Ahrefs vs Semrush (2024)
Which Tool Is Better?

Are you struggling to choose between Semrush and Ahrefs for your SEO strategy? As two of the most powerful and widely-used SEO tools on the market, it’s no wonder you’re having a hard time deciding.

Semrush and Ahrefs are both popular digital marketing and SEO platforms that offer a wide range of features to help businesses and SEO professionals optimize their online presence. 

But with so many similarities between the two, how do you know which one is the better fit for your needs?

In this in-depth comparison, I’ll dive deep into the key differences between Semrush and Ahrefs, exploring their unique features, data accuracy, pricing models, and more to help you make an informed decision.

Ahrefs vs Semrush: Key Differences At A Glance

Before I explore the nitty-gritty details, let’s take a quick look at how Semrush and Ahrefs stack up across some of the most important metrics:

As you can see, there are some significant differences between the two tools, particularly when it comes to their database sizes, pricing models, and the scope of features offered. 

Let’s dive deeper into each of these areas to understand better how they may impact your decision.

#1. Keyword Research Tools: Semrush’s Depth vs. Ahrefs’ Simplicity

One of the core functions of both Semrush and Ahrefs is keyword research, and this is an area where the two tools take somewhat different approaches.

Semrush has five tools in its keyword research category:

1. Keyword Overview: This helps you find the best keywords for your digital marketing strategy by providing insights into organic and advertising value, search volume, intent, keyword difficulty, number of results, CPC, competition level, SERP features, and variations.
2. Keyword Magic Tool: Generate thousands of keyword combinations from a single seed keyword, tapping into a database of over 25 billion keywords. 
3. Keyword Manager: This tool saves you time by automatically clustering lists of up to 2,000 keywords. You can create clusters and lists from scratch or start from an existing list, integrate them with other Semrush tools, or export them to share with your team.
4. Keyword Gap: Enables you to benchmark up to five keyword profiles simultaneously, helping you uncover new opportunities for launching effective SEO campaigns.
5. Organic Traffic Insights: By leveraging Semrush’s integration with Google Analytics, this tool helps you discover “not provided” keywords and cross-reference data on your website’s organic search performance.

The Keyword Magic Tool is the core keyword research tool of Semrush. It provides a wealth of data on each keyword, including:

• Search volume trends
• Keyword difficulty scores
• Number of results in the SERP
• Advertising competition
• Related keywords and questions
• Search intent classifications (informational, commercial, navigational, etc.)

This level of detail can be extremely valuable for SEO professionals looking to uncover new keyword opportunities and understand the competitive landscape. Semrush also allows you to easily organize keywords into custom lists and track their performance over time.

Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer, its main keyword research tool, takes a more streamlined approach. While it still provides core metrics like search volume, CPC, and keyword difficulty, the interface is generally cleaner and easier to navigate. 

Ahrefs also offers a unique “traffic potential” metric that estimates the number of clicks a top-ranking page is likely to receive, factoring in features like Google’s answer boxes and ads that can divert traffic from organic results.

Where Ahrefs really shines is in its ability to perform keyword research across multiple search engines, including Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, and more. This flexibility can be beneficial for businesses targeting audiences beyond just traditional web searches.

Verdict: Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool provides more detailed and comprehensive keyword data, making it the better choice for SEO specialists who need deep, actionable insights. However, Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer has a cleaner, more user-friendly interface and the ability to perform research across multiple search engines, making it a better fit for businesses with a broader digital marketing focus.

#2. Rank Tracking: Semrush’s Daily Updates vs. Ahrefs’ Weekly Measure

Rank tracking is another crucial feature for both Semrush and Ahrefs, as it allows you to monitor your website’s performance in search engine results over time.

Semrush’s Position Tracking tool updates rankings on a daily basis, providing you with granular data on your site’s visibility and performance. 

This can be especially valuable for quickly identifying and addressing any sudden drops or fluctuations in your rankings. Semrush also offers a “visibility” metric that gives you an at-a-glance understanding of your overall search engine presence.

Ahrefs, on the other hand, updates its rank tracking data on a weekly basis by default. While this may be sufficient for many users, it does mean that you’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the impact of any optimization efforts or algorithm changes. 

Ahrefs does offer the option to upgrade to daily updates, but this comes at an additional cost of $100-$250 per month, depending on your plan.

Another key difference is the number of keywords you can track. Semrush’s entry-level plan allows you to monitor up to 500 keywords, while Ahrefs’ Lite plan covers 750 keywords. As you move up the pricing tiers, Ahrefs becomes the more generous option, with its Advanced plan supporting up to 5,000 tracked keywords compared to Semrush’s 5,000 on the Business plan.

Verdict: If timely, granular rank tracking is a priority, Semrush’s daily updates give it the edge over Ahrefs’ weekly cadence. However, Ahrefs becomes the more generous option as you move up the pricing tiers, allowing you to track more keywords at a lower cost.

#3. Competitor Research: Which Tool Excels At This?

Both Semrush and Ahrefs offer robust competitor research features, but they take somewhat different approaches.

Semrush’s Competitive Research tools provide a complete overview of your competitors’ online presence, covering not just SEO metrics but also data on their paid advertising, social media activity, and content marketing efforts. 

This integrated view can be invaluable for understanding how your competitors are approaching digital marketing as a whole and where you may be able to gain an edge.

Semrush’s Market Explorer, for example, allows you to compare up to 100 domains side-by-side, giving you insights into their organic and paid search visibility, social media performance, and more. This can help you identify content and keyword opportunities that your competitors may be overlooking.

Ahrefs, on the other hand, takes a more SEO-centric approach to competitor analysis. Its Site Explorer tool provides a deep dive into a domain’s organic search performance, including the exact keywords it ranks for, the pages that drive the most traffic, and a detailed breakdown of its backlink profile.

Where Ahrefs really shines is in its Content Gap and Link Intersect features. Content Gap allows you to quickly identify the keywords your competitors are ranking for that you’re not, while Link Intersect reveals the websites that are linking to your competitors but not to you – crucial intelligence for any link-building campaign.

Verdict: The tradeoff here is that Ahrefs’ competitor research is laser-focused on SEO, while Semrush’s provides a broader, more holistic view of a competitor’s overall digital presence. Depending on your needs, one approach may be more valuable than the other. If you’re primarily concerned with outranking your competitors in organic search, Ahrefs may be the better fit. But if you want to understand their full marketing strategy, Semrush could be the more comprehensive solution.

#4. Technical SEO And Site Auditing

When it comes to technical SEO and site auditing, both Semrush and Ahrefs offer powerful features, but Semrush appears to have the edge in terms of depth and comprehensiveness.

Semrush’s Site Audit tool is particularly impressive, providing a detailed analysis of a website’s technical health and identifying a wide range of potential issues, from crawl errors and duplicate content to JavaScript and CSS issues. 

What sets Semrush apart is its ability to prioritize these issues based on their potential impact on SEO performance, helping you focus your efforts on the most critical problems first.

Semrush also includes a dedicated On-Page SEO Checker, which analyzes the content and optimization of individual pages, offering personalized recommendations for improving things like title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and more. This can be an invaluable resource for SEO teams and content creators alike.

Ahrefs also offers a solid site audit feature that can identify many of the same technical issues as Semrush. However, the reports tend to be more straightforward, with less emphasis on prioritization and actionable insights. 

Ahrefs does provide some useful on-page optimization data, such as information on page structure, internal linking, and content length, but it lacks the granular, AI-powered recommendations of Semrush’s tool.

That said, Ahrefs does have one unique advantage when it comes to technical SEO: its ability to track “Core Web Vitals,” a set of performance metrics that Google uses to assess the user experience of a website. 

Ahrefs provides both “field data” (based on real user experiences) and “lab data” (from controlled testing environments) for these important metrics, which can be incredibly valuable for optimizing page speed and other technical factors.

Verdict: Semrush’s Site Audit tool is the more feature-rich option, providing detailed, AI-powered insights and prioritization of technical issues. However, Ahrefs’ ability to track Core Web Vitals may make it the preferred choice for users focused on website performance optimization.

#5. Data Accuracy: Semrush Leverages Multiple Sources, Ahrefs Relies on Its Own Crawler

When it comes to the accuracy of the data provided by Semrush and Ahrefs, there are some important distinctions to consider.

Semrush takes a multi-source approach, gathering information from a combination of its own proprietary algorithms and data from trusted third-party providers. This allows Semrush to tap into a broader range of data sources, which can potentially lead to more accurate and up-to-date information.

Ahrefs relies solely on its own web crawler, known as AhrefsBot, which scans the internet 24/7 to gather data. While Ahrefs claims this approach results in a more complete and reliable backlink database, it also means that the tool is more dependent on the capabilities and coverage of its own crawler.

It’s important to note that both Semrush and Ahrefs provide estimates and data projections rather than exact figures. Factors like Google’s algorithm changes, user privacy measures, and the inherent challenges of web crawling can all contribute to discrepancies between the tools and real-world performance.

Verdict: Semrush’s multi-source data approach gives it a slight edge over Ahrefs when it comes to the accuracy of website traffic and visibility estimates. However, Ahrefs is generally regarded as the industry leader in backlink data and analysis.

#6. Pricing And Value

When it comes to pricing, Semrush and Ahrefs both offer an identical pricing model with a slight difference in the subscription cost. Let’s take a look at both pricing plans of both plans: 

Semrush Pricing Plans

Semrush offers a straightforward, tiered pricing structure, with three main plans ranging from $129.95 to $499.95 per month. 

Subscribing to an annual subscription gives you a flat 17% discount on the monthly plan. If you are a new user, you can try Pro or Guru plans for the first 7 days before paying the actual price. 

Moreover, you will get a 7-day refund policy on all the available plans. Unsatisfied users can cancel their subscription within seven days of purchase by contacting Semrush support staff to get a 100% refund of the respective plan. 

Ahrefs Pricing Plans

Ahrefs recently made major changes in its pricing plans. Now, they have only three fixed-plan subscriptions, such as Semrush. Let’s have a look at them:

Ahrefs used to offer Enterprise plans at $999/month, which they have switched to a custom-priced plan. 

Also, Ahrefs uses a credit-based system for every research. These credits are consumed every time you run certain types of reports, such as domain and keyword analysis. You’ll be charged additional fees if you exceed your monthly credit allowance.

While Ahrefs’ credit-based system may provide more flexibility for users with varying needs, it can also be more confusing and lead to unexpected costs if you’re not carefully monitoring your usage. 

Another major drawback of Ahrefs is that it doesn’t offer any free trial or refund policy to its users. So, if you are thinking of trying the platform first before committing to a paid subscription, you are out of luck. 

Verdict: Ahrefs might get a little edge over pricing when all the plans are compared side by side. However, their credit-based system can quickly add more money to your initial subscription if you go over the limited credits. Semrush might offer slightly higher pricing plans, but they don’t have such limitations as credits. Also, they offer flexible free trials and refund policies, making it a viable choice for interested digital marketers. 

Customer Testimonials: What Users Are Saying?

To get a more well-rounded perspective on Semrush and Ahrefs, let’s take a look at what real users are saying about their experiences with each tool.

Semrush Reviews

On Trustpilot, Semrush enjoys a strong 4.0 out of 5 rating from 673 reviews. Many users praise the tool’s comprehensive feature set, with one reviewer stating, 

However, not all reviews are glowing. 

Ahrefs Reviews

Ahrefs, on the other hand, has a 4.5 out of 5 rating from 527 G2 reviews. Many users praise the tool’s comprehensive SEO capabilities, with one reviewer stating, 

But Ahrefs has also received some criticism, particularly around its pricing and credit-based system. One user noted, 

Overall, both Semrush and Ahrefs seem to have a strong base of satisfied users, with each tool resonating more strongly with certain types of users and use cases. The key is to carefully assess your specific needs and priorities to determine which tool is the best fit for your business.

The Final Verdict: Semrush Has A Slight Edge Over Ahrefs 

Basically, Semrush is a digital marketing tool, whereas Ahrefs is a complete SEO tool. However, both tools have many overlapping tools and functionalities. Comparing these tools, Semrush beats Ahrefs in many terms, whether it is keyword research or rank tracking. 

Here are my two cents you can consider before choosing one of these: 

• If you’re looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one digital marketing platform that can handle everything from SEO and PPC to content optimization and social media, Semrush is likely the stronger choice. 
• If your primary focus is on SEO and you need access to a wider range of search engines beyond just Google, Ahrefs may be the better fit. Ahrefs also has a slight edge when it comes to data accuracy, especially for backlink-related metrics, and its clean, user-friendly interface may be preferred by some users, particularly those new to SEO tools.

I will also recommend taking advantage of the free trial (Semrush) or free version (Ahrefs) to get a hands-on feel for each tool and see which one aligns best with your business goals.