SEMrush costs $139.95/month at its cheapest plan. For freelancers, bloggers, and small businesses, that is a significant budget. The good news: you do not need SEMrush to do serious SEO work. Several genuinely free tools cover keyword research, site auditing, backlink analysis, and rank tracking — the four core things SEMrush does.
This guide covers 9 free SEMrush alternatives tested for real-world usefulness, with honest notes on where each one falls short.
Quick Comparison: Free SEMrush Alternatives
| Tool | Best For | Free Limits | Paid From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Rank tracking, indexing | Unlimited (your site only) | Free forever |
| Ahrefs Webmaster Tools | Site audit, backlinks | Your sites only | $29/mo |
| Google Keyword Planner | Keyword research | Unlimited (needs Ads account) | Free forever |
| Ubersuggest | Keyword + content ideas | 3 searches/day | $29/mo |
| Moz Free Tools | Domain Authority, link research | 10 queries/month | $49/mo |
| Screaming Frog | Technical SEO audit | 500 URLs | £199/year |
| SE Ranking | All-in-one (SEMrush closest match) | 14-day trial | $65/mo |
| AnswerThePublic | Content ideation | 3 searches/day | $9/mo |
| SEMrush Free Plan | Trying SEMrush itself | 10 queries/day | $139.95/mo |
1. Google Search Console — Best Completely Free Option
Google Search Console is the most underused free SEO tool available. It shows you exactly which keywords your site ranks for, which pages Google has indexed, and what technical issues exist — all directly from Google’s own data.
What you get free:
- 16 months of keyword ranking data (queries, impressions, clicks, position)
- Full index coverage report — shows crawled, indexed, and excluded pages
- Core Web Vitals report for mobile and desktop
- Manual penalty notifications
- Sitemap submission and crawl request tools
Where it falls short vs SEMrush: Search Console only shows data for your own verified sites. You cannot research competitors, find new keywords by topic, or analyze backlinks in detail.
Verdict: Every site owner should have this set up regardless of what other tools they use. It is non-negotiable and completely free.
2. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools — Best Free Backlink and Audit Tool
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT) is the most powerful free SEO tool after Google Search Console. You verify ownership of your site and get access to Ahrefs’ full backlink index and site audit tool at no cost.
What you get free:
- Full backlink profile for your verified sites — referring domains, anchor text, link quality
- Site audit — crawls up to 5,000 pages and flags technical issues
- Keyword rankings for your own site
- Internal link analysis
Where it falls short vs SEMrush: You cannot research competitor sites or do keyword research on arbitrary topics. The moment you want to spy on a competitor’s keywords, you need a paid plan ($29/mo for Ahrefs Starter).
Verdict: The best free tool for diagnosing your own site’s SEO health and backlink profile. Combine it with Google Search Console and you have a solid free stack.
3. Google Keyword Planner — Best Free Keyword Research Tool
Google Keyword Planner is built for Google Ads but works well for organic keyword research. It requires a free Google Ads account but does not require you to run any ads.
What you get free:
- Search volume ranges for any keyword (exact volumes shown if you run active campaigns)
- Keyword ideas by seed keyword or URL
- Competition level (Low/Medium/High for paid — useful as a rough organic proxy)
- Seasonal trend data
- Geographic breakdown
Where it falls short vs SEMrush: Volumes are shown as ranges (1K–10K) rather than exact numbers unless you have an active campaign. No keyword difficulty score, no SERP analysis, no competitor keyword data.
Verdict: Good starting point for keyword discovery, especially for local or niche topics. Not a replacement for SEMrush’s keyword research depth, but free and unlimited.
4. Ubersuggest — Best Free All-Rounder for Beginners
Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest offers a surprisingly complete free tier covering keywords, competitor analysis, and content ideas. The free plan limits you to 3 searches per day, which is enough for light research.
What you get free:
- Keyword suggestions with search volume, CPC, and SEO difficulty
- Domain overview — estimated organic traffic, top keywords, top pages
- Backlink data (limited)
- Content ideas — top-performing content for any keyword
- Site audit (limited pages)
Pricing if you upgrade:
- Individual: $29/month
- Business: $49/month
- Lifetime deal available — $290 one-time (Individual)
Where it falls short vs SEMrush: Data accuracy is lower than SEMrush or Ahrefs, especially for smaller markets. The 3-search daily limit on the free plan is restrictive for serious research.
Verdict: Good for beginners who want a single free tool with broad coverage. The lifetime deal makes it a strong paid alternative to SEMrush at a fraction of the cost.
5. Moz Free Tools — Best for Domain Authority Checking
Moz offers a free account that gives you access to Link Explorer and the MozBar Chrome extension. The free plan is limited to 10 queries per month but the data quality is good.
What you get free:
- Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) scores
- Link Explorer — inbound links, linking domains, anchor text
- MozBar — on-page DA/PA overlay in Chrome
- Keyword Explorer — 10 free queries/month
Pricing if you upgrade:
- Moz Pro Starter: $49/month
- Moz Pro Standard: $99/month
- Moz Pro Medium: $179/month
Where it falls short vs SEMrush: 10 queries per month is very restrictive. Moz’s keyword database is smaller than SEMrush’s. No position tracking on the free plan.
Verdict: Best used for quick DA checks and competitor link profile snapshots. The MozBar extension is genuinely useful for free.
6. Screaming Frog SEO Spider — Best Free Technical SEO Tool
Screaming Frog is a desktop application that crawls your website and identifies technical SEO issues. The free version crawls up to 500 URLs — enough for small sites.
What you get free:
- Crawl up to 500 URLs per site
- Find broken links (404 errors)
- Identify redirect chains
- Audit meta titles and descriptions — missing, duplicated, too long/short
- Find missing alt text on images
- Analyse page response times
- Generate XML sitemaps
Pricing if you upgrade: £199/year (~$250) for unlimited crawls — one of the best value paid SEO tools available.
Where it falls short vs SEMrush: No keyword research, no rank tracking, no competitor analysis. It is purely a technical crawler, not an all-in-one platform.
Verdict: Essential for technical SEO audits. If your site is under 500 pages, the free version covers everything you need.
7. SE Ranking — Closest Free Trial to SEMrush
SE Ranking is the most direct SEMrush competitor at a lower price point. The 14-day free trial gives full access to all features with no credit card required, making it the best way to get a complete SEMrush-like experience for free short-term.
What you get on the free trial:
- Keyword rank tracker
- Competitor keyword and traffic analysis
- Backlink checker and monitor
- Site audit tool
- Keyword research tool with difficulty scores
- On-page SEO checker
Pricing after trial:
- Essential: $65/month
- Pro: $119/month
- Business: $259/month
Where it falls short vs SEMrush: Smaller keyword database than SEMrush, particularly for non-English markets. Fewer integrations and content marketing tools.
Verdict: If you need a full SEMrush replacement at lower cost, SE Ranking at $65/month is the best value paid alternative. The 14-day trial gives you enough time to do a thorough site audit and competitor analysis.
8. AnswerThePublic — Best Free Content Ideation Tool
AnswerThePublic visualises search questions around any keyword, making it useful for finding long-tail content opportunities that SEMrush’s keyword research would surface in its topic clusters.
What you get free:
- 3 free searches per day
- Questions, prepositions, comparisons, and related searches for any keyword
- Visual and list view exports
Pricing if you upgrade:
- Individual: $9/month (5 searches/day)
- Pro: $99/month (unlimited)
Verdict: Excellent supplementary tool for content planning. Not a replacement for SEMrush — it has no volume data, difficulty scores, or competitive analysis. Use it alongside Google Keyword Planner for a stronger free research stack.
9. SEMrush Free Plan — Limited But Worth Knowing
SEMrush itself offers a free account with limited access. It is worth knowing what you actually get before assuming you need to pay.
What the free plan includes:
- 10 keyword/domain searches per day
- Limited results per report (10 rows vs hundreds on paid)
- 1 project with basic site audit (100 pages)
- Position tracking for up to 10 keywords
What it excludes: Historical data, full backlink database, content marketing toolkit, social media tools, API access.
Verdict: Good for occasional checks and testing the interface. Not viable for ongoing SEO work — you will hit the limits within minutes of serious research.
How to Build a Free SEO Stack That Replaces SEMrush
No single free tool replaces SEMrush completely. But combining three free tools covers the core use cases:
| SEMrush Feature | Free Replacement |
|---|---|
| Rank tracking | Google Search Console |
| Site audit | Ahrefs Webmaster Tools + Screaming Frog |
| Keyword research | Google Keyword Planner + Ubersuggest |
| Backlink analysis | Ahrefs Webmaster Tools |
| Competitor research | Ubersuggest (3/day free) |
| Content ideas | AnswerThePublic |
This free stack works well for sites with under 50,000 monthly visitors. Once you are generating consistent traffic and affiliate or ad revenue, upgrading to SE Ranking ($65/mo) or SEMrush ($139.95/mo) becomes a straightforward ROI decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a completely free alternative to SEMrush?
Google Search Console and Ahrefs Webmaster Tools are completely free with no usage limits for your own verified sites. For competitor research and keyword discovery, free tools like Ubersuggest (3 searches/day) and Google Keyword Planner exist but have restrictions.
What is the best free SEMrush alternative for keyword research?
Google Keyword Planner is the strongest fully free option for keyword research — it has no daily limits and pulls data directly from Google. Ubersuggest is better for SEO-specific metrics (difficulty scores, competitor keywords) but limits free users to 3 searches per day.
Can I do competitor analysis for free?
Ubersuggest offers limited competitor analysis on its free plan (3 searches/day). For deeper competitor research, SE Ranking’s 14-day free trial is the best option — it gives full access to competitor keyword and traffic data.
Is SE Ranking cheaper than SEMrush?
Yes. SE Ranking starts at $65/month compared to SEMrush’s $139.95/month — roughly 54% cheaper. It covers the same core features: rank tracking, keyword research, site audit, and backlink analysis.
Does Ahrefs have a free plan?
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for verified site owners and includes full backlink data and site audit. Ahrefs does not offer a free plan for competitor research — that requires a paid plan starting at $29/month (Starter).