Semrush vs Surfer

Semrush focuses on SEO platforms; Surfer focuses on Content optimization.

• 6documented differences
• 7documented the same for both
• 6documented for one tool only
• 1unknown for both

Billing

Semrush: Month-to-month billing

Surfer: Month-to-month billing

Free plan

Semrush: Yes · Free

Surfer: Unknown

Free trial

Semrush: Yes · 7 days

Surfer: Yes · 7 days, card required

AI engines tracked

Semrush: ChatGPT, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Perplexity and Gemini (confirmed from Starter)

Surfer: ChatGPT (confirmed from Standard); AI Overviews, AI Mode, Perplexity and Gemini (confirmed from Pro)

Documented differences

Both tools documented, and the support or plan differs.

Documented for one tool only

No documentation was found for the other tool. That is unknown, not a missing capability.

• Unknown for Semrush: Content briefs, Content refresh
• Unknown for Surfer: Technical site audit, Backlink analysis, Backlink building, Link-building outreach

• The lowest listed plans are not necessarily equivalent. Check plan limits before comparing prices.

Plans

Semrush:

• FreeFree
  Limits of Free

  1 demo project, 10 reports per day.

• SEO$139/mo month-to-month$117.33/mo billed annually
  Limits of SEO

  5 websites, 500 keywords tracked daily, 'Basic keyword research and competitor analysis'. Lists AI visibility reports and custom prompt monitoring, with no prompt limit stated; the plan is not labelled 'SEO + AI Search'. 1 user seat included; additional users from $45/mo.

• Starter$199/mo month-to-month$165.17/mo billed annually
  Limits of Starter

  Semrush One tier. 5 websites, 500 keywords daily, 50 AI prompts daily, 1 domain for AI brand performance. 1 user seat included; additional users $45/mo each, plus $99/mo per added user for AI Visibility Toolkit access.

• Pro+$299/mo month-to-month$248.17/mo billed annually
  Limits of Pro+

  Semrush One tier. Adds historical SEO data, content optimization, multi-location/device tracking, 100 AI prompts daily. 1 user seat included; additional users $80/mo each, plus $99/mo per added user for AI Visibility Toolkit access.

• AdvancedContact sales — Custom pricing
  Limits of Advanced

  40+ websites, 5,000+ keywords daily, SEO share of voice, 'Advanced API data integration'. 1 user seat included; additional users $100/mo each, plus $99/mo per added user for AI Visibility Toolkit access.

Surfer:

• Discovery$59/mo month-to-month$49/mo billed annually
  Limits of Discovery

  120 documents; Track 0 AI prompts; tracks 10 pages. 1 team seat.

• AI Search Analytics$95/mo month-to-month$82/mo billed annually
  Limits of AI Search Analytics

  AI visibility only: 50 AI prompts refreshed daily, 5 brand spaces; no content-creation documents listed. 5 team seats.

• Standard$119/mo month-to-month$99/mo billed annually
  Limits of Standard

  360 documents; Track 25 AI Prompts, refreshed weekly, across ChatGPT only. 3 team seats.

• Pro$219/mo month-to-month$182/mo billed annually
  Limits of Pro

  Track 50 AI Prompts, refreshed daily; adds Contentful integration, MCP. 5 team seats.

• Peace of Mind$359/mo month-to-month$299/mo billed annually
  Limits of Peace of Mind

  Track 100 AI Prompts, refreshed daily; unlimited* documents (fair usage policy); Zapier, API Access. 10 team seats.

• EnterpriseContact sales — Custom pricing
  Limits of Enterprise

  Talk to Surfer Expert; SSO, white-label, custom limits

Prices last verified

Semrush: 26 Oct 2026

Surfer: 27 Oct 2026

Contentful

Semrush: Unknown

Surfer: DocumentedConfirmed from ProAvailability on lower plans not verified.

Google Analytics

Semrush: Documented

Surfer: Unknown

Google Search Console

Semrush: Documented

Surfer: Unknown

Looker Studio

Semrush: Listed* (not yet verified)

Surfer: Unknown

Public API

Semrush: Listed* (not yet verified)

Surfer: Listed* (not yet verified)

Wix

Semrush: Documented

Surfer: Unknown

WordPress

Semrush: Documented

Surfer: Documented (publishing)Confirmed from StandardAvailability on lower plans not verified.

Zapier

Semrush: Documented

Surfer: DocumentedConfirmed from Peace of MindAvailability on lower plans not verified.

“Unknown” means we found no vendor documentation for it, not that it is unavailable.

Built for (vendor-stated)

Semrush: Freelancers and consultants, Small businesses, Agencies, Enterprises, Ecommerce brands

Surfer: Agencies

Best suited for (SEOFinder editorial)

Semrush:

• Teams managing several websites (5 on SEO and Starter, 15 on Pro+).
• Competitor research in organic search.

Surfer:

• Agencies delivering on-page SEO.
• Teams producing many articles (360 documents on Standard, unlimited under a fair-use policy on Peace of Mind).

Each vendor's own pages, read on the dates shown. SEOFinder has not independently tested these products.