SE Ranking suits agencies and teams that manage many sites, with 10 projects and 2,000 keywords tracked daily on its entry plan and a 14-day trial. Semrush suits businesses that want the broadest set of research tools in one platform, with 5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily on its SEO plan and a 7-day trial. Count your projects first.
Both platforms track rankings, audit sites, research keywords and competitors, and both now track brand visibility in AI answers. They package those limits differently. I read Semrush's plans page and SE Ranking's plans page and FAQ.
Semrush and SE Ranking entry plans compared
| Semrush | SE Ranking | |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 7 days | 14 days, no card needed |
| Free plan | Not listed (free tools available) | Not listed |
| Entry plan | SEO | Core SEO + GEO plan |
| Projects or websites | 5 websites | 10 projects |
| Keywords tracked daily | 500 | 2,000 |
| AI prompts tracked daily | 50 on Starter | 100 on the entry plan |
| Seats | Extra users as an add-on | 1 manager seat; 3 on Growth |
| Agency extras | Lead generation add-on | Agency Pack: white label, report and lead generators |
Semrush: the broad research platform
Semrush's SEO plan is aimed at freelancers and small businesses: 5 websites to monitor, 500 keywords tracked daily, keyword research, competitor analysis, Position Tracking and Site Audit. Starter brings SEO and AI search together with 50 prompts tracked daily, AI brand performance for one domain and 300 AI visibility reports a day, plus MCP access.
Pro+ moves to 15 websites and 1,500 keywords daily for growing teams. Semrush offers a 7-day free trial, free tools such as its AI Visibility Checker and link checker, and extra users as an add-on.
SE Ranking: more room on the first plan
SE Ranking's entry plan, described as core SEO and GEO for marketing teams, includes 10 projects and 1 manager seat, 2,000 keywords and 100 prompts tracked daily, 5 domains in AI search research, 250k audited pages a month and MCP access. It also connects to Data Studio, Matomo, Google Analytics and Search Console.
Growth, built for multi-client work, moves to 30 projects, 3 manager seats, 5,000 keywords and 250 prompts daily. SE Ranking's Agency Pack adds white label reports, a report generator and a lead generator, and there are trackers for AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT and Gemini.
The trial that tells you more
Here's a practical difference. SE Ranking's FAQ says its 14-day trial is fully functional, with up to 10 projects, 750 tracked keywords a day and 20 AI prompts a day, and no card needed. Semrush's trial runs 7 days. Two weeks gives you time to see rankings move after a change, while one week shows you the tools but not much of a trend.
On the entry plans, SE Ranking also gives more tracking room: 10 projects and 2,000 daily keywords against Semrush's 5 websites and 500.
Which team each tool suits
SE Ranking suits agencies, freelancers with several clients and in-house teams tracking many keywords, especially if white label reporting matters. Semrush suits businesses that want deep keyword, competitor and AI visibility research in one platform and track fewer sites. To pick well, see my guide on choosing an SEO tool that improves rankings and this walkthrough of competitor keyword research for your niche.
My advice before you start a trial
Load your real sites and keywords into the trial on day one, not sample ones. Count how many projects you need today and in six months. If that's more than 5, start with SE Ranking's 14-day trial. If you track a few sites but research competitors daily, start Semrush's 7-day trial on a week when you've got time to use it every day.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Do you make SEO software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Semrush free trial?
Semrush's plans page offers a 7-day free trial.
How long is the SE Ranking free trial?
SE Ranking offers a 14-day free trial with no card required. Its FAQ says the trial includes up to 10 projects, 750 tracked keywords a day and 20 AI prompts a day.
How many keywords does each entry plan track?
Semrush's SEO plan tracks 500 keywords daily across 5 websites. SE Ranking's entry plan tracks 2,000 keywords daily across 10 projects.
Do both track AI search?
Yes. Semrush's Starter plan tracks 50 prompts daily, and SE Ranking's entry plan tracks 100 prompts daily, with trackers for AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT and Gemini.
Which offers white label reports?
SE Ranking's Agency Pack includes white label reporting, a report generator and a lead generator.
Can I add more users?
Semrush offers additional users as an add-on. SE Ranking includes 1 manager seat on its entry plan and 3 on Growth.
Do both connect to an AI assistant?
Yes. Semrush lists MCP access on its Starter plan, and SE Ranking lists MCP access on its entry plan, so you can bring data into AI assistant tools.
