The 11 Best Free Semrush Alternatives for SEO

Semrush starts at $139.95 a month, even at its lowest discount level. If you're a bootstrapped founder, solo consultant, or agency trying to keep tool costs down, it's tough to justify that monthly price when there are plenty of free or low-cost alternatives.

The real question isn't whether free alternatives to Semrush exist. It's how many are actually useful, and which tasks they handle best.

This list is based on recommendations from search engine optimization (SEO) practitioners on Reddit, plus user reviews from G2, Capterra, and GetApp. No tool made the list just because it offers an affiliate program. Some tools here have major limitations on their free tiers, and I'll call out those restrictions as we go.

One other important note about context: no single tool can completely replicate Semrush. The paid tier gives you a complete marketing platform. Still, there are several free tools here that cover the most important parts of your SEO workflow. After using these free tools for a month, you may find you don't need to spend $139.95 a month for many use cases.

1. Google Search Console

Free. No limitations. Owned by Google.

Google Search Console (GSC) is the most recommended tool in every Reddit thread about Semrush alternatives, and it's not close. The data comes directly from Google's systems: you see exactly which queries your pages rank for, what their average position is, how many impressions they received, and which pages have indexing problems.

For most small and mid-size sites, GSC alone covers the core monitoring use case. You're not estimating your rankings from a third-party crawler. You're seeing what Google actually reported.

Main features

Search performance reporting (clicks, impressions, CTR, average position), index coverage and page status, URL inspection, sitemap submission, Core Web Vitals reports, manual action notifications, and crawl stats.

Pros

Data is from Google directly, so it's as accurate as rankings data gets. It's completely free with no query limits. Core Web Vitals integration arrived in 2021 and has been consistently updated since.

Cons

Limited to your own verified properties. No competitor data whatsoever. Historical data only goes back 16 months. The interface takes some getting used to for new users.

Best for: Monitoring your site's actual Google search performance, diagnosing indexing issues, and understanding which pages and queries are generating organic traffic.

What users say

GSC is the only tool I'd call truly non-negotiable. Everything else builds on what you learn there first.

2. Bing Webmaster Tools

Completely free.

Bing Webmaster Tools is the Microsoft equivalent of Google Search Console. It's free, requires site verification, and provides organic performance data from Bing's search index. Most sites get a small but non-trivial percentage of traffic from Bing (typically 5-15% depending on the niche and audience), and BWT surfaces keyword performance data, crawl reports, and indexing status from that source.

It also includes a useful keyword research tool that pulls data from Bing's index, which can surface long-tail terms that don't appear in Google-focused tools.

Main features

Organic search performance reporting, keyword research tool, site scan and audit, crawl controls, backlink reports, SEO analyzer, and URL submission for faster indexing.

Pros

Free with no feature limits. The keyword research tool includes data from Bing that Google Search Console doesn't cover. Site scan catches on-page and technical issues. Complements GSC for a more complete picture across search engines.

Cons

Bing's market share means the traffic data is far smaller than what you'd see in GSC. Limited competitor intelligence. Not a replacement for a full SEO platform.

Best for: Diversifying search visibility beyond Google, sites having audiences that over-index on Bing (enterprise, US-based professional audiences), and anyone wanting a free second technical audit tool alongside GSC.

What users say

Bing Webmaster Tools is genuinely useful and completely underused. The keyword research tool surfaces queries that don't show up anywhere else.

3. Ubersuggest

Free tier available. Paid plans from $29/month. A lifetime deal is also available.

Ubersuggest is Neil Patel's SEO platform and the tool most frequently cited as a Semrush alternative for users on a tight budget. The free tier allows a limited number of keyword searches and site audits per day. Paid plans are significantly cheaper than Semrush, and the lifetime deal option makes it attractive for users who want predictable costs.

Its keyword research output and site audit quality are described by most reviewers as adequate for beginners and small sites. Users with more advanced needs tend to find the data less reliable than Ahrefs or Semrush.

Main features

Keyword research with search volume and difficulty scores, domain overview with organic traffic estimates, backlink data (limited in free tier), site audit, content ideas, and rank tracking.

Pros

One of the most affordable paid plans in SEO tooling. Beginner-friendly interface with clear visual output. Useful for users starting in SEO who don't need heavy competitive analysis.

Cons

Data correctness has been questioned by multiple reviewers on G2 and Capterra compared to pricier alternatives. Backlink data is limited and less reliable than Ahrefs or Majestic. The free tier is quite restricted for practical ongoing use.

Best for: Solo content creators, bloggers, and small business owners who need basic keyword research and site health checks without a large tool budget.

What users say

Ubersuggest is great for beginner and intermediate marketers conducting their own research and gaining insight into keyword performance.

4. Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Free up to 500 URLs. Paid a license fee of €245/year.

Screaming Frog is a desktop-based website crawler and the tool most consistently recommended on SEO forums when the conversation turns to technical auditing. The free version crawls up to 500 URLs per site, which covers most small and medium sites. The paid license at €245 per year (well under Semrush's monthly fee) removes the URL limit and adds JavaScript rendering, Google Analytics integration, and custom extraction.

In Reddit SEO threads, Screaming Frog is described as "the go-to for technical audits and deep site crawling" and is consistently mentioned alongside Google Search Console as essential tooling.

Main features

Full site crawl, broken link detection, redirect chain analysis, duplicate content identification, sitemap generation, on-page element analysis (titles, meta descriptions, H1's), and integration with GSC, GA4, and PageSpeed Insights.

Pros

No other free tool comes close to its depth for technical site auditing. The paid annual license is cheaper than one month of Semrush. Widely trusted by experienced SEOs and agencies.

Cons

Desktop application only. No cloud-based access. The interface is dense and requires some technical SEO knowledge to interpret well. No keyword research or competitor data. Not suitable as a standalone replacement for Semrush's full feature set.

Best for: Technical SEOs, agencies running site audits, and anyone who needs deep crawl data and is comfortable with a more complex interface.

What users say

Screaming Frog unearths details about your site that you won't find anywhere else. Ahrefs, Semrush, none of them can get as deep into technical issues.

5. Moz free tools and MozBar

MozBar is free. Moz Link Explorer has 10 free queries/month. Moz Pro starts at $99/month.

Moz offers several genuinely free tools alongside its paid Pro platform. MozBar is a browser extension that shows Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) scores, on-page SEO metrics, and link data for any page you visit. It's useful for quick competitive checks directly in the search results without opening a separate tab. Moz Link Explorer allows 10 free backlink queries per month before a paywall.

Domain Authority is Moz's proprietary metric and remains one of the most cited link quality signals in SEO, despite not being a Google ranking factor.

Main features

MozBar shows DA, PA, spam score, and on-page elements as you browse. Link Explorer provides backlink data, anchor text analysis, and top pages. Keyword Explorer (limited free tier) shows search volume and difficulty. Moz Pro adds full site auditing, rank tracking, and on-page optimization.

Pros

MozBar is one of the most genuinely useful free browser extensions in SEO. DA scores are widely understood across the industry. The Moz blog and community are considered high-quality educational resources.

Cons

The free tier on most Moz tools is quite limited. Paid plans start at $99/month, which is not cheap. Some reviewers find Moz's data less fresh than Ahrefs or Semrush.

Best for: Quick SERP-level competitive checks during keyword research, and anyone who needs a fast read on a domain's link authority without paying for a full tool.

What users say

Moz is intuitive and beginner-friendly. For someone just learning SEO, the free tools and educational content make it a great starting point.

6. SpyFu

Free tier available with significant limits. Paid plans from $39/month.

SpyFu's free version allows you to search any domain and see a preview of the keywords it ranks for, its competitors, and its estimated ad spend. The free tier limits results to a handful of items per search, but it's enough to get a directional read on a competitor's strategy without paying anything.

SpyFu's main feature is historical PPC data. It holds 19+ years of ad history, showing what a competitor has run, stopped, and restarted in paid search. For SEO users, the organic keyword data is useful for competitive research, even if it's not as deep as Ahrefs. SpyFu rates 4.6/5 on G2 from over 500 reviews.

Main features

Competitor keyword research (organic and paid), ad history going back 19+ years, organic rank tracking, backlink analysis, keyword recommendations, and domain comparison.

Pros

Strong competitor intelligence for both SEO and PPC at a lower price point than Semrush. The free tier provides real data rather than just a teaser. Historical data depth is genuinely differentiated.

Cons

Data correctness is occasionally questioned, particularly for smaller niches. Not a complete technical SEO tool. You need to pair it with something else for site auditing.

Best for: SEO and PPC teams that need competitive intelligence on what competitors are doing in paid search, alongside organic keyword data.

What users say

SpyFu is my preferred tool for competitor analysis for clients and myself. The way it outlines everything with graphs and figures makes determining the next course of action straightforward.

7. Serpstat

Free tier available. Paid plans from $69/month.

Serpstat is an all-in-one platform covering keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and site audits. Multiple reviewers across Reddit and SEO forums describe it as the most affordable all-in-one alternative to Semrush and Ahrefs for teams that need multiple functions in one tool.

The free tier allows a limited number of daily queries across its core tools. It's restrictive for regular professional use, but it gives you a realistic sense of the data quality before committing to a paid plan.

Main features

Keyword research with search volume and difficulty, domain analysis for competitors, backlink checker, site audit, rank tracking, and keyword grouping (useful for building topical authority structures).

Pros

Cheaper than Semrush and Ahrefs at comparable feature sets. Keyword grouping capability is useful for content architecture planning. API is thoroughly documented and affordable for developers.

Cons

Data correctness in smaller markets and non-English keywords is less reliable than Semrush, according to multiple user reviews. The interface is usable but less polished than some competitors'.

Best for: Freelancers and small agencies who want an all-in-one SEO platform at a lower price than Semrush or Ahrefs, and who need keyword research alongside backlink and rank tracking in a single tool.

What users say

Serpstat is the closest Ahrefs clone on the market: keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, site audit, all four in one tool at $59/month versus Ahrefs' $129.

8. SEO PowerSuite

Free version available with limited exports. Paid license from $349/year.

SEO PowerSuite is a desktop-based toolkit covering four main functions: rank tracking (Rank Tracker), on-page and technical auditing (Website Auditor), link research (SEO SpyGlass), and link building outreach (LinkAssistant). The free plan gives you full feature access but limits data export and some advanced report functions.

The desktop model means your data is stored locally rather than in the cloud. That's a trade-off: it means no browser-based access, but it also means no monthly subscription at the base tier.

Main features

Rank observing across multiple search engines and devices, site audit with 50+ technical checks, backlink analysis and monitoring, link building prospecting and outreach, and white-label reporting on paid plans.

Pros

The forever-free plan includes more functionality than most free SEO tools. Annual pricing is substantially cheaper than Semrush's monthly plans. Good for agencies that want white-label reports on a budget.

Cons

Desktop-only is a real limitation for remote teams or anyone who needs cloud access. Interface feels dated compared to web-based tools. Annual billing model, not monthly.

Best for: Agencies and in-house teams that are comfortable with desktop applications, need rank tracking and auditing in one toolkit, and want to avoid ongoing monthly subscription costs.

What users say

PowerSuite has different tools to audit the site, search for keywords, and track rankings. The one-time payment option eliminates the monthly subscription cost that makes other tools so expensive.

9. Majestic

Free tier with limited searches. Paid plans from $49.99/month.

Majestic is one of the oldest independent backlink databases in SEO, and many practitioners still prefer its link metrics (Trust Flow and Citation Flow) for assessing link quality. Its index goes back further than most competitors, and Trust Flow is considered by many backlink analysts to be a more conservative and reliable quality metric than Domain Authority.

The free tier allows a small number of domain lookups and provides a basic backlink summary. It's useful for quick link profile checks, though the limits make it impractical as a regular free tool.

Main features

Backlink analysis, Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics, referring domain analysis, anchor text reports, link context analysis, historic index, and site explorer.

Pros

Trust Flow and Citation Flow are respected backlink quality metrics with a different methodology from Moz's DA or Ahrefs' DR. The historic index is deep and goes back further than most tools. Paid plans start lower than Semrush.

Cons

No keyword research. No rank tracking. No technical site auditing. Majestic is backlink-specific, which makes it a complement to a larger stack rather than a standalone replacement for Semrush.

Best for: Link-building specialists and agencies who need a dedicated backlink analysis tool with trusted quality metrics, and are happy to use separate tools for keyword research and technical auditing.

What users say

Majestic is the first backlink specialist. Trust Flow and Citation Flow are the most respected link quality metrics after Ahrefs DR, and the historic index goes back further than anyone else's.

10. Google Keyword Planner

Free with a Google Ads account.

Google Keyword Planner is the most accurate source of raw search volume data available because it comes from Google's advertising platform directly. The catch is that it reports volumes in ranges (like 1K-10K) rather than exact numbers unless your Ads account has been actively running campaigns recently.

That limitation matters for keyword research workflows. But for getting directional volume data on a keyword set or cross-checking numbers from another tool, it's reliable and free.

Main features

Keyword ideas based on seed keywords or URLs, search volume ranges, competition level for paid search, bid estimates (useful as a proxy for commercial intent), and seasonal trend data.

Pros

Volume data comes from Google's actual search data, making it more accurate at a directional level than third-party estimates. Free with any Google Ads account. Seasonal trend data is useful for content planning.

Cons

Volume is shown as ranges, not exact numbers, without an active ad spend. No backlink data, no rank tracking, no technical auditing. It's a keyword research tool and nothing else.

Best for: Validating keyword search volume estimates from other tools, identifying seasonal trends, and getting a read on commercial intent via bid data.

What users say

Cross-checking any keyword tool against Keyword Planner is standard practice. It's the source of truth for volume direction, even if the exact numbers aren't there.

11. Seobility

Free tier available. Paid plans from $50/month.

Seobility is an online SEO tool that covers technical site auditing, rank tracking, and basic keyword research under a freemium model. The free plan allows you to monitor one project with up to 1,000 pages and includes weekly site crawls, a limited rank tracker (10 keywords), and on-page analysis. It sits in a useful gap: more functional than GSC alone for ongoing monitoring, but free at a tier where you get real ongoing use rather than a one-time crawl.

Multiple Reddit discussions about free Semrush alternatives for small sites mention Seobility as a practical middle ground, especially for users who want ongoing site health monitoring without a paid tool.

Main features

Site crawl and technical audit, on-page analysis and content checker, rank tracking, backlink monitoring (limited on free), competitor analysis (limited), and SEO score reporting.

Pros

The free plan is more generous for ongoing use than most tools on this list. Site audit covers technical issues clearly with prioritized recommendations. Good option for freelancers managing a single client site without a tool budget.

Cons

Data depth is limited compared to paid all-in-one tools. Rank tracking on the free plan is restricted to 10 keywords. Backlink data is shallower than Ahrefs or Majestic.

Best for: Small business owners and freelancers who need ongoing site monitoring and rank tracking for one project and can't justify paying for a Semrush-level tool.

What users say

Seobility's free plan gives you real ongoing monitoring rather than a teaser. For a single site, it covers the fundamentals week after week.

Bonus: MonitorLinks

Freemium. Purpose-built for backlink monitoring.

MonitorLinks is a backlink monitoring tool built specifically for SEO teams and agencies who need to know the moment a live backlink changes status. It tracks the HTTP status of your backlinks continuously, fires alerts when a referring URL returns a 404, changes to nofollow, or gets redirected, and provides exportable status reports for client-facing work.

The core problem it solves is one that Semrush's backlink monitoring does not handle well: real-time link status tracking rather than periodic snapshots. Semrush re-crawls backlinks on its own schedule. MonitorLinks monitors them continuously, so you know the moment something changes, not weeks later when you happen to run a report.

For any site that has earned backlinks and wants to protect that link equity, particularly after migrations, it belongs in the monitoring stack alongside GSC.

Main features

Continuous HTTP status monitoring for all tracked backlinks, instant alerts for link drops (404s), redirect detection, nofollow change alerts, link health dashboards, exportable status reports, and Google Search Console integration.

Pros

Solves a specific, high-value problem that general SEO platforms handle poorly. Real-time tracking means you catch link losses before they affect rankings. Clean dashboard and simple setup. Particularly useful post-migration when link equity leaks happen silently.

Cons

Focused specifically on backlink monitoring rather than keyword research, site auditing, or rank tracking. It's a specialist tool, not an all-in-one platform, so it needs to sit alongside other tools in your stack.

Best for: SEO teams, agencies, and site owners who have built a meaningful backlink profile and want to protect it, especially anyone who regularly migrates URLs or runs link outreach campaigns.

What users say

The moment we started using MonitorLinks, we caught three redirect chains pointing to the key product pages that we'd completely missed in our last Semrush audit. Link equity was leaking silently for months.

How to choose the right Semrush alternative for your needs

No single free tool covers everything Semrush does. The practical approach most experienced SEOs use is to build a stack from free and low-cost tools that each cover a specific function well.

For most small or mid-size sites, a stack of Google Search Console (organic performance and indexing), Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (your own backlinks and site audit), Screaming Frog free tier (technical crawl for sites under 500 pages), and Google Keyword Planner (volume validation) covers 80-90% of what you'd use Semrush for in a typical week.

If you're running link outreach or have accumulated a meaningful backlink profile, adding MonitorLinks for continuous backlink status monitoring protects the link equity you've already earned.

If competitor intelligence matters more than anything else, SpyFu's free tier or Serpstat's freemium plan gives you directional competitive data at low or no cost.

The case for paying Semrush $139.95/month is mostly about having everything in one platform with deep data across all functions. For users who don't need that breadth, the stack above does the job.