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Semrush vs SEO.AI

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Cheaper paid plan
Semrush — $139/mo vs $149/mo for SEO.AI
Free plan
Only Semrush (SEO.AI has paid plans only)
Public API
Semrush has one; not confirmed by us for SEO.AI
Best fit
Semrush: In-house SEO and content teams that need keyword, competitor and backlink research in one tool · SEO.AI: Small businesses with no in-house SEO capacity at all
Platforms
Semrush: Web, Chrome extension · SEO.AI: Web

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

Side by side

FactSemrushSEO.AI
CategorySEO ToolsSEO Tools
Pricing modelFreemiumPaid
Starts at$139/mo$149/mo
Public APIYesNot confirmed
Trust score96 / 10093 / 100
PlatformsWeb, API, Chrome extensionWeb
CompanySemrush Inc.SEO.AI
Launched20082022
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Semrush

Semrush is still the broadest single subscription for anyone who needs competitor traffic estimates, keyword gaps, rank tracking and a site crawler in one login, and its 2026 plans fold AI-answer tracking into the same projects. It is priced for marketing teams and agencies: at $139 a month before extra users and add-ons, a solo site owner pays for a great deal they will never open, and the Adobe acquisition makes the roadmap and pricing a question for a much larger company.

Pros

  • Keyword, traffic-estimate and backlink databases are Semrush's own, with historical data back to 2012 on higher tiers
  • AI-visibility tracking (ChatGPT, AI Overviews, AI Mode) is in the same project as keyword rankings from the $199 Starter plan
  • An API, a Chrome extension and an official Claude connector let the data leave the dashboard
  • A $0 plan and a seven-day trial on paid tiers mean the interface can be judged before paying
  • Terms name a single Delaware entity at a Boston address and were updated in August 2026 after the Adobe deal

Cons

  • Every plan is single-user; each extra seat starts at $45 per month on top
  • Keyword and prompt caps (500 keywords on the $139 and $199 plans) run out quickly across several sites
  • Traffic figures are estimates from clickstream models, and the gap from real analytics can be wide on small sites
  • Now part of Adobe, so pricing, packaging and data-sharing terms may change with the parent's enterprise strategy

SEO.AI

Built and priced for a business that wants SEO to simply happen without hiring anyone. If you already have an SEO specialist, you are paying $149/month for work they would rather do themselves with tools they control.

Pros

  • Closes the whole loop — topic, draft, publish, monitor — rather than stopping at a draft
  • Direct connectors for WordPress, Webflow, Wix and Shopify
  • Monthly plans have no lock-in and a 7-day trial precedes payment

Cons

  • $149/month buys exactly one site in one language
  • The automated link exchange is a network by another name and carries real ranking risk
  • No public API found and no free tier, only the trial

Which one fits

Choose Semrush if you need

  • In-house SEO and content teams that need keyword, competitor and backlink research in one tool
  • Agencies that report on rankings, site health and now AI-search visibility for many client domains
  • Marketers who want brand-mention tracking across ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews next to organic data

Choose SEO.AI if you need

  • Small businesses with no in-house SEO capacity at all
  • Sites that need steady content in many languages
  • Owners who want autopilot publishing but with an approval gate switched on

Semrush vs SEO.AI: the questions people ask

Is Semrush cheaper than SEO.AI?

On published entry prices, Semrush starts lower — $139/mo against $149/mo for SEO.AI. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it; what each plan includes differs.

Does Semrush or SEO.AI have a free tier?

Semrush has a free tier; SEO.AI has paid plans only.

Which has a public API, Semrush or SEO.AI?

Semrush ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for SEO.AI is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.

All Semrush alternatives →All SEO.AI alternatives →Browse all SEO Tools →