SEMrush vs Ahrefs: Market Share & Adoption Data (August 2026)

SEMrush logoSEMrush#36 by adoption#34 by spend
Ahrefs logoAhrefs#46 by adoption#30 by spend

SEMrush holds 0.39% of SaaS market share by adoption (#36 overall); Ahrefs holds 0.31% (#46), and has held its rank over the last 12 months.

SEMrush vs Ahrefs market share over time

Monthly market share by adoption and by spend, full history. Share is each product's percentage of all SaaS purchasing activity tracked in the dataset that month.

MonthSEMrush adoption shareAhrefs adoption shareSEMrush spend shareAhrefs spend share
Aug-20220.82%0.54%0.51%0.35%
Sep-20220.78%0.55%0.49%0.37%
Oct-20220.73%0.56%0.46%0.35%
Nov-20220.71%0.57%0.44%0.34%
Dec-20220.68%0.58%0.46%0.35%
Jan-20230.66%0.59%0.51%0.37%
Feb-20230.66%0.60%0.53%0.37%
Mar-20230.64%0.60%0.51%0.35%
Apr-20230.63%0.60%0.50%0.34%
May-20230.61%0.58%0.48%0.33%
Jun-20230.60%0.58%0.52%0.32%
Jul-20230.61%0.59%0.54%0.33%
Aug-20230.60%0.56%0.54%0.31%
Sep-20230.58%0.52%0.50%0.28%
Oct-20230.59%0.52%0.50%0.29%
Nov-20230.59%0.50%0.50%0.29%
Dec-20230.59%0.49%0.50%0.28%
Jan-20240.58%0.48%0.47%0.27%
Feb-20240.57%0.46%0.45%0.27%
Mar-20240.56%0.44%0.46%0.27%
Apr-20240.55%0.43%0.46%0.28%
May-20240.55%0.42%0.44%0.30%
Jun-20240.55%0.41%0.41%0.31%
Jul-20240.55%0.41%0.42%0.33%
Aug-20240.56%0.41%0.43%0.34%
Sep-20240.56%0.41%0.45%0.36%
Oct-20240.56%0.40%0.47%0.38%
Nov-20240.56%0.40%0.47%0.39%
Dec-20240.56%0.39%0.46%0.40%
Jan-20250.57%0.38%0.45%0.41%
Feb-20250.57%0.38%0.46%0.43%
Mar-20250.57%0.38%0.46%0.46%
Apr-20250.56%0.37%0.47%0.46%
May-20250.56%0.37%0.48%0.47%
Jun-20250.55%0.38%0.49%0.48%
Jul-20250.54%0.38%0.48%0.50%
Aug-20250.52%0.38%0.47%0.50%
Sep-20250.50%0.38%0.45%0.54%
Oct-20250.49%0.38%0.43%0.56%
Nov-20250.47%0.37%0.44%0.55%
Dec-20250.46%0.37%0.43%0.55%
Jan-20260.44%0.37%0.43%0.55%
Feb-20260.42%0.36%0.44%0.53%
Mar-20260.42%0.35%0.45%0.53%
Apr-20260.41%0.35%0.43%0.52%
May-20260.40%0.34%0.44%0.51%
Jun-20260.39%0.33%0.43%0.49%
Jul-20260.38%0.31%0.42%0.46%
Aug-20260.39%0.31%0.43%0.46%

Spend rank vs adoption rank

ProductRank by adoptionRank by spendAdoption shareSpend share12-mo rank change
SEMrush#36#340.39%0.43%—
Ahrefs#46#300.31%0.46%—

SEMrush ranks higher by spend (#34) than by adoption (#36) — customers pay more per company than its adoption rank suggests.

Ahrefs ranks higher by spend (#30) than by adoption (#46) — customers pay more per company than its adoption rank suggests.

Do companies use SEMrush and Ahrefs together?

22.8% of companies paying for SEMrush also pay for Ahrefs.

32.8% of companies paying for Ahrefs also pay for SEMrush.

Overlap is measured on companies with active paid subscriptions to both products — a high overlap means the two tools are often complements rather than strict substitutes.

Which stack does each tool live in?

Tools most often found alongside SEMrush

ToolCategoryOverlap with companies paying for SEMrush
FigmaMarketing & Growth79.9%
OpenAIAI Platforms & Model Ops78.4%
LinkedInPeople Ops & Talent78.1%
AdobeMarketing & Growth75.1%
MicrosoftCollaboration & Productivity67.5%

Tools most often found alongside Ahrefs

ToolCategoryOverlap with companies paying for Ahrefs
FigmaMarketing & Growth82.5%
OpenAIAI Platforms & Model Ops82.5%
LinkedInPeople Ops & Talent78.2%
AdobeMarketing & Growth76.9%
GitHubEngineering & DevOps73.4%

Analyst take: what the data says about SEMrush vs Ahrefs

SEMrush has the clearer adoption lead as of August 2026, ranking #36 overall compared with Ahrefs at #46. Their adoption ranks have moved at the same pace over the past year. By spend, Ahrefs ranks higher (#30 versus #34), which shows where more of the measured software budget currently sits. The overlap data also shows that this is not always an either-or decision; some companies pay for both products. The practical takeaway is to separate market position from product fit: the rankings show which tool is more established and where buying momentum is moving, but they do not measure features, price, or quality. Use those signals to build a shortlist, then decide against your own workflows and requirements.

SEMrush and Ahrefs at a glance

SEMrush: Semrush helps businesses with SEO, content marketing, competitor research, PPC, and social media marketing by providing a centralized platform to manage their online marketing campaign. Teams can streamline their processes for growth, get quality leads regularly, automate client reporting and pitchi

Ahrefs: Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO toolset that helps businesses rank higher and attract more traffic to their websites. It tackles competitor analysis, website auditing and optimization, keyword research, content ideation, and tracking ranking progress.

ProductCategorySubcategoryPrimary teamAI classification
SEMrushMarketing & GrowthMarketingMarketing / GrowthAI-Embedded
AhrefsMarketing & GrowthMarketingMarketing / GrowthAI-Embedded

SEMrush vs Ahrefs: frequently asked questions

Which is more popular, SEMrush or Ahrefs?

SEMrush is more widely adopted in this data as of August 2026. It ranks #36 overall, while Ahrefs ranks #46. This measures observed software adoption, not product quality or suitability for a particular company.

Which is growing faster, SEMrush or Ahrefs?

SEMrush has held its rank over the last 12 months, while Ahrefs held its rank. This is a change in relative adoption rank; it does not prove that companies are leaving one product for the other.

Can you use SEMrush and Ahrefs together?

Yes. In the measured data, 22.8% of companies paying for SEMrush also pay for Ahrefs, and 32.8% of companies paying for Ahrefs also pay for SEMrush. That shows the products can coexist, although the data does not explain why a company uses both or whether they serve the same workflow.

Which is bigger by spend, SEMrush or Ahrefs?

Ahrefs ranks higher by measured spend. SEMrush is #34 and Ahrefs is #30. Spend rank shows where more of the observed software budget sits; it does not explain pricing or value.

Is SEMrush better than Ahrefs for seo tools use cases?

This data cannot determine which product is better. It measures adoption, spend position, momentum, and—in some cases—overlap. Use those signals to understand market position, then compare the products against your own workflows, requirements, and budget.