Semrush API alternatives: five SEO data APIs and what they cost

If you want keyword, search result or backlink data in your own code, the Semrush API is the obvious first stop and an expensive one. This guide compares five Semrush API alternatives by what the first API call costs. Every price comes from the vendor's own page, read on 30 October 2026.

Semrush API alternatives compared by cost to first call

The table answers two questions: what you must pay before your first request, and what 1,000 search result pages cost where the vendor sells them by the page. We computed both columns from the vendors' published prices on 30 October 2026. Prices change often, so check the linked page on the day you buy.

Two patterns stand out. Only DataForSEO and SerpApi publish a price per search result page. Only DataForSEO and SE Ranking let you start without a monthly plan.

Does Semrush have an API, and what does it cost?

Yes, but Semrush does not publish one price for it, and its own pages describe access differently.

The help centre calls the Standard API (the Analytics and Projects APIs) an add-on to the Business tier of the SEO Toolkit. You buy units in packages of 2, 5, 10 or 20 million. The page gives one example rate: a backlinks request costs 40 units per line. Units renew with your plan, and unused units expire instead of carrying over.

The public pricing page, read the same day, no longer shows a Business tier. It lists SEO, Starter and Pro+ plans with fixed prices, none of which mention an API. "Advanced API data integration" appears only on the Advanced plan, and "Custom integrations & API" on Enterprise. Both are priced on request. Starter lists MCP access, which lets an AI assistant query Semrush data, but that is not a REST API for your own code.

Semrush also sells a separate Trends API for its traffic and market data, with a default limit of 10,000 requests a month. It does not use the standard API units.

So the honest answer to "what does the Semrush API cost" is: a sales conversation. That is the main reason people search for alternatives.

DataForSEO: pay as you go, priced per request

DataForSEO is the API-first option. There is no subscription. You top up a balance (minimum $50), and the balance does not expire.

Published starting prices on 30 October 2026:

• SERP API: from $0.0006 per search result page in the standard queue. Live requests cost more and return faster.

• Keywords Data API: from $0.0012 per task.

• DataForSEO Labs (keyword and domain research built on their own index): $0.012 per task plus $0.00012 per item returned.

• Backlinks API: the calculator on the Backlinks API page shows $0.024 per request plus $0.000036 per row.

The catch is that you build everything yourself: there is no dashboard to hand a client. A free account gives you a playground (API Explorer) to try requests before you pay.

SE Ranking: the closest like-for-like replacement

SE Ranking sells two APIs. The Data API covers keyword research, backlinks, domain performance, search results, site audits and AI visibility. The Project API automates the rank tracking and monitoring you set up inside SE Ranking itself.

You can reach it three ways, according to its API page on 30 October 2026:

1. A stand-alone, pay-as-you-go API from €45 for 250,000 credits. The same page's FAQ names a $50 minimum deposit for pay as you go, so expect roughly that as your first payment.

2. API access included in the Core plan ($129 a month) and the Growth plan ($279 a month).

3. An API add-on from $149 a month on top of an existing subscription.

A free trial needs no credit card. The page does not say whether the trial includes API credits.

If you used Semrush for both a dashboard and an API, SE Ranking is the nearest swap. Keep in mind that the top search result for this question is SE Ranking's own blog post, which lists SE Ranking first.

Ahrefs and Majestic: backlink data at enterprise prices

Both are strong on links, and neither is a cheap way into an API.

Ahrefs ties full API access to its Enterprise plan: its documentation offers free test queries to try endpoints "without an Enterprise plan", and does not state the Enterprise price. If your product depends on Ahrefs' backlink index specifically, test those queries first and then talk to sales.

Majestic sells API access on one plan only. On 30 October 2026 the API plan cost €379.99 a month billed monthly, or €316.66 a month billed yearly, with 100 million analysis units. Its pricing page marks API access as "No" for the Lite and Pro plans, so check that page before you trust a list that says otherwise.

SerpApi: when you only need search results

If what you need is the result page itself (positions, snippets, People Also Ask boxes), you may not need an SEO suite at all. SerpApi returns search result pages as JSON. It has no backlink index or keyword-volume database of its own.

Its free plan gives 250 searches a month. The Starter plan is $25 a month for 1,000 searches, which works out at $25 per 1,000 result pages. DataForSEO's standard queue starts at $0.60 for the same 1,000 pages, but SerpApi returns each search on request and needs no top-up. For a prototype or a low-volume rank checker, the free tier is often enough.

Which Semrush API alternative fits your use?

Match the API to the data you need, then to how you want to pay:

If you also want to replace Semrush as a dashboard, not only as a data source, the Semrush alternatives list on AppBoard.pro ranks the tools makers submitted by community engagement.

Start with the free tier, then price your volume

You can now pick an SEO data API by the data you need and see what the first call costs before you talk to anyone. Try SerpApi's free searches or DataForSEO's playground first, measure how many requests your product makes in a week, and price that volume against the table above. If you are building an SEO data tool of your own, launch it on AppBoard.pro for free so developers comparing these APIs can find it.