Best for
Best for agencies and marketing teams that want SEO fixes deployed to the site automatically, not just reported.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
SEO Tools Comparison
Search Atlas 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 | Search Atlas | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value From $79 / month Starter plan billed annually ($950 a year); $99 month to month. One seat and one OTTO SEO project; usage is metered in monthly Universal Credits. | From $139 / month SEO plan billed monthly; $117.33 / month billed annually. Higher plans add more sites, keywords and AI features. |
| Free trial | 7-day trial with a free 30-minute one-to-one onboarding session | 7-day free trial |
| API | Yes, a REST API authenticated with an X-API-Key header, 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, keyword difficulty, CPC and search intent by country, region and city, plus keyword gap and competitor gap analysis | Yes, the Keyword Magic Tool with search volume, keyword difficulty and search intent |
| Rank tracking | Yes, a Keyword Rank Tracker on every plan, local ranking heatmaps for Google Business Profile, and unlimited keyword tracking on the Agency plan | Yes, daily Position Tracking by location and device |
| Site audit | Yes, a Site Auditor for technical, content, indexability and performance issues, with scheduled weekly crawls and email alerts; JavaScript rendering from the Pro plan | Yes, Site Audit for technical and on-page issues |
| Backlink data | Yes, a Backlink Analyzer covering referring domains, anchors, dofollow ratios, new and lost links and spam signals, plus backlink gap analysis | Yes, Backlink Analytics and a backlink audit over a large link index |
| Content optimisation | Yes, Content Genius for briefs and drafts, the SCHOLAR grader that scores content on 12 dimensions, topical maps, and publishing straight to a connected CMS | Yes, the On Page SEO Checker and content optimisation, with AI writing tools |
| Index and market coverage | A keyword database of more than 5.2 billion keywords, plus AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, with Copilot and Perplexity from the Pro plan | Large keyword and backlink databases across many country markets |
| Integrations and API | Yes, a REST API documented at docs.searchatlas.com and an MCP server at mcp.searchatlas.com, both authenticated with an API key; keyword research API access is on custom enterprise plans | 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 | Chat | Email helpdesk |
| Onboarding | Guided onboarding, Personal consulting | more entries 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 | WordPress, HubSpot, Webflow, Shopify, Contentful, Duda, Cloudflare, Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, Google Business Profile, Meta Ads, Slack, Microsoft Teams, ClickUp | more entries 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 |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price Search Atlas From $79 / month Semrush From $139 / month
- Free trial Search Atlas 7-day trial with a free 30-minute one-to-one onboarding session Semrush 7-day free trial
- Support Search Atlas Chat Semrush Email helpdesk
- API Search Atlas Yes, a REST API authenticated with an X-API-Key header, plus an MCP server Semrush Yes, API data integration on the Advanced plan, plus an MCP server for AI assistants
- Keyword research Search Atlas Yes, keyword research with search volume, keyword difficulty, CPC and search intent by country, region and city, plus keyword gap and competitor gap analysis Semrush Yes, the Keyword Magic Tool with search volume, keyword difficulty and search intent
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
Search Atlas
Strengths
- OTTO SEO deploys fixes to the live site through a pixel, a Cloudflare Worker or a CMS connector
- Keyword, backlink, site audit, content and local SEO in one subscription
- AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode from the Growth plan
- Official MCP server and documented REST API
- Every trial comes with a free one-to-one onboarding session
Limitations
- White-label dashboards, client portals and client accounts start at the Pro plan
- Usage is metered in Universal Credits, so the real limit depends on which tasks consume them
- Starter includes no AI visibility tracking
- Keyword research API access is limited to custom enterprise plans
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
Search Atlas
- Starter $79 Per month billed annually ($950 a year); $99 month to month. 1 seat, 1 OTTO SEO project and 50,000 Universal Credits a month.
- Growth $159 Per month billed annually ($1,910 a year); $199 month to month. 3 seats, 2 projects, 120,000 credits, AI visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, and Meta and Google ad studios.
- Pro $319 Per month billed annually ($3,828 a year); $399 month to month. 5 seats, 4 projects, 400,000 credits, Copilot and Perplexity added to AI visibility, and white-label dashboards and reporting.
- Agency / Enterprise From $999 Per month, $11,988 billed annually. 10 seats, 10 or more projects, over 1,000,000 credits, client portals, unlimited keyword tracking and priority support eligibility.
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
Search Atlas
- 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. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
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. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
How we check reviews
Reviews are not published yet. The form on a tool's page works, and a review reaches us as soon as its author confirms it, but nothing from it appears on this site, so no score here is based on a review. The rules below are the ones that will apply once reviews go live.
Before sending, the author has to confirm three things: that they have used the product themselves, that they work neither for the vendor nor for a competitor, and that nobody is paying them for the review. We also ask whether the vendor invited them to write it. That answer is required, either answer is accepted, and it stays with the review.
Every review is read by a person before it appears. An email address is required and is confirmed: we send a link to it, and a review does not reach us until the author opens that link, so a review has a sender who was reachable at least once rather than being anonymous. Where what somebody writes needs backing, we ask them for evidence that they used the product, and a review that does not get it is not published. We publish positive and negative reviews alike, we pay nothing and offer nothing for a review, and we accept none that was bought or incentivised.
What we cannot do is verify a purchase. There is no shop here and no account, so whether the author really used the tool rests on their own declaration, on whatever we ask them for, and on the plausibility of what they write. We say so rather than implying a check that does not exist.
A vendor cannot buy a review, and cannot have one removed or changed because they dislike it. We remove or edit a review only if it breaks our rules or the law, for example a false statement of fact. Paid placement has no effect on which reviews appear or on any score.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
Search Atlas https://searchatlas.com · checked against the official source on 2026-09-29
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.