SE Ranking vs Semrush (with AI) Pricing (2026)
Compare / SE Ranking vs Semrush (with AI)
Shortlist
Team size
25 seats

SE Ranking vs Semrush (with AI)

AI SEO Tools pricing comparison · 2026

SE Ranking costs $129–$279/mo, while Semrush (with AI) has a free plan, then $139–$299/mo. Both products are similarly priced at comparable tiers.

Visit
See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit SE pricing
Discount programs →
Visit Semrush pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Compare
2 products · AI SEO Tools
Side-by-side · live
SE Ranking
SE Ranking is an all-in-one SEO platform offering rank tracking, site audits, backlink ana
verified 4d ago
$500 $1.2K
View pricing →
Semrush (with AI)
Semrush (with AI) pricing starts at $139/month for the SEO plan, or $117.
verified 4d ago
$500 $1.2K
View pricing →
Recorded annual contract medians
SE median is $699 less than Semrush · different customer contracts; not a quote
Cheapest $500
Spread 58%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Growth
$3.3K/yr
year 1 license · flat plan price
Starter
$2.4K/yr
year 1 license · flat plan price
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$500/yr
Vendr · n=158
Median annual
$1.2K/yr
Vendr · n=33
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 13 sourced facts
8 hidden-cost · 3 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 4d ago
Confidence High confidence
Sources 16 sourced facts
10 hidden-cost · 4 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 4d ago
Confidence High confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
4 documented
  • Forced Legacy Plan Migrations with Major Price Increases
    50-500% of current license costs
    3 sources
  • Add-On Feature Charges Beyond Base Plan
    10-25% of license costs
    2 sources
  • Non-Refundable Subscriptions and Prepaid Balances
    10-100% of remaining license costs
    2 sources
  • Permanent Data Deletion After 60-Day Account Lapse
    5-20% of license costs
    1 source
5 documented
  • API Access Fees
    $1,100/month
    1 source
  • Additional User Seats
    100% upgrade cost per additional user
    1 source
  • Feature Paywalls Within Paid Tiers
    Variable upgrade costs
    1 source
  • Unexpected Charges from Widgets or Add-ons
    $200+
    1 source
  • AI Credits Exhausted Rapidly
    10-25% of license costs
    1 source
REF · 04

Contract terms

The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.

SE
Semrush
Auto-renewal
Yes
Yes
Cancellation
Not publicly disclosed; mid-term cancellations are non-refundable per multiple user reports
Must cancel before renewal date; cancellation requires email confirmation link (valid for 24 hours only)
Commitment
✓ Monthly or annual; annual billed upfront
✓ Monthly or annual depending on plan selected
Price escalation
Documented history of forced legacy plan migrations with 50–70%+ price increases; no published escalation schedule but multiple users report sudden migration notices with no pricing flexibility
Users report significant mid-contract and renewal price increases with no advance notice; one documented case of 68% annual renewal increase
Can downgrade
No
✓ Yes
Based on 7 verified sources (Vendr · TrustRadius · BBB)
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Trustpilot
1.79out of 5 (24)
Best for
Marketing teams needing repeatable SEO and GEO delivery across up to 10 projects
Watch out
Inaccurate keyword ranking data that does not match real Google search results
Trustpilot
1.1out of 5 (23)
Best for
Trying out the platform, no credit card required
Watch out
Extremely difficult and deceptive cancellation process requiring email confirmation link that expires in 24 hours
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit SE pricing
Discount programs →
Visit Semrush pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
AI SEO Tools

SE Ranking

$129–$279
/mo
3 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
AI SEO Tools

Semrush (with AI)

Free plan; paid $139–$299
/mo
6 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →

SE Ranking and Semrush (with AI) both operate in the ai seo tools category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan SE Ranking Semrush (with AI)
Core $129 /month Free /month
Growth $279 /month $139 /month
Enterprise Custom $199 /month
Pro+ — $299 /month
Advanced — Custom
Semrush for Enterprise — Custom

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

SE Ranking

6 scenarios
$1,238.40
Freelance SEO Consultant — Core Plan
$2,678.40
Small Agency — Growth Plan
$2,678.40
Growing Agency — Growth Plan
See all 6 scenarios →

Semrush (with AI)

6 scenarios
$0/month (free tier with basic features)
Solo / Getting Started
$299/month
Growing Business
Custom pricing — typically negotiated annually, contact sales for quote
Enterprise (100+ users)
See all 6 scenarios →

Market Intelligence

SE Ranking

Median annual cost
$500
Based on
158 deals

Semrush (with AI)

Median annual cost
$1,199
Based on
33 deals

What Users Say

SE Ranking

Trustpilot
1.79out of 5 (24)
Top complaints
  • Inaccurate keyword ranking data that does not match real Google search results
  • Poor and unresponsive customer support — days to respond, no meaningful weekend coverage for US users
  • Forced migrations from legacy plans with 50–70%+ price increases and no opt-out

Semrush (with AI)

Trustpilot
1.1out of 5 (23)
Top complaints
  • Extremely difficult and deceptive cancellation process requiring email confirmation link that expires in 24 hours
  • No refunds even when cancellation fails due to platform issues or missed confirmation emails
  • Unexpected charges for add-ons and services not intentionally subscribed to

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

SE Ranking 4 hidden costs

critical
Forced Legacy Plan Migrations with Major Price Increases 50-500% of current license costs
medium
Add-On Feature Charges Beyond Base Plan 10-25% of license costs
high
Non-Refundable Subscriptions and Prepaid Balances 10-100% of remaining license costs
high
Permanent Data Deletion After 60-Day Account Lapse 5-20% of license costs
See all SE Ranking hidden costs →

Semrush (with AI) 8 hidden costs

critical
API Access Fees $1,100/month
medium
Additional User Seats 100% upgrade cost per additional user
medium
Feature Paywalls Within Paid Tiers Variable upgrade costs
high
Unexpected Charges from Widgets or Add-ons $200+
high
AI Credits Exhausted Rapidly 10-25% of license costs
See all Semrush (with AI) hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term SE Ranking Semrush (with AI)
Auto-renewal Yes Yes
Cancellation Not publicly disclosed; mid-term cancellations are non-refundable per multiple user reports Must cancel before renewal date; cancellation requires email confirmation link (valid for 24 hours only)
Minimum commitment Monthly or annual; annual billed upfront Monthly or annual depending on plan selected
Price escalation Documented history of forced legacy plan migrations with 50–70%+ price increases; no published escalation schedule but multiple users report sudden migration notices with no pricing flexibility Users report significant mid-contract and renewal price increases with no advance notice; one documented case of 68% annual renewal increase
Can downgrade No Yes

Continue researching

SE Ranking

Semrush (with AI)

Related Comparisons