SE Ranking vs Semrush: Which SEO Tool is Better? (2025)

Quick Comparison

| Starting Price | $65/mo | $139/mo |

| Best For | Pure SEO, agencies | All-in-one marketing |

| Keyword Database | 7 billion keywords | 25 billion keywords |

| Backlink Index | 3.5 trillion backlinks | 43 trillion backlinks |

| Rank Tracking | Unlimited keywords | 500 keywords (Pro plan) |

| White Label | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (Guru+ only, $249/mo) |

| PPC Tools | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |

| Social Media Tools | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |

| Free Trial | 14 days | 7 days |

Try Them:

- SE Ranking → - 14-day free trial

- Semrush → - 7-day free trial

Pricing Breakdown (Monthly)

SE Ranking

- Essential: $65/mo - 1 user, 10 projects, 250 keywords

- Pro: $119/mo - 3 users, 30 projects, 1,000 keywords, white-label

- Business: $259/mo - Unlimited users, 100 projects, 5,000 keywords

Semrush

- Pro: $139/mo - 1 user, 5 projects, 500 keywords

- Guru: $249/mo - 1 user, 15 projects, 1,500 keywords, Content Marketing Toolkit

- Business: $499/mo - 3 users, 40 projects, 5,000 keywords

Value Analysis:

- For 1 user doing pure SEO: SE Ranking Pro ($119) beats Semrush Pro ($139)

- For agencies needing white-label: SE Ranking Pro ($119) vs Semrush Guru ($249) = $1,560/year saved

- For teams needing PPC/social: Semrush Pro ($139) is justified if you replace 2+ other tools

Feature Comparison

1. Keyword Research

Semrush Wins (More Data)

Semrush:

SE Ranking:

Real-World Difference: For broad terms like "best CRM", Semrush shows 15,000+ ideas vs SE Ranking's 4,000. For local queries like "plumber Boston", SE Ranking's local tracking beats Semrush.

Choose Semrush if: You target competitive national keywords

Choose SE Ranking if: You do local SEO or track 500+ keywords

2. Rank Tracking

SE Ranking Wins

SE Ranking:

- Unlimited keywords on all plans

Semrush:

Real-World Difference: If you track 200+ keywords, SE Ranking Essential ($65/mo) offers unlimited tracking vs Semrush Pro ($139/mo) with a 500-keyword cap.

Agency teams tracking 1,000+ keywords save $1,560/year with SE Ranking Pro vs Semrush Guru.

Choose SE Ranking if: You track 100+ keywords or need white-label reports

Choose Semrush if: You track <50 keywords and need PPC + social tools

3. Backlink Analysis

Semrush Wins (Slightly)

Semrush:

SE Ranking:

Real-World Difference: Semrush's backlink index is 12x larger, but for 90% of sites under DR50, both tools show similar results. Semrush shines for competitive link analysis.

Choose Semrush if: Link building is 50%+ of your SEO strategy

Choose SE Ranking if: You check backlinks monthly, not daily

4. Site Audit

Tie (Both Strong)

Semrush:

SE Ranking:

Real-World Difference: Semrush catches more edge-case technical issues (good for 10,000+ page sites). SE Ranking's audit is cleaner and easier to action (good for 1-5,000 page sites).

Choose Semrush if: You audit 10+ enterprise sites

Choose SE Ranking if: You audit 1-5 sites and need client-ready reports

5. Content Tools

Semrush Wins

Semrush:

SE Ranking:

Real-World Difference: Semrush's SEO Writing Assistant integrates with Google Docs and WordPress. If you write 8+ articles/month, the Guru plan ($249/mo) justifies itself.

Choose Semrush if: Content is 50%+ of your SEO strategy

Choose SE Ranking if: You write 0-4 articles/month

6. Competitive Analysis

Semrush Wins

Semrush:

SE Ranking:

Real-World Difference: Semrush's Market Explorer alone is worth the price for competitive intelligence. You can reverse-engineer entire marketing strategies.

Choose Semrush if: Competitive analysis drives your strategy

Choose SE Ranking if: You only check 1-2 competitors quarterly

7. PPC & Social Tools

Semrush Wins (SE Ranking Doesn't Offer)

Semrush:

SE Ranking:

Real-World Difference: If you run Google Ads + social media, Semrush replaces tools like AdEspresso ($49/mo) and Buffer ($15/mo), saving $64/mo = $768/year.

Choose Semrush if: You run PPC campaigns or manage social media

Choose SE Ranking if: You only do organic SEO

Who Should Choose SE Ranking?

✅ Agencies selling SEO reports (white-label on Essential plan vs Semrush Guru at $249/mo)

✅ Teams tracking 500+ keywords (unlimited vs Semrush's 500-1,500 cap)

✅ Local SEO specialists (city/ZIP tracking beats Semrush)

✅ Pure SEO teams (no need for PPC/social tools)

✅ Budget-conscious teams ($65/mo vs $139/mo = $888/year saved)

Real Example: 25-person agency switched from Semrush Guru ($249/mo) to SE Ranking Pro ($119/mo). Saved $1,560/year, kept all essential SEO features, gained unlimited rank tracking.

Who Should Choose Semrush?

✅ All-in-one marketing teams (need SEO + PPC + social in one platform)

✅ Content-heavy strategies (SEO Writing Assistant + Topic Research)

✅ Competitive intelligence focus (Market Explorer, Traffic Analytics)

✅ Teams with 3+ users (Business plan at $499/mo for 3 users beats SE Ranking Business at $259/mo if you need PPC/social)

✅ Enterprise clients expecting Semrush (brand recognition matters)

Real Example: Marketing agency used Semrush Business ($499/mo) to replace Ahrefs ($129/mo), BuzzSumo ($199/mo), SpyFu ($39/mo), and Buffer ($15/mo). Net savings: $382/mo, but with tighter integration.

The Honest Truth

When Semrush is Worth 2x the Price:

1. You run PPC campaigns (Google Ads, Facebook Ads)

2. You manage social media (3+ platforms)

3. You write 8+ content pieces/month (SEO Writing Assistant ROI)

4. You need deep competitive intelligence (Market Explorer)

When SE Ranking Saves You $888-$1,560/Year Without Sacrifice:

1. You only do organic SEO (no PPC/social)

2. You track 100+ keywords (unlimited tracking)

3. You sell reports to clients (white-label at $65/mo vs Semrush Guru at $249/mo)

4. You focus on local SEO (better local rank tracking)

Common Questions

"Should I use both?"

Rare. The overlap is 70%. Most teams choose:

- Semrush only (if budget allows and you need PPC/social)

- SE Ranking only (if pure SEO focus)

- SE Ranking + free tools (Google Keyword Planner, Google Ads)

One agency uses Semrush for research (keyword data, competitor analysis) and SE Ranking for client deliverables (white-label reports, rank tracking). Cost: $258/mo vs $499/mo for Semrush Business alone.

"Which has better keyword data?"

Semrush by 3.5x (25 billion vs 7 billion). BUT for 95% of queries, SE Ranking has the data. Semrush shines for ultra-competitive terms and PPC keyword research.

"Can I switch from Semrush to SE Ranking?"

Yes, but you'll lose:

You'll gain:

"What about Ahrefs?"

See our SE Ranking vs Ahrefs comparison → - Ahrefs has deeper backlink data but no PPC/social tools.

Bottom Line

Go with Semrush if:

Go with SE Ranking if:

Both tools work. Semrush is broader. SE Ranking is deeper (for pure SEO) and cheaper.

Try Both (Risk-Free)

SE Ranking - 14-Day Free Trial →

No credit card required. Full Pro plan access.

Semrush - 7-Day Free Trial →

Full Pro plan access. Cancel anytime.

Next Steps

1. Browse all SEO tools → - See 100+ tools

2. Read SE Ranking full review → - Features, pricing, pros/cons

3. Read Semrush full review → - Complete feature breakdown

4. Follow our AI visibility playbook → - 10-step strategy

Written by: LLM Relevance Team (tested both tools with 40+ small businesses)