Semrush review
SEO, AI search visibility, content, local, social and advertising tools on one data platform.
⚡ Quick verdict
Semrush is still the broadest SEO and competitive-intelligence suite, and it has adapted to AI search with prompt-level visibility tracking and AI market share in Semrush One. It isn't cheap—the core SEO plan is $139 a month or $117.33 annually—but for agencies and serious in-house teams the data depth justifies it. Small sites may get enough from the free account or lighter tools.
Key takeaways
- Free: $0 with 1 demo project and 10 reports per day across vital tools; no card required.
- SEO plan: $139/month, or $117.33/month billed annually, for freelancers and small businesses.
- Semrush One Starter (SEO + AI Search): $199/month, or $165.17/month annually.
- Semrush One Pro+ (SEO + AI Search): $299/month, or $248.17/month annually, with unlimited daily prompt tracking.
- Annual billing saves up to 17%; add-ons include extra users from $45/month and reports from $10/month.
At a glance
| Best for | Marketers, agencies and in-house SEO teams who need deep competitive data |
|---|---|
| Pricing from (USD) | $117.33/mo billed annually (SEO plan) |
| Free plan | Yes — 1 project and 10 reports per day |
| Platforms | Web; integrations with AI assistants |
| Company | Semrush |
| Category | Marketing & SEO |
| Last checked | October 16, 2026 |
On this page
What Semrush is
Semrush calls itself “the leading platform to grow and measure brand visibility—from search results to AI answers.” It started as an SEO keyword and competitor tool and now spans toolkits for SEO, AI visibility, traffic and market research, local, content, social, advertising and AI PR, plus enterprise solutions and an app center.
Its newest bundle, Semrush One, combines traditional SEO with AI search: you can track how your brand appears in AI answers, monitor custom prompts and measure AI market share against competitors.
Key features
SEO toolkit
Keyword research across billions of keywords, backlink analysis, rank tracking and an AI-ready Site Audit.
AI visibility
Prompt-level visibility tracking, AI visibility reports for any domain and AI market share analysis.
Traffic and market
Benchmark competitors, track trends and get audience insights.
Content
Find top-ranking topic ideas and score and optimize content in real time.
Data in AI assistants
Bring live Semrush data into chat assistants for data-backed workflows.
Other toolkits
Local, social, advertising and AI PR toolkits, plus enterprise options.
Pricing breakdown
From Semrush’s pricing page, checked October 16, 2026 (USD). Annual billing saves up to 17%.
| Plan | Monthly | Billed annually | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 demo project, 10 reports/day |
| SEO | $139/mo | $117.33/mo | Freelancers and small businesses |
| Semrush One Starter (SEO + AI Search) | $199/mo | $165.17/mo | Small teams and agencies |
| Semrush One Pro+ (SEO + AI Search) | $299/mo | $248.17/mo | Growing teams across markets; unlimited daily prompts |
Add-ons: additional users from $45/month, Lead Generation $90/month, Base Report $10/month and Pro Report $20/month. Other toolkits (local, content, social, advertising) are priced separately; Enterprise is via sales. A free trial is available on paid plans.
Best use cases
- Agencies: audit prospects and report to clients.
- SEO managers: find keyword gaps against competitors.
- Content teams: plan topics with search demand.
- Brand teams: monitor visibility in AI answers.
How to get started
- Create a free account at semrush.com.
- Add your domain as a project and run Site Audit.
- Check competitors in Domain Overview.
- Start a trial of the plan you need.
- Set up rank and AI prompt tracking.
Tips and tricks
- Fix audit errors first, then chase keywords.
- Use keyword gap against 3–4 competitors.
- Track a handful of AI prompts that matter to buyers.
- Avoid unnecessary add-ons until you need them.
Example AI prompt to track:
“What is the best project management software for small construction companies?”
Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Very deep SEO and competitive datasets
- AI search visibility tracking
- Many toolkits in one platform
- Free account to explore
- Data available inside AI assistants
👎 Cons
- Expensive for small businesses
- Add-ons raise the total cost
- Steep learning curve
- Toolkit structure can be confusing
Who should (and shouldn't) use Semrush
✅ A good fit if you…
- Agencies managing many clients
- In-house SEO and content teams
- Track brand visibility in AI answers
⛔ Look elsewhere if you…
- Only need on-page content optimization (consider Surfer SEO)
- Need AI writing first (consider Writesonic or Jasper)
- Very small budgets
Semrush alternatives
- Surfer SEO — Plan, write, optimize and track content for Google and AI search. (from $82/mo billed yearly (AI Search Analytics) or $99/mo yearly (Standard))
- Writesonic — Track and improve your brand's visibility in ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and more. (from $79/mo billed annually (Starter))
- Frase — SEO and GEO content platform that finds topics, writes drafts in your voice, publishes and monitors pages for AI search. (from $39/mo billed yearly ($49 month to month))
- Jasper — AI platform for marketing teams: on-brand content with Canvas, marketing agents, brand IQ and AI search visibility. (from $59/seat/mo billed yearly; $69 monthly (Pro))
- HubSpot (Breeze AI) — Agentic customer platform with a free CRM, Breeze AI agents for marketing, sales and service, and usage-based HubSpot Credits. (from Free; Starter currently from $7/seat/mo (limited-time offer))
FAQ
Is Semrush free?
Yes. The Free account costs $0 and includes 1 demo project and 10 reports per day across vital tools, with no credit card required.
How much does Semrush cost?
The SEO plan is $139 per month or $117.33 per month billed annually. Semrush One Starter (SEO + AI Search) is $199 per month or $165.17 annually, and Pro+ is $299 per month or $248.17 annually. Annual billing saves up to 17%.
What is Semrush One?
Semrush One combines SEO with AI search visibility so your brand shows up in search results and AI answers, with prompt-level tracking and AI market share against competitors.
Can Semrush track AI search visibility?
Yes. Semrush tracks prompt-level visibility and analyzes AI market share versus competitors, with AI visibility reports for any domain.
Does Semrush charge for extra users?
Yes. Additional users start at $45 per month. Other add-ons include Base Report ($10/month), Pro Report ($20/month) and Lead Generation ($90/month).
Can I use Semrush data in ChatGPT or other assistants?
Semrush says you can bring live SEO, market and brand visibility data into your AI assistants to get workflows and strategies backed by Semrush data.
Sources
This is an editorial review based on research of official Semrush pages and documentation, not hands-on benchmark testing. Prices are in USD and were checked on October 16, 2026; vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official pricing page before buying.