As somebody who’s been within the search engine marketing sport for some time, I’ve used Semrush closely for years. It was my go-to device for key phrase analysis and competitor evaluation. Nonetheless, I relied on Ahrefs for off-page search engine marketing since I discovered its backlink analysis fairly correct and straightforward to soak up.
Equally, I’ve trusted Clearscope and have used the device for content material optimization for nearly 4 to 5 years. I additionally use numerous different search engine marketing instruments for such particular use circumstances.
Be it the pricing or function set of Semrush that made you search for an alternate, we’ve the set of instruments that may handle your wants. On this article, I’ve examined and lined six instruments that convey one thing distinctive to the desk. I’ll describe my expertise with every device, what I favored (and didn’t), and why you may wish to make the change.
Greatest 6 Semrush options for 2025
- Ahrefs is one of the best for off-page search engine marketing. ($129/month)
- Clearscope is the finest for optimizing content material for engines like google. ($189/month)
- Moz Professional is one of the best for all-purpose search engine marketing. ($49/month)
- Seobility is one of the best amongst reasonably priced, all-in-one search engine marketing software program. ($50/month)
- SE Rating is one of the best for search engine marketing reporting and analytics. ($52/month)
- Similarweb is one of the best for evaluating broader search engine marketing developments in the marketplace. ($199/month)
*The merchandise are listed alphabetically and embrace search engine marketing instruments listed on G2. A few of them supply a free trial. I’ve included the beginning worth of their paid plan for simple comparability.
What makes one of the best Semrush options?
Semrush is an search engine marketing device with numerous options, together with key phrase analysis, search engine marketing audit, backlink evaluation, and value-added performance. An alternative choice to Semrush would have all or a few of these options. They could successfully serve totally different market segments and cater to particular use circumstances.
Primarily based on my analysis, Semrush various would:
- Provide key phrase analysis. Recommend key phrases to incorporate to stay aggressive on the search engine outcomes (SERP) web page. Carry out competitor evaluation to showcase gaps in key phrase protection.
- Cater to a selected space beneath search engine marketing, if not all. An excellent Semrush various will cater to at least one or all focus areas, together with on-page, off-page, or technical search engine marketing.
- Ship insights to hold out evaluation. The platform delivers insights that customers can use to make concentrating on and optimization selections.
Prime 6 Semrush options I discover helpful
Under are the main Semrush options I discovered in the marketplace, which provide aggressive — or, in some circumstances, higher worth than Semrush.
This checklist relies on G2 opinions from 2025. We’ll maintain updating it to replicate the most recent and finest options. Some opinions could have been edited for readability.
1. Ahrefs: Greatest for off-page search engine marketing
I’ve used Semrush and Ahrefs for a very long time. They appear much like me for the search engine marketing work we did. Nonetheless, I discovered Ahrefs to help off-page search engine marketing higher. For on-page parts, Ahrefs and Semrush do an identical job.
Nonetheless, from a usability standpoint, I’d go together with Semrush due to the Ahrefs credit score system. It looks like I’m working out of credit and have to maintain that thought in thoughts, which doesn’t give me such an ideal expertise. With out the credit score system, I’d decide Ahrefs.
Though the Ahrefs Lite plan begins from $129 a month, the corporate presents a Starter plan that prices $29 a month. It’s appropriate for professionals who don’t have heavy search engine marketing wants however want a degree of reference to tell their technique and execution.
Supply: Ahrefs
To checklist Ahrefs in its place, I in contrast the backlink analysis, key phrase knowledge, web site audits, and numerous different functionalities of the 2 software program packages. In my analysis, I discovered that Ahrefs does a greater job at backlink analysis than Semrush. Nonetheless, Semrush’s key phrase knowledge, with its general UI, appears higher and far simpler to know and use.
Supply: Ahrefs
For web site audits, each Semrush and Ahrefs did a reasonably respectable job monitoring technical search engine marketing points, discovering lacking H1s, and recognizing 404 errors.
In case you are okay with the credit score system, Ahrefs appears to be dependable search engine marketing software program and an honest Semrush various.
What I like about Ahrefs:
- Ahrefs’ capacity to indicate the backlink profile is unparalleled. It offers you a complete checklist of referring domains and precise backlinks pointing to your webpage.
- Ahrefs additionally does job with its key phrase analysis. It exhibits key phrase teams, which helps me estimate a ballpark of the full search quantity, making it simpler to calculate the return on funding (ROI) whereas concentrating on.
What G2 customers like about Ahrefs:
“I’m utilizing Ahrefs to do search engine marketing analysis. The first device I take advantage of is their Rank Monitoring device. I prefer it finest as a result of they arguably have the most important crawler community outdoors engines like google.”
– Ahrefs Evaluate, Cassian Y, Founder
What I dislike about Ahrefs:
The estimated visitors knowledge for a web page that Ahrefs calculates based mostly on rankings, search quantity, and different elements can typically be inaccurate.
What G2 customers dislike about Ahrefs:
“Expensive in contrast with different instruments on the market. It isn’t good for small-sized companies and tasks due to the fee.”
– Ahrefs Evaluate, Ellen C, Advertising Affiliate
2.Clearscope: Greatest for optimizing content material for engines like google
Clearscope is a content-first search engine marketing platform that allows you to optimize content material for higher search engine rankings. I take advantage of Clearscope often in my writing tasks. It offers me a complete set of key phrases that enhance on-page search engine marketing for my blogs and touchdown pages.
Clearscope compares the pages’ rating for a selected key phrase on the SERP. Primarily based on this evaluation and the evaluation of the broader SE developments from the key phrases, it suggests phrases to incorporate in a content material piece.
Supply: Clearscope
It comes with a grade evaluation. You get a greater grade or the very best A++ while you efficiently embrace Clearscope’s key phrase suggestions in your content material. It estimates the readability of your content material and allows you to optimize it to match the competitors on the SERP.
What I like about Clearscope:
- It helps me implement search engine marketing in my content material items with out going backwards and forwards between an article and an search engine marketing platform.
- It’s easy to make use of and doesn’t require a author to undergo a steep studying curve.
What G2 customers like about Clearscope:
“I really like how Clearscope automates many features of writing good search engine marketing content material. It additionally brings some gamification into the sport — I really like writing and making an attempt to get as excessive a grade as potential whereas nonetheless retaining good readability and high quality within the content material itself.”
– Clearscope Evaluate, Melisa A N, Advisor
What I dislike about Clearscope:
A few of its ideas for key phrases appear irrelevant. That is when opponents have lined the identical of their content material. Their content material may not be one of the best to take inspiration from or do one thing comparable.
What G2 customers dislike about Clearscope:
“Not a lot. The one shortfall I seen is that the area to ‘create report’, an important space in CL, seems like a search bar. So, if I wished to seek for older experiences, I might have by accident typed it out into this tab and would have misplaced a credit score. It is only a UX factor, and when you get used to utilizing CL, it will be okay. I hope it quickly brings in plagiarism function.”
– Clearscope Evaluate, Ashitha J, Content material Advertising Supervisor
3. Moz Professional: Greatest for all-purpose search engine marketing
Moz Professional is power-packed with complete search engine marketing options and functionalities. It was the primary software program I actively used whereas studying about search engine marketing and content material advertising.
It helps you to observe your web site’s well being and presents hyperlink constructing and key phrase ideas for search engine marketing wins. Most significantly, it has tons of studying content material for search engine marketing and inbound advertising. It offers web site warnings when it detects points in your webpages.
The device takes a bit effort however produces correct outcomes when figuring out irrelevant and spammy backlinks. You need to use this knowledge to disavow spammy hyperlinks pointing to your web site. It’s very easy to make use of and useful, because it delivers the steerage you could optimize your web site for engines like google.
What I like about Moz Professional:
- I like Moz’s key phrase location choice. It helps me perceive the place we dominate the SERP and the place we are able to enhance.
- On-page suggestions assist enhance rankings for native searches.
What G2 customers like about Moz Professional:
“Moz is simple to make use of for a novice to the search engine marketing world. It steps you thru the fundamentals and offers useful instruments and capabilities as you get extra accustomed to the total suite. I admire the useful hints on optimizing my websites and having the ability to run checks on key phrases, and many others.”
– Moz Professional Evaluate, Bar W, Senior Director
What I dislike about Moz Professional:
I can solely take a look at three opponents inside a marketing campaign, and I can not add extra for an in depth comparability.
What G2 customers dislike about Moz Professional:
“Each software program has some drawbacks. The one minor dislike is that typically, when selecting a reporting interval, it appears to be a bit glitchy, and takes a minute to get the reporting durations right. Not an enormous deal, however annoying.”
– Moz Professional Evaluate, Brian H, Vice President of Advertising
4. Seobility: An all-in-one search engine marketing software program at an reasonably priced price
Seobility is a whole package deal of web site crawler, rank tracker, backlink monitor, and competitor evaluation in a single platform. The perfect half is that it presents a free plan for brand spanking new customers, and paid plans arguably supply extra worth than different search engine marketing instruments.
Though I discovered its capacity to research technical points wonderful, the device has a smaller key phrase database than giants like Semrush. It’s an honest search engine marketing device for these in search of an reasonably priced, all-in-one answer. I like that every function is neatly organized into separate tabs, making it simpler to navigate by means of the device.
It comes with a rank monitoring system that means that you can rank a number of web sites collectively and test those performing one of the best.
What I like about Seobility:
- I just like the search engine marketing audit device’s element. It delivered clear insights into optimizing my internet pages.
- The key phrase rating function makes it simpler to observe the present rating for my goal key phrase checklist.
What G2 customers like about Seobility:
“I really like the element it goes into on every space of search engine marketing: Tech, Meta, Construction, and web site content material. Each web page is damaged down throughout a crawl, supplying you with an in depth report of every space that wants fixing and the best way to repair it. It is simple to make use of. Crawls are quick, and their options help you examine search engine marketing with different native companies.”
– Seobility Evaluate, Claire F, Skilled Photographer
What I dislike about Seobility:
I felt it was tough to implement the technical search engine marketing suggestions. It could be nice to have precedence in optimizing various things.
What G2 customers dislike about Seobility:
“Whereas Seobility is a robust search engine marketing device, the free model has some limitations, such because the variety of key phrase checks and crawl pages per day. Moreover, the backlink evaluation might be extra in depth than different search engine marketing instruments. Nonetheless, its worth and ease of use nonetheless supply nice worth.”
– Seobility Evaluate, Marius B, Administrator
5. SE Rating: Greatest for search engine marketing reporting and analytics
SE Rating arguably offers extra worth for simply $52 in comparison with paying extensively for utilizing the opposite instruments. The SERP rating checker helps you to observe 250 key phrases on the bottom plan. They provide a Key phrase Supervisor function that allows you to handle as much as 10,000 key phrases on a listing. When you improve to a Professional plan, you get the performance to obtain round 50,000 key phrases in a single report at simply $95.20/month.
To do that on Semrush, I should be on a plan that prices between $200 and $300. With SE Rating, you get worth for the value you’re paying. You may tag key phrases, test content material scores, and combine them with Google Analytics and the Search Console.
Supply: SE Rating
I personally favored the way in which I used to be in a position to establish opponents and conduct key phrase hole evaluation whereas assessing key phrase issue, cost-per-click knowledge, and key phrase developments obtainable. SE Rating additionally has Area Belief and Web page Belief scores, much like Area Ranking in Ahrefs.
What I like about SE Rating:
- I favored the backlink monitoring and backlink hole evaluation function of the device. It generated a complete report.
- Utilizing the Website Audit function, I bought an in depth web site evaluation with points and optimization alternatives.
What G2 customers like about SE Rating:
“I discover SE Rating very straightforward to make use of, as it is simple to navigate totally different services. It feels very intuitive, and even when I’ve any questions or issues, I can discover solutions in a database or contact the help staff to get my solutions. In my present place, I take advantage of SE Rating each day and could not be happier.
When my firm transitioned from the earlier service we used, the SE Rating staff helped us migrate all the info we collected, so the combination went easily. Due to the brand new SMM service, we have been in a position to cancel one other service subscription and have all of the work executed on social media channels from SE Rating.
I extremely suggest SE Rating for web site and search engine marketing specialists or businesses and different professionals who wish to maintain observe of their knowledge in a single place.”
– SE Rating Evaluate, Viktoriia D, Venture Supervisor
What I dislike about SE Rating:
The educational curve is steep. When making an attempt to click on some hyperlinks, prompts to improve the device seem. If the UI showcased what I had entry to, it will have been a a lot better expertise.
What G2 customers dislike about SE Rating:
“The interface is a bit complicated initially as a result of we have to change our habits when switching instruments.”
– SE Rating Evaluate, Remi B, Head of Digital Technique and AI
6. Similarweb: Greatest for evaluating broader search engine marketing developments in the marketplace
Similarweb is a good device for performing aggressive search engine marketing analysis. It begins at $125/month. I examined the device and bought an outline of detailed visitors insights, together with web site visits, visitors sources, and viewers demographics. It’s straightforward to match our web site visitors with that of our opponents. This evaluation showcases the strengths and weaknesses of our digital technique.
I really like how Similarweb exhibits developments within the broader market. The insights helped me perceive the buyer and the goal market intimately whereas utilizing the benchmarks.
Supply: Similarweb
I might see what different individuals have been looking for in actual time to optimize content material based mostly on present developments. It was straightforward to know how opponents’ paid and search engine marketing methods impacted our key phrase rankings.
What I like about Similarweb:
- I favored the device’s user-friendly interface, which made it straightforward to know visitors conduct and different web site actions.
- It offers overview of how totally different acquisition approaches are performing, serving to companies make strategic selections about search engine marketing.
What G2 customers like about Similarweb:
“Similarweb is a good knowledge analytics device that may be tailor-made to what you are promoting wants. I like the truth that it’s straightforward to observe and that customization could be made with the assistance of their glorious help staff! The help staff is hands-on. I take advantage of Similarweb on a weekly foundation, and it’s straightforward to combine into your general workflow. On high of that, the implementation was additionally actually seamless.”
– Similarweb Evaluate, Kevin S, Accomplice Supervisor
What I dislike about Similarweb:
I discovered Similarweb’s knowledge accuracy to be inconsistent typically. The estimates supplied could not all the time replicate real-time modifications in visitors patterns.
What G2 customers dislike about Similarweb:
“Given my frequency of utilization, I discovered the device a bit costly. Having the chance to pick some choices can be appreciated. In addition to, I usually spot discrepancies between our inner knowledge and knowledge proven by Similarweb, which might result in confusion and doubts about opponents’ knowledge.”
– Similarweb Evaluate, Thibault D, Chief Advertising Officer
Comparability of one of the best Semrush options
Really feel like you may have an info overload? This comparability desk makes it simpler for you.
|
Semrush various |
Greatest for |
Free model |
Pricing |
|
Ahrefs |
Greatest for off-page search engine marketing |
Free trial obtainable with restricted entry |
$129/month |
|
Clearscope |
Greatest for optimizing content material for engines like google |
Not obtainable |
$189/month |
|
Moz Professional |
Greatest for all-purpose search engine marketing |
Free-trial obtainable |
$49/month |
|
Seobility |
An all-in-one search engine marketing software program at an reasonably priced price |
Free-trial obtainable |
$50/month |
|
SE Rating |
Greatest for search engine marketing reporting and analytics |
Free-trial obtainable |
$52/month |
|
Similarweb |
Greatest for evaluating broader search engine marketing developments in the marketplace |
Free-trial obtainable |
$199/month |
Incessantly requested questions on search engine marketing instruments and Semrush options
1. Is it value paying for Semrush?
Semrush is a complete search engine marketing suite for corporations of all sizes. It is perhaps a bit pricey for smaller corporations. The software program has strong options and performance that cater to extra superior use circumstances and are appropriate for medium-sized corporations and enormous enterprises.
2. Is Similarweb higher than Semrush?
When you’re in search of a broader overview of market developments, Similarweb may higher fit your wants. Nonetheless, while you’re intensely targeted on search engine marketing progress and want insights to know the market, competitors, and progress developments, Semrush is extra appropriate.
3. Which is best, Semrush or Ahrefs?
These two instruments are comparable in options and performance. I discovered Ahrefs to be higher than Semrush for off-page search engine marketing. Nonetheless, Ahrefs has credit score limits; due to this fact, for those who closely use search engine marketing software program, Semrush can be a greater various.
4. Is Semrush one of the best search engine marketing device?
In the case of an search engine marketing device, the time period “finest” borrows its definition from the use case, firm dimension, and market phase. Due to this fact, based mostly on this issue, Semrush could be one of the best search engine marketing device for some corporations. Nonetheless, this may not all the time be the case.
5. Is Semrush a US firm?
Sure, Semrush is an American public firm.
Ask the proper questions
Exploring options opened my eyes to how various and influential the search engine marketing device market has turn out to be. Relying on what you want, whether or not it is Clearscope’s content material optimization, Ahrefs’ backlink knowledge, or SE Rating’s reasonably priced all-in-one strategy, there’s probably a greater match on the market on your workflow and price range.
Personally, I’ve ended up mixing and matching instruments based mostly on the duty at hand. For instance, I take advantage of Clearscope once I’m engaged on content material technique and Ahrefs once I have to dive deep into competitor profiles. No device is ideal, however each presents a recent perspective and a extra tailor-made expertise.
The purpose of the article was to offer you a glimpse of the device from the within. Use it to encourage your factors of dialogue in demos and walkthroughs. This can provide help to clear up any confusion round your particular use case for search engine marketing software program.
Searching for extra choices? Try the highly-rated search engine marketing instruments on G2.