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SEO · head to head

SEMrush vs Yoast SEO

SEMrush logo

SEMrush

SEO

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yoast SEO logo

Yoast SEO

SEO

The longest-established WordPress SEO plugin, free core with a flat-rate Premium tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SEMrush free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools; Yoast SEO premium is licensed per site, so an agency or publisher managing many WordPress installs pays linearly per site with no volume discount tier published, unlike Rank Math's site-count-bundled plans.
  • They diverge on capability: SEMrush covers Keyword research, Yoast SEO covers Readability and SEO analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SEMrush and Yoast SEO actually diverge.

Attributes where SEMrush and Yoast SEO differ
AttributeSEMrushYoast SEO
Pricing modelsubscriptionFreemium, per site per year
PlatformsWeb, Mobile appWeb
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 SEMrush

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

Only in Yoast SEO

  • Readability and SEO analysis
  • Redirect manager
  • Multi-keyphrase optimisation
  • Bundled add-ons
  • AI-assisted metadata
  • Google Docs add-on

What people use each for

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

SEMrush

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

Yoast SEO

  • A WordPress site owner who wants a predictable flat annual price with no renewal surprise, unlike some competitor pricing patternsnot SEMrush
  • A multi-site publisher needing Local, Video and News SEO functionality bundled rather than bought as three separate add-onsnot SEMrush
  • A small blog that can run indefinitely on the free tier without hitting a feature wall that forces an upgradenot SEMrush
  • A content team wanting AI-assisted bulk metadata generation to clear a backlog of missing titles and descriptionsnot SEMrush

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

Yoast SEO

  • Premium is licensed per site, so an agency or publisher managing many WordPress installs pays linearly per site with no volume discount tier published, unlike Rank Math's site-count-bundled plans.
  • The free tier's schema output is more basic than Rank Math's free tier, which ships more predefined schema types at no cost.
  • There is no rank tracking feature at all, free or paid, so any team wanting to monitor rankings needs an entirely separate tool regardless of Yoast tier.
  • Some previously free features have migrated behind Premium over successive releases, so long-time users have seen the free-to-paid boundary move against them.
  • The AI-assisted content and metadata features are newer additions and reviewers note they are less mature than dedicated AI content tools such as Surfer SEO or Frase.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Yoast SEO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • SEO and readability analysis
    • XML sitemaps and basic schema output
    • Google Search Console integration
  • Premium$118.8/year
    • Flat rate with no renewal price increase, per site
    • Redirect manager and multi-keyphrase optimisation
    • Local, Video and News SEO plugins included

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.
SEMrush review

Choose Yoast SEO if

  • You need readability and seo analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want redirect manager.
Yoast SEO review

Questions people ask

Is SEMrush or Yoast SEO better?
Neither clearly leads. SEMrush starts at Free and Yoast SEO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SEMrush or Yoast SEO?
SEMrush starts at Free and Yoast SEO at Free.
Does SEMrush or Yoast SEO run on more platforms?
SEMrush runs on Web, Mobile app. Yoast SEO runs on Web.
Can I use SEMrush for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Yoast SEO is typically brought in for.
What can SEMrush do that Yoast SEO cannot?
SEMrush covers Keyword research, Site audit, Competitor analysis, Backlink analytics. Yoast SEO covers Readability and SEO analysis, Redirect manager, Multi-keyphrase optimisation, Bundled add-ons.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Yoast SEO: Does the price go up after the first year?

No. Yoast charges the same flat 118.80 US dollars a year per site every year, unlike some competitors that discount the first year and raise the renewal price.

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
Yoast SEO: Is the free version usable long-term, or is it a trial?

It is a genuinely usable free tier; many small sites run on it indefinitely without ever needing Premium.

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
Yoast SEO: Can one Premium licence cover multiple sites?

No. Premium is licensed per site; multiple sites each need their own licence.

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