Best for
Best for agencies and in-house marketers who want one affordable platform for keyword research, rank tracking, audits, backlinks and competitor research, with AI search tracking.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
SEO Tools Comparison
SE Ranking vs. Semrush
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for agencies and marketing teams that want one suite for keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and content, with AI tools and API access.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | SE Ranking | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value From $129 / month Core plan billed monthly; $103.20 / month billed annually. Higher plans and add-ons cover more projects, tracked keywords, AI search and API access. | From $139 / month SEO plan billed monthly; $117.33 / month billed annually. Higher plans add more sites, keywords and AI features. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 7-day free trial |
| API | Yes, an API available as an add-on or as dedicated API plans, plus an MCP server | Yes, API data integration on the Advanced plan, plus an MCP server for AI assistants |
| Hosting | Cloud (SaaS) | Cloud (SaaS) |
| Keyword research | Yes, keyword research with search volume, difficulty and related and long-tail keywords | Yes, the Keyword Magic Tool with search volume, keyword difficulty and search intent |
| Rank tracking | Yes, daily rank tracking across locations, search engines and devices | Yes, daily Position Tracking by location and device |
| Site audit | Yes, a Website Audit for technical and on-page issues, with an On-Page SEO Checker | Yes, Site Audit for technical and on-page issues |
| Backlink data | Yes, a Backlink Checker and Backlink Monitor over its own link index | Yes, Backlink Analytics and a backlink audit over a large link index |
| Content optimisation | Yes, a Content Editor with an AI Writer | Yes, the On Page SEO Checker and content optimisation, with AI writing tools |
| Index and market coverage | Keyword and backlink databases across many country markets, plus AI search tracking across AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity | Large keyword and backlink databases across many country markets |
| Integrations and API | Yes, an API as an add-on or as dedicated plans, with per-plan credits, plus an MCP server | Yes, API data integration on the Advanced plan, plus an MCP server |
| AI features | Yes | Yes |
| MCP-ready | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based |
| Support | Not stated | Email helpdesk |
| Onboarding | Not stated | Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials, Live online demos and webinars |
| Company size | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | Not stated | Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Ads, Google Business Profile, Looker Studio, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Gmail, WordPress, Wix, Trello, monday.com, Zapier, All in One SEO, Zoho Analytics, Scalenut, Renderforest, Pagecloud, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube |
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The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price SE Ranking From $129 / month Semrush From $139 / month
- Free trial SE Ranking 14-day free trial, no credit card required Semrush 7-day free trial
- API SE Ranking Yes, an API available as an add-on or as dedicated API plans, plus an MCP server Semrush Yes, API data integration on the Advanced plan, plus an MCP server for AI assistants
- Keyword research SE Ranking Yes, keyword research with search volume, difficulty and related and long-tail keywords Semrush Yes, the Keyword Magic Tool with search volume, keyword difficulty and search intent
- Rank tracking SE Ranking Yes, daily rank tracking across locations, search engines and devices Semrush Yes, daily Position Tracking by location and device
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
SE Ranking
Strengths
- Covers keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and competitor research in one platform
- Lower entry price than several rival all-in-one suites
- AI search tracking across AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity
- API and an MCP server for AI assistants
Limitations
- API access is a paid add-on or a dedicated plan rather than being included on the entry plan
- The Agency Pack and AI Search features are priced as separate add-ons
Semrush
Strengths
- Covers keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and content in one suite
- Large keyword and backlink databases across many markets
- AI content tools and AI search and brand visibility tracking on higher plans
- API and an MCP server for AI assistants
Limitations
- Entry price is higher than single-purpose SEO tools
- API access and the largest limits are reserved for the top plans
Plans
Pricing
SE Ranking
- Core From $129 / month 10 projects, 1 seat, 2,000 keywords tracked daily and a 250,000 page per month audit; $103.20 / month billed annually.
- Growth From $279 / month 30 projects, 3 seats, 5,000 keywords tracked daily and a 2,000,000 page per month audit, with all-time historical data; $223.20 / month billed annually.
- Enterprise Not stated Custom limits and pricing via sales.
Semrush
- SEO From $139 / month 5 sites monitored and 500 daily keyword tracks; $117.33 / month billed annually.
- Starter From $199 / month Adds MCP access, AI visibility reports and AI brand performance for one domain; $165.17 / month billed annually.
- Pro+ From $299 / month 15 sites and 1,500 daily keywords, with historical data and content optimisation; $248.17 / month billed annually.
- Advanced From $549 / month 40 sites and 5,000 daily keywords, with SEO share of voice and API data integration; $455.67 / month billed annually.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
SE Ranking
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Semrush
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
SE Ranking https://seranking.com · checked against the official source on 2026-08-20
Semrush https://www.semrush.com · checked against the official source on 2026-08-19
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.