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Screaming Frog SEO Spider vs SEMrush

Screaming Frog SEO Spider logo

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Software

Crawl websites for SEO issues

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SEMrush logo

SEMrush

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Screaming Frog SEO Spider free version caps crawling at 500 URLs; unlocking unlimited crawling requires a paid licence at 245 EUR per year; SEMrush free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Screaming Frog SEO Spider and SEMrush actually diverge.

Attributes where Screaming Frog SEO Spider and SEMrush differ
AttributeScreaming Frog SEO SpiderSEMrush
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile app
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Nothing recorded that SEMrush does not also cover.

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.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

No use cases recorded yet. See the Screaming Frog SEO Spider review.

SEMrush

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

Where each one falls short

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

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

  • Free version caps crawling at 500 URLs; unlocking unlimited crawling requires a paid licence at 245 EUR per year
  • Licence is annual only and must be renewed yearly to keep working

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

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Screaming Frog SEO Spider review.

SEMrush

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SEMrush review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Screaming Frog SEO Spider if

  • You want to start without paying.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider 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 Screaming Frog SEO Spider or SEMrush better?
Neither clearly leads. Screaming Frog SEO Spider starts at Free and SEMrush at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Screaming Frog SEO Spider or SEMrush?
Screaming Frog SEO Spider starts at Free and SEMrush at Free.
Does Screaming Frog SEO Spider or SEMrush run on more platforms?
Screaming Frog SEO Spider runs on Web. SEMrush runs on Web, Mobile app.
Can I use Screaming Frog SEO Spider for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Screaming Frog SEO Spider do that SEMrush cannot?
SEMrush covers Keyword research, Site audit, Competitor analysis, Backlink analytics.
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