SearchVolume.io vs Semrush (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, SearchVolume.io grades higher than Semrush: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
SearchVolume.io grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. Semrush grades higher on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SearchVolume.io
Free bulk search volume checker with a paid AI keyword platform
Semrush
SEO suite for keyword research, rank tracking and AI search visibility
Which one is for you
Pick SearchVolume.io if
- Fits if you have a keyword list and just want the Google volumes for it
- Works for a freelancer who needs up to 500 lookups a month on Lite at $29
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your research comes in bursts, since unused credits don't roll over
- Skip it if you want rank tracking, audits or backlinks, which it doesn't do
- Pricey if you were hoping for a yearly discount, as only monthly prices are shown
- Watch out: when credits run out you wait for the next cycle or upgrade, to $69 for 2,000
- Not for you if you want the data in other tools, as there's no API or integration on record
Pick Semrush if
- Fits if you want research, rank tracking and audits in one account and can pay $117.33 a month or more
- Works for agencies that need keyword data for many countries and compare client sites with competitors
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're one person with one site, at $117.33 a month even yearly, and the trial checks your card with a small charge
- Tight if your team is more than just you, since every extra user is from $45 a month
- Skip it if AI answer tracking is the point, as the SEO plan leaves it out and Starter is $165.17 a month
- Watch out: the API and share of voice need the custom-priced Advanced plan, and scheduled PDF reports are $10 to $20 a month extra
- Watch out: local, content, social and ad tools are separate toolkits with their own prices, and the free plan allows 10 reports a day
How we grade them
| 2.4GPASearchVolume.ioFair | 2.2GPASemrushFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CLite is $29 a month for 500 credits, right at this category's dearer quarter, and there's no yearly discount. One lookup is one credit even when it returns thousands of rows. | DThe SEO plan, the one Semrush aims at freelancers and small businesses, is $117.33 a month billed yearly ($139 monthly). That's in this category's dearest tenth, for one user. AI search tracking needs Starter at $165.17, and each extra person is from $45 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe bulk checker is free: up to 800 keywords at a time, exported to Excel, no Google Ads account needed. If volumes are all you need, you could live on it. The platform itself has a 7-day trial. | CA free account with no card: 1 project, 10 reports a day and 10 tracked keywords. Fine for a look around, but you'll hit the wall in an afternoon. The 7-day trial of the paid plans checks your card with a small charge that's refunded at once. |
| Features | CAn AI keyword assistant, competitor keywords from a database it puts at over 7 billion, related and long-tail ideas with difficulty and CPC, and a cannibalization check, in 40 languages. Research only: no rank tracking, audit or backlinks. | BKeyword research from a database it puts at 29 billion keywords across 142 countries, competitor and backlink analysis, daily rank tracking and Site Audit. It covers the whole job, though the SEO plan only gets the basic research tools and no AI visibility. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. The free tool is paste a list, get numbers, and the platform's tools are lookups too, with nothing to connect. | CNo rating on record. It's a big suite with a lot of reports, and there are projects to set up and plenty to learn before it all makes sense. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no integrations or API on record. Results go out to Excel. | BWeb only, with no desktop or phone app. It connects to Google Analytics, Search Console, Wix, Yoast, AIOSEO, Supermetrics and Monday.com, has MCP from Starter, and the API comes with the custom-priced Advanced plan. |
| Best for | free bulk search volumes | all-in-one SEO research for teams with a budget |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: SearchVolume.io and Semrush. How we grade
Where they differ
- Semrush also covers reports, rank tracking, site audit and backlink analysis.
At a glance
| SearchVolume.io | Semrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29 per month for 500 credits | $117.33 per month, billed annually ($139 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | The free bulk tool on the homepage gives average monthly search volume for up to 800 keywords at a time, with export to Excel. The research platform itself is paid. | Free account: 1 project, 10 analytics reports a day across the main tools and 10 keywords in Position Tracking. No credit card needed. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of the paid plans | 7-day free trial of paid plans; a card is checked with a small charge that is refunded at once |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Search Volume | Semrush Holdings |
| Price read from | searchvolume.io | semrush.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
SearchVolume.io
- Credits reset monthly and do not roll over; one lookup costs one credit even when it returns thousands of rows.
- The pricing page shows monthly prices only, with no annual option.
- There is no rank tracking, site audit or backlink report in the plans listed.
- When credits run out you wait for the next billing cycle or upgrade.
Semrush
- Each plan includes one user; extra users start at $45 a month each, priced by plan level.
- Scheduled PDF reports are an add-on at $10 a month, or $20 with white-labeling; Advanced includes reporting.
- API access and share of voice come only with the custom-priced Advanced plan.
- Local, content, social, advertising, AI PR and traffic tools are separate toolkits with their own prices.
Key features
SearchVolume.io
- Free bulk search volume
- Paste up to 800 keywords and get each one's average monthly Google search volume, then export the list to Excel.
- AI Keyword Assistant
- Suggests keywords to target from seed keywords or a written prompt.
- Keyword cannibalization check
- Groups keywords that show the same pages in Google's results, so one page can target them instead of several competing pages.
- Competitor keywords
- See the keywords a competing site ranks for, drawn from a database the vendor puts at over 7 billion Google keywords.
- Related and long-tail ideas
- Semantically related and long-tail keyword ideas from a seed, with search volume, difficulty and Google Ads cost.
- 40 languages
- Keyword data in 40 languages, from Arabic and Bengali to Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
Semrush
- Keyword research
- Look up search volume, difficulty and intent from a database Semrush puts at 29 billion keywords across 142 country databases.
- Competitor and backlink analysis
- See which keywords and pages bring a rival site its traffic, and inspect any domain's backlink profile.
- Position Tracking
- Track daily rankings for 500 to 5,000+ keywords depending on the plan; Pro+ adds tracking by location and device.
- Site Audit
- Crawl your sites for technical SEO problems. From the Starter plan the audit also checks how ready a site is for AI search.
- AI visibility tracking
- Starter and above track daily whether set prompts in AI chat tools mention your brand, with sentiment monitoring. The SEO plan has none of this.
- MCP and API access
- Starter and above can query Semrush data from AI assistants through MCP; the API itself comes with the Advanced plan.
Plans
SearchVolume.io
Free tool$0
Bulk search volume for up to 800 keywords at a time, exportable to Excel.
Lite$29
per month for 500 credits
All platform tools for one marketer, with email support. A credit is one lookup or one keyword analyzed.
Standard$69
per month for 2,000 credits
The same tools with 2,000 credits a month. Unused credits do not roll over.
Scale$119
per month for 5,000 credits
5,000 credits a month, with email and video call support.
Semrush
Free$0
1 project, 10 analytics reports a day and 10 tracked keywords, for trying the tools.
SEO$117.33
per month, billed annually ($139 billed monthly)
1 user, 5 websites, 500 keywords tracked daily, basic keyword and competitor research, and Site Audit. No AI search tracking.
Starter$165.17
per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
5 websites and 500 keywords, full keyword research tools, MCP access, 50 AI prompts tracked daily and 300 AI visibility reports a day.
Pro+$248.17
per month, billed annually ($299 billed monthly)
15 websites, 1,500 keywords, historical data, content optimization, cannibalization checks, multi-location tracking and 100 AI prompts.
AdvancedCustom
40+ websites, 5,000+ keywords, share of voice, API access, team users, reporting and unlimited AI prompts. Sold after a demo.
Ways to pay less
SearchVolume.io
No public discounts listed.
Semrush
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% with annual billing
Semrush's pricing page lists annual billing at up to 17% less: Starter is $165.17 a month billed annually instead of $199 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, SearchVolume.io or Semrush?
As of Oct 23, 2026, SearchVolume.io is cheaper to start with: $29 a month, against $117.33 a month for Semrush. SearchVolume.io starts at $29 per month for 500 credits, and Semrush starts at $117.33 per month, billed annually ($139 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, SearchVolume.io or Semrush?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both SearchVolume.io and Semrush have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.