🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 15 (from laksa198)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa015.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush","crawl_time":1775728575,"first_indexed_time":1750737473,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,explodingtopics!\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush s443","src_root_hash":"15011948462211190415","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Ahrefs vs. SpyFu vs. Semrush: What’s the Best SEO Tool in 2025?","meta_descriptions":["Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all offer different benefits—find out which one is right for you in 2025."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush are three popular SEO tools used by marketers in a range of industries.\nI've spent more than a decade using each of these tools for various purposes—and with companies of all sizes. In this in-depth guide, I’ll share my experiences with Ahrefs, SpyFu and Semrush while breaking down the platforms’ differences and providing recommendations about the best fit for your needs.\nContents:\nWhat Is Ahrefs?\nWhat Is SpyFu?\nWhat Is Semrush?\nHow Do Ahrefs, SpyFu, And Semrush Compare?\nWhat is Ahrefs?\nAhrefs\nis a comprehensive SEO tool used to research keywords and backlinks, analyze competitors, and conduct website audits. You can use Ahrefs to see a limited amount of information about your website for free, and paid plans give you access to a full slate of optimization tools.\nWant to\nSpy on Your Competition\n?\nExplore competitors’ website traffic stats, discover growth points, and expand your market share.\nTop Ahrefs Features\nStandout Ahrefs tools include:\nKeywords Explorer: a tool for evaluating SERPs and developing lists of target keywords based on search volume, difficulty, or competitor rank\nBrand Radar: a tool that shows you how your brand (or a competitor’s) gets mentioned across traditional Google results, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity\nContent Explorer: a tool for finding low-competition topic ideas and backlink prospects\nSite Audit: crawls webpages, scans for content and technical SEO issues, and ranks fixes in order of importance\nAhrefs Pros and Cons\nI used Ahrefs as my exclusive SEO tool for years, and today it’s one of several that I use for different reasons. These are the biggest pros and cons that I’ve come across in my time using the platform.\nAhrefs Pros:\nLarge keyword database\nEasy-to-read site audit reports\nProject organization and reporting tools\nHelpful videos and learning paths for new users\nFree Webmaster Tools plan\nAffordable Starter plan\nSuggestions to improve internal links between pages\nAhrefs Cons:\nCredit-based crawl system\nLimited keyword research credits (on some plans)\nHistorical data only available on paid plan\nLimited content optimization insights\nNo support for local citation SEO aside from Google Business Profile\nSome features are only available as a paid add-on\nRead our complete\nAhrefs review\nto learn more about this tool and decide if it’s right for you.\nWho Should Use Ahrefs?\nAhrefs has a large keyword database, basic interface, and ample customization options, so it’s best suited for people who have some prior SEO experience.\nHowever, small business owners may like the fact that they can use some Ahrefs tools for free. The Webmaster Tools plan allows verified site owners to monitor site traffic, top keywords, and other core metrics on a dedicated dashboard. Ownership verification requires connecting Ahrefs to your\nGoogle Search Console\naccount or adding an Ahrefs Web Analytics tag to your site.\nWhat is SpyFu?\nSpyFu\nis a marketing tool that’s useful for SEO and PPC research. You can actually do a lot of SEO research without ever logging into SpyFu—so it’s good for small businesses and new SEO practitioners working on a small budget.\nTop SpyFu Features\nSpyFu offers a straightforward set of tools that are similar to those found in Semrush and Ahrefs. The platform’s top features include:\nSpyGPT for analyzing brand or competitor mentions in ChatGPT results\nKeyword Overview to analyze SERP results\nDomain Overview to see key metrics about any URL’s SERP performance, traffic, and backlinks\nPPC Kombat to see competitive positioning maps for the paid SERP\nGoogle Ads Templates to help you create paid ad campaigns\nSpyFu Pros and Cons\nI’ve used SpyFu as both an in-house marketer and a freelance consultant. Its feature set is limited compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, but it has some benefits … especially for marketers on a budget.\nSpyFu Pros:\nAmple information available for free\nEasy-to-understand paid ad recommendations\nFree analysis of brand mentions in ChatGPT\nUser-friendly interface\nSpyFu Cons:\nFree data only available while logged out; you can’t save your work\nLimited backlink analysis tool capabilities\nNo notable support for local SEO initiatives\nSome features require a separate subscription to an AI tool\nHistorical keyword data only available on paid plan\nCheck out our deep dive into\nSpyFu vs. Semrush\nto learn more about how these two tools stack up.\nWho Should Use SpyFu?\nHaving used the paid versions of all three tools, I find SpyFu to be the weakest. You can simply do more with a paid Ahrefs or Semrush subscription.\nIf you’re interested in a free tool, though, SpyFu can’t be beat. This makes it a good choice for small business owners or early-career marketers without the money to spend on a complete SEO solution.\nWhat is Semrush?\nSemrush is an all-in-one SEO tool with some similar features to Ahrefs. It’s useful for monitoring the performance of your business website, managing multiple clients’ SEO performance, researching competitors, optimizing content, and more.\nTop Semrush Features\nSemrush has a diverse feature set compared to other SEO tools on the market today. Its most notable features include the:\nKeyword Overview\nand the\nKeyword Magic Tool\n, both used to find keyword volume, competition scores, and related SERP data\nKeyword Strategy Builder\nthat groups your keywords into clusters for an instant SEO content strategy\nLink Building Tool\nthat helps you find and reach out to prospects to request high-quality backlinks\nTopic Research\nthat helps you come up with new content ideas\nSEO Writing Assistant\nfor finding semantic keywords and analyzing your content optimization as you write\nTraffic & Market toolkit\nthat helps you keep an eye on competitors and changing industry trends\nSemrush Pros and Cons\nSemrush is one of the three SEO tools I use the most (the others being Ahrefs and\nSE Ranking\n). I find that Semrush does a lot of things well, especially when it comes to position tracking and content analysis. But no tool is perfect!\nSemrush Pros:\nGenerous\nfree plan\nPersonalized keyword difficulty scores for organic search\nDomain topic analysis\nReal-time content feedback while you write\nBacklink toxicity analysis\nEasy-to-understand competitive intelligence metrics\nLink building tools\nDedicated site audit tool\nLocal citation support\nApp center options to help you expand the tool’s functionality\nSemrush Cons:\nExpensive paid plans\nSome features are only available as a paid add-on\nSmaller keyword database than some competitors\nLimited internal link analysis\nRead our extensive\nSemrush review\nfor a comprehensive breakdown of everything the platform has to offer.\nWho Should Use Semrush?\nThe fact that you can do a range of digital marketing tasks with Semrush makes it a great choice for business owners and professional marketers alike.\nHow do Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Compare?\nAhrefs\nSpyFu\nSemrush\nSEO audits\n✅\n✅\n✅\nOrganic search traffic estimates\n✅\n✅\n✅\nKeyword ideas\n✅\n✅\n✅\nSERP rank tracking\n✅\n✅\n✅\nChatGPT rank tracking\n⛔\n✅\n✅\nLocal SEO\n✅\n⛔\n✅\nPPC campaign research\n✅\n✅\n✅\nCompetitor research\n✅\n✅\n✅\nTrend discovery\n⛔\n⛔\n✅\nTrend forecasting\n⛔\n⛔\n✅\nContent planning\n⛔\n⛔\n✅\nContent editing\n✅\n✅\n✅\nAI content generation\n⛔\n✅\n✅\nSocial media management\n⛔\n⛔\n✅\nKeyword Research\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all include a\nkeyword research tool\nthat shows you essential metrics like:\nDomain authority\nMonthly search volume\nSearch volume by country\nKeyword difficulty or competition score\nRelated keywords\nCurrent SERP ranking\nEach of the three tools pulls their keyword data from a different proprietary database, so the keyword metrics displayed by each tool may be slightly different.\nCheck out the differences reported by each tool when I look up the term “best SEO software”:\nSearch Volume\nKeyword Difficulty\nAhrefs Keyword Explorer\n4,100\n64 out of 100\nSpyFu Keyword Overview\n320-480\n60 out of 100\nSemrush Keyword Overview\n1,300\n69 out of 100\nThe larger a tool’s keyword database, the more likely you are to find information about highly specific long-tail keywords or terms that are popular in specific regions.\nNumber of Keywords in Database\nAhrefs\n28.7 billion\nSpyFu\n73 billion\nSemrush\n26.7 billion\nKeyword database size isn’t the only metric to consider when choosing an SEO tool, though. Sometimes, a tool with a smaller database will have better results for your country or offer other useful features, like a big backlink database.\nIt’s also important to consider how your website’s existing content impacts keyword difficulty scores.\nIf you want to write an article about a topic for which your site already has a lot of information, this might make a high-competition keyword easier for your site to rank on. Semrush is the only tool that lets you customize your keyword research reports to show personalized keyword difficulty scores.\nThe Verdict:\nSpyFu has the largest keyword database, but only Semrush shows you a personalized difficulty score. This feature alone is enough to make me choose Semrush as the best tool for keyword research.\nPosition Tracking\nLooking up target keywords search volume is only one part of the optimization process. You also need to be able to track keyword rank.\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all let you create keyword reports and track rank changes, though each tool works with different search engines:\nAhrefs supports tracking Google keyword rank\nSpyFu supports rank tracking on both Google and Bing\nSemrush supports rank tracking on Google, Bing, Baidu, and ChatGPT\nIt’s also important to consider the locations in which you want to track position changes, as not all SEO tools are equal:\nAhrefs: 190 countries\nSpyFu: 23 countries\nSemrush: 117 countries\nThe Verdict:\nAhrefs wins when it comes to position tracking for Google SERPs thanks to their extensive geographic coverage. If you need or want to track other search engines—including AI search tools—then Semrush becomes the top choice.\nGet More\nSearch Traffic\nUse trending keywords to create content your audience craves.\nLocal SEO\nSemrush and Ahrefs offer tools to help businesses improve their local citations. (SpyFu doesn’t provide its users with\nlocal SEO tools\n.)\nAhrefs\nhas a local SEO solution that's still in beta; the company says that business owners can import their information and monitor for any\nGoogle Business Profile\nchanges.\nSemrush\noffers a similar tool, but it scans for changes in multiple online directories. You can also manage and respond to customer reviews directly through the\nSemrush Local\nplatform.\nThe Verdict:\nIf you have a brick-and-mortar business location that you want to drive searchers to, go with Semrush. The ability to scan and update multiple directories makes it super valuable.\nPPC\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all support pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns.\nAhrefs\nprovides top-level PPC information including cost per click (CPC), competitor ad copy, and estimated paid traffic per competitor webpage.\nSpyFu\ngives you basic CPC data when you look up a keyword; the tool’s Kombat feature also shows you how your competitors’ competitors stack up in the SERP and whether they share paid keywords.\nSemrush\ndisplays CPC information via its\nKeyword Overview\ntool; you can also see paid competitive positioning maps, ad copy, and more when using the\nDomain Overview\ntool.\nPPC Comparison Table: Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush\nAhrefs\nSpyFu\nSemrush\nKeyword CPC\n✅\n✅\n✅\nMost successful advertiser per keyword\n⛔\n✅\n⛔\nPaid search volume\n⛔\n✅\n✅\nRecommended keywords to buy\n⛔\n✅\n⛔\nCompetitor ad copy \/ history\n✅\n✅\n✅\nTotal competitor keywords\n✅\n✅\n✅\nCompetitor paid keyword rankings\n✅\n⛔\n✅\nPaid competitive positioning map\n⛔\n✅\n✅\nGoogle Shopping PLA data\n⛔\n⛔\n✅\nPPC keyword campaign generator\n⛔\n⛔\n✅\nAI ad generation tools\n⛔\n⛔\n✅\nGoogle Ad templates\n⛔\n✅\n⛔\nGoogle Ads automation tools\n⛔\n⛔\n✅\nCompetitor paid traffic by page\n✅\n✅\n⛔\nThe Verdict:\nIf you’re a beginner at PPC advertising, SpyFu is a good choice. It provides just enough data without being overwhelming, and the app’s “good buy” PPC keyword suggestions can help you plan your first strategy. Experienced PPC advertisers may prefer Semrush, though, as the platform offers more information about ads.\nCompetitor Analysis\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush offer comparable competitor analysis tools.\nThe\nAhrefs\nSite Explorer shows you a domain’s monthly traffic, backlinks, paid and organic keywords, primary SERP search intent, and page status codes.\nSpyFu’s\nDomain Overview report provides monthly data on organic traffic, paid and organic keyword distribution, rank changes, top pages, and domain competitors.\nThe\nSemrush\nDomain Overview\ntool shows you traffic, paid and organic keywords, key topics, keyword opportunities, SERP feature distribution, ad copy, and backlinks.\nThe Verdict:\nSemrush wins for best competitive analysis tool due to its “key topics” report. This is useful when you want to figure out what overarching entities are associated with a competitor’s site—you can then use this information to adjust your own content and PPC strategies.\nBacklinks\nThere are three things an SEO tool can do when it comes to backlinks:\nShow you the links associated with a domain\nAnalyze and rank backlinks by domain toxicity level\nHelp you strategically remove or acquire backlinks\nAhrefs\nincludes a nice backlink analytics overview as part of its Domain Explorer tool; you can also get a good picture of your referring domains when running a site audit. The platform doesn’t include any dedicated backlink tools, though, and there’s no support for building a better backlink profile.\nSpyFu\nis most useful for looking at the backlinks associated with a domain. The tool doesn’t offer any more advanced features for assessing domain toxicity or improving your backlink profile.\nSemrush\nis useful for both off-page and on-page SEO purposes, including building backlinks. The\nBacklink Analytics\nand\nBacklink Audit\ntools make it easy to see who’s linking to a site and how toxic those links may be. And if you’d like to improve your backlink profile, the\nLink Building Tool\nhelps you find opportunities and reach out directly to site owners to request a link.\nThe Verdict:\nSemrush is the best choice for backlink analysis. I find it really easy to understand how healthy a backlink profile is while using the audit tool, and I’ve never used anything quite like the link building tool. The fact you can reach out to site owners without switching to another app is a game changer.\nWant to\nBeat Your Competition\n?\nFind out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy.\nSite Audits\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all allow you to conduct site audits, but the tools offer varying levels of technical SEO and content auditing support.\nAhrefs\nsite audit reports include a review of your top technical SEO issues like indexability and site speed as well as recommendations for improvements. One of Ahrefs’ standout features is its internal link analysis, which includes specific suggestions (including anchor text) that you can follow to improve your link structure.\nSpyFu\nreports are closer to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer or Semrush’s\nDomain Overview\nanalysis than a true website audit. You can see top-level information about a domain, including broken links, but SpyFu doesn’t let you dig deep into technical issues, site speed, or information architecture.\nSemrush\nSite Audit\nreports are similar to those found in Ahrefs and include information on site speed, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, crawlability, and other technical issues. Like Ahrefs, Semrush also provides suggestions for how to fix your top SEO issues.\nThe Verdict:\nAhrefs excels at site audits thanks to its internal link analysis. Semrush lets you see what pages have broken or incorrect internal links, but only Ahrefs provides suggestions for new internal links that you can create in your content management system.\nContent Marketing\nAn increasing number of SEO tools, including Ahrefs and Semrush, are adding content marketing tools to their slate of features. These can range from a review of your page readability to immediate feedback on semantic keyword use.\nAhrefs\nhas an AI Content Helper tool that analyzes competitors and addresses key topics that can be helpful to cover in your content. I’ve used the Content Helper tool in the past and, while the topic analysis was helpful, I found its scoring system to be lacking. Plus, the Content Helper isn’t as customizable as similar tools offered by Semrush, SE Ranking and Clearscope.\nAhrefs Content Helper\nSemrush SEO Writing Assistant\nSE Ranking Content Marketing Platform\nClearscope\nCreate downloadable content briefs\n⛔\n✅\n✅\n⛔\nAdd and remove semantic keywords or topics\n⛔\n✅\n✅\n✅\nGet real-time writing feedback\n✅\n✅\n✅\n✅\nAI-generated metadata or headers\n✅\n✅\n✅\n✅\nAnalyze readability\n✅\n✅\n✅\n✅\nCheck tone of voice\n⛔\n✅\n✅\n⛔\nScan for plagiarism\n⛔\n✅\n✅\n⛔\nSpyFu\ndoesn’t offer content recommendations in its main interface; you have to subscribe to a separate tool called RivalFlowAI. The RivalFlow tool suggests improvements and gives you AI-generated text to use in your document if you so desire.\nSemrush\nhas the most robust content marketing toolkit on this list. You can create content briefs for specific keywords, analyze readability and tone of voice, find semantic keywords, scan for plagiarism, and get optimization feedback while you write.\nThe Verdict:\nSemrush is the best choice for content marketers who want an easy way to source semantic keywords, evaluate competitors, and get feedback on their writing. There are also Semrush extensions for Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so you can use the tool without leaving your writing platform of choice.\nPrice\nAll three platforms offer a free plan tier, though what you can do with this access varies. Regardless of the tool you choose, though, a paid subscription gives you access to the largest variety of SEO features.\nAhrefs\nSpyFu\nSemrush\nFree plan access\nBasic traffic and keyword data for owned sites\nExtensive organic and paid traffic \/ SERP data for any domain or keyword\nSite audits; 10 daily keyword research, backlink and competitor queries; 10 tracked keywords\nPaid plan starting price\n$29 per month for the Starter plan\n$33 per month for the Basic plan (billed annually)\n$117.33 per month for the Pro plan (billed annually)\nOptional paid add-ons\nAI content helper, report builder, AI assistant for site audits\nRivalFlow AI\nReport builder, lead generation suite, advanced trend tracking tools\nThe Verdict:\nSpyFu gives you the most information for free without logging in, though you can’t save your work—even if you own the site you’re analyzing. If you want to conduct basic keyword research and track your site performance, then Ahrefs’ starter plan is the best choice.\nExperienced marketers who need full access to an SEO tool should choose Ahrefs or Semrush—I recommend the latter if you’re going to do a lot of content optimization work.\nWhat About Trend Tracking?\nAll SEO tools let you see the current or historical state of a SERP—but they don’t always let you see how interest in a term has changed over time. And fewer still offer a look at how topic popularity might change in the future.\nBut this is an important part of digital marketing! Whether you’re planning product launches, digging into competitive research, or building a new client’s SEO strategy, it’s good to know whether interest in a topic or term is likely to fluctuate with the seasons, decline, or spike in the future.\nWhile every Semrush keyword report includes a basic trend graph, you can unlock the ability to dig deep into trends with an\nExploding Topics Pro\nsubscription. Exploding Topics lets you see things like popularity by channel, key growth indicators, and future trend forecasts.\nFAQ\nWhat’s the Best Free SEO Tool?\nSpyFu offers the most free access, and you don’t need an account to start your SEO research. If you’d like to save your work and create tracked keyword reports for free, then Semrush is the best choice.\nIs Ahrefs Better Than Semrush?\nAhrefs and Semrush are both very reliable SEO tools. If you’re interested in building internal links and working on technical SEO tasks, then Ahrefs is a great choice. Marketers interested in improving their SEO content or local SEO performance will be best served by Semrush.\nHow Does SpyFu Compare to Semrush?\nThe biggest difference between SpyFu and Semrush is the fact that Semrush offers basic keyword and domain overview reports, while Semrush lets you run deep site audits and analyze content. SpyFu is good for top-level SEO insights; Semrush is better for planning and tracking long-term SEO work.\nEnhance your SEO tools with Exploding Topics Pro\nWhether you decide Ahrefs, SpyFu, or Semrush is best for your needs, you can expand the scope of your SEO research ability with Exploding Topics Pro. Grab a\nfree seven-day trial\nnow and explore all of the data it has to offer—and get ahead of your competitors.\nExploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. 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Plus, expert insight and analysis.\n\nTable of contents\n\nBack to top\n\n- [What Is Ahrefs?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-ahrefs)\n- [What Is SpyFu?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-spyfu)\n- [What Is Semrush?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-semrush)\n- [How Do Ahrefs, SpyFu, And Semrush Compare?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#how-do-ahrefs-spyfu-and-semrush-compare)\n- [What About Trend Tracking?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-about-trend-tracking)\n- [FAQ](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#faq)\n- [Enhance Your SEO Tools With Exploding Topics Pro](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#enhance-your-seo-tools-with-exploding-topics-pro)\n\nBlog \\> Ahrefs vs. SpyFu vs. Semrush: What’s the Best SEO Tool in 2025?\n\n# Ahrefs vs. SpyFu vs. Semrush: What’s the Best SEO Tool in 2025?\n![author photo](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/resize=width:80,height:80\/output=f:webp\/phlwhfleSRa39eLcrrHf)\n\nby Emily Gertenbach  \nLast Updated: June 18, 2025\n\n#### Stop Guessing, Start Growing 🚀\nUse real-time topic data to create content that resonates and brings results.\n\nContents:\n\n- [What is Ahrefs?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-ahrefs)\n- [What is SpyFu?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-spyfu)\n- [What is Semrush?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-semrush)\n- [How do Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Compare?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#how-do-ahrefs-spyfu-and-semrush-compare)\n- [What About Trend Tracking?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-about-trend-tracking)\n- [FAQ](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#faq)\n- [Enhance your SEO tools with Exploding Topics Pro](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#enhance-your-seo-tools-with-exploding-topics-pro)\n\nShare:\n\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush are three popular SEO tools used by marketers in a range of industries.\n\nI've spent more than a decade using each of these tools for various purposes—and with companies of all sizes. In this in-depth guide, I’ll share my experiences with Ahrefs, SpyFu and Semrush while breaking down the platforms’ differences and providing recommendations about the best fit for your needs.\n\nContents:\n\n- [What Is Ahrefs?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-ahrefs)\n- [What Is SpyFu?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-spyfu)\n- [What Is Semrush?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-semrush)\n- [How Do Ahrefs, SpyFu, And Semrush Compare?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#how-do-ahrefs-spyfu-and-semrush-compare)\n\n...more\n### What is Ahrefs?\n[Ahrefs](https:\/\/www.ahrefs.com\/) is a comprehensive SEO tool used to research keywords and backlinks, analyze competitors, and conduct website audits. You can use Ahrefs to see a limited amount of information about your website for free, and paid plans give you access to a full slate of optimization tools.\n\n![The blue and white Ahrefs homepage with an orange \"sign up for Ahrefs\" button.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/BOITwF7ITi9gu6ouRJKm)\n\n### Want to Spy on Your Competition?\nExplore competitors’ website traffic stats, discover growth points, and expand your market share.\n\n![Exploding Topics Logo](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/static\/images\/exploding-topics.svg)\n#### **Top Ahrefs Features**\nStandout Ahrefs tools include:\n\n- Keywords Explorer: a tool for evaluating SERPs and developing lists of target keywords based on search volume, difficulty, or competitor rank\n- Brand Radar: a tool that shows you how your brand (or a competitor’s) gets mentioned across traditional Google results, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity\n- Content Explorer: a tool for finding low-competition topic ideas and backlink prospects\n- Site Audit: crawls webpages, scans for content and technical SEO issues, and ranks fixes in order of importance\n#### **Ahrefs Pros and Cons**\nI used Ahrefs as my exclusive SEO tool for years, and today it’s one of several that I use for different reasons. These are the biggest pros and cons that I’ve come across in my time using the platform.\n\n**Ahrefs Pros:**\n\n- Large keyword database\n- Easy-to-read site audit reports\n- Project organization and reporting tools\n- Helpful videos and learning paths for new users\n- Free Webmaster Tools plan\n- Affordable Starter plan\n- Suggestions to improve internal links between pages\n\n**Ahrefs Cons:**\n\n- Credit-based crawl system\n- Limited keyword research credits (on some plans)\n- Historical data only available on paid plan\n- Limited content optimization insights\n- No support for local citation SEO aside from Google Business Profile\n- Some features are only available as a paid add-on\n\nRead our complete [Ahrefs review](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-review) to learn more about this tool and decide if it’s right for you.\n\n#### **Who Should Use Ahrefs?**\nAhrefs has a large keyword database, basic interface, and ample customization options, so it’s best suited for people who have some prior SEO experience.\n\nHowever, small business owners may like the fact that they can use some Ahrefs tools for free. The Webmaster Tools plan allows verified site owners to monitor site traffic, top keywords, and other core metrics on a dedicated dashboard. Ownership verification requires connecting Ahrefs to your [Google Search Console](https:\/\/search.google.com\/search-console\/about) account or adding an Ahrefs Web Analytics tag to your site.\n\n![The Ahrefs ownership verification screen gives site owners several options.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/RaS15J1Q9OfScv8adYGv)\n\n### What is SpyFu?\n[SpyFu](https:\/\/www.spyfu.com\/) is a marketing tool that’s useful for SEO and PPC research. You can actually do a lot of SEO research without ever logging into SpyFu—so it’s good for small businesses and new SEO practitioners working on a small budget.\n\n![The purple SpyFu homepage displays a list of company logos.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/BnsDSPZTnOZpL8tRyYio)\n\n#### **Top SpyFu Features**\nSpyFu offers a straightforward set of tools that are similar to those found in Semrush and Ahrefs. The platform’s top features include:\n\n- SpyGPT for analyzing brand or competitor mentions in ChatGPT results\n- Keyword Overview to analyze SERP results\n- Domain Overview to see key metrics about any URL’s SERP performance, traffic, and backlinks\n- PPC Kombat to see competitive positioning maps for the paid SERP\n- Google Ads Templates to help you create paid ad campaigns\n#### **SpyFu Pros and Cons**\nI’ve used SpyFu as both an in-house marketer and a freelance consultant. Its feature set is limited compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, but it has some benefits … especially for marketers on a budget.\n\n**SpyFu Pros:**\n\n- Ample information available for free\n- Easy-to-understand paid ad recommendations\n- Free analysis of brand mentions in ChatGPT\n- User-friendly interface\n\n**SpyFu Cons:**\n\n- Free data only available while logged out; you can’t save your work\n- Limited backlink analysis tool capabilities\n- No notable support for local SEO initiatives\n- Some features require a separate subscription to an AI tool\n- Historical keyword data only available on paid plan\n\nCheck out our deep dive into [SpyFu vs. Semrush](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/spyfu-vs-semrush) to learn more about how these two tools stack up.\n\n#### **Who Should Use SpyFu?**\nHaving used the paid versions of all three tools, I find SpyFu to be the weakest. You can simply do more with a paid Ahrefs or Semrush subscription.\n\nIf you’re interested in a free tool, though, SpyFu can’t be beat. This makes it a good choice for small business owners or early-career marketers without the money to spend on a complete SEO solution.\n\n![The SpyFu keyword report shows organic traffic changes.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/N3r1uhjRk6C9PzpZJDw2)\n\n### What is Semrush?\nSemrush is an all-in-one SEO tool with some similar features to Ahrefs. It’s useful for monitoring the performance of your business website, managing multiple clients’ SEO performance, researching competitors, optimizing content, and more.\n\n![The purple and white Semrush homepage reads \"Your AI-powered marketing platform for real results.\"](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/5ncu5JyHS06hPFyywWdx)\n\n#### **Top Semrush Features**\nSemrush has a diverse feature set compared to other SEO tools on the market today. Its most notable features include the:\n\n- [Keyword Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/keywordoverview\/) and the [Keyword Magic Tool](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/features\/keyword-magic-tool\/), both used to find keyword volume, competition scores, and related SERP data\n- [Keyword Strategy Builder](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/kb\/1058-keyword-strategy-builder) that groups your keywords into clusters for an instant SEO content strategy\n- [Link Building Tool](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/link_building\/) that helps you find and reach out to prospects to request high-quality backlinks\n- [Topic Research](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/topic-research\/) that helps you come up with new content ideas\n- [SEO Writing Assistant](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/swa\/) for finding semantic keywords and analyzing your content optimization as you write\n- [Traffic & Market toolkit](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/traffic\/) that helps you keep an eye on competitors and changing industry trends\n\n![A Semrush Keyword Magic Tool report customized for the semrush.com domain](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/7pCPvFPQYeMzB6Tr1tU4)\n\n#### **Semrush Pros and Cons**\nSemrush is one of the three SEO tools I use the most (the others being Ahrefs and [SE Ranking](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/se-ranking-review)). I find that Semrush does a lot of things well, especially when it comes to position tracking and content analysis. But no tool is perfect\\!\n\n**Semrush Pros:**\n\n- Generous [free plan](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/blog\/what-can-i-do-with-a-free-account-from-semrush\/)\n- Personalized keyword difficulty scores for organic search\n- Domain topic analysis\n- Real-time content feedback while you write\n- Backlink toxicity analysis\n- Easy-to-understand competitive intelligence metrics\n- Link building tools\n- Dedicated site audit tool\n- Local citation support\n- App center options to help you expand the tool’s functionality\n\n**Semrush Cons:**\n\n- Expensive paid plans\n- Some features are only available as a paid add-on\n- Smaller keyword database than some competitors\n- Limited internal link analysis\n\nRead our extensive [Semrush review](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/semrush-review) for a comprehensive breakdown of everything the platform has to offer.\n\n#### **Who Should Use Semrush?**\nThe fact that you can do a range of digital marketing tasks with Semrush makes it a great choice for business owners and professional marketers alike.\n\n![The Semrush backlink analytics graph shows connections to venturebeat.com](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/xgk2dU0gSHWyUvrzzvim)\n\n### How do Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Compare?\n|   |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|\n|   | **Ahrefs** | **SpyFu** | **Semrush** |\n| SEO audits | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Organic search traffic estimates | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Keyword ideas | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| SERP rank tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| ChatGPT rank tracking | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Local SEO | ✅ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| PPC campaign research | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Competitor research | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Trend discovery | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Trend forecasting | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Content planning | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Content editing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| AI content generation | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Social media management | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n#### **Keyword Research**\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all include a [keyword research tool](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/tools\/keyword-research) that shows you essential metrics like:\n\n- Domain authority\n- Monthly search volume\n- Search volume by country\n- Keyword difficulty or competition score\n- Related keywords\n- Current SERP ranking\n\nEach of the three tools pulls their keyword data from a different proprietary database, so the keyword metrics displayed by each tool may be slightly different.\n\nCheck out the differences reported by each tool when I look up the term “best SEO software”:\n\n|   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|\n|   | **Search Volume** | **Keyword Difficulty** |\n| Ahrefs Keyword Explorer | 4,100 | 64 out of 100 |\n| SpyFu Keyword Overview | 320-480 | 60 out of 100 |\n| [Semrush Keyword Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/keywordoverview\/) | 1,300 | 69 out of 100 |\n\nThe larger a tool’s keyword database, the more likely you are to find information about highly specific long-tail keywords or terms that are popular in specific regions.\n\n|   |   |\n|---|---|\n|   | **Number of Keywords in Database** |\n| Ahrefs | 28\\.7 billion |\n| SpyFu | 73 billion |\n| Semrush | 26\\.7 billion |\n\nKeyword database size isn’t the only metric to consider when choosing an SEO tool, though. Sometimes, a tool with a smaller database will have better results for your country or offer other useful features, like a big backlink database.\n\nIt’s also important to consider how your website’s existing content impacts keyword difficulty scores.\n\nIf you want to write an article about a topic for which your site already has a lot of information, this might make a high-competition keyword easier for your site to rank on. Semrush is the only tool that lets you customize your keyword research reports to show personalized keyword difficulty scores.\n\n![The Semrush Keyword Overview report for \"air conditioning units\" is customized for supertechhvac.com](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/izzamm9vSQ6ciIhukz5n)\n\n**The Verdict:** SpyFu has the largest keyword database, but only Semrush shows you a personalized difficulty score. This feature alone is enough to make me choose Semrush as the best tool for keyword research.\n\n#### **Position Tracking**\nLooking up target keywords search volume is only one part of the optimization process. You also need to be able to track keyword rank.\n\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all let you create keyword reports and track rank changes, though each tool works with different search engines:\n\n- Ahrefs supports tracking Google keyword rank\n- SpyFu supports rank tracking on both Google and Bing\n- Semrush supports rank tracking on Google, Bing, Baidu, and ChatGPT\n\n![The Semrush position tracker targeting setup](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/K8MioEi8TASJF09T2NCl)\n\nIt’s also important to consider the locations in which you want to track position changes, as not all SEO tools are equal:\n\n- Ahrefs: 190 countries\n- SpyFu: 23 countries\n- Semrush: 117 countries\n\n**The Verdict:** Ahrefs wins when it comes to position tracking for Google SERPs thanks to their extensive geographic coverage. If you need or want to track other search engines—including AI search tools—then Semrush becomes the top choice.\n\n### Get More Search Traffic\nUse trending keywords to create content your audience craves.\n\n![Exploding Topics Logo](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/static\/images\/exploding-topics.svg)\n#### **Local SEO**\nSemrush and Ahrefs offer tools to help businesses improve their local citations. (SpyFu doesn’t provide its users with [local SEO tools](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/semrush-local).)\n\n**Ahrefs** has a local SEO solution that's still in beta; the company says that business owners can import their information and monitor for any [Google Business Profile](https:\/\/business.google.com\/in\/business-profile\/) changes.\n\n**Semrush** offers a similar tool, but it scans for changes in multiple online directories. You can also manage and respond to customer reviews directly through the [Semrush Local](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/apps\/local-seo\/) platform.\n\n![The Semrush Local toolkit review auto-reply function](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/A3TBqhErS12PuNHJYpJc)\n\n**The Verdict:** If you have a brick-and-mortar business location that you want to drive searchers to, go with Semrush. The ability to scan and update multiple directories makes it super valuable.\n\n#### **PPC**\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all support pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns.\n\n**Ahrefs** provides top-level PPC information including cost per click (CPC), competitor ad copy, and estimated paid traffic per competitor webpage.\n\n![The Ahrefs Keyword Explorer displays organic and paid traffic data](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/Hop8YNtqQ3aqgHKXxmof)\n\n**SpyFu** gives you basic CPC data when you look up a keyword; the tool’s Kombat feature also shows you how your competitors’ competitors stack up in the SERP and whether they share paid keywords.\n\n![The SpyFu PPC Kombat chart shows competitor keyword overlap for Salesforce](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/ACMimQQKRdSbm3XTttEg)\n\n**Semrush** displays CPC information via its [Keyword Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/keywordoverview\/) tool; you can also see paid competitive positioning maps, ad copy, and more when using the [Domain Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/overview\/) tool.\n\n![The Semrush advertising research report displays top keywords and competitors](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/pND6ff71QSCTrQcK6EOZ)\n\n**PPC Comparison Table: Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush**\n\n|   |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|\n|   | **Ahrefs** | **SpyFu** | **Semrush** |\n| Keyword CPC | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Most successful advertiser per keyword | ⛔ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Paid search volume | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Recommended keywords to buy | ⛔ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Competitor ad copy \/ history | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Total competitor keywords | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Competitor paid keyword rankings | ✅ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Paid competitive positioning map | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Google Shopping PLA data | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| PPC keyword campaign generator | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| AI ad generation tools | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Google Ad templates | ⛔ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Google Ads automation tools | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Competitor paid traffic by page | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n\n**The Verdict:** If you’re a beginner at PPC advertising, SpyFu is a good choice. It provides just enough data without being overwhelming, and the app’s “good buy” PPC keyword suggestions can help you plan your first strategy. Experienced PPC advertisers may prefer Semrush, though, as the platform offers more information about ads.\n\n#### **Competitor Analysis**\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush offer comparable competitor analysis tools.\n\nThe **Ahrefs** Site Explorer shows you a domain’s monthly traffic, backlinks, paid and organic keywords, primary SERP search intent, and page status codes.\n\n![The Ahrefs site explorer report ](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/OME2LHxeR8qy2BmdkC5x)\n\n**SpyFu’s** Domain Overview report provides monthly data on organic traffic, paid and organic keyword distribution, rank changes, top pages, and domain competitors.\n\n![The SpyFu domain overview shows organic keywords and monthly traffic.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/W40Jgy2tTxmeLVCJ1pan)\n\nThe **Semrush** [Domain Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/overview\/) tool shows you traffic, paid and organic keywords, key topics, keyword opportunities, SERP feature distribution, ad copy, and backlinks.\n\n![The Semrush domain overview report ](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/LX6TpsvR42sRnq9Lj7mB)\n\n**The Verdict:** Semrush wins for best competitive analysis tool due to its “key topics” report. This is useful when you want to figure out what overarching entities are associated with a competitor’s site—you can then use this information to adjust your own content and PPC strategies.\n\n#### **Backlinks**\nThere are three things an SEO tool can do when it comes to backlinks:\n\n1. Show you the links associated with a domain\n2. Analyze and rank backlinks by domain toxicity level\n3. Help you strategically remove or acquire backlinks\n\n**Ahrefs** includes a nice backlink analytics overview as part of its Domain Explorer tool; you can also get a good picture of your referring domains when running a site audit. The platform doesn’t include any dedicated backlink tools, though, and there’s no support for building a better backlink profile.\n\n![Ahrefs Site Explorer backlinks report](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/i1kwQkxBRyyzxVJ40oGn)\n\n**SpyFu** is most useful for looking at the backlinks associated with a domain. The tool doesn’t offer any more advanced features for assessing domain toxicity or improving your backlink profile.\n\n![The SpyFu backlinks report ](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/i50t9ZWJSuWiIylPpNE1)\n\n**Semrush** is useful for both off-page and on-page SEO purposes, including building backlinks. The [Backlink Analytics](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/backlinks\/) and [Backlink Audit](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/backlink_audit\/) tools make it easy to see who’s linking to a site and how toxic those links may be. And if you’d like to improve your backlink profile, the [Link Building Tool](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/link_building\/) helps you find opportunities and reach out directly to site owners to request a link.\n\n![The Semrush Backlink Analysis report shows authority, referring domain count, and traffic levels](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/chCF4cMiRz24sKbRMCKD)\n\n**The Verdict:** Semrush is the best choice for backlink analysis. I find it really easy to understand how healthy a backlink profile is while using the audit tool, and I’ve never used anything quite like the link building tool. The fact you can reach out to site owners without switching to another app is a game changer.\n\n### Want to Beat Your Competition?\nFind out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy.\n\n![Exploding Topics Logo](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/static\/images\/exploding-topics.svg)\n#### **Site Audits**\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all allow you to conduct site audits, but the tools offer varying levels of technical SEO and content auditing support.\n\n**Ahrefs** site audit reports include a review of your top technical SEO issues like indexability and site speed as well as recommendations for improvements. One of Ahrefs’ standout features is its internal link analysis, which includes specific suggestions (including anchor text) that you can follow to improve your link structure.\n\n![Ahrefs Site Audit report](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/4SUOtonRDqSHbWvlXxcA)\n\n**SpyFu** reports are closer to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer or Semrush’s [Domain Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/overview\/?searchType=domain) analysis than a true website audit. You can see top-level information about a domain, including broken links, but SpyFu doesn’t let you dig deep into technical issues, site speed, or information architecture.\n\n![The SpyFu domain overview report for explodingtopics.com](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/W40Jgy2tTxmeLVCJ1pan)\n\n**Semrush** [Site Audit](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/siteaudit\/) reports are similar to those found in Ahrefs and include information on site speed, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, crawlability, and other technical issues. Like Ahrefs, Semrush also provides suggestions for how to fix your top SEO issues.\n\n![The Semrush SEO Site Audit report list of erros and suggestions](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/wDxlncoPTSvWuEvbXiTx)\n\n**The Verdict:** Ahrefs excels at site audits thanks to its internal link analysis. Semrush lets you see what pages have broken or incorrect internal links, but only Ahrefs provides suggestions for new internal links that you can create in your content management system.\n\n#### **Content Marketing**\nAn increasing number of SEO tools, including Ahrefs and Semrush, are adding content marketing tools to their slate of features. These can range from a review of your page readability to immediate feedback on semantic keyword use.\n\n**Ahrefs** has an AI Content Helper tool that analyzes competitors and addresses key topics that can be helpful to cover in your content. I’ve used the Content Helper tool in the past and, while the topic analysis was helpful, I found its scoring system to be lacking. Plus, the Content Helper isn’t as customizable as similar tools offered by Semrush, SE Ranking and Clearscope.\n\n|   |   |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n|   | **Ahrefs Content Helper** | **Semrush SEO Writing Assistant** | **SE Ranking Content Marketing Platform** | **Clearscope** |\n| Create downloadable content briefs | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Add and remove semantic keywords or topics | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Get real-time writing feedback | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| AI-generated metadata or headers | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Analyze readability | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Check tone of voice | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Scan for plagiarism | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n\n**SpyFu** doesn’t offer content recommendations in its main interface; you have to subscribe to a separate tool called RivalFlowAI. The RivalFlow tool suggests improvements and gives you AI-generated text to use in your document if you so desire.\n\n**Semrush** has the most robust content marketing toolkit on this list. You can create content briefs for specific keywords, analyze readability and tone of voice, find semantic keywords, scan for plagiarism, and get optimization feedback while you write.\n\n![The Semrush SEO Writing Assistant analyzing text for four key SEO factors](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/teidbwnjSuCujPfrt7SE)\n\n**The Verdict:** Semrush is the best choice for content marketers who want an easy way to source semantic keywords, evaluate competitors, and get feedback on their writing. There are also Semrush extensions for Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so you can use the tool without leaving your writing platform of choice.\n\n#### **Price**\nAll three platforms offer a free plan tier, though what you can do with this access varies. Regardless of the tool you choose, though, a paid subscription gives you access to the largest variety of SEO features.\n\n|   |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|\n|   | **Ahrefs** | **SpyFu** | **Semrush** |\n| Free plan access | Basic traffic and keyword data for owned sites | Extensive organic and paid traffic \/ SERP data for any domain or keyword | Site audits; 10 daily keyword research, backlink and competitor queries; 10 tracked keywords |\n| Paid plan starting price | \\$29 per month for the Starter plan | \\$33 per month for the Basic plan (billed annually) | \\$117.33 per month for the Pro plan (billed annually) |\n| Optional paid add-ons | AI content helper, report builder, AI assistant for site audits | RivalFlow AI | Report builder, lead generation suite, advanced trend tracking tools |\n\n**The Verdict:** SpyFu gives you the most information for free without logging in, though you can’t save your work—even if you own the site you’re analyzing. If you want to conduct basic keyword research and track your site performance, then Ahrefs’ starter plan is the best choice.\n\nExperienced marketers who need full access to an SEO tool should choose Ahrefs or Semrush—I recommend the latter if you’re going to do a lot of content optimization work.\n\n### What About Trend Tracking?\nAll SEO tools let you see the current or historical state of a SERP—but they don’t always let you see how interest in a term has changed over time. And fewer still offer a look at how topic popularity might change in the future.\n\nBut this is an important part of digital marketing! Whether you’re planning product launches, digging into competitive research, or building a new client’s SEO strategy, it’s good to know whether interest in a topic or term is likely to fluctuate with the seasons, decline, or spike in the future.\n\nWhile every Semrush keyword report includes a basic trend graph, you can unlock the ability to dig deep into trends with an [Exploding Topics Pro](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/lp\/exploding-topics-pricing\/en\/) subscription. Exploding Topics lets you see things like popularity by channel, key growth indicators, and future trend forecasts.\n\n![The Exploding Topics graph for \"AI Voice Recorder\" shows a line trending up](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/P51iInogSHyp72wc9Ett)\n\n### FAQ\n#### **What’s the Best Free SEO Tool?**\nSpyFu offers the most free access, and you don’t need an account to start your SEO research. If you’d like to save your work and create tracked keyword reports for free, then Semrush is the best choice.\n\n#### **Is Ahrefs Better Than Semrush?**\nAhrefs and Semrush are both very reliable SEO tools. If you’re interested in building internal links and working on technical SEO tasks, then Ahrefs is a great choice. Marketers interested in improving their SEO content or local SEO performance will be best served by Semrush.\n\n#### **How Does SpyFu Compare to Semrush?**\nThe biggest difference between SpyFu and Semrush is the fact that Semrush offers basic keyword and domain overview reports, while Semrush lets you run deep site audits and analyze content. SpyFu is good for top-level SEO insights; Semrush is better for planning and tracking long-term SEO work.\n### Enhance your SEO tools with Exploding Topics Pro\nWhether you decide Ahrefs, SpyFu, or Semrush is best for your needs, you can expand the scope of your SEO research ability with Exploding Topics Pro. Grab a [free seven-day trial](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/lp\/exploding-topics-pricing\/en\/) now and explore all of the data it has to offer—and get ahead of your competitors.\n\n#### Stop Guessing, Start Growing 🚀\nUse real-time topic data to create content that resonates and brings results.\n\nFind Thousands of Trending Topics With Our Platform\n\n[Try Exploding Topics Pro](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/lp\/exploding-topics-pricing\/en\/)\n\n![newsletter banner](https:\/\/explodingtopics.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com\/trends-database-blog-cta.png)\n\nExploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.\n\nTrending Topics\n\n[Pdrn toner](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/pdrn-toner-rBqL9YyX)\n\n[\\+7200%](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/pdrn-toner-rBqL9YyX)\n\n[Soursop bitters](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/soursop-bitters)\n\n[\\+1417%](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/soursop-bitters)\n\n[Plant chocolate...](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/plant-chocolate-protein-powder)\n\n[\\+463%](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/plant-chocolate-protein-powder)\n\n[B2b seo](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/b2b-seo)\n\n[\\+450%](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/b2b-seo)\n\n[Shilajit honey](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/shilajit-honey)\n\n[\\+407%](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/shilajit-honey)\n\n[Wifi 7 router](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/wifi-7-router)\n\n[\\+338%](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/topic\/wifi-7-router)\n\n#### Reveal More Competitor Secrets for Free\nWhich keywords they target\n\nTheir most important pages\n\nWhere they get backlinks from\n\nHow they monetize their site\n\n[Get more free data](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/overview\/?searchType=domain&utm_source=explodingtopics.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=bsb-competitor-analysis)\n\nShare\n\n- [X (Twitter)](https:\/\/x.com\/share?text=Ahrefs%20vs.%20SpyFu%20vs.%20Semrush%3A%20What%E2%80%99s%20the%20Best%20SEO%20Tool%20in%202025%3F&url=https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush&via=explodingtopics&utm_medium=social&utm_source=x&utm_campaign=Social_Share \"Share on X (Twitter)\")\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=Social_Share \"Share on Facebook\")\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush&summary=Ahrefs%20vs.%20SpyFu%20vs.%20Semrush%3A%20What%E2%80%99s%20the%20Best%20SEO%20Tool%20in%202025%3F&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=Social_Share \"Share on LinkedIn\")\n- [Reddit](https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush&title=Ahrefs%20vs.%20SpyFu%20vs.%20Semrush%3A%20What%E2%80%99s%20the%20Best%20SEO%20Tool%20in%202025%3F&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=Social_Share \"Share on Reddit\")\n\nNewsletter Signup\n\nBy clicking “Subscribe” you agree to Semrush Privacy Policy and consent to Semrush using your contact data for newsletter purposes\n\nWritten By\n\n![](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/resize=width:120,height:120\/output=f:webp\/phlwhfleSRa39eLcrrHf)\n\n![](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/resize=width:64,height:64\/output=f:webp\/phlwhfleSRa39eLcrrHf)\n\nEmily Gertenbach\n\nWriter\n\nEmily is a freelance content writer at Exploding Topics. A former news correspondent, she has over 15 years' experience creati... [Read more](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/author\/emily-gertenbach)\n\n#### Related Articles\n##### 7 Reddit Keyword Research Tools for 2026\nLeveraging Reddit content and conversations is important for SEO and GEO in 2026. Learn how to plan your strategy using specific tools and four simple steps.\n\n[Read Article](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/reddit-seo-tools)\n\n##### The Smart Marketer’s Guide to Reddit SEO\nReddit brings unique insights for SEO and serves as a powerful promoter of off-page visibility. Here's how to use it smartly with a free tool.\n\n[Read Article](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/reddit-seo-tool)\n\n##### Exploding Topics Pro vs. Free Plans: Which Is Right For You?\nExploding Topics gives you access to lots of great trend data for free — but Pro plans unlock even more metrics. See how Exploding Topics plans differ in this complete analysis.\n\n[Read Article](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/exploding-topics-pro-vs-free)\n\n##### Top 100 Google Searches (January 2026)\nOur regularly-updated list of popular and trending Google search terms.\n\n[Read Article](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/top-google-searches)\n\n##### Using SEO MCP Servers: Complete Guide for Marketers\nMCP servers have the potential to completely overhaul your SEO workflow. 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In this in-depth guide, I’ll share my experiences with Ahrefs, SpyFu and Semrush while breaking down the platforms’ differences and providing recommendations about the best fit for your needs.\n\nContents:\n\n- [What Is Ahrefs?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-ahrefs)\n- [What Is SpyFu?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-spyfu)\n- [What Is Semrush?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-semrush)\n- [How Do Ahrefs, SpyFu, And Semrush Compare?](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#how-do-ahrefs-spyfu-and-semrush-compare)\n### What is Ahrefs?\n[Ahrefs](https:\/\/www.ahrefs.com\/) is a comprehensive SEO tool used to research keywords and backlinks, analyze competitors, and conduct website audits. You can use Ahrefs to see a limited amount of information about your website for free, and paid plans give you access to a full slate of optimization tools.\n\n![The blue and white Ahrefs homepage with an orange \"sign up for Ahrefs\" button.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/BOITwF7ITi9gu6ouRJKm)\n\n### Want to Spy on Your Competition?\nExplore competitors’ website traffic stats, discover growth points, and expand your market share.\n#### **Top Ahrefs Features**\nStandout Ahrefs tools include:\n\n- Keywords Explorer: a tool for evaluating SERPs and developing lists of target keywords based on search volume, difficulty, or competitor rank\n- Brand Radar: a tool that shows you how your brand (or a competitor’s) gets mentioned across traditional Google results, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity\n- Content Explorer: a tool for finding low-competition topic ideas and backlink prospects\n- Site Audit: crawls webpages, scans for content and technical SEO issues, and ranks fixes in order of importance\n#### **Ahrefs Pros and Cons**\nI used Ahrefs as my exclusive SEO tool for years, and today it’s one of several that I use for different reasons. These are the biggest pros and cons that I’ve come across in my time using the platform.\n\n**Ahrefs Pros:**\n\n- Large keyword database\n- Easy-to-read site audit reports\n- Project organization and reporting tools\n- Helpful videos and learning paths for new users\n- Free Webmaster Tools plan\n- Affordable Starter plan\n- Suggestions to improve internal links between pages\n\n**Ahrefs Cons:**\n\n- Credit-based crawl system\n- Limited keyword research credits (on some plans)\n- Historical data only available on paid plan\n- Limited content optimization insights\n- No support for local citation SEO aside from Google Business Profile\n- Some features are only available as a paid add-on\n\nRead our complete [Ahrefs review](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/ahrefs-review) to learn more about this tool and decide if it’s right for you.\n\n#### **Who Should Use Ahrefs?**\nAhrefs has a large keyword database, basic interface, and ample customization options, so it’s best suited for people who have some prior SEO experience.\n\nHowever, small business owners may like the fact that they can use some Ahrefs tools for free. The Webmaster Tools plan allows verified site owners to monitor site traffic, top keywords, and other core metrics on a dedicated dashboard. Ownership verification requires connecting Ahrefs to your [Google Search Console](https:\/\/search.google.com\/search-console\/about) account or adding an Ahrefs Web Analytics tag to your site.\n\n![The Ahrefs ownership verification screen gives site owners several options.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/RaS15J1Q9OfScv8adYGv)\n\n### What is SpyFu?\n[SpyFu](https:\/\/www.spyfu.com\/) is a marketing tool that’s useful for SEO and PPC research. You can actually do a lot of SEO research without ever logging into SpyFu—so it’s good for small businesses and new SEO practitioners working on a small budget.\n\n![The purple SpyFu homepage displays a list of company logos.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/BnsDSPZTnOZpL8tRyYio)\n\n#### **Top SpyFu Features**\nSpyFu offers a straightforward set of tools that are similar to those found in Semrush and Ahrefs. The platform’s top features include:\n\n- SpyGPT for analyzing brand or competitor mentions in ChatGPT results\n- Keyword Overview to analyze SERP results\n- Domain Overview to see key metrics about any URL’s SERP performance, traffic, and backlinks\n- PPC Kombat to see competitive positioning maps for the paid SERP\n- Google Ads Templates to help you create paid ad campaigns\n#### **SpyFu Pros and Cons**\nI’ve used SpyFu as both an in-house marketer and a freelance consultant. Its feature set is limited compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, but it has some benefits … especially for marketers on a budget.\n\n**SpyFu Pros:**\n\n- Ample information available for free\n- Easy-to-understand paid ad recommendations\n- Free analysis of brand mentions in ChatGPT\n- User-friendly interface\n\n**SpyFu Cons:**\n\n- Free data only available while logged out; you can’t save your work\n- Limited backlink analysis tool capabilities\n- No notable support for local SEO initiatives\n- Some features require a separate subscription to an AI tool\n- Historical keyword data only available on paid plan\n\nCheck out our deep dive into [SpyFu vs. Semrush](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/spyfu-vs-semrush) to learn more about how these two tools stack up.\n\n#### **Who Should Use SpyFu?**\nHaving used the paid versions of all three tools, I find SpyFu to be the weakest. You can simply do more with a paid Ahrefs or Semrush subscription.\n\nIf you’re interested in a free tool, though, SpyFu can’t be beat. This makes it a good choice for small business owners or early-career marketers without the money to spend on a complete SEO solution.\n\n![The SpyFu keyword report shows organic traffic changes.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/N3r1uhjRk6C9PzpZJDw2)\n\n### What is Semrush?\nSemrush is an all-in-one SEO tool with some similar features to Ahrefs. It’s useful for monitoring the performance of your business website, managing multiple clients’ SEO performance, researching competitors, optimizing content, and more.\n\n![The purple and white Semrush homepage reads \"Your AI-powered marketing platform for real results.\"](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/5ncu5JyHS06hPFyywWdx)\n\n#### **Top Semrush Features**\nSemrush has a diverse feature set compared to other SEO tools on the market today. Its most notable features include the:\n\n- [Keyword Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/keywordoverview\/) and the [Keyword Magic Tool](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/features\/keyword-magic-tool\/), both used to find keyword volume, competition scores, and related SERP data\n- [Keyword Strategy Builder](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/kb\/1058-keyword-strategy-builder) that groups your keywords into clusters for an instant SEO content strategy\n- [Link Building Tool](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/link_building\/) that helps you find and reach out to prospects to request high-quality backlinks\n- [Topic Research](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/topic-research\/) that helps you come up with new content ideas\n- [SEO Writing Assistant](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/swa\/) for finding semantic keywords and analyzing your content optimization as you write\n- [Traffic & Market toolkit](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/traffic\/) that helps you keep an eye on competitors and changing industry trends\n\n![A Semrush Keyword Magic Tool report customized for the semrush.com domain](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/7pCPvFPQYeMzB6Tr1tU4)\n\n#### **Semrush Pros and Cons**\nSemrush is one of the three SEO tools I use the most (the others being Ahrefs and [SE Ranking](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/se-ranking-review)). I find that Semrush does a lot of things well, especially when it comes to position tracking and content analysis. But no tool is perfect\\!\n\n**Semrush Pros:**\n\n- Generous [free plan](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/blog\/what-can-i-do-with-a-free-account-from-semrush\/)\n- Personalized keyword difficulty scores for organic search\n- Domain topic analysis\n- Real-time content feedback while you write\n- Backlink toxicity analysis\n- Easy-to-understand competitive intelligence metrics\n- Link building tools\n- Dedicated site audit tool\n- Local citation support\n- App center options to help you expand the tool’s functionality\n\n**Semrush Cons:**\n\n- Expensive paid plans\n- Some features are only available as a paid add-on\n- Smaller keyword database than some competitors\n- Limited internal link analysis\n\nRead our extensive [Semrush review](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/semrush-review) for a comprehensive breakdown of everything the platform has to offer.\n\n#### **Who Should Use Semrush?**\nThe fact that you can do a range of digital marketing tasks with Semrush makes it a great choice for business owners and professional marketers alike.\n\n![The Semrush backlink analytics graph shows connections to venturebeat.com](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/xgk2dU0gSHWyUvrzzvim)\n\n### How do Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Compare?\n|   |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|\n|   | **Ahrefs** | **SpyFu** | **Semrush** |\n| SEO audits | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Organic search traffic estimates | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Keyword ideas | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| SERP rank tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| ChatGPT rank tracking | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Local SEO | ✅ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| PPC campaign research | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Competitor research | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Trend discovery | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Trend forecasting | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Content planning | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Content editing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| AI content generation | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Social media management | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n#### **Keyword Research**\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all include a [keyword research tool](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/tools\/keyword-research) that shows you essential metrics like:\n\n- Domain authority\n- Monthly search volume\n- Search volume by country\n- Keyword difficulty or competition score\n- Related keywords\n- Current SERP ranking\n\nEach of the three tools pulls their keyword data from a different proprietary database, so the keyword metrics displayed by each tool may be slightly different.\n\nCheck out the differences reported by each tool when I look up the term “best SEO software”:\n\n|   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|\n|   | **Search Volume** | **Keyword Difficulty** |\n| Ahrefs Keyword Explorer | 4,100 | 64 out of 100 |\n| SpyFu Keyword Overview | 320-480 | 60 out of 100 |\n| [Semrush Keyword Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/keywordoverview\/) | 1,300 | 69 out of 100 |\n\nThe larger a tool’s keyword database, the more likely you are to find information about highly specific long-tail keywords or terms that are popular in specific regions.\n\n|   |   |\n|---|---|\n|   | **Number of Keywords in Database** |\n| Ahrefs | 28\\.7 billion |\n| SpyFu | 73 billion |\n| Semrush | 26\\.7 billion |\n\nKeyword database size isn’t the only metric to consider when choosing an SEO tool, though. Sometimes, a tool with a smaller database will have better results for your country or offer other useful features, like a big backlink database.\n\nIt’s also important to consider how your website’s existing content impacts keyword difficulty scores.\n\nIf you want to write an article about a topic for which your site already has a lot of information, this might make a high-competition keyword easier for your site to rank on. Semrush is the only tool that lets you customize your keyword research reports to show personalized keyword difficulty scores.\n\n![The Semrush Keyword Overview report for \"air conditioning units\" is customized for supertechhvac.com](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/izzamm9vSQ6ciIhukz5n)\n\n**The Verdict:** SpyFu has the largest keyword database, but only Semrush shows you a personalized difficulty score. This feature alone is enough to make me choose Semrush as the best tool for keyword research.\n\n#### **Position Tracking**\nLooking up target keywords search volume is only one part of the optimization process. You also need to be able to track keyword rank.\n\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all let you create keyword reports and track rank changes, though each tool works with different search engines:\n\n- Ahrefs supports tracking Google keyword rank\n- SpyFu supports rank tracking on both Google and Bing\n- Semrush supports rank tracking on Google, Bing, Baidu, and ChatGPT\n\n![The Semrush position tracker targeting setup](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/K8MioEi8TASJF09T2NCl)\n\nIt’s also important to consider the locations in which you want to track position changes, as not all SEO tools are equal:\n\n- Ahrefs: 190 countries\n- SpyFu: 23 countries\n- Semrush: 117 countries\n\n**The Verdict:** Ahrefs wins when it comes to position tracking for Google SERPs thanks to their extensive geographic coverage. If you need or want to track other search engines—including AI search tools—then Semrush becomes the top choice.\n\n### Get More Search Traffic\nUse trending keywords to create content your audience craves.\n#### **Local SEO**\nSemrush and Ahrefs offer tools to help businesses improve their local citations. (SpyFu doesn’t provide its users with [local SEO tools](https:\/\/explodingtopics.com\/blog\/semrush-local).)\n\n**Ahrefs** has a local SEO solution that's still in beta; the company says that business owners can import their information and monitor for any [Google Business Profile](https:\/\/business.google.com\/in\/business-profile\/) changes.\n\n**Semrush** offers a similar tool, but it scans for changes in multiple online directories. You can also manage and respond to customer reviews directly through the [Semrush Local](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/apps\/local-seo\/) platform.\n\n![The Semrush Local toolkit review auto-reply function](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/A3TBqhErS12PuNHJYpJc)\n\n**The Verdict:** If you have a brick-and-mortar business location that you want to drive searchers to, go with Semrush. The ability to scan and update multiple directories makes it super valuable.\n\n#### **PPC**\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all support pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns.\n\n**Ahrefs** provides top-level PPC information including cost per click (CPC), competitor ad copy, and estimated paid traffic per competitor webpage.\n\n![The Ahrefs Keyword Explorer displays organic and paid traffic data](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/Hop8YNtqQ3aqgHKXxmof)\n\n**SpyFu** gives you basic CPC data when you look up a keyword; the tool’s Kombat feature also shows you how your competitors’ competitors stack up in the SERP and whether they share paid keywords.\n\n![The SpyFu PPC Kombat chart shows competitor keyword overlap for Salesforce](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/ACMimQQKRdSbm3XTttEg)\n\n**Semrush** displays CPC information via its [Keyword Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/keywordoverview\/) tool; you can also see paid competitive positioning maps, ad copy, and more when using the [Domain Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/overview\/) tool.\n\n![The Semrush advertising research report displays top keywords and competitors](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/pND6ff71QSCTrQcK6EOZ)\n\n**PPC Comparison Table: Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush**\n\n|   |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|\n|   | **Ahrefs** | **SpyFu** | **Semrush** |\n| Keyword CPC | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Most successful advertiser per keyword | ⛔ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Paid search volume | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Recommended keywords to buy | ⛔ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Competitor ad copy \/ history | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Total competitor keywords | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Competitor paid keyword rankings | ✅ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Paid competitive positioning map | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Google Shopping PLA data | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| PPC keyword campaign generator | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| AI ad generation tools | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Google Ad templates | ⛔ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Google Ads automation tools | ⛔ | ⛔ | ✅ |\n| Competitor paid traffic by page | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n\n**The Verdict:** If you’re a beginner at PPC advertising, SpyFu is a good choice. It provides just enough data without being overwhelming, and the app’s “good buy” PPC keyword suggestions can help you plan your first strategy. Experienced PPC advertisers may prefer Semrush, though, as the platform offers more information about ads.\n\n#### **Competitor Analysis**\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush offer comparable competitor analysis tools.\n\nThe **Ahrefs** Site Explorer shows you a domain’s monthly traffic, backlinks, paid and organic keywords, primary SERP search intent, and page status codes.\n\n![The Ahrefs site explorer report ](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/OME2LHxeR8qy2BmdkC5x)\n\n**SpyFu’s** Domain Overview report provides monthly data on organic traffic, paid and organic keyword distribution, rank changes, top pages, and domain competitors.\n\n![The SpyFu domain overview shows organic keywords and monthly traffic.](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/W40Jgy2tTxmeLVCJ1pan)\n\nThe **Semrush** [Domain Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/overview\/) tool shows you traffic, paid and organic keywords, key topics, keyword opportunities, SERP feature distribution, ad copy, and backlinks.\n\n![The Semrush domain overview report ](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/LX6TpsvR42sRnq9Lj7mB)\n\n**The Verdict:** Semrush wins for best competitive analysis tool due to its “key topics” report. This is useful when you want to figure out what overarching entities are associated with a competitor’s site—you can then use this information to adjust your own content and PPC strategies.\n\n#### **Backlinks**\nThere are three things an SEO tool can do when it comes to backlinks:\n\n1. Show you the links associated with a domain\n2. Analyze and rank backlinks by domain toxicity level\n3. Help you strategically remove or acquire backlinks\n\n**Ahrefs** includes a nice backlink analytics overview as part of its Domain Explorer tool; you can also get a good picture of your referring domains when running a site audit. The platform doesn’t include any dedicated backlink tools, though, and there’s no support for building a better backlink profile.\n\n![Ahrefs Site Explorer backlinks report](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/i1kwQkxBRyyzxVJ40oGn)\n\n**SpyFu** is most useful for looking at the backlinks associated with a domain. The tool doesn’t offer any more advanced features for assessing domain toxicity or improving your backlink profile.\n\n![The SpyFu backlinks report ](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/i50t9ZWJSuWiIylPpNE1)\n\n**Semrush** is useful for both off-page and on-page SEO purposes, including building backlinks. The [Backlink Analytics](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/backlinks\/) and [Backlink Audit](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/backlink_audit\/) tools make it easy to see who’s linking to a site and how toxic those links may be. And if you’d like to improve your backlink profile, the [Link Building Tool](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/link_building\/) helps you find opportunities and reach out directly to site owners to request a link.\n\n![The Semrush Backlink Analysis report shows authority, referring domain count, and traffic levels](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/chCF4cMiRz24sKbRMCKD)\n\n**The Verdict:** Semrush is the best choice for backlink analysis. I find it really easy to understand how healthy a backlink profile is while using the audit tool, and I’ve never used anything quite like the link building tool. The fact you can reach out to site owners without switching to another app is a game changer.\n\n### Want to Beat Your Competition?\nFind out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy.\n#### **Site Audits**\nAhrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all allow you to conduct site audits, but the tools offer varying levels of technical SEO and content auditing support.\n\n**Ahrefs** site audit reports include a review of your top technical SEO issues like indexability and site speed as well as recommendations for improvements. One of Ahrefs’ standout features is its internal link analysis, which includes specific suggestions (including anchor text) that you can follow to improve your link structure.\n\n![Ahrefs Site Audit report](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/4SUOtonRDqSHbWvlXxcA)\n\n**SpyFu** reports are closer to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer or Semrush’s [Domain Overview](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/overview\/?searchType=domain) analysis than a true website audit. You can see top-level information about a domain, including broken links, but SpyFu doesn’t let you dig deep into technical issues, site speed, or information architecture.\n\n![The SpyFu domain overview report for explodingtopics.com](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/W40Jgy2tTxmeLVCJ1pan)\n\n**Semrush** [Site Audit](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/siteaudit\/) reports are similar to those found in Ahrefs and include information on site speed, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, crawlability, and other technical issues. Like Ahrefs, Semrush also provides suggestions for how to fix your top SEO issues.\n\n![The Semrush SEO Site Audit report list of erros and suggestions](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/wDxlncoPTSvWuEvbXiTx)\n\n**The Verdict:** Ahrefs excels at site audits thanks to its internal link analysis. Semrush lets you see what pages have broken or incorrect internal links, but only Ahrefs provides suggestions for new internal links that you can create in your content management system.\n\n#### **Content Marketing**\nAn increasing number of SEO tools, including Ahrefs and Semrush, are adding content marketing tools to their slate of features. These can range from a review of your page readability to immediate feedback on semantic keyword use.\n\n**Ahrefs** has an AI Content Helper tool that analyzes competitors and addresses key topics that can be helpful to cover in your content. I’ve used the Content Helper tool in the past and, while the topic analysis was helpful, I found its scoring system to be lacking. Plus, the Content Helper isn’t as customizable as similar tools offered by Semrush, SE Ranking and Clearscope.\n\n|   |   |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n|   | **Ahrefs Content Helper** | **Semrush SEO Writing Assistant** | **SE Ranking Content Marketing Platform** | **Clearscope** |\n| Create downloadable content briefs | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Add and remove semantic keywords or topics | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Get real-time writing feedback | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| AI-generated metadata or headers | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Analyze readability | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Check tone of voice | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n| Scan for plagiarism | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ |\n\n**SpyFu** doesn’t offer content recommendations in its main interface; you have to subscribe to a separate tool called RivalFlowAI. The RivalFlow tool suggests improvements and gives you AI-generated text to use in your document if you so desire.\n\n**Semrush** has the most robust content marketing toolkit on this list. You can create content briefs for specific keywords, analyze readability and tone of voice, find semantic keywords, scan for plagiarism, and get optimization feedback while you write.\n\n![The Semrush SEO Writing Assistant analyzing text for four key SEO factors](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/teidbwnjSuCujPfrt7SE)\n\n**The Verdict:** Semrush is the best choice for content marketers who want an easy way to source semantic keywords, evaluate competitors, and get feedback on their writing. There are also Semrush extensions for Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so you can use the tool without leaving your writing platform of choice.\n\n#### **Price**\nAll three platforms offer a free plan tier, though what you can do with this access varies. Regardless of the tool you choose, though, a paid subscription gives you access to the largest variety of SEO features.\n\n|   |   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|---|\n|   | **Ahrefs** | **SpyFu** | **Semrush** |\n| Free plan access | Basic traffic and keyword data for owned sites | Extensive organic and paid traffic \/ SERP data for any domain or keyword | Site audits; 10 daily keyword research, backlink and competitor queries; 10 tracked keywords |\n| Paid plan starting price | \\$29 per month for the Starter plan | \\$33 per month for the Basic plan (billed annually) | \\$117.33 per month for the Pro plan (billed annually) |\n| Optional paid add-ons | AI content helper, report builder, AI assistant for site audits | RivalFlow AI | Report builder, lead generation suite, advanced trend tracking tools |\n\n**The Verdict:** SpyFu gives you the most information for free without logging in, though you can’t save your work—even if you own the site you’re analyzing. If you want to conduct basic keyword research and track your site performance, then Ahrefs’ starter plan is the best choice.\n\nExperienced marketers who need full access to an SEO tool should choose Ahrefs or Semrush—I recommend the latter if you’re going to do a lot of content optimization work.\n\n### What About Trend Tracking?\nAll SEO tools let you see the current or historical state of a SERP—but they don’t always let you see how interest in a term has changed over time. And fewer still offer a look at how topic popularity might change in the future.\n\nBut this is an important part of digital marketing! Whether you’re planning product launches, digging into competitive research, or building a new client’s SEO strategy, it’s good to know whether interest in a topic or term is likely to fluctuate with the seasons, decline, or spike in the future.\n\nWhile every Semrush keyword report includes a basic trend graph, you can unlock the ability to dig deep into trends with an [Exploding Topics Pro](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/lp\/exploding-topics-pricing\/en\/) subscription. Exploding Topics lets you see things like popularity by channel, key growth indicators, and future trend forecasts.\n\n![The Exploding Topics graph for \"AI Voice Recorder\" shows a line trending up](https:\/\/cdn.buttercms.com\/output=f:webp\/P51iInogSHyp72wc9Ett)\n\n### FAQ\n#### **What’s the Best Free SEO Tool?**\nSpyFu offers the most free access, and you don’t need an account to start your SEO research. If you’d like to save your work and create tracked keyword reports for free, then Semrush is the best choice.\n\n#### **Is Ahrefs Better Than Semrush?**\nAhrefs and Semrush are both very reliable SEO tools. If you’re interested in building internal links and working on technical SEO tasks, then Ahrefs is a great choice. Marketers interested in improving their SEO content or local SEO performance will be best served by Semrush.\n\n#### **How Does SpyFu Compare to Semrush?**\nThe biggest difference between SpyFu and Semrush is the fact that Semrush offers basic keyword and domain overview reports, while Semrush lets you run deep site audits and analyze content. SpyFu is good for top-level SEO insights; Semrush is better for planning and tracking long-term SEO work.\n### Enhance your SEO tools with Exploding Topics Pro\nWhether you decide Ahrefs, SpyFu, or Semrush is best for your needs, you can expand the scope of your SEO research ability with Exploding Topics Pro. Grab a [free seven-day trial](https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/lp\/exploding-topics-pricing\/en\/) now and explore all of the data it has to offer—and get ahead of your competitors.\n\nExploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Ahrefs vs. SpyFu vs. Semrush: What’s the Best SEO Tool in 2025?
Meta Description	Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all offer different benefits—find out which one is right for you in 2025.
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Boilerpipe Text	Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush are three popular SEO tools used by marketers in a range of industries. I've spent more than a decade using each of these tools for various purposes—and with companies of all sizes. In this in-depth guide, I’ll share my experiences with Ahrefs, SpyFu and Semrush while breaking down the platforms’ differences and providing recommendations about the best fit for your needs. Contents: What Is Ahrefs? What Is SpyFu? What Is Semrush? How Do Ahrefs, SpyFu, And Semrush Compare? What is Ahrefs? Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool used to research keywords and backlinks, analyze competitors, and conduct website audits. You can use Ahrefs to see a limited amount of information about your website for free, and paid plans give you access to a full slate of optimization tools. Want to Spy on Your Competition ? Explore competitors’ website traffic stats, discover growth points, and expand your market share. Top Ahrefs Features Standout Ahrefs tools include: Keywords Explorer: a tool for evaluating SERPs and developing lists of target keywords based on search volume, difficulty, or competitor rank Brand Radar: a tool that shows you how your brand (or a competitor’s) gets mentioned across traditional Google results, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity Content Explorer: a tool for finding low-competition topic ideas and backlink prospects Site Audit: crawls webpages, scans for content and technical SEO issues, and ranks fixes in order of importance Ahrefs Pros and Cons I used Ahrefs as my exclusive SEO tool for years, and today it’s one of several that I use for different reasons. These are the biggest pros and cons that I’ve come across in my time using the platform. Ahrefs Pros: Large keyword database Easy-to-read site audit reports Project organization and reporting tools Helpful videos and learning paths for new users Free Webmaster Tools plan Affordable Starter plan Suggestions to improve internal links between pages Ahrefs Cons: Credit-based crawl system Limited keyword research credits (on some plans) Historical data only available on paid plan Limited content optimization insights No support for local citation SEO aside from Google Business Profile Some features are only available as a paid add-on Read our complete Ahrefs review to learn more about this tool and decide if it’s right for you. Who Should Use Ahrefs? Ahrefs has a large keyword database, basic interface, and ample customization options, so it’s best suited for people who have some prior SEO experience. However, small business owners may like the fact that they can use some Ahrefs tools for free. The Webmaster Tools plan allows verified site owners to monitor site traffic, top keywords, and other core metrics on a dedicated dashboard. Ownership verification requires connecting Ahrefs to your Google Search Console account or adding an Ahrefs Web Analytics tag to your site. What is SpyFu? SpyFu is a marketing tool that’s useful for SEO and PPC research. You can actually do a lot of SEO research without ever logging into SpyFu—so it’s good for small businesses and new SEO practitioners working on a small budget. Top SpyFu Features SpyFu offers a straightforward set of tools that are similar to those found in Semrush and Ahrefs. The platform’s top features include: SpyGPT for analyzing brand or competitor mentions in ChatGPT results Keyword Overview to analyze SERP results Domain Overview to see key metrics about any URL’s SERP performance, traffic, and backlinks PPC Kombat to see competitive positioning maps for the paid SERP Google Ads Templates to help you create paid ad campaigns SpyFu Pros and Cons I’ve used SpyFu as both an in-house marketer and a freelance consultant. Its feature set is limited compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, but it has some benefits … especially for marketers on a budget. SpyFu Pros: Ample information available for free Easy-to-understand paid ad recommendations Free analysis of brand mentions in ChatGPT User-friendly interface SpyFu Cons: Free data only available while logged out; you can’t save your work Limited backlink analysis tool capabilities No notable support for local SEO initiatives Some features require a separate subscription to an AI tool Historical keyword data only available on paid plan Check out our deep dive into SpyFu vs. Semrush to learn more about how these two tools stack up. Who Should Use SpyFu? Having used the paid versions of all three tools, I find SpyFu to be the weakest. You can simply do more with a paid Ahrefs or Semrush subscription. If you’re interested in a free tool, though, SpyFu can’t be beat. This makes it a good choice for small business owners or early-career marketers without the money to spend on a complete SEO solution. What is Semrush? Semrush is an all-in-one SEO tool with some similar features to Ahrefs. It’s useful for monitoring the performance of your business website, managing multiple clients’ SEO performance, researching competitors, optimizing content, and more. Top Semrush Features Semrush has a diverse feature set compared to other SEO tools on the market today. Its most notable features include the: Keyword Overview and the Keyword Magic Tool , both used to find keyword volume, competition scores, and related SERP data Keyword Strategy Builder that groups your keywords into clusters for an instant SEO content strategy Link Building Tool that helps you find and reach out to prospects to request high-quality backlinks Topic Research that helps you come up with new content ideas SEO Writing Assistant for finding semantic keywords and analyzing your content optimization as you write Traffic & Market toolkit that helps you keep an eye on competitors and changing industry trends Semrush Pros and Cons Semrush is one of the three SEO tools I use the most (the others being Ahrefs and SE Ranking ). I find that Semrush does a lot of things well, especially when it comes to position tracking and content analysis. But no tool is perfect! Semrush Pros: Generous free plan Personalized keyword difficulty scores for organic search Domain topic analysis Real-time content feedback while you write Backlink toxicity analysis Easy-to-understand competitive intelligence metrics Link building tools Dedicated site audit tool Local citation support App center options to help you expand the tool’s functionality Semrush Cons: Expensive paid plans Some features are only available as a paid add-on Smaller keyword database than some competitors Limited internal link analysis Read our extensive Semrush review for a comprehensive breakdown of everything the platform has to offer. Who Should Use Semrush? The fact that you can do a range of digital marketing tasks with Semrush makes it a great choice for business owners and professional marketers alike. How do Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Compare? Ahrefs SpyFu Semrush SEO audits ✅ ✅ ✅ Organic search traffic estimates ✅ ✅ ✅ Keyword ideas ✅ ✅ ✅ SERP rank tracking ✅ ✅ ✅ ChatGPT rank tracking ⛔ ✅ ✅ Local SEO ✅ ⛔ ✅ PPC campaign research ✅ ✅ ✅ Competitor research ✅ ✅ ✅ Trend discovery ⛔ ⛔ ✅ Trend forecasting ⛔ ⛔ ✅ Content planning ⛔ ⛔ ✅ Content editing ✅ ✅ ✅ AI content generation ⛔ ✅ ✅ Social media management ⛔ ⛔ ✅ Keyword Research Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all include a keyword research tool that shows you essential metrics like: Domain authority Monthly search volume Search volume by country Keyword difficulty or competition score Related keywords Current SERP ranking Each of the three tools pulls their keyword data from a different proprietary database, so the keyword metrics displayed by each tool may be slightly different. Check out the differences reported by each tool when I look up the term “best SEO software”: Search Volume Keyword Difficulty Ahrefs Keyword Explorer 4,100 64 out of 100 SpyFu Keyword Overview 320-480 60 out of 100 Semrush Keyword Overview 1,300 69 out of 100 The larger a tool’s keyword database, the more likely you are to find information about highly specific long-tail keywords or terms that are popular in specific regions. Number of Keywords in Database Ahrefs 28.7 billion SpyFu 73 billion Semrush 26.7 billion Keyword database size isn’t the only metric to consider when choosing an SEO tool, though. Sometimes, a tool with a smaller database will have better results for your country or offer other useful features, like a big backlink database. It’s also important to consider how your website’s existing content impacts keyword difficulty scores. If you want to write an article about a topic for which your site already has a lot of information, this might make a high-competition keyword easier for your site to rank on. Semrush is the only tool that lets you customize your keyword research reports to show personalized keyword difficulty scores. The Verdict: SpyFu has the largest keyword database, but only Semrush shows you a personalized difficulty score. This feature alone is enough to make me choose Semrush as the best tool for keyword research. Position Tracking Looking up target keywords search volume is only one part of the optimization process. You also need to be able to track keyword rank. Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all let you create keyword reports and track rank changes, though each tool works with different search engines: Ahrefs supports tracking Google keyword rank SpyFu supports rank tracking on both Google and Bing Semrush supports rank tracking on Google, Bing, Baidu, and ChatGPT It’s also important to consider the locations in which you want to track position changes, as not all SEO tools are equal: Ahrefs: 190 countries SpyFu: 23 countries Semrush: 117 countries The Verdict: Ahrefs wins when it comes to position tracking for Google SERPs thanks to their extensive geographic coverage. If you need or want to track other search engines—including AI search tools—then Semrush becomes the top choice. Get More Search Traffic Use trending keywords to create content your audience craves. Local SEO Semrush and Ahrefs offer tools to help businesses improve their local citations. (SpyFu doesn’t provide its users with local SEO tools .) Ahrefs has a local SEO solution that's still in beta; the company says that business owners can import their information and monitor for any Google Business Profile changes. Semrush offers a similar tool, but it scans for changes in multiple online directories. You can also manage and respond to customer reviews directly through the Semrush Local platform. The Verdict: If you have a brick-and-mortar business location that you want to drive searchers to, go with Semrush. The ability to scan and update multiple directories makes it super valuable. PPC Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all support pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns. Ahrefs provides top-level PPC information including cost per click (CPC), competitor ad copy, and estimated paid traffic per competitor webpage. SpyFu gives you basic CPC data when you look up a keyword; the tool’s Kombat feature also shows you how your competitors’ competitors stack up in the SERP and whether they share paid keywords. Semrush displays CPC information via its Keyword Overview tool; you can also see paid competitive positioning maps, ad copy, and more when using the Domain Overview tool. PPC Comparison Table: Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Ahrefs SpyFu Semrush Keyword CPC ✅ ✅ ✅ Most successful advertiser per keyword ⛔ ✅ ⛔ Paid search volume ⛔ ✅ ✅ Recommended keywords to buy ⛔ ✅ ⛔ Competitor ad copy / history ✅ ✅ ✅ Total competitor keywords ✅ ✅ ✅ Competitor paid keyword rankings ✅ ⛔ ✅ Paid competitive positioning map ⛔ ✅ ✅ Google Shopping PLA data ⛔ ⛔ ✅ PPC keyword campaign generator ⛔ ⛔ ✅ AI ad generation tools ⛔ ⛔ ✅ Google Ad templates ⛔ ✅ ⛔ Google Ads automation tools ⛔ ⛔ ✅ Competitor paid traffic by page ✅ ✅ ⛔ The Verdict: If you’re a beginner at PPC advertising, SpyFu is a good choice. It provides just enough data without being overwhelming, and the app’s “good buy” PPC keyword suggestions can help you plan your first strategy. Experienced PPC advertisers may prefer Semrush, though, as the platform offers more information about ads. Competitor Analysis Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush offer comparable competitor analysis tools. The Ahrefs Site Explorer shows you a domain’s monthly traffic, backlinks, paid and organic keywords, primary SERP search intent, and page status codes. SpyFu’s Domain Overview report provides monthly data on organic traffic, paid and organic keyword distribution, rank changes, top pages, and domain competitors. The Semrush Domain Overview tool shows you traffic, paid and organic keywords, key topics, keyword opportunities, SERP feature distribution, ad copy, and backlinks. The Verdict: Semrush wins for best competitive analysis tool due to its “key topics” report. This is useful when you want to figure out what overarching entities are associated with a competitor’s site—you can then use this information to adjust your own content and PPC strategies. Backlinks There are three things an SEO tool can do when it comes to backlinks: Show you the links associated with a domain Analyze and rank backlinks by domain toxicity level Help you strategically remove or acquire backlinks Ahrefs includes a nice backlink analytics overview as part of its Domain Explorer tool; you can also get a good picture of your referring domains when running a site audit. The platform doesn’t include any dedicated backlink tools, though, and there’s no support for building a better backlink profile. SpyFu is most useful for looking at the backlinks associated with a domain. The tool doesn’t offer any more advanced features for assessing domain toxicity or improving your backlink profile. Semrush is useful for both off-page and on-page SEO purposes, including building backlinks. The Backlink Analytics and Backlink Audit tools make it easy to see who’s linking to a site and how toxic those links may be. And if you’d like to improve your backlink profile, the Link Building Tool helps you find opportunities and reach out directly to site owners to request a link. The Verdict: Semrush is the best choice for backlink analysis. I find it really easy to understand how healthy a backlink profile is while using the audit tool, and I’ve never used anything quite like the link building tool. The fact you can reach out to site owners without switching to another app is a game changer. Want to Beat Your Competition ? Find out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy. Site Audits Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all allow you to conduct site audits, but the tools offer varying levels of technical SEO and content auditing support. Ahrefs site audit reports include a review of your top technical SEO issues like indexability and site speed as well as recommendations for improvements. One of Ahrefs’ standout features is its internal link analysis, which includes specific suggestions (including anchor text) that you can follow to improve your link structure. SpyFu reports are closer to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer or Semrush’s Domain Overview analysis than a true website audit. You can see top-level information about a domain, including broken links, but SpyFu doesn’t let you dig deep into technical issues, site speed, or information architecture. Semrush Site Audit reports are similar to those found in Ahrefs and include information on site speed, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, crawlability, and other technical issues. Like Ahrefs, Semrush also provides suggestions for how to fix your top SEO issues. The Verdict: Ahrefs excels at site audits thanks to its internal link analysis. Semrush lets you see what pages have broken or incorrect internal links, but only Ahrefs provides suggestions for new internal links that you can create in your content management system. Content Marketing An increasing number of SEO tools, including Ahrefs and Semrush, are adding content marketing tools to their slate of features. These can range from a review of your page readability to immediate feedback on semantic keyword use. Ahrefs has an AI Content Helper tool that analyzes competitors and addresses key topics that can be helpful to cover in your content. I’ve used the Content Helper tool in the past and, while the topic analysis was helpful, I found its scoring system to be lacking. Plus, the Content Helper isn’t as customizable as similar tools offered by Semrush, SE Ranking and Clearscope. Ahrefs Content Helper Semrush SEO Writing Assistant SE Ranking Content Marketing Platform Clearscope Create downloadable content briefs ⛔ ✅ ✅ ⛔ Add and remove semantic keywords or topics ⛔ ✅ ✅ ✅ Get real-time writing feedback ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ AI-generated metadata or headers ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Analyze readability ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Check tone of voice ⛔ ✅ ✅ ⛔ Scan for plagiarism ⛔ ✅ ✅ ⛔ SpyFu doesn’t offer content recommendations in its main interface; you have to subscribe to a separate tool called RivalFlowAI. The RivalFlow tool suggests improvements and gives you AI-generated text to use in your document if you so desire. Semrush has the most robust content marketing toolkit on this list. You can create content briefs for specific keywords, analyze readability and tone of voice, find semantic keywords, scan for plagiarism, and get optimization feedback while you write. The Verdict: Semrush is the best choice for content marketers who want an easy way to source semantic keywords, evaluate competitors, and get feedback on their writing. There are also Semrush extensions for Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so you can use the tool without leaving your writing platform of choice. Price All three platforms offer a free plan tier, though what you can do with this access varies. Regardless of the tool you choose, though, a paid subscription gives you access to the largest variety of SEO features. Ahrefs SpyFu Semrush Free plan access Basic traffic and keyword data for owned sites Extensive organic and paid traffic / SERP data for any domain or keyword Site audits; 10 daily keyword research, backlink and competitor queries; 10 tracked keywords Paid plan starting price $29 per month for the Starter plan $33 per month for the Basic plan (billed annually) $117.33 per month for the Pro plan (billed annually) Optional paid add-ons AI content helper, report builder, AI assistant for site audits RivalFlow AI Report builder, lead generation suite, advanced trend tracking tools The Verdict: SpyFu gives you the most information for free without logging in, though you can’t save your work—even if you own the site you’re analyzing. If you want to conduct basic keyword research and track your site performance, then Ahrefs’ starter plan is the best choice. Experienced marketers who need full access to an SEO tool should choose Ahrefs or Semrush—I recommend the latter if you’re going to do a lot of content optimization work. What About Trend Tracking? All SEO tools let you see the current or historical state of a SERP—but they don’t always let you see how interest in a term has changed over time. And fewer still offer a look at how topic popularity might change in the future. But this is an important part of digital marketing! Whether you’re planning product launches, digging into competitive research, or building a new client’s SEO strategy, it’s good to know whether interest in a topic or term is likely to fluctuate with the seasons, decline, or spike in the future. While every Semrush keyword report includes a basic trend graph, you can unlock the ability to dig deep into trends with an Exploding Topics Pro subscription. Exploding Topics lets you see things like popularity by channel, key growth indicators, and future trend forecasts. FAQ What’s the Best Free SEO Tool? SpyFu offers the most free access, and you don’t need an account to start your SEO research. If you’d like to save your work and create tracked keyword reports for free, then Semrush is the best choice. Is Ahrefs Better Than Semrush? Ahrefs and Semrush are both very reliable SEO tools. If you’re interested in building internal links and working on technical SEO tasks, then Ahrefs is a great choice. Marketers interested in improving their SEO content or local SEO performance will be best served by Semrush. How Does SpyFu Compare to Semrush? The biggest difference between SpyFu and Semrush is the fact that Semrush offers basic keyword and domain overview reports, while Semrush lets you run deep site audits and analyze content. SpyFu is good for top-level SEO insights; Semrush is better for planning and tracking long-term SEO work. Enhance your SEO tools with Exploding Topics Pro Whether you decide Ahrefs, SpyFu, or Semrush is best for your needs, you can expand the scope of your SEO research ability with Exploding Topics Pro. Grab a free seven-day trial now and explore all of the data it has to offer—and get ahead of your competitors. Exploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.
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Table of contents Back to top - [What Is Ahrefs?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-ahrefs) - [What Is SpyFu?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-spyfu) - [What Is Semrush?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-semrush) - [How Do Ahrefs, SpyFu, And Semrush Compare?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#how-do-ahrefs-spyfu-and-semrush-compare) - [What About Trend Tracking?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-about-trend-tracking) - [FAQ](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#faq) - [Enhance Your SEO Tools With Exploding Topics Pro](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#enhance-your-seo-tools-with-exploding-topics-pro) Blog \> Ahrefs vs. SpyFu vs. Semrush: What’s the Best SEO Tool in 2025? # Ahrefs vs. SpyFu vs. Semrush: What’s the Best SEO Tool in 2025? ![author photo](https://cdn.buttercms.com/resize=width:80,height:80/output=f:webp/phlwhfleSRa39eLcrrHf) by Emily Gertenbach Last Updated: June 18, 2025 #### Stop Guessing, Start Growing 🚀 Use real-time topic data to create content that resonates and brings results. Contents: - [What is Ahrefs?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-ahrefs) - [What is SpyFu?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-spyfu) - [What is Semrush?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-semrush) - [How do Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Compare?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#how-do-ahrefs-spyfu-and-semrush-compare) - [What About Trend Tracking?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-about-trend-tracking) - [FAQ](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#faq) - [Enhance your SEO tools with Exploding Topics Pro](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#enhance-your-seo-tools-with-exploding-topics-pro) Share: Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush are three popular SEO tools used by marketers in a range of industries. I've spent more than a decade using each of these tools for various purposes—and with companies of all sizes. In this in-depth guide, I’ll share my experiences with Ahrefs, SpyFu and Semrush while breaking down the platforms’ differences and providing recommendations about the best fit for your needs. Contents: - [What Is Ahrefs?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-ahrefs) - [What Is SpyFu?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-spyfu) - [What Is Semrush?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-semrush) - [How Do Ahrefs, SpyFu, And Semrush Compare?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#how-do-ahrefs-spyfu-and-semrush-compare) ...more ### What is Ahrefs? [Ahrefs](https://www.ahrefs.com/) is a comprehensive SEO tool used to research keywords and backlinks, analyze competitors, and conduct website audits. You can use Ahrefs to see a limited amount of information about your website for free, and paid plans give you access to a full slate of optimization tools. ![The blue and white Ahrefs homepage with an orange "sign up for Ahrefs" button.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/BOITwF7ITi9gu6ouRJKm) ### Want to Spy on Your Competition? Explore competitors’ website traffic stats, discover growth points, and expand your market share. ![Exploding Topics Logo](https://explodingtopics.com/static/images/exploding-topics.svg) #### Top Ahrefs Features Standout Ahrefs tools include: - Keywords Explorer: a tool for evaluating SERPs and developing lists of target keywords based on search volume, difficulty, or competitor rank - Brand Radar: a tool that shows you how your brand (or a competitor’s) gets mentioned across traditional Google results, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity - Content Explorer: a tool for finding low-competition topic ideas and backlink prospects - Site Audit: crawls webpages, scans for content and technical SEO issues, and ranks fixes in order of importance #### Ahrefs Pros and Cons I used Ahrefs as my exclusive SEO tool for years, and today it’s one of several that I use for different reasons. These are the biggest pros and cons that I’ve come across in my time using the platform. Ahrefs Pros: - Large keyword database - Easy-to-read site audit reports - Project organization and reporting tools - Helpful videos and learning paths for new users - Free Webmaster Tools plan - Affordable Starter plan - Suggestions to improve internal links between pages Ahrefs Cons: - Credit-based crawl system - Limited keyword research credits (on some plans) - Historical data only available on paid plan - Limited content optimization insights - No support for local citation SEO aside from Google Business Profile - Some features are only available as a paid add-on Read our complete [Ahrefs review](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-review) to learn more about this tool and decide if it’s right for you. #### Who Should Use Ahrefs? Ahrefs has a large keyword database, basic interface, and ample customization options, so it’s best suited for people who have some prior SEO experience. However, small business owners may like the fact that they can use some Ahrefs tools for free. The Webmaster Tools plan allows verified site owners to monitor site traffic, top keywords, and other core metrics on a dedicated dashboard. Ownership verification requires connecting Ahrefs to your [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/about) account or adding an Ahrefs Web Analytics tag to your site. ![The Ahrefs ownership verification screen gives site owners several options.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/RaS15J1Q9OfScv8adYGv) ### What is SpyFu? [SpyFu](https://www.spyfu.com/) is a marketing tool that’s useful for SEO and PPC research. You can actually do a lot of SEO research without ever logging into SpyFu—so it’s good for small businesses and new SEO practitioners working on a small budget. ![The purple SpyFu homepage displays a list of company logos.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/BnsDSPZTnOZpL8tRyYio) #### Top SpyFu Features SpyFu offers a straightforward set of tools that are similar to those found in Semrush and Ahrefs. The platform’s top features include: - SpyGPT for analyzing brand or competitor mentions in ChatGPT results - Keyword Overview to analyze SERP results - Domain Overview to see key metrics about any URL’s SERP performance, traffic, and backlinks - PPC Kombat to see competitive positioning maps for the paid SERP - Google Ads Templates to help you create paid ad campaigns #### SpyFu Pros and Cons I’ve used SpyFu as both an in-house marketer and a freelance consultant. Its feature set is limited compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, but it has some benefits … especially for marketers on a budget. SpyFu Pros: - Ample information available for free - Easy-to-understand paid ad recommendations - Free analysis of brand mentions in ChatGPT - User-friendly interface SpyFu Cons: - Free data only available while logged out; you can’t save your work - Limited backlink analysis tool capabilities - No notable support for local SEO initiatives - Some features require a separate subscription to an AI tool - Historical keyword data only available on paid plan Check out our deep dive into [SpyFu vs. Semrush](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/spyfu-vs-semrush) to learn more about how these two tools stack up. #### Who Should Use SpyFu? Having used the paid versions of all three tools, I find SpyFu to be the weakest. You can simply do more with a paid Ahrefs or Semrush subscription. If you’re interested in a free tool, though, SpyFu can’t be beat. This makes it a good choice for small business owners or early-career marketers without the money to spend on a complete SEO solution. ![The SpyFu keyword report shows organic traffic changes.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/N3r1uhjRk6C9PzpZJDw2) ### What is Semrush? Semrush is an all-in-one SEO tool with some similar features to Ahrefs. It’s useful for monitoring the performance of your business website, managing multiple clients’ SEO performance, researching competitors, optimizing content, and more. ![The purple and white Semrush homepage reads "Your AI-powered marketing platform for real results."](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/5ncu5JyHS06hPFyywWdx) #### Top Semrush Features Semrush has a diverse feature set compared to other SEO tools on the market today. Its most notable features include the: - [Keyword Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordoverview/) and the [Keyword Magic Tool](https://www.semrush.com/features/keyword-magic-tool/), both used to find keyword volume, competition scores, and related SERP data - [Keyword Strategy Builder](https://www.semrush.com/kb/1058-keyword-strategy-builder) that groups your keywords into clusters for an instant SEO content strategy - [Link Building Tool](https://www.semrush.com/link_building/) that helps you find and reach out to prospects to request high-quality backlinks - [Topic Research](https://www.semrush.com/topic-research/) that helps you come up with new content ideas - [SEO Writing Assistant](https://www.semrush.com/swa/) for finding semantic keywords and analyzing your content optimization as you write - [Traffic & Market toolkit](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/traffic/) that helps you keep an eye on competitors and changing industry trends ![A Semrush Keyword Magic Tool report customized for the semrush.com domain](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/7pCPvFPQYeMzB6Tr1tU4) #### Semrush Pros and Cons Semrush is one of the three SEO tools I use the most (the others being Ahrefs and [SE Ranking](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/se-ranking-review)). I find that Semrush does a lot of things well, especially when it comes to position tracking and content analysis. But no tool is perfect\! Semrush Pros: - Generous [free plan](https://www.semrush.com/blog/what-can-i-do-with-a-free-account-from-semrush/) - Personalized keyword difficulty scores for organic search - Domain topic analysis - Real-time content feedback while you write - Backlink toxicity analysis - Easy-to-understand competitive intelligence metrics - Link building tools - Dedicated site audit tool - Local citation support - App center options to help you expand the tool’s functionality Semrush Cons: - Expensive paid plans - Some features are only available as a paid add-on - Smaller keyword database than some competitors - Limited internal link analysis Read our extensive [Semrush review](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/semrush-review) for a comprehensive breakdown of everything the platform has to offer. #### Who Should Use Semrush? The fact that you can do a range of digital marketing tasks with Semrush makes it a great choice for business owners and professional marketers alike. ![The Semrush backlink analytics graph shows connections to venturebeat.com](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/xgk2dU0gSHWyUvrzzvim) ### How do Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Compare? \| \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Ahrefs \| SpyFu \| Semrush \| \| SEO audits \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Organic search traffic estimates \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Keyword ideas \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| SERP rank tracking \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| ChatGPT rank tracking \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Local SEO \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| PPC campaign research \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Competitor research \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Trend discovery \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Trend forecasting \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Content planning \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Content editing \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| AI content generation \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Social media management \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| #### Keyword Research Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all include a [keyword research tool](https://explodingtopics.com/tools/keyword-research) that shows you essential metrics like: - Domain authority - Monthly search volume - Search volume by country - Keyword difficulty or competition score - Related keywords - Current SERP ranking Each of the three tools pulls their keyword data from a different proprietary database, so the keyword metrics displayed by each tool may be slightly different. Check out the differences reported by each tool when I look up the term “best SEO software”: \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Search Volume \| Keyword Difficulty \| \| Ahrefs Keyword Explorer \| 4,100 \| 64 out of 100 \| \| SpyFu Keyword Overview \| 320-480 \| 60 out of 100 \| \| [Semrush Keyword Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordoverview/) \| 1,300 \| 69 out of 100 \| The larger a tool’s keyword database, the more likely you are to find information about highly specific long-tail keywords or terms that are popular in specific regions. \| \| \| \|---\|---\| \| \| Number of Keywords in Database \| \| Ahrefs \| 28\.7 billion \| \| SpyFu \| 73 billion \| \| Semrush \| 26\.7 billion \| Keyword database size isn’t the only metric to consider when choosing an SEO tool, though. Sometimes, a tool with a smaller database will have better results for your country or offer other useful features, like a big backlink database. It’s also important to consider how your website’s existing content impacts keyword difficulty scores. If you want to write an article about a topic for which your site already has a lot of information, this might make a high-competition keyword easier for your site to rank on. Semrush is the only tool that lets you customize your keyword research reports to show personalized keyword difficulty scores. ![The Semrush Keyword Overview report for "air conditioning units" is customized for supertechhvac.com](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/izzamm9vSQ6ciIhukz5n) The Verdict: SpyFu has the largest keyword database, but only Semrush shows you a personalized difficulty score. This feature alone is enough to make me choose Semrush as the best tool for keyword research. #### Position Tracking Looking up target keywords search volume is only one part of the optimization process. You also need to be able to track keyword rank. Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all let you create keyword reports and track rank changes, though each tool works with different search engines: - Ahrefs supports tracking Google keyword rank - SpyFu supports rank tracking on both Google and Bing - Semrush supports rank tracking on Google, Bing, Baidu, and ChatGPT ![The Semrush position tracker targeting setup](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/K8MioEi8TASJF09T2NCl) It’s also important to consider the locations in which you want to track position changes, as not all SEO tools are equal: - Ahrefs: 190 countries - SpyFu: 23 countries - Semrush: 117 countries The Verdict: Ahrefs wins when it comes to position tracking for Google SERPs thanks to their extensive geographic coverage. If you need or want to track other search engines—including AI search tools—then Semrush becomes the top choice. ### Get More Search Traffic Use trending keywords to create content your audience craves. ![Exploding Topics Logo](https://explodingtopics.com/static/images/exploding-topics.svg) #### Local SEO Semrush and Ahrefs offer tools to help businesses improve their local citations. (SpyFu doesn’t provide its users with [local SEO tools](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/semrush-local).) Ahrefs has a local SEO solution that's still in beta; the company says that business owners can import their information and monitor for any [Google Business Profile](https://business.google.com/in/business-profile/) changes. Semrush offers a similar tool, but it scans for changes in multiple online directories. You can also manage and respond to customer reviews directly through the [Semrush Local](https://www.semrush.com/apps/local-seo/) platform. ![The Semrush Local toolkit review auto-reply function](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/A3TBqhErS12PuNHJYpJc) The Verdict: If you have a brick-and-mortar business location that you want to drive searchers to, go with Semrush. The ability to scan and update multiple directories makes it super valuable. #### PPC Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all support pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns. Ahrefs provides top-level PPC information including cost per click (CPC), competitor ad copy, and estimated paid traffic per competitor webpage. ![The Ahrefs Keyword Explorer displays organic and paid traffic data](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/Hop8YNtqQ3aqgHKXxmof) SpyFu gives you basic CPC data when you look up a keyword; the tool’s Kombat feature also shows you how your competitors’ competitors stack up in the SERP and whether they share paid keywords. ![The SpyFu PPC Kombat chart shows competitor keyword overlap for Salesforce](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/ACMimQQKRdSbm3XTttEg) Semrush displays CPC information via its [Keyword Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordoverview/) tool; you can also see paid competitive positioning maps, ad copy, and more when using the [Domain Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/overview/) tool. ![The Semrush advertising research report displays top keywords and competitors](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/pND6ff71QSCTrQcK6EOZ) PPC Comparison Table: Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush \| \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Ahrefs \| SpyFu \| Semrush \| \| Keyword CPC \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Most successful advertiser per keyword \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Paid search volume \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Recommended keywords to buy \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Competitor ad copy / history \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Total competitor keywords \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Competitor paid keyword rankings \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Paid competitive positioning map \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Google Shopping PLA data \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| PPC keyword campaign generator \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| AI ad generation tools \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Google Ad templates \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Google Ads automation tools \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Competitor paid traffic by page \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| The Verdict: If you’re a beginner at PPC advertising, SpyFu is a good choice. It provides just enough data without being overwhelming, and the app’s “good buy” PPC keyword suggestions can help you plan your first strategy. Experienced PPC advertisers may prefer Semrush, though, as the platform offers more information about ads. #### Competitor Analysis Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush offer comparable competitor analysis tools. The Ahrefs Site Explorer shows you a domain’s monthly traffic, backlinks, paid and organic keywords, primary SERP search intent, and page status codes. ![The Ahrefs site explorer report ](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/OME2LHxeR8qy2BmdkC5x) SpyFu’s Domain Overview report provides monthly data on organic traffic, paid and organic keyword distribution, rank changes, top pages, and domain competitors. ![The SpyFu domain overview shows organic keywords and monthly traffic.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/W40Jgy2tTxmeLVCJ1pan) The Semrush [Domain Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/overview/) tool shows you traffic, paid and organic keywords, key topics, keyword opportunities, SERP feature distribution, ad copy, and backlinks. ![The Semrush domain overview report ](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/LX6TpsvR42sRnq9Lj7mB) The Verdict: Semrush wins for best competitive analysis tool due to its “key topics” report. This is useful when you want to figure out what overarching entities are associated with a competitor’s site—you can then use this information to adjust your own content and PPC strategies. #### Backlinks There are three things an SEO tool can do when it comes to backlinks: 1. Show you the links associated with a domain 2. Analyze and rank backlinks by domain toxicity level 3. Help you strategically remove or acquire backlinks Ahrefs includes a nice backlink analytics overview as part of its Domain Explorer tool; you can also get a good picture of your referring domains when running a site audit. The platform doesn’t include any dedicated backlink tools, though, and there’s no support for building a better backlink profile. ![Ahrefs Site Explorer backlinks report](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/i1kwQkxBRyyzxVJ40oGn) SpyFu is most useful for looking at the backlinks associated with a domain. The tool doesn’t offer any more advanced features for assessing domain toxicity or improving your backlink profile. ![The SpyFu backlinks report ](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/i50t9ZWJSuWiIylPpNE1) Semrush is useful for both off-page and on-page SEO purposes, including building backlinks. The [Backlink Analytics](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/backlinks/) and [Backlink Audit](https://www.semrush.com/backlink_audit/) tools make it easy to see who’s linking to a site and how toxic those links may be. And if you’d like to improve your backlink profile, the [Link Building Tool](https://www.semrush.com/link_building/) helps you find opportunities and reach out directly to site owners to request a link. ![The Semrush Backlink Analysis report shows authority, referring domain count, and traffic levels](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/chCF4cMiRz24sKbRMCKD) The Verdict: Semrush is the best choice for backlink analysis. I find it really easy to understand how healthy a backlink profile is while using the audit tool, and I’ve never used anything quite like the link building tool. The fact you can reach out to site owners without switching to another app is a game changer. ### Want to Beat Your Competition? Find out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy. ![Exploding Topics Logo](https://explodingtopics.com/static/images/exploding-topics.svg) #### Site Audits Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all allow you to conduct site audits, but the tools offer varying levels of technical SEO and content auditing support. Ahrefs site audit reports include a review of your top technical SEO issues like indexability and site speed as well as recommendations for improvements. One of Ahrefs’ standout features is its internal link analysis, which includes specific suggestions (including anchor text) that you can follow to improve your link structure. ![Ahrefs Site Audit report](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/4SUOtonRDqSHbWvlXxcA) SpyFu reports are closer to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer or Semrush’s [Domain Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/overview/?searchType=domain) analysis than a true website audit. You can see top-level information about a domain, including broken links, but SpyFu doesn’t let you dig deep into technical issues, site speed, or information architecture. ![The SpyFu domain overview report for explodingtopics.com](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/W40Jgy2tTxmeLVCJ1pan) Semrush [Site Audit](https://www.semrush.com/siteaudit/) reports are similar to those found in Ahrefs and include information on site speed, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, crawlability, and other technical issues. Like Ahrefs, Semrush also provides suggestions for how to fix your top SEO issues. ![The Semrush SEO Site Audit report list of erros and suggestions](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/wDxlncoPTSvWuEvbXiTx) The Verdict: Ahrefs excels at site audits thanks to its internal link analysis. Semrush lets you see what pages have broken or incorrect internal links, but only Ahrefs provides suggestions for new internal links that you can create in your content management system. #### Content Marketing An increasing number of SEO tools, including Ahrefs and Semrush, are adding content marketing tools to their slate of features. These can range from a review of your page readability to immediate feedback on semantic keyword use. Ahrefs has an AI Content Helper tool that analyzes competitors and addresses key topics that can be helpful to cover in your content. I’ve used the Content Helper tool in the past and, while the topic analysis was helpful, I found its scoring system to be lacking. Plus, the Content Helper isn’t as customizable as similar tools offered by Semrush, SE Ranking and Clearscope. \| \| \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Ahrefs Content Helper \| Semrush SEO Writing Assistant \| SE Ranking Content Marketing Platform \| Clearscope \| \| Create downloadable content briefs \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Add and remove semantic keywords or topics \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Get real-time writing feedback \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| AI-generated metadata or headers \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Analyze readability \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Check tone of voice \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Scan for plagiarism \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| SpyFu doesn’t offer content recommendations in its main interface; you have to subscribe to a separate tool called RivalFlowAI. The RivalFlow tool suggests improvements and gives you AI-generated text to use in your document if you so desire. Semrush has the most robust content marketing toolkit on this list. You can create content briefs for specific keywords, analyze readability and tone of voice, find semantic keywords, scan for plagiarism, and get optimization feedback while you write. ![The Semrush SEO Writing Assistant analyzing text for four key SEO factors](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/teidbwnjSuCujPfrt7SE) The Verdict: Semrush is the best choice for content marketers who want an easy way to source semantic keywords, evaluate competitors, and get feedback on their writing. There are also Semrush extensions for Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so you can use the tool without leaving your writing platform of choice. #### Price All three platforms offer a free plan tier, though what you can do with this access varies. Regardless of the tool you choose, though, a paid subscription gives you access to the largest variety of SEO features. \| \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Ahrefs \| SpyFu \| Semrush \| \| Free plan access \| Basic traffic and keyword data for owned sites \| Extensive organic and paid traffic / SERP data for any domain or keyword \| Site audits; 10 daily keyword research, backlink and competitor queries; 10 tracked keywords \| \| Paid plan starting price \| \$29 per month for the Starter plan \| \$33 per month for the Basic plan (billed annually) \| \$117.33 per month for the Pro plan (billed annually) \| \| Optional paid add-ons \| AI content helper, report builder, AI assistant for site audits \| RivalFlow AI \| Report builder, lead generation suite, advanced trend tracking tools \| The Verdict: SpyFu gives you the most information for free without logging in, though you can’t save your work—even if you own the site you’re analyzing. If you want to conduct basic keyword research and track your site performance, then Ahrefs’ starter plan is the best choice. Experienced marketers who need full access to an SEO tool should choose Ahrefs or Semrush—I recommend the latter if you’re going to do a lot of content optimization work. ### What About Trend Tracking? All SEO tools let you see the current or historical state of a SERP—but they don’t always let you see how interest in a term has changed over time. And fewer still offer a look at how topic popularity might change in the future. But this is an important part of digital marketing! Whether you’re planning product launches, digging into competitive research, or building a new client’s SEO strategy, it’s good to know whether interest in a topic or term is likely to fluctuate with the seasons, decline, or spike in the future. While every Semrush keyword report includes a basic trend graph, you can unlock the ability to dig deep into trends with an [Exploding Topics Pro](https://www.semrush.com/lp/exploding-topics-pricing/en/) subscription. Exploding Topics lets you see things like popularity by channel, key growth indicators, and future trend forecasts. ![The Exploding Topics graph for "AI Voice Recorder" shows a line trending up](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/P51iInogSHyp72wc9Ett) ### FAQ #### What’s the Best Free SEO Tool? SpyFu offers the most free access, and you don’t need an account to start your SEO research. If you’d like to save your work and create tracked keyword reports for free, then Semrush is the best choice. #### Is Ahrefs Better Than Semrush? Ahrefs and Semrush are both very reliable SEO tools. If you’re interested in building internal links and working on technical SEO tasks, then Ahrefs is a great choice. Marketers interested in improving their SEO content or local SEO performance will be best served by Semrush. #### How Does SpyFu Compare to Semrush? The biggest difference between SpyFu and Semrush is the fact that Semrush offers basic keyword and domain overview reports, while Semrush lets you run deep site audits and analyze content. SpyFu is good for top-level SEO insights; Semrush is better for planning and tracking long-term SEO work. ### Enhance your SEO tools with Exploding Topics Pro Whether you decide Ahrefs, SpyFu, or Semrush is best for your needs, you can expand the scope of your SEO research ability with Exploding Topics Pro. Grab a [free seven-day trial](https://www.semrush.com/lp/exploding-topics-pricing/en/) now and explore all of the data it has to offer—and get ahead of your competitors. #### Stop Guessing, Start Growing 🚀 Use real-time topic data to create content that resonates and brings results. Find Thousands of Trending Topics With Our Platform [Try Exploding Topics Pro](https://www.semrush.com/lp/exploding-topics-pricing/en/) ![newsletter banner](https://explodingtopics.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/trends-database-blog-cta.png) Exploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc. 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Readable Markdown	Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush are three popular SEO tools used by marketers in a range of industries. I've spent more than a decade using each of these tools for various purposes—and with companies of all sizes. In this in-depth guide, I’ll share my experiences with Ahrefs, SpyFu and Semrush while breaking down the platforms’ differences and providing recommendations about the best fit for your needs. Contents: - [What Is Ahrefs?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-ahrefs) - [What Is SpyFu?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-spyfu) - [What Is Semrush?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#what-is-semrush) - [How Do Ahrefs, SpyFu, And Semrush Compare?](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-spyfu-vs-semrush#how-do-ahrefs-spyfu-and-semrush-compare) ### What is Ahrefs? [Ahrefs](https://www.ahrefs.com/) is a comprehensive SEO tool used to research keywords and backlinks, analyze competitors, and conduct website audits. You can use Ahrefs to see a limited amount of information about your website for free, and paid plans give you access to a full slate of optimization tools. ![The blue and white Ahrefs homepage with an orange "sign up for Ahrefs" button.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/BOITwF7ITi9gu6ouRJKm) ### Want to Spy on Your Competition? Explore competitors’ website traffic stats, discover growth points, and expand your market share. #### Top Ahrefs Features Standout Ahrefs tools include: - Keywords Explorer: a tool for evaluating SERPs and developing lists of target keywords based on search volume, difficulty, or competitor rank - Brand Radar: a tool that shows you how your brand (or a competitor’s) gets mentioned across traditional Google results, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity - Content Explorer: a tool for finding low-competition topic ideas and backlink prospects - Site Audit: crawls webpages, scans for content and technical SEO issues, and ranks fixes in order of importance #### Ahrefs Pros and Cons I used Ahrefs as my exclusive SEO tool for years, and today it’s one of several that I use for different reasons. These are the biggest pros and cons that I’ve come across in my time using the platform. Ahrefs Pros: - Large keyword database - Easy-to-read site audit reports - Project organization and reporting tools - Helpful videos and learning paths for new users - Free Webmaster Tools plan - Affordable Starter plan - Suggestions to improve internal links between pages Ahrefs Cons: - Credit-based crawl system - Limited keyword research credits (on some plans) - Historical data only available on paid plan - Limited content optimization insights - No support for local citation SEO aside from Google Business Profile - Some features are only available as a paid add-on Read our complete [Ahrefs review](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ahrefs-review) to learn more about this tool and decide if it’s right for you. #### Who Should Use Ahrefs? Ahrefs has a large keyword database, basic interface, and ample customization options, so it’s best suited for people who have some prior SEO experience. However, small business owners may like the fact that they can use some Ahrefs tools for free. The Webmaster Tools plan allows verified site owners to monitor site traffic, top keywords, and other core metrics on a dedicated dashboard. Ownership verification requires connecting Ahrefs to your [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/about) account or adding an Ahrefs Web Analytics tag to your site. ![The Ahrefs ownership verification screen gives site owners several options.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/RaS15J1Q9OfScv8adYGv) ### What is SpyFu? [SpyFu](https://www.spyfu.com/) is a marketing tool that’s useful for SEO and PPC research. You can actually do a lot of SEO research without ever logging into SpyFu—so it’s good for small businesses and new SEO practitioners working on a small budget. ![The purple SpyFu homepage displays a list of company logos.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/BnsDSPZTnOZpL8tRyYio) #### Top SpyFu Features SpyFu offers a straightforward set of tools that are similar to those found in Semrush and Ahrefs. The platform’s top features include: - SpyGPT for analyzing brand or competitor mentions in ChatGPT results - Keyword Overview to analyze SERP results - Domain Overview to see key metrics about any URL’s SERP performance, traffic, and backlinks - PPC Kombat to see competitive positioning maps for the paid SERP - Google Ads Templates to help you create paid ad campaigns #### SpyFu Pros and Cons I’ve used SpyFu as both an in-house marketer and a freelance consultant. Its feature set is limited compared to Ahrefs and Semrush, but it has some benefits … especially for marketers on a budget. SpyFu Pros: - Ample information available for free - Easy-to-understand paid ad recommendations - Free analysis of brand mentions in ChatGPT - User-friendly interface SpyFu Cons: - Free data only available while logged out; you can’t save your work - Limited backlink analysis tool capabilities - No notable support for local SEO initiatives - Some features require a separate subscription to an AI tool - Historical keyword data only available on paid plan Check out our deep dive into [SpyFu vs. Semrush](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/spyfu-vs-semrush) to learn more about how these two tools stack up. #### Who Should Use SpyFu? Having used the paid versions of all three tools, I find SpyFu to be the weakest. You can simply do more with a paid Ahrefs or Semrush subscription. If you’re interested in a free tool, though, SpyFu can’t be beat. This makes it a good choice for small business owners or early-career marketers without the money to spend on a complete SEO solution. ![The SpyFu keyword report shows organic traffic changes.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/N3r1uhjRk6C9PzpZJDw2) ### What is Semrush? Semrush is an all-in-one SEO tool with some similar features to Ahrefs. It’s useful for monitoring the performance of your business website, managing multiple clients’ SEO performance, researching competitors, optimizing content, and more. ![The purple and white Semrush homepage reads "Your AI-powered marketing platform for real results."](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/5ncu5JyHS06hPFyywWdx) #### Top Semrush Features Semrush has a diverse feature set compared to other SEO tools on the market today. Its most notable features include the: - [Keyword Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordoverview/) and the [Keyword Magic Tool](https://www.semrush.com/features/keyword-magic-tool/), both used to find keyword volume, competition scores, and related SERP data - [Keyword Strategy Builder](https://www.semrush.com/kb/1058-keyword-strategy-builder) that groups your keywords into clusters for an instant SEO content strategy - [Link Building Tool](https://www.semrush.com/link_building/) that helps you find and reach out to prospects to request high-quality backlinks - [Topic Research](https://www.semrush.com/topic-research/) that helps you come up with new content ideas - [SEO Writing Assistant](https://www.semrush.com/swa/) for finding semantic keywords and analyzing your content optimization as you write - [Traffic & Market toolkit](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/traffic/) that helps you keep an eye on competitors and changing industry trends ![A Semrush Keyword Magic Tool report customized for the semrush.com domain](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/7pCPvFPQYeMzB6Tr1tU4) #### Semrush Pros and Cons Semrush is one of the three SEO tools I use the most (the others being Ahrefs and [SE Ranking](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/se-ranking-review)). I find that Semrush does a lot of things well, especially when it comes to position tracking and content analysis. But no tool is perfect\! Semrush Pros: - Generous [free plan](https://www.semrush.com/blog/what-can-i-do-with-a-free-account-from-semrush/) - Personalized keyword difficulty scores for organic search - Domain topic analysis - Real-time content feedback while you write - Backlink toxicity analysis - Easy-to-understand competitive intelligence metrics - Link building tools - Dedicated site audit tool - Local citation support - App center options to help you expand the tool’s functionality Semrush Cons: - Expensive paid plans - Some features are only available as a paid add-on - Smaller keyword database than some competitors - Limited internal link analysis Read our extensive [Semrush review](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/semrush-review) for a comprehensive breakdown of everything the platform has to offer. #### Who Should Use Semrush? The fact that you can do a range of digital marketing tasks with Semrush makes it a great choice for business owners and professional marketers alike. ![The Semrush backlink analytics graph shows connections to venturebeat.com](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/xgk2dU0gSHWyUvrzzvim) ### How do Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush Compare? \| \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Ahrefs \| SpyFu \| Semrush \| \| SEO audits \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Organic search traffic estimates \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Keyword ideas \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| SERP rank tracking \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| ChatGPT rank tracking \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Local SEO \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| PPC campaign research \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Competitor research \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Trend discovery \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Trend forecasting \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Content planning \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Content editing \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| AI content generation \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Social media management \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| #### Keyword Research Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all include a [keyword research tool](https://explodingtopics.com/tools/keyword-research) that shows you essential metrics like: - Domain authority - Monthly search volume - Search volume by country - Keyword difficulty or competition score - Related keywords - Current SERP ranking Each of the three tools pulls their keyword data from a different proprietary database, so the keyword metrics displayed by each tool may be slightly different. Check out the differences reported by each tool when I look up the term “best SEO software”: \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Search Volume \| Keyword Difficulty \| \| Ahrefs Keyword Explorer \| 4,100 \| 64 out of 100 \| \| SpyFu Keyword Overview \| 320-480 \| 60 out of 100 \| \| [Semrush Keyword Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordoverview/) \| 1,300 \| 69 out of 100 \| The larger a tool’s keyword database, the more likely you are to find information about highly specific long-tail keywords or terms that are popular in specific regions. \| \| \| \|---\|---\| \| \| Number of Keywords in Database \| \| Ahrefs \| 28\.7 billion \| \| SpyFu \| 73 billion \| \| Semrush \| 26\.7 billion \| Keyword database size isn’t the only metric to consider when choosing an SEO tool, though. Sometimes, a tool with a smaller database will have better results for your country or offer other useful features, like a big backlink database. It’s also important to consider how your website’s existing content impacts keyword difficulty scores. If you want to write an article about a topic for which your site already has a lot of information, this might make a high-competition keyword easier for your site to rank on. Semrush is the only tool that lets you customize your keyword research reports to show personalized keyword difficulty scores. ![The Semrush Keyword Overview report for "air conditioning units" is customized for supertechhvac.com](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/izzamm9vSQ6ciIhukz5n) The Verdict: SpyFu has the largest keyword database, but only Semrush shows you a personalized difficulty score. This feature alone is enough to make me choose Semrush as the best tool for keyword research. #### Position Tracking Looking up target keywords search volume is only one part of the optimization process. You also need to be able to track keyword rank. Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all let you create keyword reports and track rank changes, though each tool works with different search engines: - Ahrefs supports tracking Google keyword rank - SpyFu supports rank tracking on both Google and Bing - Semrush supports rank tracking on Google, Bing, Baidu, and ChatGPT ![The Semrush position tracker targeting setup](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/K8MioEi8TASJF09T2NCl) It’s also important to consider the locations in which you want to track position changes, as not all SEO tools are equal: - Ahrefs: 190 countries - SpyFu: 23 countries - Semrush: 117 countries The Verdict: Ahrefs wins when it comes to position tracking for Google SERPs thanks to their extensive geographic coverage. If you need or want to track other search engines—including AI search tools—then Semrush becomes the top choice. ### Get More Search Traffic Use trending keywords to create content your audience craves. #### Local SEO Semrush and Ahrefs offer tools to help businesses improve their local citations. (SpyFu doesn’t provide its users with [local SEO tools](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/semrush-local).) Ahrefs has a local SEO solution that's still in beta; the company says that business owners can import their information and monitor for any [Google Business Profile](https://business.google.com/in/business-profile/) changes. Semrush offers a similar tool, but it scans for changes in multiple online directories. You can also manage and respond to customer reviews directly through the [Semrush Local](https://www.semrush.com/apps/local-seo/) platform. ![The Semrush Local toolkit review auto-reply function](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/A3TBqhErS12PuNHJYpJc) The Verdict: If you have a brick-and-mortar business location that you want to drive searchers to, go with Semrush. The ability to scan and update multiple directories makes it super valuable. #### PPC Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all support pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns. Ahrefs provides top-level PPC information including cost per click (CPC), competitor ad copy, and estimated paid traffic per competitor webpage. ![The Ahrefs Keyword Explorer displays organic and paid traffic data](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/Hop8YNtqQ3aqgHKXxmof) SpyFu gives you basic CPC data when you look up a keyword; the tool’s Kombat feature also shows you how your competitors’ competitors stack up in the SERP and whether they share paid keywords. ![The SpyFu PPC Kombat chart shows competitor keyword overlap for Salesforce](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/ACMimQQKRdSbm3XTttEg) Semrush displays CPC information via its [Keyword Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordoverview/) tool; you can also see paid competitive positioning maps, ad copy, and more when using the [Domain Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/overview/) tool. ![The Semrush advertising research report displays top keywords and competitors](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/pND6ff71QSCTrQcK6EOZ) PPC Comparison Table: Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush \| \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Ahrefs \| SpyFu \| Semrush \| \| Keyword CPC \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Most successful advertiser per keyword \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Paid search volume \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Recommended keywords to buy \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Competitor ad copy / history \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Total competitor keywords \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Competitor paid keyword rankings \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Paid competitive positioning map \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Google Shopping PLA data \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| PPC keyword campaign generator \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| AI ad generation tools \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Google Ad templates \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Google Ads automation tools \| ⛔ \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| \| Competitor paid traffic by page \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| The Verdict: If you’re a beginner at PPC advertising, SpyFu is a good choice. It provides just enough data without being overwhelming, and the app’s “good buy” PPC keyword suggestions can help you plan your first strategy. Experienced PPC advertisers may prefer Semrush, though, as the platform offers more information about ads. #### Competitor Analysis Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush offer comparable competitor analysis tools. The Ahrefs Site Explorer shows you a domain’s monthly traffic, backlinks, paid and organic keywords, primary SERP search intent, and page status codes. ![The Ahrefs site explorer report ](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/OME2LHxeR8qy2BmdkC5x) SpyFu’s Domain Overview report provides monthly data on organic traffic, paid and organic keyword distribution, rank changes, top pages, and domain competitors. ![The SpyFu domain overview shows organic keywords and monthly traffic.](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/W40Jgy2tTxmeLVCJ1pan) The Semrush [Domain Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/overview/) tool shows you traffic, paid and organic keywords, key topics, keyword opportunities, SERP feature distribution, ad copy, and backlinks. ![The Semrush domain overview report ](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/LX6TpsvR42sRnq9Lj7mB) The Verdict: Semrush wins for best competitive analysis tool due to its “key topics” report. This is useful when you want to figure out what overarching entities are associated with a competitor’s site—you can then use this information to adjust your own content and PPC strategies. #### Backlinks There are three things an SEO tool can do when it comes to backlinks: 1. Show you the links associated with a domain 2. Analyze and rank backlinks by domain toxicity level 3. Help you strategically remove or acquire backlinks Ahrefs includes a nice backlink analytics overview as part of its Domain Explorer tool; you can also get a good picture of your referring domains when running a site audit. The platform doesn’t include any dedicated backlink tools, though, and there’s no support for building a better backlink profile. ![Ahrefs Site Explorer backlinks report](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/i1kwQkxBRyyzxVJ40oGn) SpyFu is most useful for looking at the backlinks associated with a domain. The tool doesn’t offer any more advanced features for assessing domain toxicity or improving your backlink profile. ![The SpyFu backlinks report ](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/i50t9ZWJSuWiIylPpNE1) Semrush is useful for both off-page and on-page SEO purposes, including building backlinks. The [Backlink Analytics](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/backlinks/) and [Backlink Audit](https://www.semrush.com/backlink_audit/) tools make it easy to see who’s linking to a site and how toxic those links may be. And if you’d like to improve your backlink profile, the [Link Building Tool](https://www.semrush.com/link_building/) helps you find opportunities and reach out directly to site owners to request a link. ![The Semrush Backlink Analysis report shows authority, referring domain count, and traffic levels](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/chCF4cMiRz24sKbRMCKD) The Verdict: Semrush is the best choice for backlink analysis. I find it really easy to understand how healthy a backlink profile is while using the audit tool, and I’ve never used anything quite like the link building tool. The fact you can reach out to site owners without switching to another app is a game changer. ### Want to Beat Your Competition? Find out who’s linking to them and build a better backlink strategy. #### Site Audits Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Semrush all allow you to conduct site audits, but the tools offer varying levels of technical SEO and content auditing support. Ahrefs site audit reports include a review of your top technical SEO issues like indexability and site speed as well as recommendations for improvements. One of Ahrefs’ standout features is its internal link analysis, which includes specific suggestions (including anchor text) that you can follow to improve your link structure. ![Ahrefs Site Audit report](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/4SUOtonRDqSHbWvlXxcA) SpyFu reports are closer to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer or Semrush’s [Domain Overview](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/overview/?searchType=domain) analysis than a true website audit. You can see top-level information about a domain, including broken links, but SpyFu doesn’t let you dig deep into technical issues, site speed, or information architecture. ![The SpyFu domain overview report for explodingtopics.com](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/W40Jgy2tTxmeLVCJ1pan) Semrush [Site Audit](https://www.semrush.com/siteaudit/) reports are similar to those found in Ahrefs and include information on site speed, schema markup, Core Web Vitals, crawlability, and other technical issues. Like Ahrefs, Semrush also provides suggestions for how to fix your top SEO issues. ![The Semrush SEO Site Audit report list of erros and suggestions](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/wDxlncoPTSvWuEvbXiTx) The Verdict: Ahrefs excels at site audits thanks to its internal link analysis. Semrush lets you see what pages have broken or incorrect internal links, but only Ahrefs provides suggestions for new internal links that you can create in your content management system. #### Content Marketing An increasing number of SEO tools, including Ahrefs and Semrush, are adding content marketing tools to their slate of features. These can range from a review of your page readability to immediate feedback on semantic keyword use. Ahrefs has an AI Content Helper tool that analyzes competitors and addresses key topics that can be helpful to cover in your content. I’ve used the Content Helper tool in the past and, while the topic analysis was helpful, I found its scoring system to be lacking. Plus, the Content Helper isn’t as customizable as similar tools offered by Semrush, SE Ranking and Clearscope. \| \| \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Ahrefs Content Helper \| Semrush SEO Writing Assistant \| SE Ranking Content Marketing Platform \| Clearscope \| \| Create downloadable content briefs \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Add and remove semantic keywords or topics \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Get real-time writing feedback \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| AI-generated metadata or headers \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Analyze readability \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| \| Check tone of voice \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| \| Scan for plagiarism \| ⛔ \| ✅ \| ✅ \| ⛔ \| SpyFu doesn’t offer content recommendations in its main interface; you have to subscribe to a separate tool called RivalFlowAI. The RivalFlow tool suggests improvements and gives you AI-generated text to use in your document if you so desire. Semrush has the most robust content marketing toolkit on this list. You can create content briefs for specific keywords, analyze readability and tone of voice, find semantic keywords, scan for plagiarism, and get optimization feedback while you write. ![The Semrush SEO Writing Assistant analyzing text for four key SEO factors](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/teidbwnjSuCujPfrt7SE) The Verdict: Semrush is the best choice for content marketers who want an easy way to source semantic keywords, evaluate competitors, and get feedback on their writing. There are also Semrush extensions for Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so you can use the tool without leaving your writing platform of choice. #### Price All three platforms offer a free plan tier, though what you can do with this access varies. Regardless of the tool you choose, though, a paid subscription gives you access to the largest variety of SEO features. \| \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\|---\| \| \| Ahrefs \| SpyFu \| Semrush \| \| Free plan access \| Basic traffic and keyword data for owned sites \| Extensive organic and paid traffic / SERP data for any domain or keyword \| Site audits; 10 daily keyword research, backlink and competitor queries; 10 tracked keywords \| \| Paid plan starting price \| \$29 per month for the Starter plan \| \$33 per month for the Basic plan (billed annually) \| \$117.33 per month for the Pro plan (billed annually) \| \| Optional paid add-ons \| AI content helper, report builder, AI assistant for site audits \| RivalFlow AI \| Report builder, lead generation suite, advanced trend tracking tools \| The Verdict: SpyFu gives you the most information for free without logging in, though you can’t save your work—even if you own the site you’re analyzing. If you want to conduct basic keyword research and track your site performance, then Ahrefs’ starter plan is the best choice. Experienced marketers who need full access to an SEO tool should choose Ahrefs or Semrush—I recommend the latter if you’re going to do a lot of content optimization work. ### What About Trend Tracking? All SEO tools let you see the current or historical state of a SERP—but they don’t always let you see how interest in a term has changed over time. And fewer still offer a look at how topic popularity might change in the future. But this is an important part of digital marketing! Whether you’re planning product launches, digging into competitive research, or building a new client’s SEO strategy, it’s good to know whether interest in a topic or term is likely to fluctuate with the seasons, decline, or spike in the future. While every Semrush keyword report includes a basic trend graph, you can unlock the ability to dig deep into trends with an [Exploding Topics Pro](https://www.semrush.com/lp/exploding-topics-pricing/en/) subscription. Exploding Topics lets you see things like popularity by channel, key growth indicators, and future trend forecasts. ![The Exploding Topics graph for "AI Voice Recorder" shows a line trending up](https://cdn.buttercms.com/output=f:webp/P51iInogSHyp72wc9Ett) ### FAQ #### What’s the Best Free SEO Tool? SpyFu offers the most free access, and you don’t need an account to start your SEO research. If you’d like to save your work and create tracked keyword reports for free, then Semrush is the best choice. #### Is Ahrefs Better Than Semrush? Ahrefs and Semrush are both very reliable SEO tools. If you’re interested in building internal links and working on technical SEO tasks, then Ahrefs is a great choice. Marketers interested in improving their SEO content or local SEO performance will be best served by Semrush. #### How Does SpyFu Compare to Semrush? The biggest difference between SpyFu and Semrush is the fact that Semrush offers basic keyword and domain overview reports, while Semrush lets you run deep site audits and analyze content. SpyFu is good for top-level SEO insights; Semrush is better for planning and tracking long-term SEO work. ### Enhance your SEO tools with Exploding Topics Pro Whether you decide Ahrefs, SpyFu, or Semrush is best for your needs, you can expand the scope of your SEO research ability with Exploding Topics Pro. Grab a [free seven-day trial](https://www.semrush.com/lp/exploding-topics-pricing/en/) now and explore all of the data it has to offer—and get ahead of your competitors. Exploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.
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