# Ahrefs vs Moz vs Semrush: Pricing and Database Limits

URL: https://3ammarketer.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-moz-vs-semrush
Published: 2026-10-29

> A direct comparison of Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz across keyword database scale, monthly seat allotments, and subscription pricing tiers.

For search teams choosing between Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush, Semrush provides the lowest full-suite annual entry point at $117.33 per month, while Ahrefs delivers the broadest international coverage with 28.7 billion keywords across 217 locations starting at $129 per month. Moz serves as an alternative starting from $79 per month billed annually with higher tiers adding API access and multi-user functionality. Individual practitioners can validate workflows lower down through a $29 per month Ahrefs Starter plan or a $0 per month Semrush Free tier. [1][2][3][4][5]

## The true cost of SEO infrastructure

Selecting an SEO software tier requires accounting for the gap between monthly billing and annual contract commitments. According to our [AI subscription prices](/data/ai-tool-pricing) data tracker, Semrush prices its entry SEO plan at $139 monthly versus $117.33 annually, representing a 16% discount for upfront payment. Semrush Starter costs $199 monthly or $165.17 on annual terms, and the Pro+ tier runs $299 monthly down to $248.17 annually, each offering a 17% savings. [1][2]

Ahrefs scales across four primary monthly tiers: Lite at $129 per month, Standard at $249 per month, Advanced at $449 per month, and Enterprise at $1499 per month. Moz offers an entry point at $79 per month billed annually focused on foundational SEO and local listing directory management, contrasting with Semrush's multi-channel marketing toolkit and Ahrefs' backlink profiling. [2][4]

Ahrefs offers four primary service tiers ranging from Lite to Enterprise, priced monthly. [3][6]

- Lite: 129 $ per month
- Standard: 249 $ per month
- Advanced: 449 $ per month
- Enterprise: 1499 $ per month

## Database scale: 28.7B vs 28.4B keywords

When comparing raw keyword data scale, Ahrefs claims a repository of 28.7 billion keywords covering 217 locations. Semrush reports a keyword database of 28.4 billion keywords across 142 geographic databases. While both provide massive global datasets, Ahrefs maintains coverage across a wider count of geographical locations. [5]

Ahrefs maintains a larger keyword index compared to Semrush. [5]

- Ahrefs: 28.7 B keywords
- Semrush: 28.4 B keywords

## Operational limits per tier

![A feature comparison and pricing table for Ahrefs' different subscription tiers.](https://dygolixznokmekyvajbb.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/content/cd621696e96b94ba0f80b1c3.png)

Beyond raw index scale, team workflows depend on monthly usage quotas for site crawls, tracking limits, and multi-user seat allocations. Ahrefs includes a single user on Lite, Standard, and Advanced subscriptions, with multi-seat access starting at three included seats on Enterprise plans. Under Ahrefs Lite, users receive 750 tracked keywords and 100,000 monthly Site Audit credits, expanding to 2,000 tracked keywords and 500,000 credits on Standard, and 5,000 tracked keywords with 1.5M credits on Advanced. [6]

Ahrefs scales site audit credits significantly as tiers increase from Lite to Advanced. [6]

- Lite: 100000 credits
- Standard: 500000 credits
- Advanced: 1500000 credits

Our read: For practitioners running heavy site audits across expansive regional markets, Ahrefs Lite offers 100,000 crawl credits and 217 locations at $129 per month. Teams prioritizing upfront savings should choose Semrush on annual terms to lock in the lower $117.33 rate.

Limit: The public documentation reviewed does not publish crawl credit quotas or tracked keyword limits for Moz tiers, nor does it list exact keyword index totals for Moz.

## Sources

1. [SEO & AI Search Plans and Pricing | Semrush](https://www.semrush.com/prices/)
2. [AI tool pricing tracker (3AM Marketer data set)](https://3ammarketer.com/data/ai-tool-pricing)
3. [Comparing Ahrefs and Semrush: Which Tool Is Better?](https://seranking.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-semrush/)
4. [Which is Best SEMrush Vs Ahrefs Vs Moz in 2026? - Click Insights](https://www.clickintelligence.com/guides/seo-software-lists-us/software-alternatives-us/which-is-best-semrush-vs-ahrefs-vs-moz/)
5. [Semrush vs Ahrefs: Which SEO Tool is Better? (2026)](https://onelittleweb.com/top-tools/semrush-vs-ahrefs/)
6. [Plans & Pricing - Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/pricing)