Disclosure: I earn a commission ($300 per sale, $10 per trial) if you subscribe to Semrush through the links on this page, via their affiliate program on Impact.com. It does not change your price or the numbers below. I've been a paying customer since 2024, so these figures come from real invoices, not a press kit.
The short answer
Pro is $139.95/month, Guru is $249.95/month, Business is $499.95/month. Most solo operators and small teams want Pro. Pay annually to knock off about 17%. The base plan is honest, but the add-ons (extra users, Local, Trends, ContentShake AI, Social, Agency Growth Kit) are where the bill grows, so only switch them on when you have a clear use. Want to spend $0 first? Run the 7-day Pro trial with no credit card.
Semrush Pricing: Plans and Prices (2026)
Semrush sells three subscription tiers plus a limited free account. The prices below are the public list prices in US dollars. The "annual" column is the effective monthly cost when you pay 12 months up front.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Occasional keyword and competitor checks |
| Pro | $139.95 | $117.33 | Freelancers, solo marketers, small businesses |
| Guru | $249.95 | $208.33 | Growing content teams and small agencies |
| Business | $499.95 | $416.66 | Agencies and large in-house teams (API, white-label) |
Annual billing saves roughly 17% across every tier. On Pro that's about $272 a year, which is real money, but only commit to annual once you're sure you'll use the tool for the full 12 months. If you're still validating SEO as a channel, start monthly and switch to annual later.
What Each Plan Actually Includes
Pro, $139.95/month
The workhorse plan, and the one most readers should buy. You get 5 projects, 500 keywords tracked daily, up to 10,000 results per report, the full Keyword Magic Tool, Domain Overview, Position Tracking, Site Audit, and the core competitive research suite. For one person or a small team running content and SEO, Pro covers the day-to-day work without forcing you up a tier.
The main limits you'll feel on Pro: no Content Marketing Platform, no historical data beyond the recent window, and report exports that can run dry during a heavy multi-competitor keyword gap analysis.
Guru, $249.95/month
Guru adds the things content teams ask for: 15 projects, 1,500 keywords tracked, the Content Marketing Platform (Topic Research, SEO Content Template, Content Audit, SEO Writing Assistant), historical data back to 2012, and Looker Studio integration. The $110/month jump from Pro is worth it specifically if you publish heavily and want systematic content planning, or if comparing historical ranking trends matters to your reporting.
Business, $499.95/month
Business is for agencies and large teams: 40 projects, 5,000 keywords, API access, white-label PDF reports, Share of Voice metrics, and extended limits across the board. Unless you're reselling reports to clients or pulling data into your own systems via the API, you do not need Business. Most "should I get Business?" questions are answered by "no, Guru plus the right add-on is cheaper."
The Hidden Costs: Add-Ons That Grow Your Bill
This is the part the headline price doesn't tell you, and the reason two people on the "same plan" can pay wildly different amounts. Each item below is billed on top of your base subscription.
| Add-on | Typical monthly cost | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Extra users (seats) | $45 to $100 per user | Additional logins on your plan |
| Local (Listing Management) | $20 to $40 | Local SEO, citations, GBP, review management |
| Semrush Trends (.Trends) | $289 | Market and traffic analytics on any domain |
| ContentShake AI | $60 | AI article writer and content assistant |
| Semrush Social | $20 to $40 | Social scheduling, posting, analytics |
| Agency Growth Kit | $69 to $249 | Client portal, lead finder, agency reporting |
None of these are scams, and several are genuinely good. The trap is switching on three or four "just to try them" and discovering your $139 plan now invoices at $350. The discipline that keeps Semrush affordable is simple: run the base plan, and only add a module after it has paid for itself in a month of real use. The single most expensive surprise is Semrush Trends at $289/month, which roughly doubles a Pro bill on its own, so treat it as a deliberate purchase, not an impulse toggle.
How to Pay Less for Semrush (Legitimately)
There's no secret coupon that survives more than a week, and "lifetime Semrush" or shared-account deals are against the terms and get banned. The honest ways to cut the cost are these:
- Pay annually. About 17% off every tier. On Pro that's roughly $272/year saved versus monthly.
- Use the free tier between sprints. 10 searches/day and 1 project is enough for occasional competitor checks when you're not in an active content push. Downgrade rather than pay through a quiet month.
- Run the 7-day trial deliberately. No credit card, full Pro access. Do a concentrated research sprint (competitor analysis, keyword gap, site audit) and walk away with the deliverables even if you don't subscribe yet.
- Skip the add-ons you can do elsewhere free. Social scheduling, basic AI writing, and some reporting have solid free alternatives. Add Semrush modules only when the integration genuinely saves you time.
- Right-size the plan. Don't buy Business for one API call you make twice a year. Guru plus a single add-on is usually cheaper than the next tier up.
Start with the free options before you pay anything: our guide to the best free SEO tools in 2026 covers what you can do at $0 so you only pay Semrush for what the free tools can't.
Is Semrush Worth the Price?
For the right user, yes. If you publish content regularly, manage SEO for clients, or run paid search and need competitor ad data, Pro pays for itself in time saved on research and in opportunities you'd otherwise miss. The keyword data depth and the content tools are the genuine value, not the long feature list.
For the wrong user, it's an expensive subscription that mostly sits unused. If you're publishing fewer than 10 articles total, doing pure link-building (Ahrefs is better for that), or you can't point to a specific job the tool does each week, hold off and use the free tier. We go deeper on the value question in our full Semrush review, and on the head-to-head in Semrush vs Ahrefs.
Semrush vs Ahrefs: Price Comparison
| Tier | Semrush (monthly) | Ahrefs (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | $139.95 (Pro) | $129 (Lite) |
| Mid | $249.95 (Guru) | $249 (Standard) |
| High | $499.95 (Business) | $449 (Advanced) |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card | No free trial |
The list prices are close. The real differences: Semrush offers a no-card free trial (Ahrefs does not), Ahrefs has a free Webmaster Tools tier for your own verified site, and Ahrefs historically charged for extra rows and reports in a way that surprised users. For pricing-conscious buyers, the deciding factor is usually the free trial plus which tool's data matters more for your work, not the few dollars between the headline tiers.
FAQ
How much does Semrush cost per month?
Pro is $139.95/month, Guru is $249.95/month, and Business is $499.95/month on monthly billing. Annual billing reduces each by roughly 17%. There's also a free tier ($0) with 10 searches per day.
Is there a free version of Semrush?
Yes. The free account gives you 10 searches per day across the Keyword Magic Tool and Domain Overview, 1 project, and limited historical data. It's fine for occasional checks but not for an active content operation. The 7-day Pro trial (no credit card) is the better way to evaluate the paid features.
Why is my Semrush bill higher than the plan price?
Almost always because of add-ons: extra user seats, Local, Semrush Trends, ContentShake AI, Social, or the Agency Growth Kit. Each is billed on top of your base plan. Check your subscription page and remove any module you're not actively using.
Can I cancel Semrush anytime?
Monthly plans can be cancelled before the next billing date. Annual plans are paid up front for the term. The 7-day trial requires no card, so there's nothing to cancel if you don't subscribe.
Does Semrush offer discounts?
The reliable discount is annual billing (about 17% off). Semrush occasionally runs seasonal promotions, but there's no permanent coupon. Be skeptical of any "lifetime" or shared-account offer, as those violate the terms and risk a ban.
Try Semrush Free for 7 Days (No Credit Card) →Affiliate disclosure: the Semrush links above pay a $300 commission per sale (and $10 per trial) via Impact.com. This does not change the pricing you see or affect what I recommend. I've been a paying customer since 2024 and the figures reflect actual invoices.