data, or a free plan to start.
How we checked: we read both live pricing pages and plan comparison tables, then priced four common workloads on each and compared the data each vendor publishes about itself. User ratings are from Capterra, linked. Prices checked on each vendor's own pricing page on November 1, 2026. Some links are affiliate links: if you sign up, the vendor may pay us a commission at no cost to you. It never changes our picks.
SE Ranking vs Semrush at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Cheapest paid | Cost per tracked keyword |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE Ranking | Rank tracking across many sites, agencies, budget all-in-one | No (14-day trial, no card) | Core $129/mo ($103.20 annual) | $129 / 2,000 = $0.065 |
| Semrush | Research depth, PPC, market and traffic data | Yes: 1 demo project, 10 reports/day | SEO $139/mo ($117.33 annual) | $139 / 500 = $0.278 |
Plans side by side
| Limit | SE Ranking Core | SE Ranking Growth | Semrush SEO | Semrush Starter | Semrush Pro+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price, monthly billing | $129 | $279 | $139 | $199 | $299 |
| Price, annual billing | $103.20 | $223.20 | $117.33 | $165.17 | $248.17 |
| Sites / projects | 10 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| Keywords tracked daily | 2,000 | 5,000 | 500 | 500 | 1,500 |
| Users included | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Extra user | from $16 | from $16 | $45 | $45 | $80 |
| Site audit pages per month | 250K | 2M | 100K | 100K | 300K |
| Historical data | 6 months | All time | No | No | Yes |
| AI prompts tracked daily | 25 | 25 | None | 50 | 100 |
| API | 25K credits + MCP | 100K credits + MCP | MCP only | MCP only | MCP only |
| Research limits | Unlimited | Unlimited | 3,000 reports/day | 3,000 reports/day | 5,000 reports/day |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | 14 days, no card | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days |
Two caveats on the table. Semrush's SEO plan card lists custom prompt monitoring, but its own comparison table shows no daily custom prompts on that plan; we used the table. And Semrush's API access is listed only on the custom Advanced plan, while SE Ranking includes Research API credits on both self-serve plans.
Same usage, side-by-side price
Plan names do not line up, so here is what each vendor charges for the same job, using the cheapest plan that fits on each side (monthly billing).
| Workload | SE Ranking | Semrush | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 sites, 500 keywords, 1 user | Core $129 | SEO $139 (basic research) or Starter $199 (full research, 50 AI prompts) | $10 to $70/mo less on SE Ranking |
| 10 sites, 1,500 keywords, 1 user | Core $129 | Pro+ $299 (Starter caps at 5 sites) | $170/mo, $2,040/yr less on SE Ranking |
| 15 sites, 1,500 keywords, 3 users | Growth $279 (3 seats included) | Pro+ $299 + 2 x $80 = $459 | $180/mo, $2,160/yr less on SE Ranking |
| 30 sites, 5,000 keywords, 3 users | Growth $279 | Advanced, custom price (Pro+ caps at 15 sites and 1,500 keywords) | Semrush needs a sales quote |
On annual billing the 10-site case is $103.20 vs $248.17 a month: $144.97 a month or $1,739.64 a year in SE Ranking's favour. Semrush's additional-user prices are listed per plan and were not shown separately for annual billing, so we left annual out of the multi-user rows.
Data and features: what each vendor says about itself
Price is only half the question. These are the database figures each company publishes about its own data. They are self-reported and counted differently, so treat them as orders of magnitude, not a benchmark.
| Dataset | SE Ranking (seranking.com/our-data) | Semrush (Semrush Knowledge Base) |
|---|---|---|
| Keywords | 5.5 billion | 28.8 billion |
| Geographic databases | 188 | 142 |
| Backlinks | 2.7 trillion | 43 trillion |
| Domains | 2.2 billion domain profiles | 808 million domains |
| AI search data | 25.5 million prompts tracked monthly across 5 AI engines | AI Visibility toolkit with prompt tracking on Starter and up |
Where SE Ranking is stronger
- Tracked keywords and projects per dollar: 4x Semrush's entry plan keywords for $10 less.
- Things Semrush sells separately are inside the base plan: Content Editor (25 articles a month on Core), local marketing (3 locations, 1,500 local and map keywords, listings in 100+ directories) and API credits.
- Three seats included on Growth, and an Agency Pack for white label from $69 a month (annual billing).
- Unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research on paid plans, vs Semrush's daily report caps.
- A longer trial with no card: 14 days vs Semrush's 7.
Where Semrush is stronger
- Database size by its own figures: about 5x the keywords and 16x the backlinks SE Ranking reports.
- A free plan (1 demo project, 10 reports per day) for occasional lookups.
- Separate toolkits for advertising, traffic and market analysis, social, local and content, for teams that want one vendor for all marketing research.
- More AI prompt tracking inside the SEO plans (50 on Starter, 100 on Pro+, vs 25 on SE Ranking).
- Pro+ adds JavaScript rendering in Site Audit, keyword cannibalization reports and Looker Studio integration.
SE Ranking: price, pick it if, skip it if
SE Ranking Core is $129 a month ($103.20 annual) and Growth $279 ($223.20), with add-ons for agencies ($69 to $129 a month, annual only), more AI prompts ($71.20 for 75 a day) and more API credits ($29 to $45 a month). Pick it if you track many keywords across several sites, report to clients, or want audits, content and local tools on one bill. Skip it if you need the deepest backlink and keyword data, or if more than 25 AI prompts a day is core to your work and you do not want an add-on. Full details are in our SE Ranking review.
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Semrush: price, pick it if, skip it if
Semrush SEO is $139 a month ($117.33 annual), Starter $199 ($165.17), Pro+ $299 ($248.17) and Advanced is custom; extra users cost $45 to $100 each, and reports are $10 to $20 a month extra. Pick it if keyword and competitor research, PPC data or market intelligence drive your decisions, or if you want a free plan first. Skip it if most of your spend would go on tracked keywords and sites: you pay about four times as much per tracked keyword on the entry plan.
Other Semrush alternatives worth a look
If you are looking for a Semrush alternative and SE Ranking is not it: Ahrefs is backlink-led, with Lite at $129 a month for 750 tracked keywords and a $29 Starter plan for research only. Moz Pro Standard is $99 a month ($79 yearly) for 3 sites and 300 keywords. Mangools Basic is $37.70 a month billed annually for 200 keywords, updated weekly. For content optimisation rather than research, Surfer starts at $99 a month billed yearly.
What users say
On Capterra's SE Ranking vs Semrush comparison, updated October 21, 2026, SE Ranking scores 4.7 out of 5 from 298 reviews and Semrush 4.6 from 2,330. The biggest gap is value for money: 4.7 for SE Ranking vs 4.2 for Semrush; ease of use is 4.6 vs 4.3. Semrush reviewers on Capterra praise the depth of its keyword and competitor data and complain about price for freelancers and small agencies and a steep learning curve. SE Ranking reviewers on Capterra praise rank tracking and client reports, and mention limits in keyword research and AI features sold as extras. SE Ranking also publishes its own Semrush comparison page; it is written by a competitor, so we used only figures we could match to the live pricing pages.
How to choose
- Most of your work is tracking and reporting: SE Ranking. Core up to 10 sites and 2,000 targets, Growth up to 30 and 5,000.
- Most of your work is research (keyword gaps, backlink audits, PPC, market sizing): Semrush, starting with Starter or Pro+.
- Team of 3 or more: price seats in. Semrush Pro+ with 3 users is $459 a month; SE Ranking Growth is $279 with 3 seats.
- You need an API on a self-serve plan: SE Ranking includes credits; Semrush lists API access on Advanced only.
- Not sure: run SE Ranking's 14-day trial and Semrush's 7-day trial on the same domains in the same week and compare the keyword and backlink counts you actually get.
Frequently asked questions
Is SE Ranking cheaper than Semrush?
Yes at the same usage. SE Ranking Core is $129 a month for 10 projects and 2,000 daily keywords; Semrush's closest fit for 10 sites is Pro+ at $299 for 15 sites and 1,500 keywords. Prices checked November 1, 2026.
Is SE Ranking a good Semrush alternative?
For rank tracking, audits and client reporting, yes, and it includes content, local and API tools in the base plan. It is a weaker substitute if you rely on Semrush's larger keyword and backlink databases or its PPC and market data.
Which has more data, SE Ranking or Semrush?
By each vendor's own figures, Semrush: 28.8 billion keywords and 43 trillion backlinks vs SE Ranking's 5.5 billion keywords and 2.7 trillion backlinks. SE Ranking lists more geographic databases (188 vs 142).
Does Semrush have a free plan and SE Ranking not?
Correct. Semrush has a free plan with 1 demo project and 10 reports a day, plus a 7-day trial of paid plans. SE Ranking has no free platform plan but a 14-day trial with no credit card.
Which is better for agencies?
On price, SE Ranking: Growth is $279 with 30 projects and 3 seats, and white label costs $69 a month extra (annual). Semrush Pro+ with 3 users is $459 for 15 sites; more needs the custom Advanced plan.
Which tracks AI Overviews and ChatGPT better?
Semrush includes more prompts in its plans: 50 a day on Starter and 100 on Pro+. SE Ranking includes 25 a day on both plans and sells more through SE Visible, from $71.20 a month for 75 prompts.