Semrush's SEO + AI Search plans start at $139/month (or $117.33/mo billed annually) for the SEO plan, with the Starter plan at $199/month adding AI visibility tracking across Google Search, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. If you'd rather buy a tool than run one, SE Ranking is a lower-cost suite starting at $52/mo billed annually. If you're a small local business that wants results rather than dashboards, AI SEO Consultants offers a free AI SEO Visibility Report and a month-to-month managed service covering AI search visibility, local SEO, and Google Business Profile optimization.
Bottom line: Semrush is the most complete SEO + AI visibility platform in this comparison, but it's priced and built for teams who will actually use the data. SE Ranking wins on entry price; AI SEO Consultants wins for owner-operators who want the work done for them.
TL;DR
- Semrush's entry SEO plan costs $139/mo monthly or $117.33/mo billed annually, with 5 websites monitored and 500 keywords tracked daily.
- Semrush's AI Search plans (Starter, Pro+, Advanced) run $199, $299, and $549 per month, adding AI visibility tracking across Google Search, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini.
- SE Ranking starts at $52/mo billed annually ($65/mo monthly) for the Essential plan — roughly a third of Semrush's entry price.
- SE Ranking's Pro plan ($95.20/mo billed annually) includes 3 user seats, 30 projects, and 2,000–3,500 tracked keywords.
- Semrush offers a free $0 tier with 1 demo project and 10 reports per day; SE Ranking offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
- AI SEO Consultants provides a free AI SEO Visibility Report feeding a month-to-month managed service — no dashboards for the client to run.
- Semrush's Local Toolkit starts at $30/mo per location for automated Google Business Profile management.
Head-to-head
| Dimension | Semrush | SE Ranking | AI SEO Consultants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $139/mo entry (SEO plan); AI Search plans $199–$549/mo; annual billing saves up to 17% | $52/mo billed annually (Essential); $65/mo monthlywinner | Free visibility report; month-to-month managed service |
| Ease of use | Feature-dense; learning curve for non-marketers | Streamlined core suite | Nothing to learn — fully managedwinner |
| Features | SEO, AI visibility, local, content, social, advertising toolkitswinner | Rank tracking, audits, backlinks, keyword research, content and local marketing | AI SEO, GEO, AEO, citations, GBP, content, technical SEO for AI crawlers |
| Support | Help Center and basic onboarding; dedicated manager and 24/7 support on Enterprise | Priority support and team training on Business plan | Direct consultancy relationship with clear reportingwinner |
| Integrations | GA and GSC integrations, 20+ external integrations via reporting add-ons, API on Advancedwinner | Looker Studio on Pro; API on Business | Works across Google, Maps, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot |
| Setup | Free tier, no credit card; project configuration required | 14-day free trial, no credit card | Starts with a free AI SEO Visibility Report |
| AI search visibility | Tracks ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google Search; 50–200 prompts daily by tier; AI sentiment monitoringwinner | Not part of its documented feature set here | AI visibility tracking and citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot, AI Overviews |
| Local SEO | Local Toolkit from $30/mo per location: GBP automation, review management, Map Rank Trackerwinner | Local marketing tools on Pro plan | GBP optimization, local citations, and local SEO included in the managed service |
Scores
Semrush
semrush.com ↗Semrush is an all-in-one visibility platform that now combines classic SEO tooling with AI search tracking under its 'Semrush One' plans. The SEO plan covers 5 websites and 500 daily-tracked keywords with Position Tracking, Site Audit, keyword research, and competitor analysis. The Starter, Pro+, and Advanced plans add the AI Visibility Toolkit, which tracks how brands appear across Google Search, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini — from 50 prompts tracked daily on Starter up to 200 on Advanced, plus AI sentiment monitoring and AI-ready Site Audit. Specialist toolkits (Local, Content, Social, Advertising, Traffic & Market, AI PR) can be added on top, and Semrush has announced Adobe Brand Visibility, a unified GEO solution combining Semrush data with Adobe's agentic tools. Testimonials from Wix, Vodafone, Skyscanner, and Monash University reflect its enterprise-grade data depth, but the platform is feature-dense and priced for teams that will actively use it.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 1 demo project, 10 reports/day, limited AI Visibility features |
| SEO | $139/mo | 5 websites, 500 keywords tracked daily ($117.33/mo billed annually) |
| Starter (SEO + AI Search) | $199/mo | 5 websites, 500 keywords, 50 AI prompts tracked daily, 300 AI visibility reports/day ($165.17/mo billed annually) |
| Pro+ (SEO + AI Search) | $299/mo | 15 websites, 1,500 keywords, 100 AI prompts daily, historical data ($248.17/mo billed annually) |
| Advanced (SEO + AI Search) | $549/mo | 40 websites, 5,000 keywords, 200 AI prompts daily, API access ($455.67/mo billed annually) |
| Local Toolkit Base | $30/mo | Per location, billed annually; automated GBP management with AI Agent, 375 Map Rank Tracker credits |
Pros
- Broadest feature coverage: SEO, AI visibility, local, content, social, and advertising in one subscription
- AI visibility tracking across Google Search, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini with sentiment monitoring
- Free $0 tier with no credit card required to test the platform
- Modular toolkits let you add only the specialist capabilities you need
- Annual billing saves up to 17% (e.g., SEO plan drops from $139 to $117.33/mo)
Cons
- Entry paid plan costs $139/mo monthly — a stretch for solo operators and small local businesses
- The base SEO plan lacks dedicated prompt-tracking quota and AI-ready Site Audit
- Add-ons (extra users from $45/mo, reporting from $10–$20/mo) stack costs quickly
- Feature-dense platform implies a real learning curve for non-marketers
- Dedicated account manager and 24/7 support are reserved for Enterprise
SE Ranking
seranking.com ↗SE Ranking is a value-focused SEO suite that covers the fundamentals — rank tracking, website audit, backlink checking and monitoring, and keyword research — at some of the lowest prices on the market. The Essential plan ($52/mo billed annually) includes 1 user seat, 5 projects, and 500 tracked keywords. The Pro plan ($95.20/mo billed annually) adds 3 user seats, 30 projects, 2,000–3,500 keywords, Looker Studio integration, Share of Voice, 3 months of historical data, and content, local, and social media marketing tools. The Business plan ($207.20/mo billed annually) adds unlimited projects, 5,000–15,000 keywords, priority support, team training, all-time historical data, and API access. A 14-day free trial requires no credit card, and refunds are available within the first 14 days. Reviewers consistently highlight its price-to-feature ratio, noting it costs far less than Semrush or Ahrefs while covering comparable core ground.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Essential (annual) | $52/mo | 1 user seat, 5 projects, 500 keywords, Rank Tracker, Website Audit, Backlink Checker |
| Pro (annual) | $95.2/mo | 3 seats, 30 projects, 2,000–3,500 keywords, Looker Studio, historical data |
| Business (annual) | $207.2/mo | 5 seats, unlimited projects, 5,000–15,000 keywords, API access, priority support |
| Essential (monthly) | $65/mo | Same features as annual Essential, paid month-to-month |
| Pro (monthly) | $119/mo | Same features as annual Pro, paid month-to-month |
| Business (monthly) | $259/mo | Same features as annual Business, paid month-to-month |
Pros
- Entry price of $52/mo billed annually is roughly a third of Semrush's entry plan
- 14-day free trial with no credit card required
- Pro plan includes 3 user seats and 30 projects — strong value for small teams
- Refund available if you cancel within the first 14 days
- Content and local marketing tools included at the mid tier
Cons
- Monthly billing costs 20% more than annual ($65/mo vs $52/mo on Essential)
- No free plan — only a handful of standalone free tools
- Essential plan lacks historical data, expanded keyword database, and content marketing
- Priority support and team training only on the Business plan
- Annual plans are paid upfront for the full year
AI SEO Consultants
AI SEO Consultants is a managed search-visibility consultancy operated by AIQ Labs, built for small local businesses and professional firms that want to be found in Google, Google Maps, Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot, and other answer engines — without managing tools or dashboards themselves. The engagement starts with a free AI SEO Visibility Report, which feeds a month-to-month managed service covering AI SEO, GEO, AEO, AI search optimization, AI visibility tracking, AI citations, local SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, SEO content, and technical SEO for AI crawlers. The approach treats AI SEO as an evidence layer built on conventional SEO fundamentals: strong local SEO, useful content, technical accessibility, reviews, citations, authority, and clear business facts. Clients keep ownership of their website, content, data, and domain, get clear reporting, and can cancel month to month. The service makes no guarantees about rankings or AI citations — results reported are directional.
Pros
- Done-for-you service — no tools, dashboards, or learning curve for the client
- Month-to-month terms with no annual lock-in
- Covers both traditional local SEO and AI search visibility (GEO/AEO) in one engagement
- Client retains full ownership of website, content, data, and domain
- Free visibility report lets you see where you stand before committing
- No black-box claims; no promises of guaranteed rankings or AI citations
Cons
- It's a service, not a self-serve tool — in-house marketers who want hands-on-keyboard access to raw data won't get that here
- Best suited to local businesses and professional firms rather than large multi-brand enterprises
- Directional reporting rather than guaranteed outcomes, which some buyers may find less concrete
Pricing compared
AI search visibility: who tracks what
Local SEO for trades and local businesses
Tool vs managed service: which model fits you
Which should you pick?
FAQs
How much does Semrush cost in 2026?
Semrush's entry SEO plan is $139/mo monthly or $117.33/mo billed annually, covering 5 websites and 500 daily-tracked keywords. The SEO + AI Search plans cost $199/mo (Starter), $299/mo (Pro+), and $549/mo (Advanced) monthly, dropping to $165.17, $248.17, and $455.67 respectively on annual billing. A free $0 tier with 1 demo project and 10 reports per day is also available, and the Local Toolkit starts at $30/mo per location billed annually.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Semrush?
SE Ranking is one of the lowest-priced full SEO suites: its Essential plan starts at $52/mo billed annually ($65/mo paid monthly) with 5 projects, 500 tracked keywords, Rank Tracker, Website Audit, and backlink tools. Its Pro plan at $95.20/mo annually adds 3 user seats, 30 projects, Looker Studio integration, and content and local marketing tools. That's substantially below Semrush's $139/mo entry point, though its documented plans here don't include AI answer-engine visibility tracking.
Does Semrush track AI search visibility like ChatGPT and Gemini?
Yes. Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit, included in the Starter, Pro+, and Advanced SEO + AI Search plans, tracks brand performance across Google Search, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Limits scale by tier: 50 prompts tracked daily on Starter, 100 on Pro+, and 200 on Advanced, along with AI sentiment monitoring, per-domain AI brand performance, 300 AI visibility reports per day on Starter, and an AI-ready Site Audit. The base SEO plan includes only basic AI tracking without a dedicated prompt quota.
Does SE Ranking offer a free trial?
Yes. SE Ranking offers a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card — just an email, name, and password. It functions as a demo account containing the platform's prominent features. Additionally, if you cancel a paid subscription within the first 14 days, SE Ranking's refund policy applies; after that, cancellation stops future billing but no refund is issued.
Can I use Semrush for free?
Yes. Semrush offers a free plan at $0/mo with no credit card required. It includes 1 demo project, 10 reports per day across all vital tools, Help Center and basic onboarding, and a limited set of AI Visibility features. It's designed for trying out the platform before committing to a paid plan, which starts at $139/mo for the SEO tier.
What is the difference between an SEO tool and a managed AI SEO service?
A tool like Semrush or SE Ranking gives you data and features — rank tracking, audits, keyword research, AI visibility reports — but you or your team must run them and act on the results. A managed service like AI SEO Consultants executes the work for you: AI SEO, GEO, AEO, local SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, citations, content, and technical SEO for AI crawlers, on a month-to-month basis with clear reporting. The service model suits owner-operators; the tool model suits teams with marketing capacity.
Can anyone guarantee my business will appear in ChatGPT or Google AI Overviews?
No vendor can guarantee inclusion in AI answers — AI systems decide what to cite, and no service controls ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews. What a credible provider can do is build the evidence layer AI systems discover and reuse: strong local SEO, useful content, technical accessibility for AI crawlers, reviews, citations, authority, and clear business facts. AI SEO Consultants reports results as directional and makes no guarantees about rankings or AI citations.
Sources
- SEO & AI Search Plans and Pricing | Semrush
- SEO & AI Search Plans and Pricing | Semrush
- Local Toolkit Plans and Pricing | Semrush
- Semrush Subscription plans & Toolkits
- Semrush: Your Unfair Advantage for Growing Brand Visibility
- Semrush homepage — Adobe Brand Visibility
- SE Ranking Price & Subscription Plan Costs in 2026
- Semrush Pricing 2026: New Plans & Cost Breakdown
- Top 7 semrush.com Alternatives & Competitors