SEO · head-to-head
Ahrefs vs Semrush
The written short answer is being updated after a re-evaluation. The scores below are current.
Read this comparison as one judge. Each weighs the same scores by what they care about.
The bench's picks
Same scores, different priorities: each judge's weighting applied to both products. The split is the finding.
- The In-House SEO Lead Ahrefs Semrush picks Semrush
- The Agency Owner Ahrefs Semrush picks Semrush
- The Technical SEO Ahrefs Semrush picks Semrush
- The Content Strategist Ahrefs Semrush picks Semrush
- The Data Analyst Ahrefs Semrush picks Semrush
- The Skeptic Ahrefs Semrush picks Semrush
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Ahrefs | Semrush | The bench leans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawling & technical audit | Semrush, 6 of 6 judges | ||
| Keyword research & content guidance | Semrush, 4 of 6 judges | ||
| Rank tracking & index quality | Semrush, 6 of 6 judges | ||
| Reporting, integrations & API | Semrush, 6 of 6 judges | ||
| Data portability & exit | Semrush, 5 of 6 judges | ||
| European sovereignty | Ahrefs, 3 of 6 judges | ||
| Pricing transparency | Semrush, 4 of 6 judges |
Stars show the bench average per criterion; the lean counts which product each judge scored higher. Open a judge's tab for their reasoning on both sides.
Sovereignty, side by side
| Dimension | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Not determined | Not determined |
| Ownership | Not determined | Not determined |
| Data residency | Not determined | Not determined |
| Subprocessors | Not determined | Not determined |
Facts, side by side
Only facts both products carry under the same definition — anything else would not be a fair row.