Software · head to head
SEMrush vs Surfer SEO
SEMrush
Software
Do SEO, content marketing, competitor research, PPC and social media marketing from just one platfor
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only SEMrush has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: SEMrush free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools; Surfer SEO entry Discovery plan at $49 per month limits users to a single seat and 120 documents
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which SEMrush and Surfer SEO actually diverge.
| Attribute | SEMrush | Surfer SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile app | Web |
| Founded | 2008 | Unknown |
Identical on both: 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 SEMrush
- Keyword research
- Site audit
- Competitor analysis
- Backlink analytics
- Rank tracking
- Content marketing
- PPC research
- Social media tools
Only in Surfer SEO
Nothing recorded that SEMrush does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
SEMrush
- SEO keyword research and competitor analysisnot Surfer SEO
- Website performance tracking and auditingnot Surfer SEO
- Content marketing optimizationnot Surfer SEO
- PPC advertising researchnot Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO
No use cases recorded yet. See the Surfer SEO review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Surfer SEO
- Entry Discovery plan at $49 per month limits users to a single seat and 120 documents
- AI prompt tracking is excluded on the Discovery plan and capped at 25 prompts weekly on Standard, 50 daily on Pro
- Unlimited documents on the Peace of Mind plan are subject to a fair usage policy rather than being truly unlimited
Pricing, plan by plan
SEMrush
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the SEMrush review.
Surfer SEO
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Surfer SEO review.
Which should you pick?
Choose SEMrush if
- You need keyword research.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile app.
- You also want site audit.
Choose Surfer SEO if
Nothing in the data separates Surfer SEO from SEMrush on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is SEMrush or Surfer SEO better?
- Neither clearly leads. SEMrush starts at Free and Surfer SEO at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, SEMrush or Surfer SEO?
- SEMrush has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for SEMrush and On request for Surfer SEO.
- Does SEMrush or Surfer SEO run on more platforms?
- SEMrush runs on Web, Mobile app. Surfer SEO runs on Web.
- Can I use SEMrush for free?
- Yes. SEMrush has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Surfer SEO starts at On request.
- What is SEMrush best used for?
- SEMrush is most often used for seo keyword research and competitor analysis, website performance tracking and auditing, content marketing optimization, ppc advertising research. Of those, seo keyword research and competitor analysis and website performance tracking and auditing are not what Surfer SEO is typically brought in for.
- What can SEMrush do that Surfer SEO cannot?
- SEMrush covers Keyword research, Site audit, Competitor analysis, Backlink analytics.