Semrush vs SpyFu — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Semrush starts at $139/mo. SpyFu starts at $39/mo. SpyFu is $100/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Semrush.
Enterprise SEO + digital marketing platform, acquired by Adobe for $1.9B in cash (deal closed April 28, 2026) and now part of Adobe's Customer Experience (CX) Enterprise. Formerly publicly traded (SEMR) before the take-private. Positioned as the alternative to Ahrefs for teams that want a broader marketing suite (social media, PPC intelligence, content marketing, and now Generative Engine Optimization / AI Search) beyond pure SEO. Distinctive as the marketing generalist tool (Ahrefs is SEO-specialist), and increasingly as the Adobe-blessed answer to brand visibility across ChatGPT/Perplexity/AI Overviews. Priced $139-$549/mo across four main tiers plus custom Enterprise. Real cost bloat: user seats + Local + Trends + Content Marketplace still charge extra even after Adobe.
Competitive keyword research tool positioned as the alternative to Semrush (now Adobe) and Ahrefs for teams focused on competitor teardowns ("what's my rival spending on PPC?"). Distinctive for its unlimited-search pricing at flat rates — Semrush caps searches per day at cheaper tiers. Priced $16-$36/mo (annual). Bootstrapped, popular with agencies pitching new clients using competitive-intel decks. Weaker on Google Search Console-caliber content SEO than Ahrefs.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Semrush monthly | Semrush annual | SpyFu monthly | SpyFu annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | SEO / Basic | $139 | $117.33 | $39 | $29 |
| Mid tier 1 | Starter (SEO + AI Search) / — | $199 | $165.17 | — | — |
| Mid tier 2 | Pro+ (SEO + AI Search) / — | $299 | $248.17 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Advanced (SEO + AI Search) / Pro + AI | $549 | $455.67 | $119 | $89 |
| Teams | — / Team | — | — | $249 | $187 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Semrush is worth it if… marketing agencies and in-house SEO teams (5-100 people) that need the full SEO/PPC/content/AI Search stack — keyword research + rank tracking + backlink audit + site audit + content optimization + local SEO + AI visibility (ChatGPT/Perplexity/AI Overview citations). SEO covers small teams doing traditional search; Starter adds AI Search monitoring; Pro+ scales for growing agencies across multiple sites; Advanced adds API + deeper AI visibility for larger orgs.
SpyFu is worth it if… marketing agencies and in-house teams focused on competitor SEO/PPC intelligence — particularly if you want to reverse-engineer competitor keyword bids, ad copy, and organic strategy over time. Pro + AI covers most needs; Team adds more users and data.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Semrush over SpyFu if…
Choose Semrush if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (flat rate, from $139/mo).
- You match the profile Semrush is built for: marketing agencies and in-house SEO teams (5-100 people) that need the full SEO/PPC/content/AI Search stack — keyword research + rank tracking + backlink audit + site audit + content optimization + local SEO + AI visibility (ChatGPT/Perplexity/AI Overview citations).
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose SpyFu if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (flat rate, from $39/mo).
- You match the profile SpyFu is built for: marketing agencies and in-house teams focused on competitor SEO/PPC intelligence — particularly if you want to reverse-engineer competitor keyword bids, ad copy, and organic strategy over time.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Semrush | SpyFu | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | $139/mo | $39/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | No |
| Pricing model | Flat Rate | Flat Rate |
| Last verified | September 12, 2026 | September 17, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 17, 2026. Tracked daily.