10 Best Free Semrush Alternatives

1. Google Search Console — Site Health & Real Performance

Direct data from Google: impressions, clicks, CTR, average position, indexing coverage, Core Web Vitals, security issues. Covers ~40% of what Semrush does, for $0.

• Price: Free forever
• Semrush feature it replaces: Position tracking, site audit, top pages/queries
• Best for: Everyone (mandatory)

2. ChatSEO — AI-Powered Semrush Alternative

A conversational SEO assistant that handles keyword research, site audits, competitor analysis, and content briefs through a chat interface. Replaces Semrush's dashboard workflow with plain-English questions.

• Price: Free tier, paid from $29/mo
• Semrush feature it replaces: Research, audits, competitor intel, content briefs
• Best for: Non-technical marketers, fast workflows

Try ChatSEO free →

3. Ubersuggest (Free Tier) — Keyword Research Alternative

Neil Patel's tool offers 3 free searches per day with keyword ideas, volume estimates, difficulty scores, and content suggestions. Good starting point for content marketers.

• Price: Free (3 searches/day), paid from $29/mo
• Semrush feature it replaces: Keyword Magic Tool, content ideas
• Best for: Bloggers, bootstrapped creators

Compare: Semrush vs Ubersuggest

4. SE Ranking (Free Trial) — Closest Semrush Clone

14-day free trial of nearly every Semrush feature: keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, competitor analysis, backlink monitoring. Paid plans start at $44/mo (1/3 of Semrush).

• Price: 14-day free trial, paid from $44/mo
• Semrush feature it replaces: Nearly everything (at budget price)
• Best for: Budget-conscious teams that want a Semrush-style dashboard

Compare: Semrush vs SE Ranking

5. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT) — Free Backlink Alternative

Free version of Ahrefs for sites you own. Provides real Ahrefs backlink data, site audit (up to 10K pages/month), and organic keyword tracking — all limited to your verified properties.

• Price: 100% free (verified sites)
• Semrush feature it replaces: Backlink Analytics, Site Audit
• Best for: Site owners wanting real backlink data

6. Google Keyword Planner — Official Volume Data

Google's own keyword research tool, free with any Google Ads account. Data comes directly from Google's search query database — the most accurate source for search volumes, albeit in ranges.

• Price: Free (with Google Ads account)
• Semrush feature it replaces: Keyword Overview, search volume data
• Best for: Keyword validation, PPC planning

7. Serpstat (Free Tier) — Budget Semrush Alternative

Serpstat offers 30 free queries/day across keyword research, SERP analysis, backlink checking, and site audits. Much more generous than Ubersuggest's free tier.

• Price: Free (30/day), paid from $59/mo
• Semrush feature it replaces: Keyword Magic Tool, SERP Analyzer
• Best for: Serious keyword research on a budget

8. Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free) — Technical SEO

The industry-standard crawler. Free version handles up to 500 URLs — covers most small/medium sites. Finds technical issues Semrush's Site Audit also finds, plus custom extractions.

• Price: Free (500 URLs), £199/year unlimited
• Semrush feature it replaces: Site Audit (technical crawling)
• Best for: Technical SEO audits, pre-launch checks

9. AnswerThePublic — Content Research Alternative

Visualizes real search queries as questions ("what", "how", "why", "best"). 3 free searches/day. Covers Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool questions filter for free.

• Price: Free (3/day), paid from $11/mo
• Semrush feature it replaces: Questions filter in Keyword Magic
• Best for: Content planning, FAQ research

10. Moz Free Tools — Domain Authority & Backlinks

Moz's free offering includes Keyword Explorer (10 free searches/month), Free Link Explorer (10 backlinks/query), and MozBar browser extension (DA/PA on any page).

• Price: Free (with daily limits)
• Semrush feature it replaces: Backlink Analytics, Keyword Overview
• Best for: Quick backlink checks, DA reference

The $0/month Stack

• Research: ChatSEO Free + Ubersuggest + Google Keyword Planner
• Technical: Screaming Frog Free + Google Search Console
• Backlinks: Ahrefs Webmaster Tools + Moz Free
• Content: AnswerThePublic + Google Trends
• Tracking: Google Search Console (avg position)

The ~$60/month Stack (replaces 95% of Semrush)

• All-in-one: SE Ranking ($44)
• AI assistant: ChatSEO ($29)
• Missing: Nothing critical vs Semrush Pro ($130)
• Savings: $70/month = $840/year

Is there a completely free alternative to Semrush?

Combining Google Search Console + ChatSEO Free + Ubersuggest + Screaming Frog Free gets you ~80% of Semrush's functionality for $0. For the final 20%, paid tools like SE Ranking ($44) or Ahrefs ($99) fill the gaps.

Can free tools really replace Semrush for serious SEO?

For solo consultants and small teams working on 1-5 sites, yes. The gap widens with scale — if you're managing 20+ client sites, a paid all-in-one tool saves time. For most, the hybrid free stack works.

Which free tool has the most generous limits?

Serpstat offers 30 free queries/day (most generous for keyword research). Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is unlimited for sites you own. Google Search Console has no query limit.

Semrush vs Ahrefs: which has better free alternatives?

Semrush's breadth is easier to replicate with free tools than Ahrefs' backlink index. See our Semrush vs Ahrefs comparison and free Ahrefs alternatives.

Are there open-source alternatives to Semrush?

No true open-source equivalents. Semrush's value is in its proprietary data (keyword volumes, SERP tracking, backlink index) which requires massive infrastructure. Free SaaS tiers are the closest thing.