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Ahrefs Site Audit vs Semrush Site Audit

Ahrefs Site Audit (Cloud SEO crawler inside an all-in-one SEO platform) and Semrush Site Audit (Cloud SEO platform module (technical site audit)) on the same 24 capabilities, with a source for every cell and charts counted from the table.

Checked 21 October 2026 against each vendor's own public pages. Sources below.

Ahrefs Site Audit

Cloud SEO crawler inside an all-in-one SEO platform

Paid plans: Starter $29/mo; Lite $129/mo; free tierRuns in the vendor cloud

Semrush Site Audit

Cloud SEO platform module (technical site audit)

Subscription; SEO+AI Search Starter $165.17/mo annual ($199 monthly)Runs in the vendor cloud

Compatibility at a glance

Ahrefs Site Audit scores 75 on coverage and 75 on automation; Semrush Site Audit scores 63 and 75. Both out of 100, counted from the table.

Out of 24 capabilities we compare for every tool.

14both have
2only Ahrefs Site Audit
1only Semrush Site Audit

Market map

Crawl, audit and data coverage / Automation and AI agents: SpiderHead 71·83, Screaming Frog 92·75, Sitebulb 88·58, Ahrefs Site Audit 75·75, Semrush Site Audit 63·75, SEOnaut 8·25, LibreCrawl 29·50, advertools 21·2500252550507575100100Crawl, audit and data coverage →Automation and AI agents →SpiderHeadScreaming FrogSitebulbAhrefs Site AuditSemrush Site AuditSEOnautLLibreCrawlAadvertools
Scores are counted from the table: yes = 1, partly = ½, no or not found in public docs = 0, as a share of the rows on each axis. Horizontal: Crawl, audit and data coverage (12 rows). Vertical: Automation and AI agents (6 rows). Hover or focus a marker for the breakdown; click to keep it open.

Coverage by group

Share of rows each tool covers in a group, 0–100, counted from the table below.

30Price and setup5 rows20
0Interfaces2 rows0
100AI agents and integrations2 rows100
83Crawl3 rows50
80Audit5 rows60
63Data sources4 rows75
50Reports and follow-up3 rows50
58Overall24 rows50

Side by side

CapabilityAhrefs Site AuditSemrush Site Audit
Price and setup
Free to usePartly: Paid plans: Starter $29/mo; Lite $129/mo; free tierPartly: Subscription; SEO+AI Search Starter $165.17/mo annual ($199 monthly)
Open sourceNo: Proprietary SaaSNo: Proprietary SaaS
Runs on your machineNo: Crawl runs in Ahrefs cloudNo: Crawl runs in Semrush cloud
Works without an accountNo: Free account and verified site requiredNo: Semrush account required (free account available)
Free tierYes: 5,000 crawl credits per verified project/monthPartly: Free account with limited tools; free SEO checker page
Interfaces
Desktop appNo: Web app onlyNo: Web app only
Command lineNo: Not found in public docsNo: Not found in public docs
AI agents and integrations
MCP server for AI agentsYes: Official hosted remote MCP, paid plans from LiteYes: Official hosted MCP (SEO, Trends, read-only Projects API)
APIYes: API v3 Site Audit endpoints, paid plans from LiteYes: Projects API v3: run audit, snapshots, issues
Crawl
JavaScript renderingYes: Optional JavaScript execution in crawl settingsPartly: Plan-dependent; docs differ by plan tier
Scheduled crawlsYes: Scheduled crawls plus Always-on audit (Lite+)Yes: Scheduled recurring audits (e.g. weekly)
Custom extractionPartly: Post-crawl search of raw/rendered HTML; no XPath foundNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Audit
Audit checksYes: 170+ issues, per Site Audit pageYes: 140+ technical checks (feature page)
HreflangYes: Hreflang issues and graph viewYes: International SEO report: hreflang codes, conflicts
Structured dataYes: Checked against 190+ Google/Schema.org requirementsPartly: Markup checks listed among audit areas
Core Web Vitals / LighthouseYes: CrUX and Lighthouse metrics; PSI API keyPartly: Lighthouse-based CWV report, 10 pages per audit
AccessibilityNot found in public docs: Not found in public docsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Data sources
Google Search ConsolePartly: GSC import/verification of projects; deeper use unclearYes: Via My Reports (Search Console data in PDF reports)
Google Analytics 4Not found in public docs: Not found in public docsYes: GA connection in Site Audit and My Reports
Backlink dataYes: Own index in Site Explorer (free: 1,000 shown)Not found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Keyword dataYes: Organic keywords in Site Explorer (free: 1,000 shown)Yes: Daily keyword tracking (Starter: 500 keywords)
Reports and follow-up
Report exportsYes: CSV and ZIP bulk issue exportYes: Excel, CSV, PDF; limits depend on plan
Task list and fix recheckPartly: Crawl-to-crawl comparison and alerts; no task list foundPartly: Recurring re-audits and snapshot history
Reads Screaming Frog exportsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
yespartlynonot found in public docs

Where each one is stronger

Ahrefs Site Audit

  • Large first-party backlink and keyword datasets alongside the audit, in one account
  • Hosted crawling with no local setup and high crawl speeds on verified sites
  • Always-on audit with email alerts and scheduled crawls without running anything locally
  • Official hosted MCP server and API v3 with Site Audit endpoints for AI agents
  • Free access for verified sites through Ahrefs Webmaster Tools

Semrush Site Audit

  • Fully hosted: no installation, no local resources, crawls run in the vendor cloud
  • Same account gives keyword tracking, competitor and other SEO tools alongside the audit
  • Scheduled recurring audits with a snapshot history of earlier crawls
  • Official hosted MCP server and Projects API for reading Site Audit project data
  • PDF and report building that combines audit data with Google Analytics and Search Console

Questions

Which is cheaper, Ahrefs Site Audit or Semrush Site Audit?
Ahrefs Site Audit: Paid plans: Starter $29/mo; Lite $129/mo; free tier. Semrush Site Audit: Subscription; SEO+AI Search Starter $165.17/mo annual ($199 monthly). Prices as published on 21 October 2026; check the vendors' pricing pages before you buy.
Does Ahrefs Site Audit or Semrush Site Audit run on my own machine?
Ahrefs Site Audit: crawl runs in Ahrefs cloud. Semrush Site Audit: crawl runs in Semrush cloud.
Can AI agents use Ahrefs Site Audit or Semrush Site Audit?
MCP server — Ahrefs Site Audit: official hosted remote MCP, paid plans from Lite; Semrush Site Audit: official hosted MCP (SEO, Trends, read-only Projects API). API — Ahrefs Site Audit: aPI v3 Site Audit endpoints, paid plans from Lite; Semrush Site Audit: projects API v3: run audit, snapshots, issues.
Is Ahrefs Site Audit free?
Yes, for verified sites: Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (now Ahrefs Free) includes Site Audit with 5,000 crawl credits per verified project per month. Analyzing competitors requires a paid plan.
Does Semrush Site Audit run on my machine?
No. Crawls run in Semrush's cloud and are configured in the web app; a Semrush account is required.

How we compared

  • Every cell comes from the vendor's own public pages (product, documentation, pricing, release notes, repository) on 21 October 2026.
  • “Not found in public docs” means we could not confirm it from an official source, not that the feature is missing. Charts count it as 0.
  • Prices and plans change. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
  • Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.

Sources

Ahrefs Site Audit is a trademark of Ahrefs Pte. Ltd.. Semrush Site Audit is a trademark of Semrush. Names and icons identify the products compared; SpiderHead is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Ahrefs Pte. Ltd. or Semrush. Owners can ask us to remove an icon via contact.

Compare with SpiderHead

SpiderHead vs Ahrefs Site AuditCloud SEO crawler inside an all-in-one SEO platformSpiderHead vs Semrush Site AuditCloud SEO platform module (technical site audit)All tools, one table8 SEO crawlers and audit tools

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