Ahrefs vs Semrush: Which SEO Tool Is Better?

As professional SEOs, we heavily rely on SEO performance and analysis tools.

Today, among the most popular software for integrated search engine optimization analysis are Ahrefs and Semrush.

Of course, many more (paid and free) SEO tools are available in the market.

Nevertheless, these two offer comprehensive features for effective SEO optimization and intuitive competitor analysis.

So, let’s compare Ahrefs and Semrush to figure out (eventually!) which one is better for your SEO projects.

Ahrefs And Semrush: Key Features

A prominent entrepreneur once said: “To do your job right, you need the right tools.”

That’s where Semrush and Ahrefs come in. Launched in 2012 and 2015, respectively, they make indispensable SEO toolkits for anyone dealing with search engine optimization.

Both platforms provide, among other things, multi-level insights on SERP performance and ranking opportunities.

In brief, Semrush and Ahrefs are used for:

• Keyword research
• Rank tracking
• Competitive analysis
• Website audits, including technical and on-page site audits
• Link building data, including backlink tracking and analyzing
• Comprehensive visibility insights
• ... and more!

Let’s compare how each tool handles these SEO tasks.

SEO Keyword Research

Features like the ‘Keyword Explorer’ in Ahrefs and ‘Keyword Magic Tool’ in Semrush perform superb keyword research and give a broad range of meaningful keyword data.

Metrics include search volume, keyword difficulty, cost-per-click (CPC), search intent, SERP features, and more. Other tools like keyword list management and topic clustering provide additional resources to build a stronger topical authority.

Each platform comes with its own extras.

Semrush

Semrush keyword difficulty score is percentage-based. It shows how hard it is for any website to rank on page 1 (i.e., top 10) for a specific keyword. This approach facilitates the interpretation of competition levels.

Its keyword strategy builder lets you analyze thousands of keywords at once, understand your opportunities in-depth, and create a winning keyword map and implementation strategy.

In fact, Semrush boasts the biggest keyword database with over 26 billion keywords!

Ahrefs

Ahrefs estimates a keyword’s traffic potential by calculating the amount of organic traffic on the top-ranking page. What this means is that, in order to reach #1 for a target keyword, a page also ranks for many other terms and gets traffic from all of them.

Ahrefs also showcases search volumes alongside expected clicks, helping you identify keywords with strong traffic potential.

Plus, it offers simplified clustering for easier keyword grouping.

Ahrefs is known for more insightful keyword research and better data accuracy than similar tools.

Domain Analysis, Domain Authority & Competitor Tracking

Both Semrush & Ahrefs provide in-depth domain analysis, including:

• In-app authority score
• Comprehensive data on the website’s SEO performance
• Backlink profiles
• Competitor assessment

Semrush

Semrush domain analysis includes valuable branded traffic data and search intent data.

It evaluates domain authority based on backlink data, traffic, and spam metrics, along with other significant criteria.

The platform offers an extensive backlink database, with testing data from web pages that have revealed a higher number of referring domains across the web.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs quantifies traffic costs, depicting the potential ad spend that’d be needed to replicate organic traffic.

It also evaluates domain authority based on current backlink data, and at the same time, it estimates the number of backlinks needed to rank in top positions - some useful insights for your link-building strategy.

Ahrefs shows precise DA (Domain Authority) - that’s even below 10, so you can look deep into the slightest improvements.

Plus, it associates traffic data with Google algorithm updates so that you can better see how these updates impact traffic patterns.

SEO Content Tools

Content optimization and content creation are vital for SEO. At the end of the day, that’s what the keyword research ‘fuss’ is all about!

Semrush and Ahrefs analyses assist SEOs in crafting the best-ranking content for a given website.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs SERP analysis includes features that assess top-ranking pages, content length, and monthly organic traffic.

It also offers keyword research and content insights from YouTube, Amazon, and similar online sources.

Semrush

Semrush categorizes searches based on intent, helping refine your keyword targeting strategy.

It includes extended content marketing tools like an AI Assistant that creates SEO-optimized content for you.

Plus, if you run paid advertising campaigns, Semrush incorporates Google Ads insights with keyword research for enhanced PPC campaign management.

Which Tool Has The Best Support? Semrush Or Ahrefs?

In the battle of SERPs, more and more SEOs around the world use either Ahrefs or Semrush to conquer their competitors’ positions.

With more and more users on board, both platforms improve their support options over time. Currently, Semrush and Ahrefs offer extended knowledge bases and live chat support.

Pricing: Ahrefs vs. Semrush

Both Ahrefs and Semrush offer a range of pricing schemes to cater to different budgets and needs.

Ahrefs Price

Ahrefs is free for those who just need to use its site explorer and site audit tools (for websites they own).

At the moment, other pricing schemes range from €119 monthly to €419, going up for large-scale enterprise projects.

But if you only want to learn Ahrefs or use some simplified reports for a website you own, the platform has finally launched a cheap starter plan at just €27/month!

As expected, price variations reflect the number of users, number of projects, research quota, keyword analysis depth, historical data range, and more.

Semrush Cost

At present, Semrush starts at €124/month (Pro Plan) - up to €447/month (Business Plan). Custom pricing is available for more extensive use.

Here, too, price increases reflect the extent of keyword tracking quota, domain, and keyword analysis depth, access to their content marketing platform, and professional reporting via Looker Studio.

Semrush also offers the option to add useful extras for an additional cost - like their Local SEO, Trends, or Social Media Management kits.

What's Better? Semrush Or Ahrefs?

After years of working on diverse SEO projects, it’s hard to say which tool is best.

Ahrefs has a cleaner interface and comprehensive SEO analysis capabilities. Plus, it comes at a lower price - though credit allowance can be quite limiting in lower-price plans.

On the other hand, Semrush has more automated functions and elaborate reporting - especially if you want to integrate content management with paid ads and social media marketing.

In many cases actually, professional SEOs use them both to get the most complete view of their SEO strategy.

We also asked our own SEOs here at Atropos Digital. The result? Nearly half of us praise Semrush, while the rest are devoted Ahrefs fans. 😀 What a team!

Well, indeed, one of the things we pride ourselves on the most at Atropos Digital is collaboration via diversity. That’s what fuels our SEO projects to reach top-rated results. Sounds like you? Contact us to take your SEO to the next level.