Semrush vs Serpstat: SEO Data, AI Tracking and Pricing Compared (2026)
Semrush vs Serpstat in 2026: how their keyword and backlink data, site audits, AI tracking, seats and prices compare, and which fits your team.
Serpstat starts at $50 a month. Semrush starts at $139. The data runs the other way: Semrush has 28.8 billion keywords, and Serpstat has 8.62 billion. Each is an all in one SEO platform with keyword research, competitor analysis, backlinks, site audits and rank tracking.
Go with Semrush if you want the biggest keyword and backlink data and a free plan to start. Go with Serpstat if you want several users on one plan and API access without a big contract, at a lower entry price.
Semrush vs Serpstat: main points
- Semrush has much bigger data: 28.8 billion keywords and over 43 trillion backlinks. Serpstat has 8.62 billion keywords and 529 billion backlinks.
- Serpstat’s Individual plan is $50 a month. Semrush’s SEO plan is $139 a month.
- Serpstat includes more seats, with 3 users on Team and 30 on Agency. Semrush charges from $45 a month for each extra user.
- For AI answers, Semrush tracks 50 prompts daily from its Starter plan. Serpstat includes 1,500 AI Visibility checks a month from its Team plan.
- Semrush has a free plan. Serpstat has a 7 day trial and no free plan.
Semrush vs Serpstat at a glance
| Feature | Semrush | Serpstat |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $139/mo (SEO plan) | $50/mo (Individual, billing period not public) |
| Free plan | Yes, 10 reports a day | No |
| Free trial | 7 days on most plans | 7 days on Individual and Team |
| Main strength | Data size and tool depth | Price, seats and API access |
| AI search tracking | 50 prompts daily from Starter ($199/mo) | 1,500 checks a month from Team |
| AIs tracked | ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews, AI Mode | ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini and others |
| Keywords | 28.8 billion, 142 country databases | 8.62 billion, 230 countries |
| Backlinks | Over 43 trillion | 529 billion |
| Users on team plan | Extra users from $45/mo | 3 users on Team, 30 on Agency |
| API | Advanced plan and up | Team plan and up |
| Best for | SEO teams that want the widest data | Small agencies and teams on a budget |
What is Semrush?
Semrush covers keyword research, backlink analysis, technical site audits, rank tracking and content tools. It is one of the largest SEO suites, with over 28 million users, and Adobe owns it now. The current plans go by the name Semrush One and bundle SEO with AI search tracking. Traffic, local, content, social and ads tools are extra toolkits.
- Founded
- 2008
- Founders
- Oleg Shchegolev and Dmitri Melnikov
- Headquarters
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Starts at
- $139/mo (SEO plan)
- Free plan or trial
- Free plan, plus a 7 day trial on most plans
- Best for
- SEO teams that want the widest data
How Semrush started
Semrush started in 2008 with Oleg Shchegolev and Dmitri Melnikov. SeoDigger came first, then SeoQuake, a Firefox extension for SEO checks. The SEM in the name stands for search engine marketing. The founders moved to the US in 2017, and the company is based in Boston.
Funding, IPO and Adobe
Semrush raised $40 million in April 2018. It went public on the New York Stock Exchange in March 2021 under the ticker SEMR. It also grew by buying companies, such as Backlinko in 2022 and Brand24 in 2024.
Adobe agreed to buy Semrush in November 2025 for about $1.9 billion. The deal closed on April 28, 2026, and Semrush now runs as “Semrush, an Adobe company.”
AI search features
The AI Toolkit came first, in March 2025, to track how ChatGPT and Gemini describe brands. In May 2025 Semrush split the product into seven toolkits you can buy one at a time. In October 2025 it launched Semrush One, which puts SEO and AI visibility on one plan.
What is Serpstat?
Serpstat is an all in one SEO platform with more than 1.1 million users worldwide. It covers keyword research, competitor analysis, backlinks, site audit and rank tracking. Its team plans add AI tools, AI Visibility checks, API access and an MCP connection for ChatGPT and Claude. There are four self serve plans, from Individual to Agency.
- Founded
- 2013
- Founders
- Oleg Salamakha and Artem Borodatyuk
- Headquarters
- Ukraine (the first team worked in Odesa)
- Starts at
- $50/mo (Individual)
- Free plan or trial
- 7 day trial on Individual and Team, no free plan
- Best for
- Small agencies and teams on a budget
How Serpstat started
Serpstat began in 2013 as an in house keyword tool at the Netpeak agency. Oleg Salamakha created it, and Artem Borodatyuk, an IT entrepreneur and investor, cofounded it. The first team had five people and worked in Odesa, Ukraine.
In 2015 the tool became a separate SaaS product under the name Serpstat. It has run on its own since then, as part of the FRACTAL group. By 2016 it was a full SEO platform with five core tools.
How the product grew
Serpstat added API access in 2017. In 2018 it added keyword clustering and text analytics. In 2019 it added local Google databases for more than 100 regions. It launched its own backlink index in 2023. In 2024 it released Rank Tracking 2.0, and its user count passed 1.1 million.
The AI features sit on the newer plans. Team and up now include AI Visibility checks, an AI Overview Brand Opportunities report and an MCP connection for AI assistants.
Semrush vs Serpstat keyword research
| Feature | Semrush | Serpstat |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword database | 28.8 billion keywords | 8.62 billion keywords |
| Coverage | 142 country databases | 230 countries |
| Research extras | Keyword gaps and topic research | 5.6 billion keyword suggestions |
| Google SERPs | Not public | 2.21 billion |
| Searches a day | Set by plan | 100 on Individual, 500 on Team, 5,000 on Agency |
| Results per report | Set by plan | 2,000 on Individual up to 100,000 on Agency |
Semrush wins keyword research. Its database is more than three times the size of Serpstat’s, and that matters most in smaller markets and long tail research. Semrush has 28.8 billion keywords across 142 country databases. Its tools show volume, difficulty, intent and SERP features, plus keyword gaps and topic research.
Serpstat has 8.62 billion keywords and 5.6 billion keyword suggestions. It covers 230 countries, more than Semrush by count, and 2.21 billion Google SERPs. Plans cap your daily searches at 100 on Individual, 500 on Team and 5,000 on Agency. Results per report run from 2,000 on Individual to 100,000 on Agency. For many sites, that is enough. You can also check a keyword’s volume and difficulty for free with our keyword research tool.
Semrush vs Serpstat backlink data
| Feature | Semrush | Serpstat |
|---|---|---|
| Backlink index | Over 43 trillion links | 529 billion links |
| Referring domains | Not public | 1.5 billion domains |
| Index updates | Daily | Not public |
| Results per report | Set by plan | 2,000 on Individual, 10,000 on other plans |
| Included on | Every SEO plan | Every plan |
Semrush’s index holds over 43 trillion links and updates daily. Serpstat’s holds 529 billion links and 1.5 billion domains. On Semrush, backlink analysis, gaps and audits come with every SEO plan. Serpstat’s backlink reports show up to 2,000 results on Individual and 10,000 on the other plans.
The bigger index finds more of the links pointing to you and your competitors. If links are a big part of your SEO work, this is the main reason to pick Semrush.
Semrush vs Serpstat site audit and rank tracking
| Feature | Semrush | Serpstat |
|---|---|---|
| Audit limits | Set by plan | 30,000 pages a month on Individual, 150,000 on Team, 1.5 million on Agency |
| AI crawler checks | AI ready site audit from Starter | Not public |
| Rank tracking limits | 500 keywords daily on SEO, 1,500 on Pro+ | 10,000 position checks a month on Individual, 50,000 on Team |
| Rank updates | Daily | From a monthly pool of checks |
Serpstat wins on limits, and Semrush wins on search engines.
Serpstat gives you larger audit and tracking limits for the price, and every one is public. Individual audits 30,000 pages a month, Team 150,000 and Agency 1.5 million. JavaScript rendering comes with Team and up. For rank tracking, Individual includes 10,000 keyword position checks a month and Team includes 50,000.
Semrush updates rankings daily across Google, Bing and Baidu, and it has more reports built on its rank data. The SEO plan tracks 500 keywords daily across 5 websites, and Pro+ tracks 1,500 across 15. Site Audit crawls your site and flags technical issues, and Starter adds an AI ready site audit. To see whether your own site blocks AI crawlers, run our free AI crawler checker.
Semrush vs Serpstat AI visibility tracking
| Feature | Semrush | Serpstat |
|---|---|---|
| Included from | Starter, $199/mo | Team, $100/mo |
| Tracking volume | 50 prompts daily on Starter, 100 on Pro+ | 1,500 checks a month |
| AIs tracked | ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews, AI Mode | ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini and others |
| More volume | Higher limits on Advanced | $20 per 1,000 checks, $40 minimum |
| Standalone option | AI Visibility Toolkit, $99/mo for 25 prompts | Not public |
| AI Overview report | AI Overviews tracking | AI Overview Brand Opportunities from Team |
The two count AI tracking in different units. Semrush tracks prompts every day. Starter covers 50 prompts daily and Pro+ covers 100, with a higher limit on Advanced. It tracks ChatGPT and Gemini, plus Google AI Overviews and AI Mode. You can also buy the AI Visibility Toolkit alone for $99 a month, with 25 prompts and one user.
Serpstat sells a monthly pool of checks. Team, Team x2 and Agency each include 1,500 AI Visibility checks a month across ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini and other AI models. Extra checks cost $20 per 1,000, with a $40 minimum top up. Team and up also add an AI Overview Brand Opportunities report.
If you want AI tracking that runs every day next to your SEO data, pick Semrush. Serpstat suits teams that want to spot check AI answers inside a lower priced plan. For more trackers, see our list of the best AI visibility tools.
Semrush vs Serpstat team seats and API
| Feature | Semrush | Serpstat |
|---|---|---|
| Users | Extra users from $45/mo | 1 on Individual, 3 on Team, 6 on Team x2, 30 on Agency |
| API access | Advanced plan and up | Team and up |
| API credits | Set in a custom plan | 200,000 a month on Team, 2 million on Agency |
| MCP | Semrush MCP | ChatGPT and Claude through MCP, Team and up |
Serpstat wins on seats and API. Individual includes 1 user, Team 3, Team x2 6 and Agency 30. API access starts on Team with 200,000 API credits a month. Agency adds white label reports and 2 million API credits. Team and up also connect to ChatGPT and Claude through MCP.
Semrush plans with the SEO Toolkit charge from $45 a month for each extra user, and API access waits for the Advanced plan. That gap matters for small agencies and for teams that pull SEO data into their own reports. If you run SEO for clients, also see how Arrowsterr works for agencies.
Semrush vs Serpstat pricing
These are list prices.
| Plan level | Semrush | Serpstat |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free: $0. 1 demo project, 10 reports a day, limited AI visibility features | No free plan. 7 day trial on Individual and Team |
| Entry | SEO: $139/mo ($117.33/mo billed yearly). 5 websites, 500 keywords tracked daily, no prompt tracking | Individual: $50/mo. 1 user, 5 projects, 100 searches a day, 10,000 position checks a month, 30,000 audit pages. No AI tools or API |
| Team | Starter: $199/mo ($165.17/mo billed yearly). 5 websites, 500 keywords, 50 prompts tracked daily | Team: $100/mo. 3 users, unlimited projects, 500 searches a day, 50,000 position checks, 150,000 audit pages, AI tools, 1,500 AI Visibility checks, API access |
| Larger team | Pro+: $299/mo ($248.17/mo billed yearly). 15 websites, 1,500 keywords, 100 prompts daily, historical SEO data | Team x2: $169/mo. 6 users, 1,000 searches a day, 100,000 position checks, 300,000 audit pages, 1,500 AI Visibility checks |
| Top plan | Advanced: custom. 40+ websites, 5,000+ keywords, higher prompt limits, API access | Agency: $410/mo. 30 users, 5,000 searches a day, 500,000 position checks, 1.5 million audit pages, white label reports, 1,500 AI Visibility checks |
| Users | Extra users from $45/mo | 1 to 30 included, by plan |
| AI tracking add on | AI Visibility Toolkit: $99/mo for 25 prompts and 1 user | Extra AI Visibility checks: $20 per 1,000, $40 minimum |
Serpstat has an annual discount, and whether these prices are monthly or billed yearly is not public. Its trial asks for a $1 card check, which is refunded.
Arrowsterr: a Semrush and Serpstat alternative for AI search
Arrowsterr is an AI visibility and SEO research platform. You see how AI answers talk about your brand and which sites they cite, next to the keyword data you need to plan content that wins those answers.
It fits teams that like Serpstat’s prices but want daily AI tracking on more AIs than either tool covers. Paid plans start at $39 a month, and the Free forever plan includes AI tracking from day one.
Arrowsterr features
- AI Visibility tracks your brand daily on ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, and weekly on Claude and Perplexity. See AI Visibility.
- Organic Search does keyword research with volume, difficulty, intent and questions, plus the Google top 10 with AI Overview sources. It also finds keyword gaps against your competitors. See Organic Search.
- The Sources report shows which sites AI answers cite, so you know where to get mentioned.
- Topic Bank and Content Plan turn research into a plan. On Pro and up, the Agentic Writer drafts and publishes the posts. See Agentic Content.
- Site audit crawls up to 200 pages and flags AI crawler blocks and page issues. Zippie, its AI agent, fixes them through your CMS.
- MCP and API bring Arrowsterr data into your AI assistant or your own tools. See the MCP server and the API.
Arrowsterr pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free forever | $0 | 10 prompts weekly on ChatGPT and AI Overviews, 200 research tasks, 1 brand, 1 seat |
| Starter | $39/mo | One toolset: AI Visibility with 50 prompts daily on 6 AIs, or Organic Research with 3,000 tasks and Content Plan. 3 brands, 2 seats |
| Pro | $179/mo | Both toolsets, 150 prompts daily, 8,000 tasks, 10 brands, 5 seats, Agentic Writer |
| Agency | $499/mo | 400 prompts daily, 20,000 tasks, unlimited brands, 15 seats |
| Enterprise | From $1,500 | Custom limits |
Try both toolsets free for 7 days, with no card needed. See Arrowsterr pricing.
Arrowsterr vs Semrush and Serpstat
| Feature | Arrowsterr | Semrush | Serpstat |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIs tracked | 6: ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Claude, Perplexity | 4: ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews, AI Mode | ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini and others |
| Claude tracking | Yes, weekly | No | Not public |
| Perplexity tracking | Yes, weekly | No | Not public |
| Tracking rhythm | Daily on 4 AIs, weekly on 2 | Daily | 1,500 checks a month |
| Entry price with AI tracking | $39/mo | $199/mo (Starter) | $100/mo (Team) |
| Free plan | Free forever, with AI tracking | Yes, limited AI features | No, 7 day trial |
| Content plan and writer | Content Plan and Agentic Writer | Content Toolkit, sold separately | AI tools from Team |
| AI crawler checks | Site audit flags AI crawler blocks | AI ready site audit from Starter | Not public |
Start your free trial of Arrowsterr, with both toolsets for 7 days and no card.
Which should you choose: Semrush or Serpstat?
Pick Semrush if:
- You want the largest keyword and backlink data you can get.
- Link building is a big part of your SEO work.
- You want daily AI prompt tracking next to your rankings.
- You want to start on a free plan.
Pick Serpstat if:
- You want a lower entry price for an all in one SEO tool.
- You need several users on one plan.
- You want API or MCP access without moving to a custom plan.
- You run a small agency and want white label reports.
Semrush vs Serpstat FAQ
Is Serpstat cheaper than Semrush?
Yes. Serpstat’s Individual plan is $50 a month and Team is $100. Semrush’s SEO plan is $139 a month. Serpstat also includes more users on its team plans.
Is Serpstat as accurate as Semrush?
Volumes and traffic in both tools are estimates, so neither will match your own analytics exactly. Semrush has the larger data set, with 28.8 billion keywords against Serpstat’s 8.62 billion. Run both on a site whose real numbers you know and see which comes closer.
Does Serpstat have a free plan?
No. Serpstat has a 7 day free trial on its Individual and Team plans, with a $1 card check that is refunded. Semrush has a free plan with 10 reports a day.
Does Serpstat track AI answers like Semrush?
Yes. Serpstat’s Team plan and up include 1,500 AI Visibility checks a month across ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini and other models. Semrush tracks 50 prompts daily on its Starter plan, across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI answers.
Which is better for agencies, Semrush or Serpstat?
Serpstat’s Agency plan includes 30 users, white label reports and API access. Semrush has more data and tools, and charges for each extra user. Serpstat suits small agencies on a budget. Semrush suits agencies that need the deepest data.
Summary: Semrush vs Serpstat
If your SEO work leans on links and deep research, choose Semrush. Its keyword and backlink databases are far bigger, and you can start on a free plan.
If you need a capable suite for a small team on a tight budget, choose Serpstat. The $100 Team plan comes with 3 users and API access.
The Arrowsterr team
We build Arrowsterr and spend our days helping brands show up in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI answers. We sign up for every tool we review and check every price on the vendor's own site.
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