The essentials
- Entry price: Semrush SEO at €134 per month (€112.52 billed annually); Ahrefs Lite at €119, with a Starter plan at €27, checked on 16/10/2026.
- Limits: Semrush SEO tracks 5 sites and 500 keywords per day; Ahrefs Lite 5 projects, 750 keywords and 1 user.
- Data: Ahrefs keeps its recognised edge on backlinks; Semrush is broader (advertising, local, content, AI visibility).
- AI visibility: Semrush’s Starter plan at €190 per month; Ahrefs’ Brand Radar AI from €179 on top of the subscription.
Semrush and Ahrefs are the two leading SEO suites. They overlap widely: keyword research, competitor analysis, position tracking, technical audit, backlinks. The differences lie in prices, the limits of each plan, data depth and add-on modules. This comparison is based on the official pages consulted on 16 October 2026, not on listicles whose prices contradict each other. For details of Semrush pricing, see the price of Semrush in 2026 ; for what remains free at Ahrefs, see Ahrefs for free.
Prices compared
Prices checked on 16/10/2026 on semrush.com/prices and ahrefs.com/pricing, in euros (Semrush shows its free plan in dollars).
| Level | Semrush | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free: 1 demo project, 10 reports per day | Ahrefs Free: your verified sites only |
| Small budget | No equivalent | Starter: €27 per month (limits not detailed on the page) |
| Professional entry level | SEO: €134 per month, €112.52 billed annually | Lite: €119 per month |
| With enhanced AI visibility | Starter: €190 per month, €158.40 billed annually | Lite + Brand Radar AI: from €298 per month |
| Intermediate | Pro+: €286 per month, €238 billed annually | Standard: €229 per month |
| Advanced | Advanced: on quotation | Advanced: €419 per month |
| Enterprise | On quotation | Enterprise: €1,394 per month, annual commitment |
| Additional user | From €43 per month | €37.40 (Lite), €56.10 (Standard), €74.80 (Advanced) |
Both vendors advertise up to 17% off for annual billing. Ahrefs does not specify whether its displayed amounts are monthly or annual. Over twelve months, the entry level comes to around €1,350 at Semrush billed annually and €1,430 at Ahrefs Lite at the displayed price, before additional users.
The limits of the entry-level plans
| Criterion | Semrush SEO (€134) | Ahrefs Lite (€119) |
|---|---|---|
| Sites or projects | 5 sites | 5 projects |
| Tracked keywords | 500, updated daily | 750 |
| Users | Add-on from €43 per month | 1 included, €37.40 per additional user |
| Technical audit | Included | 100,000 crawl credits per month |
| History | Extended on higher tiers | 6 months (2 years on Standard, 5 years on Advanced) |
| Analysis credits | Not specified on the page | 1,000 credits per user (unlimited from Standard) |
| Tracked AI prompts | Custom prompts (50 per day on Starter) | 5 |
According to third-party sources, the Lite plan’s credit system is the constraint users mention most: an in-depth analysis quickly uses up the 1,000 monthly credits. At Semrush, the limit is felt more in the 500 tracked keywords, tighter than Ahrefs’ 750.
Data depth
| Data | Semrush (vendor-reported) | Ahrefs (vendor-reported) |
|---|---|---|
| Backlinks | More than 43 trillion | 35 trillion in link history |
| Domains | More than 800 million | Around 286 million domains |
| Keywords | More than 28 billion | 29 billion filtered (110 billion observed) |
These figures are not comparable with each other: each vendor counts in its own way (active or historical links, domains seen or retained). What matters in practice is freshness and coverage of the French market. Link building specialists prefer Ahrefs for the quality of its link index and its clearer interface; Semrush is generally seen as broader for keyword research and advertising analysis. The link analysis method is described in analysing competitors' backlinks.
AI visibility, local, interface
- Visibility in AI: Semrush includes tracking in its bundled plans (Starter at €190, 50 prompts per day on Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini; Pro+ at €286, 100 prompts). Ahrefs includes 5 prompts in Lite and sells Brand Radar AI from €179 per month, plus query packs from €46.70 to €234 per month. The full market is covered in the GEO tools comparison.
- Local SEO: Semrush sells a Local module at $30 per month per location (Base) or $60 (Pro), on quotation beyond 20 locations. Ahrefs’ pricing page does not present an equivalent local module.
- Interface in French: yes for both. Semrush offers 14 languages, Ahrefs advertises 12 in its help centre.
- Add-on tools: Semrush adds client reports, lead generation and content tools; Ahrefs offers a Report Builder at €89 per month.
The verdict by profile
| Profile | Recommended choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Link building consultant, SEO writer | Ahrefs Lite | Link index, 750 keywords, lower entry price |
| Multi-service agency (SEO, Ads, local) | Semrush | Breadth of features, local module, client reports |
| Very tight budget, one-off need | Ahrefs Starter (€27) or one month of Semrush | A competitive audit does not require an annual subscription |
| AI visibility tracking as a priority | Semrush Starter, or a GEO specialist | 50 prompts per day included, versus a €179 module at Ahrefs |
| Team of several people | To be costed case by case | Additional seats quickly weigh on the bill for both |
When neither is needed
Semrush and Ahrefs are designed for specialists who spend their days in SEO data. An SME without an in-house SEO lead that buys one or the other often opens the tool twice and then forgets it. Its real need lies elsewhere: knowing, across all channels, what generates revenue and what to do this week.
That is GreenRed’s territory, a French marketing management software: multichannel overview, GA4 or Matomo traffic, SEO position tracking, competitors’ keywords, backlinks for your site and your competitors (without Ahrefs’ exhaustive index or history), site health with RGAA and WCAG accessibility, tracking of 10 questions across 5 AIs, Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google listing, ROI and cost per lead by channel, a prioritised action plan of more than 50 checks and the AI assistant Maïa. The Pilotage plan costs €69 excl. VAT per month, Copilote €149 excl. VAT with human support, and a 14-day trial without a card is available on the trial page. Ahrefs and Semrush remain deeper on their single subject; GreenRed covers far more channels for less. The GreenRed-focused comparison is in GreenRed against Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz and HubSpot, and other options in the Semrush alternatives.
How GreenRed helps
Rather than juggling several tools, GreenRed's SEO module brings these metrics together in a single dashboard, compares them over time and tells you which actions come first. You can try it free, with no card, from the Pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Semrush or Ahrefs: which is cheaper?
At the professional entry level, Ahrefs Lite costs €119 per month versus €134 for Semrush’s SEO plan (€112.52 billed annually), checked on 16/10/2026. Ahrefs also offers a Starter plan at €27 per month, with no equivalent at Semrush. Additional users cost €37.40 at Ahrefs Lite and from €43 at Semrush.
Which has the best backlink database?
Ahrefs is traditionally preferred by link building specialists. Both vendors report huge volumes (more than 43 trillion links for Semrush, 35 trillion in history for Ahrefs), but these figures are calculated differently and cannot be compared directly.
Are Semrush and Ahrefs available in French?
Yes. Semrush offers 14 interface languages including French, and Ahrefs advertises 12 including French. The keyword databases cover the French market in both cases.
Which one tracks visibility in ChatGPT and AI tools?
Both, as a paid option. Semrush includes 50 prompts per day in its Starter plan at €190 per month. Ahrefs includes 5 prompts in Lite and sells Brand Radar AI from €179 per month on top of the subscription.
Does an SME need Semrush or Ahrefs?
Rarely, if it has no in-house SEO specialist. A multichannel dashboard such as GreenRed (€69 excl. VAT per month) tracks positions, competitors, backlinks, AI, Ads and social media and offers an action plan; a month of Ahrefs or Semrush remains useful for a one-off link audit.