Ahrefs vs Semrush pricing in one paragraph
Ahrefs is cheaper for a small agency that mostly does link work and research, because its extra seats cost less (40 to 80 USD) and Standard covers 20 projects. Semrush costs more once you add people (45 to 100 USD per extra user) and Pro+ stops at 15 sites, but it bundles more marketing tools. Neither includes white-label client reports in the base plan.
All prices below come from the vendors' public pricing pages and price trackers as checked in October 2026, in USD, billed monthly. Both vendors change plans often, Semrush rebuilt its whole lineup in 2026, so confirm the numbers before you sign.
Ahrefs pricing for agencies in 2026
| Ahrefs plan | Monthly price | Projects | Tracked keywords | Users included | Extra user |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | 129 USD | 5 | 750 | 1 | 40 USD, up to 2 more |
| Standard | 249 USD | 20 | 2 000 | 1 | 60 USD |
| Advanced | 449 USD | 50 | 5 000 | 1 | about 80 USD |
| Enterprise | 1 499 USD, yearly only | custom | custom | custom | custom |
Ahrefs also sells a 29 USD Starter plan, but it is built for one person checking one site and does not suit client work. Report Builder for scheduled, branded client reports is a paid add-on on top of any plan.
Semrush pricing for agencies in 2026
| Semrush plan | Monthly price | Paid yearly | Websites | Tracked keywords | Extra user |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEO | 139 USD | 117.33 USD | 5 | 500 | 45 USD |
| Starter | 199 USD | 165.17 USD | 5 | 500 | 45 USD |
| Pro+ | 299 USD | 248.17 USD | 15 | 1 500 | 80 USD |
| Advanced | 549 USD | 455.67 USD | 40 and up | 5 000 and up | 100 USD |
The old Pro, Guru and Business tiers still exist for some existing subscribers, but new accounts see the plans above. Branded and white-labeled PDF reports come with a paid report add-on, and API access sits on Advanced with units bought separately.
What a 3 person agency with 12 clients actually pays
List prices assume one person and a handful of sites. A small agency usually has an owner, an account manager and a specialist, and somewhere between 10 and 20 retainers. Here is the same team on each tool, billed monthly.
| Cost line | Ahrefs | Semrush | SeoData |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan that covers 12 client projects | Standard, 249 USD | Pro+, 299 USD | Agency, 299 USD |
| 2 extra seats | 2 x 60 USD = 120 USD | 2 x 80 USD = 160 USD | Included, 10 seats |
| White-label client reports | Paid add-on | Paid add-on | Included |
| API for your own dashboard | Unit allowance included, extra units only on Enterprise | Advanced plan plus unit packs | 100 000 rows included |
| Monthly total before add-ons | 369 USD | 459 USD | 299 USD |
| On yearly billing | Lower, Ahrefs advertises savings of up to 17% | About 408 USD | 149 USD per month |
Ahrefs Lite looks tempting at 129 USD, but 5 projects run out at the sixth client and it allows only 2 extra users. Semrush Starter has the same 5 site ceiling. The first plan that actually fits a 12 client agency is the middle tier on both tools.
Which one is cheaper for a small agency
Ahrefs is the cheaper of the two for this team by about 90 USD a month, mainly because extra seats cost less and Standard allows 20 projects instead of 15. That gap grows with every person you hire. If your agency is mostly link building and content research, Ahrefs also has the stronger reputation for backlink data, so the lower price is not a trade down.
Semrush makes sense when the team also runs paid search, local listings or social reporting from one login, because those tools come with the subscription. If you only use the SEO side, you pay for features nobody opens.
Both tools make money as you grow in the same three places: seats, projects and reports. Before you pick, write down how many people will log in a year from now, how many clients you expect to report on and whether clients get a branded PDF. Price that scenario, not today's.
A cheaper Ahrefs and Semrush alternative for agencies
SeoData was built around the agency cost lines above. The Agency plan costs 299 USD a month, or 149 USD a month billed yearly, and includes 25 projects, 10 seats, white label SEO reports and 100 000 API rows. There is no per-seat charge until you pass 10 people and no report add-on. Backlinks, traffic estimates, keyword gap, site audit and daily position tracking sit in the same workspace.
It is not the right pick for everyone. If you need the largest link index on the market or paid search research, Ahrefs or Semrush will serve you better. If your bill keeps growing because of seats and client reports, compare the plans on SeoData pricing and run a client domain through the tool at the top of this page to check the data first.
If you also pull data into your own client portal, read how the Ahrefs API alternative compares on unit costs, because API units are where tool bills grow fastest.
How to choose an SEO tool for a small agency
- Count seats a year ahead. Every extra login costs 40 to 100 USD a month on Ahrefs and Semrush.
- Count client projects, including prospects you audit before they sign. Tools cap projects per plan.
- Decide how clients get reports. Branded PDFs and client portals are add-ons on both incumbents.
- Check whether you need an API. If yes, price units, not just the plan.
- Test the data on three client domains you know well and compare traffic and link counts with what Google Search Console shows.
Once you know which prospects to pitch, a domain snapshot from any of these tools makes a strong opening line for cold email outreach to the marketing lead.