Semrush Free vs SEO: Are 5 Sites and 500 Tracked Keywords Worth $139/Month?

Verdict

Semrush Free is useful for occasional research, but its current scope is deliberately small: one demo project and 10 reports per day across core tools. The current paid Semrush SEO plan costs $139/month or $117.33/month equivalent when billed annually and expands the recurring workflow to five monitored websites and 500 keywords tracked daily.

Use the new plan names, not old Pro/Guru labels

Semrush's newest SEO + AI Search page uses SEO, Starter, Pro+, and Advanced. This guide registers the base SEO plan. A separate Help page still describes SEO Toolkit Pro, Guru, and Business with different prices and limits, so an older “Semrush Pro” article should not be treated as today's SEO checkout.

Before paying, verify the order page says SEO under the current SEO + AI Search family and matches the limits you expect.

What paying for SEO changes

**Five monitored websites.** The current SEO plan supports five websites for ongoing project-based monitoring instead of the Free demo-project workflow. This matters when Site Audit, Position Tracking, or other project tools must run continuously.

**500 keywords tracked daily.** The paid SEO tier currently includes 500 daily tracked keywords. Free is better treated as an occasional research account than as a recurring rank-monitoring subscription.

**Expanded research and audit workflow.** Current SEO includes keyword research, competitor analysis, Position Tracking, Site Audit, and AI-search monitoring/reporting. These are documented features and limits, not a Toolnavia claim that Semrush data is perfectly accurate or that rankings will improve.

**Less Free-tool friction.** Current Keyword Magic Help says users without SEO Toolkit access get 10 reports per day, 10 UI results per report, no exports, and no metric updates. Paid access removes much of that friction, subject to the current plan's limits.

$139 monthly versus $117.33/month billed annually

The latest pricing page lists SEO at $139 with monthly billing and $117.33/month equivalent when billed annually, advertising savings of up to 17%. Treat $117.33 as the current annual monthly-equivalent display, not a promise that tax, currency, or future renewal will always match it.

The same current product family lists Starter at $199 monthly / $165.17 annual-equivalent, Pro+ at $299 / $248.17, and Advanced at $549 / $455.67. Those higher plans add more AI-visibility scope, websites, tracked keywords, or API capacity; they are upgrade context, not additional products registered in this article.

If five sites and 500 tracked keywords already cover the workload, paying for higher unused limits is unnecessary.

Trial, cancellation, and refund are separate

Semrush currently advertises a seven-day free trial. If it is not canceled before the end, it can convert to a paid subscription under the accepted billing terms.

The standard seven-day money-back guarantee is narrower than many buyers assume. Current policy says an eligible initial purchase made directly by credit card with a commitment of at least 12 months can qualify if a written refund request is submitted within seven calendar days. Month-to-month subscriptions and renewals do not qualify for that standard guarantee. Standalone-product trial conversion payments are also excluded.

Canceling does not automatically request a refund. The cancellation flow requires confirmation, and paid access continues according to the committed term. After cancellation or downgrade, project data receives a limited grace period before Free-level limits apply.

Alternatives show the price range

Ahrefs Lite currently costs $129/month and includes five projects, 750 tracked keywords, 100,000 crawl credits, and one user. Ahrefs Starter is $29/month with one unverified project and 200 monthly credits.

Ubersuggest Individual currently lists $29/month, while a current annual promotion shows $16/month / $192 billed annually for one project and 125 tracked keywords. SE Ranking's current billing Help says legacy Essential/Pro/Business plans are no longer offered to new subscriptions; its Solo option is $65 for three months with two projects and 150 daily tracked keywords. These are pricing-and-limit comparisons, not SEO-data or ranking-performance rankings.

Next step

Stay on Free if occasional reports and one demo project are enough. Choose Semrush SEO when five monitored sites and 500 daily tracked keywords solve a recurring workflow. Use the trial on a real project before committing, and if you choose annual billing, record the checkout and seven-day refund deadline.

Semrush's current Impact affiliate program pays $200 for a new sale, $10 for a new trial, and $0.01 for a signup, with a 120-day cookie. Toolnavia approval is unverified, so affiliate tracking remains disabled.