SEO and content optimization platforms · October 2026 Edition
Semrush vs SE Ranking
Ten of fourteen models named Semrush first on the direct prompt; zero named SE Ranking. Both were named by all fourteen models and Semrush carries 58 labels and SE Ranking 24, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Boston, United States, founded 2008. Named in ten categories this edition.
United States, founded 2012. Named in five categories this edition.
First-choice share21%10%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate21%4%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#1#4A position in a field of 12; printed, not drawn.
Labels5824A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Semrush reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Surfer SEO was named alongside these two in ten of the fourteen direct answers. Semrush vs Surfer SEO · Semrush vs Clearscope · Semrush vs NeuronWriter
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the SEO and content optimization platforms page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
SemrushFirst choices, of fourteen modelsSE Ranking
Direct100
Paraphrase101 against Semrush
Comparative801 against Semrush
Budget-constrained065 against Semrush · 1 against SE Ranking
Scale-constrained10
Negative105 against Semrush
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Semrush and SE Ranking stood in it.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | | | |||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | | | | ||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | | | | | |
| Perplexity Sonar | | | | | ||
| Grok 4.20 | | | | | | |
| Mistral Small | | | ||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | | | | | |
| Llama 4 Maverick | | | ||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | | | | ||
| Kimi K2 | | | | |||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | | | | | |
| MiniMax M2.5 | | | | | | |
| GPT-6 Luna | | | ||||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | | |
Semrush SE Ranking first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Semrush on the left and SE Ranking on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Semrush and SE Ranking stood in it.
Semrush first, SE Ranking an alternative
10 of 14 modelsSE Ranking was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Claude Haiku 4.5Semrush alternatives: Ahrefs, Moz, Surfer SEO, Writesonic
Gemini 3.5 FlashClearscope, Semrush alternatives: Ahrefs, MarketMuse, Surfer SEO
Perplexity SonarSemrush alternatives: HubSpot Marketing Hub, MarketMuse, Surfer SEO
Grok 4.20Semrush alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, MarketMuse, SE Ranking, Surfer SEO
Mistral SmallAhrefs, Semrush alternatives: Clearscope, Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console, HubSpot Marketing Hub, Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Surfer SEO
DeepSeek V4 FlashSemrush alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, SE Ranking, Surfer SEO
Qwen 3.7 FlashSemrush alternatives: Sight AI, Surfer SEO
GLM 4.7 FlashXSemrush alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Surfer SEO
MiniMax M2.5Semrush alternatives: Conductor, SE Ranking, Sight AI
GPT-6 LunaSemrush alternatives: Conductor
Neither was the first choice, one was named
2 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.GPT-5.4 miniConductor alternatives: Clearscope, Semrush
Kimi K2Clearscope alternatives: Frase, Semrush, Surfer SEO
Neither was named
2 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Llama 4 MaverickSight AI
Muse Glimmer 30BSurfer SEO alternatives: Clearscope, MarketMuse
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
SE Ranking leads by six points.
SE Ranking18%#2 of 11Semrush12%#3 of 11Mid-marketThe figures above
The order flips: Semrush leads at mid-market.
Semrush21%#1 of 12SE Ranking10%#4 of 12Enterprise
What the models said about Semrush
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of five in this category shown.
“you cannot afford to waste money on bloated enterprise platforms like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Clearscope, which easily run $100 to over $150 per month” Gemini 3.5 Flash · budget prompt · soft negative
“"Semrush is the market's most comprehensive all-in-one SEO platform." ... If you need backlink intelligence and full marketing reporting, start with Semrush or Ahrefs.” Muse Glimmer 30B · comparative prompt · first choice
“the pairing of Semrush and Clearscope remains the most reliable, high-performing combination for mid-market B2B organizations” Gemini 3.5 Flash · direct prompt · first choice
“For most mid-market B2B companies, Semrush offers the best balance of features, pricing, and procurement readiness.” MiniMax M2.5 · direct prompt · first choice
What the models said about SE Ranking
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Three of three in this category shown.
“those can cost considerably more. For example, SE Ranking’s Core plan is listed at $103.20/month with annual billing” GPT-6 Luna · budget prompt · soft negative
“For an all-in-one budget platform: Ubersuggest ($12–29/mo) or SE Ranking ($44/mo)” DeepSeek V4 Flash · budget prompt · first choice
“Highly recommended for small businesses due to its affordability and comprehensive features” Mistral Small · budget prompt · first choice
Also compared
Semrush vs Surfer SEOSemrush vs ClearscopeSemrush vs NeuronWriterSemrush vs UbersuggestSemrush vs AhrefsSemrush vs FraseSurfer SEO vs SE RankingClearscope vs SE RankingSE Ranking vs NeuronWriterSE Ranking vs UbersuggestSE Ranking vs AhrefsSE Ranking vs FraseAll twenty-eight head-to-head pages and the full SEO standing
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.