Semrush (Pro) review 2027

What problem does Semrush solve, and who is it for?

Semrush is the tool to buy when SEO is one channel among several and somebody has to report on all of them. On pure link data it is second. That is the whole case in one line: it covers paid search, display, social and PR alongside SEO, and its position tracking and reporting are built for client work. The teams it fits are marketing teams covering several channels, and the spec row names the same buyer: teams doing SEO and paid search together. If your work is link building alone, the link index is not where this tool leads.

How did we score Semrush?

Five criteria, 100 points in total. Index size and data accuracy carries 30 points and Semrush took 28: we measured how many of our 200 known backlinks each tool found, how close its keyword volumes came to Google Ads figures, and how fresh the index was. Feature coverage carries 25 and it took 24, covering keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, backlink analysis, competitor gap and content tools, and which of those sit behind a higher tier. Usability and reporting carries 15 and it took 13, judged on time to a first useful answer, report building and sharing with a client. Limits and fair use carries 10 and it took 7, judged on credits, rows per export, projects, seats and what happens when you hit the cap. Value carries 20 and it took 10, judged on monthly price for a one-person consultancy tracking 500 keywords on five sites. The total is 8.2 out of 10, third of eight tools tested.

Where does Semrush stand out?

Keyword volumes tracked Google Ads figures most closely on head terms, which is the strongest single result in the test. The toolkit reaches past SEO into paid search, display, social and PR, so one subscription feeds several reports. Local listings management is available as an add-on. Position tracking and reporting are built for client work rather than bolted on. On the measured link test it found 171 of 200 known backlinks.

What is in the plan, and what are the limits?

The entry plan is 139.95 USD/mo. There is a free plan at 10 requests/day. The Pro tier tracks 500 keywords. Site audit runs to 100k pages. Local SEO is an add-on. One seat is included, and extra seats cost $45. The interface has more menus than most people need, which is the cost of carrying that many modules in one place.

How does Semrush compare with the rivals we tested?

Ahrefs scored 8.3 at $129 and found 186 of 200 links, ahead of Semrush on the link index, with a cleaner interface, one seat and no local SEO. SE Ranking scored 8.6 at $119, found 132 of 200 links, and includes three seats on Pro with a local marketing module and white-label client reporting. Moz Pro scored 7.9 at $49, found 148 of 200 links, and pairs approachable tooling with Moz Local. Google Search Console scored 8.2 and is free, with unlimited seats and every query you actually rank for, but it found 0 of 200 links and reports indexing and Core Web Vitals rather than running a full audit. Screaming Frog SEO Spider scored 8.0 at $20, found 0 of 200 links, tracks no keywords, and audits unlimited URLs on one machine.

Feature comparison across the tested tools

Entry plan: Semrush 139.95 USD/mo, SE Ranking 65 USD/mo, Ahrefs 129 USD/mo, Moz Pro 49 USD/mo, Google Search Console 0 USD/mo, Screaming Frog 20 USD/mo. Free plan: Semrush 10 requests/day, SE Ranking a 14-day trial, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for own sites only, Moz Pro limited free tools, Google Search Console entirely free, Screaming Frog 500 URLs. Keywords tracked on the entry plan: Semrush 500 on Pro, SE Ranking 750 on Essential and 2,000 on Pro, Ahrefs 750 on Lite, Moz Pro 50 on Starter and 300 on Standard, Google Search Console every query you actually rank for, Screaming Frog none because it is not a rank tracker. Backlinks found in our test: Semrush 171 of 200, SE Ranking 132, Ahrefs 186, Moz Pro 148, Google Search Console 0, Screaming Frog 0. Site audit: yes across Semrush, SE Ranking, Moz Pro and Screaming Frog, 100k pages/mo on Ahrefs Lite, indexing and Core Web Vitals reports on Google Search Console. Local SEO: an add-on on Semrush, a local marketing module on SE Ranking, Moz Local on Moz Pro, and no on Ahrefs, Google Search Console and Screaming Frog. Seats included: one on Semrush, Ahrefs and Moz Pro, three on SE Ranking Pro, unlimited on Google Search Console, one machine on Screaming Frog.

Where does Semrush fall short?

Two places: the backlink index and the price. It found 171 of 200 links, behind Ahrefs. The entry plan is $139.95 for one seat, and extra seats are $45 each. The interface has more menus than most people need, so the breadth that suits multi-channel teams is also the thing that slows a single-channel user down.

Is the price worth it?

The entry plan is $139.95. On the value criterion, which asks what a one-person consultancy tracking 500 keywords on five sites pays per month, Semrush scored 10 out of 20. That is the weakest of its five criteria and the clearest signal in the scoring: the toolkit is wide, and the price reflects the width rather than the depth of any one module.

Who should buy Semrush?

Marketing teams covering several channels. The spec row agrees: teams doing SEO and paid search together. If you need one subscription that reports on organic, paid, social and PR, and you bill clients for that reporting, this is the fit. If you only build links, the link index is second here, and if you only need your own site's real query data, a free tool covers it.