Running keyword research and tracking search performance might not be the be-all and end-all of SEO activities anymore. In fact, I don’t even consider it the linchpin for showing up online.
Yet, here I’m writing about Semrush alternatives … A tool designed to help SEOs manage the daily grind of keyword research, rank tracking, audits, and backlinks.
While I’d love to fill you in on what I now consider the linchpin for a successful SEO campaign (and will at the end of this piece) it’s paramount that I keep my opinions to myself. Because business first, pleasure later.
👉All Semrush alternatives on my list are for solo SEOs in the United States juggling a few sites at a time, with no need for agency seats, white-label dashboards, or API access. If you need those, Semrush (or Ahrefs) remains your best bet.
1. Ubersuggest: the cheapest I could find
Ubersuggest is Neil Patel’s SEO tool, and it puts keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and backlink data on one friendly dashboard. Right out of the gate, it’s the easiest tool on this list to learn.
Price tag: The Individual plan is $29 a month, or $290 as a one-time lifetime deal that pays for itself in about 10 months. There’s a 7-day free trial, plus a free version capped at a few searches a day.
Collective experience: The database is smaller (one comparison puts it near 1.25 billion keywords against Semrush’s 26 billion-plus), and the Individual plan tracks only 125 keywords. Reviewers also warn that its keyword difficulty and backlink data are weaker, and that the lifetime deal doesn’t cover future premium features. I’d call it a starter tool, not a forever tool.
2. Mangools: The easiest to get started with
Mangools bundles five tools: KWFinder for keywords, SERPChecker for SERP analysis, SERPWatcher for rank tracking, LinkMiner for backlinks, and SiteProfiler for domain overviews.
And if I must single out one, it would be the KWFinder. The clean, easy-to-navigate interface makes Mangool look like it’s criminally underpriced.
Price tag: The entry plan runs about $29.90 a month on annual billing, or $49 month-to-month. You get a 10-day free trial, and the free version allows 5 KWFinder lookups a day.
Collective experience: This Semrush alternative’s entry plan allows 100 lookups a day and 200 tracked keywords; sounds like a lot, but bro, it runs out fast once you get serious. The money-back window is only two days, and plan names differ from one review site to the next, so confirm what you’re buying.
3. SEO PowerSuite: for SEOs who hate Semrush’s monthly caps
SEO PowerSuite is desktop software made of four tools: Rank Tracker, Website Auditor, SEO SpyGlass for backlinks, and LinkAssistant for outreach. The Professional license covers unlimited projects, keywords, and backlinks, so you’re not spinning your wheels against monthly caps.
Price tag: There’s a free version, though it won’t save projects and it crawls only 500 URLs. Professional is $349 a year, which works out to about $29.10 a month.
Collective experience: It’s desktop software, so you work from the computer it’s installed on, and a license covers one user at a time. Professional also monitors only 5 competitors per project, and some reviewers find the pricing and upgrade rules confusing. This is the pick for people who like to own their workflow, not people who want logins everywhere.
4. Serpstat: a lean, budget-friendly Semrush alternative
Serpstat is an all-in-one platform covering keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlink analysis, and competitor research. Reviewers pitch it at freelancers and small agencies who find Ahrefs and Semrush too pricey.
Price tag: The Individual plan starts at $50 a month (some listings show $69), and annual billing cuts that by roughly 27% to 38%. There’s a 7-day trial and no free plan.
Collective experience: The Individual plan allows around 100 queries a day, and heavy research days can eat that quickly. Reviewers also say its keyword database is smaller than Semrush’s and its interface feels a step behind Ahrefs on polish. Count your weekly queries before you commit.
5. SE Ranking: my splurge pick
SE Ranking‘s Core plan undercuts Semrush Pro on annual billing while tracking 2,000 keywords daily against Semrush’s 500, across 10 projects instead of 5. But compared to all the other names on this list (and the budget constraints my solo SEO friends in the US constantly nag about), it’s expensive.
Price tag: $129 a month, or $103.20 a month billed annually. There’s a 14-day free trial and no free plan.
My experience: Core includes one manager seat, and extra seats start at $16 a month. Tracking limits also multiply by the number of search engines you track, so your 2,000 keywords can shrink fast. And Semrush still wins on database depth.
Alright, those are the best Semrush alternatives I could find. Now to the bit I left pending:
For the longest time, finding a brand online was built around a keyword matching algo.
Consumers input practical keywords related to their problems on Google; brands spun logical content Google could use to satisfy the search intent. And somehow, in the messy middle, sales happened.
But now, chatbots are all the rage.
And as much as people still input keywords on Google, the results they get ain’t as sequential as it used to be. That’s to say the once-beloved keyword-matching algos are getting replaced by personalized, agent-based experiences … where the searcher’s pre-existing preference, taste, and personality have more sway over the result Google spins up.
… Moving the linchpin for successful SEO activities to opinionated, personalized brand campaigns capable of making your product and values synonymous with how people subconsciously perceive the problem your tool exists to solve.
I know this raises more questions than answers, but my word count is up for this piece, and lest you forget, this is a Semrush alternative article, not a rant about where the SEO industry is headed.
👉 Open Tech World is a blog for creatives in search of the best tools for their creative process. We won’t say our reviews are unbiased (even though they are), but you’ll have a chill time reading them. Till next time.
