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SEO · head to head

AnswerThePublic vs SEMrush

AnswerThePublic logo

AnswerThePublic

SEO

Keyword and content ideation tool that visualizes search questions and phrases

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SEMrush logo

SEMrush

SEO

Do SEO, content marketing, competitor research, PPC and social media marketing from just one platfor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SEMrush has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AnswerThePublic credit-based limits on projects and articles mean heavy users need the higher-priced Growth or Business tiers.; SEMrush free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools
  • They diverge on capability: AnswerThePublic covers Search listening visualizations, SEMrush covers Keyword research.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AnswerThePublic and SEMrush actually diverge.

Attributes where AnswerThePublic and SEMrush differ
AttributeAnswerThePublicSEMrush
Starting price$20/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformswebWeb, Mobile app
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (SEO).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AnswerThePublic

  • Search listening visualizations
  • AI content drafting
  • Content scheduling
  • Plagiarism detection
  • WordPress publishing
  • Custom writing styles

Only in SEMrush

  • Keyword research
  • Site audit
  • Competitor analysis
  • Backlink analytics
  • Rank tracking
  • Content marketing
  • PPC research
  • Social media tools

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AnswerThePublic

  • Finding long-tail question keywords for blog topicsnot SEMrush
  • Building FAQ content from real search queriesnot SEMrush
  • PR and content teams brainstorming article anglesnot SEMrush
  • Identifying content gaps around a seed topicnot SEMrush

SEMrush

  • SEO keyword research and competitor analysisnot AnswerThePublic
  • Website performance tracking and auditingnot AnswerThePublic
  • Content marketing optimizationnot AnswerThePublic
  • PPC advertising researchnot AnswerThePublic

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AnswerThePublic

  • Credit-based limits on projects and articles mean heavy users need the higher-priced Growth or Business tiers.
  • Question-mining approach is narrower than full-suite SEO content tools that also grade content against SERP competitors.
  • Article and content-creation features are relatively new additions layered onto a keyword-visualization tool, so depth may lag dedicated writing platforms.

SEMrush

  • Free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools
  • Keyword tracking capped at 500 per month on entry tiers (SEO and Starter plans)
  • Additional users cost £45/month per user above base subscription
  • Most advanced features require Advanced plan (£455.67/month), making entry cost significant for small teams

Pricing, plan by plan

AnswerThePublic

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 2 projects
    • 60 monthly credits
    • 6 articles/month
  • Growth$99/month
    • 4 projects
    • 350 monthly credits
    • 35 articles/month
  • Business$199/month
    • 8 projects
    • 800 monthly credits
    • 80 articles/month

SEMrush

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 demo project with basic features
    • No credit card required
    • For trying out the platform
  • SEO Plan$117.33/month
    • Annual billing ($1407.96/year)
    • Monitor 5 websites
    • Track 500 keywords daily
  • Starter Plan$165.17/month
    • Annual billing ($1982.04/year)
    • 5 websites, 500 keywords tracked daily
    • MCP access with 50 AI prompts tracked across search platforms
  • Pro+ Plan$248.17/month
    • Annual billing ($2978.04/year)
    • 15 websites, 1,500 keywords daily
    • 100 AI prompts tracked

Which should you pick?

Choose AnswerThePublic if

  • You need search listening visualizations.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want ai content drafting.
AnswerThePublic review

Choose SEMrush if

  • You need keyword research.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app.
  • You also want site audit.
SEMrush review

Questions people ask

Is AnswerThePublic or SEMrush better?
Neither clearly leads. AnswerThePublic starts at $20/month and SEMrush at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AnswerThePublic or SEMrush?
SEMrush has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for AnswerThePublic and Free for SEMrush.
Does AnswerThePublic or SEMrush run on more platforms?
AnswerThePublic runs on web. SEMrush runs on Web, Mobile app.
Can I use SEMrush for free?
Yes. SEMrush has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. AnswerThePublic starts at $20/month.
What is AnswerThePublic best used for?
AnswerThePublic is most often used for finding long-tail question keywords for blog topics, building faq content from real search queries, pr and content teams brainstorming article angles, identifying content gaps around a seed topic. Of those, finding long-tail question keywords for blog topics and building faq content from real search queries are not what SEMrush is typically brought in for.
What can AnswerThePublic do that SEMrush cannot?
AnswerThePublic covers Search listening visualizations, AI content drafting, Content scheduling, Plagiarism detection. SEMrush covers Keyword research, Site audit, Competitor analysis, Backlink analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AnswerThePublic: What does AnswerThePublic cost?

Plans run Starter at $20/month, Growth at $99/month, and Business at $199/month, each with monthly credits, project limits, and an article-generation cap; annual and lifetime options are also offered.

Source
SEMrush: How much does Semrush cost?

Semrush starts at $117.33/month for the SEO Plan with annual billing and goes up to $455.67/month for the Advanced Plan. A free tier is available with 1 demo project and basic features. Prices increase with monthly billing instead of annual.

Source
AnswerThePublic: Is there a free plan?

No free tier is listed; all plans are paid, with Starter as the entry-level option at $20/month or a $99 lifetime option.

Source
SEMrush: What does each Semrush plan include?

Plans scale from 5 to 40 websites monitored, 500 to 5,000 keywords tracked daily, and include progressively more features like MCP access and API access at higher tiers. Advanced Plan includes dedicated support.

Source
AnswerThePublic: What does AnswerThePublic integrate with?

All plans include WordPress publishing so finished articles can be pushed directly to a connected WordPress site.

Source
SEMrush: Are there add-on options for Semrush?

Yes, additional users cost $45/month, and reporting features range from $10-$20/month. Enterprise plans with unlimited projects and dedicated support are available with custom pricing.

Source
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