Semrush vs SE Ranking (2026)
We tested both. Here is the honest comparison.
Semrush
79/100
$140/mo
Top PickVS
SE Ranking
75/100
$52/mo
GoodScore Breakdown
Category
Semrush
SE Ranking
Output Quality
80
▲ Wins72
▼ LosesSpeed
72
▼ Loses74
▲ WinsEase of Use
64
▼ Loses74
▲ Winsfeatures
94
▲ Wins80
▼ LosesOverall
79
75
Pricing
Starting Price
$140/mo
$52/mo
Real Price
$140/mo
$52/mo
Price Note
Pro plan (1 user)
Essential plan
Semrush
Best For
✓ SEO agencies
✓ Enterprise content teams
✓ Serious niche site builders
Not For
✗ Beginners
✗ Low-budget operations
✗ Simple keyword research
SE Ranking
Best For
✓ Freelance SEOs
✓ Small agencies
✓ E-commerce sites
Not For
✗ Beginners (steep UI)
✗ Pure content writers who don't need rank tracking
Pros & Cons
Semrush
+ Most comprehensive keyword database: 25B+ keywords
+ Competitor traffic analysis is best-in-class
+ Position tracking with daily updates
+ Site audit catches 130+ technical SEO issues
+ ContentShake AI writes SEO articles inside the tool
− Expensive — $140/mo is steep for solo operators
− Data overload — overwhelming for beginners
− Some features duplicated across tools
SE Ranking
+ Rank tracking is the most accurate we've tested at this price
+ On-page SEO checker gives actionable item-by-item fixes
+ White-label reporting for agencies
+ Keyword grouping saves hours of manual work
− Backlink database smaller than Ahrefs
− UI can feel overwhelming with 20+ tools in one dashboard
− Content Marketing module is basic compared to Surfer SEO