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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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Semrush vs Moz (2027): Prices, Trials and Which SEO Tool to Pick
Choose Semrush if you want the broadest marketing toolkit with a free plan and a 7-day trial: the SEO plan costs $139 a month, or $117.33 on annual billing, and higher plans add AI Search tools. Choose Moz Pro if you want a simpler, beginner-friendly suite at a lower price: Standard costs $99 a month, or $79 paid yearly, and every plan includes AI visibility tracking. Moz is about $38 a month cheaper at entry level on yearly billing; Semrush gives you much more data and more tools.
- Semrush: free plan; SEO $139/month ($117.33 annual); Starter (SEO + AI Search) $199 ($165.17); Pro+ $299 ($248.17); 7-day trial.
- Moz Pro: Standard $99 ($79 yearly); Medium $179 ($143 yearly); Large $299 ($239 yearly); free trial.
- Yearly saving: Semrush about 16%; Moz 20%.
- Moz Standard: 1 user, 3 sites, 300 tracked keywords.
- Both now track brand visibility in AI search.
Semrush vs Moz at a glance
| Semrush | Moz Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Free plan, no card | Free tools (MozBar, limited research) |
| Trial | 7 days | Free trial (Medium) |
| Entry toolkit | SEO $139 ($117.33 annual) | Standard $99 ($79 yearly) |
| Mid tier | Starter $199 ($165.17 annual) | Medium $179 ($143 yearly) |
| Upper tier | Pro+ $299 ($248.17 annual) | Large $299 ($239 yearly) |
| AI search tools | Starter and Pro+ | All Pro plans |
| Known for | Broad marketing toolkit, data depth | Domain Authority, ease of use |
Pricing compared
| Plan | Monthly | Per year (yearly billing) |
|---|---|---|
| Moz Standard | $99 | $948 |
| Semrush SEO | $139 | $1,407.96 |
| Moz Medium | $179 | $1,716 |
| Semrush Starter (SEO + AI Search) | $199 | $1,982.04 |
| Moz Large | $299 | $2,868 |
| Semrush Pro+ | $299 | $2,978.04 |
At every comparable level, Moz is cheaper on yearly billing. At the top tier, both cost $299 a month on monthly billing.
3-year cost
| Plan (yearly billing) | 3-year total |
|---|---|
| Moz Standard | $2,844 |
| Semrush SEO | $4,223.88 |
| Moz Medium | $5,148 |
| Semrush Starter | $5,946.12 |
Which tool is better for what?
| Need | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Testing before paying | Semrush | Free plan and 7-day trial |
| Lowest full-toolkit price | Moz | Standard $79 yearly |
| Competitor and market research | Semrush | Broader data and tools |
| Beginner-friendly SEO | Moz | Simpler interface, Domain Authority |
| AI visibility on the entry plan | Moz | Included on Standard |
| PPC, content and social tools alongside SEO | Semrush | All-in-one marketing suite |
Tracked keywords and users
Moz Standard includes 1 user, 3 tracked sites and 300 tracked keywords; Medium 2 users, 10 sites and 1,500 keywords; Large 3 users, 25 sites and 3,000 keywords. Semrush's limits for projects and tracked keywords depend on the plan; check its plan comparison for the numbers you need. If you track many keywords across many sites, compare both with SE Ranking, which tracks 2,000 keywords on Core.
Three real-world scenarios
A small business owner learning SEO
Moz Standard at $79 a month (paid yearly) is affordable and easy to learn. Semrush's free plan is a good complement for occasional research.
An in-house marketer covering SEO, PPC and content
Semrush SEO at $117.33 a month (annual) covers more of the marketing job in one tool. Use the 7-day trial with real tasks first.
An agency tracking AI visibility for clients
Moz Medium ($143 yearly) includes AI visibility dashboards and 10 sites; Semrush Pro+ ($248.17 annual) adds AI Search tools to its broader toolkit. Choose based on how many clients and which reports they ask for.
Try Semrush free for 7 days → Free plan available, cancel anytime · Affiliate link
Hidden costs and limits to check
- Moz Standard's single user and 300 tracked keywords.
- Semrush's price gap between the free plan and SEO ($139 a month).
- Usage limits on reports, projects and AI prompts on both.
- Yearly commitments for the lowest prices.
Alternatives to both
| Tool | Entry price | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs | Starter $29; Lite $129 | Cheapest keyword research, backlinks |
| SE Ranking | Core $103.20/month (annual) | Cheap rank tracking |
| Google Search Console | Free | Your site's real data |
See Semrush pricing, Moz pricing, Ahrefs vs Moz, Semrush vs SE Ranking and best SEO tools for small business.
How to choose in 5 steps
- Decide your scope: SEO only, or SEO plus PPC, content and competitor research.
- Count sites, keywords and users.
- Start free: Semrush's free plan and Moz's free tools.
- Run both trials on the same domain and competitors.
- Keep one, then switch to yearly billing.
Terms explained
- Domain Authority: Moz's site-strength score.
- Authority Score: Semrush's equivalent metric.
- Tracked keyword: a keyword whose rank is checked regularly.
- AI Search visibility: how often a brand appears in AI answers.
- Site audit: a crawl listing technical SEO issues.
Ease of use
Moz keeps its interface focused on SEO essentials: keyword research, link research, rank tracking, site crawls and now AI visibility. Semrush offers dozens of tools across SEO, advertising, content, social and market research, which is powerful but takes longer to learn. A small business owner usually gets value from Moz faster; a marketing team that will use many Semrush tools gets more value per dollar from Semrush.
Reporting
Both tools produce scheduled reports for clients or managers. Semrush's reports can combine data from many of its tools; Moz's reports focus on rankings, links, site health and AI visibility.
Our verdict
Moz is the better value for small businesses and beginners: Standard at $79 a month (paid yearly) is the cheapest full SEO toolkit among the big names, with AI visibility included. Semrush is the better choice for marketers who want one tool for SEO, competitors, PPC and content, with a free plan and 7-day trial to test it. If you're unsure, start Semrush's free plan and Moz's free trial in the same week.
How we compiled this page
We checked Moz's official pricing page on October 30, 2026 and Semrush's on October 29, 2026, and calculated yearly and three-year costs from published prices.
FAQ
Is Moz cheaper than Semrush?
Yes: Moz Pro Standard costs $79 a month paid yearly versus $117.33 for Semrush SEO on annual billing.
Is Semrush better than Moz?
Semrush offers more data and tools; Moz is simpler and cheaper. Neither is better for everyone.
Does Moz have a free plan?
No paid-plan equivalent, but Moz offers free tools such as MozBar and limited Keyword Explorer. Semrush has a free plan.
Which has a longer free trial?
Semrush offers 7 days; Moz offers a free trial on Medium. Check current trial lengths when you sign up.
Which is better for local SEO?
Both support local rank tracking; Moz also sells Moz Local separately for listings management.
Can beginners use Semrush?
Yes, but Moz is usually easier to learn.
Which has more accurate data?
Both estimate volumes and traffic with their own data. Compare their numbers with Google Search Console for your own site during the trials.
Who should choose which
Choose Moz if you're a small business or beginner who wants an affordable, focused SEO suite with AI visibility included from the first plan. Choose Semrush if you're a marketer or agency that will also use competitor research, advertising and content tools, or if you want to start on a free plan. Consider Ahrefs Starter at $29 a month if you only need keyword research.
Is Moz Pro worth it in 2027?
For beginners and small teams that want an affordable SEO suite with AI visibility tracking, yes. Teams that need broader marketing data usually prefer Semrush.
Which tool should an agency choose?
Semrush for broad client reporting and research; Moz Large ($239 a month yearly, 25 sites) for agencies focused on SEO and AI visibility on a budget.
Do both offer site audits?
Yes, both crawl your site and list technical issues.
Sources
moz.com/products/pro/pricing, checked October 30, 2026, and semrush.com/prices, checked October 29, 2026.
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