Ahrefs vs Semrush:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Semrush had more branded searches than Ahrefs among AI search visibility tools worldwide. Semrush had about 673,000 branded searches, while Ahrefs had 301,000. Semrush made up 60.8% of all AI search visibility tool searches we track, and Ahrefs accounted for 27.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI search visibility tools, Ahrefs and Semrush each appeared in four of the five answers. Semrush was mentioned before Ahrefs in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Semrush, about 2 searches for every 1 for Ahrefs
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Semrush, named ahead of Ahrefs in 3 of 4 answers
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Top AI search visibility tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ahrefs and Semrush were each mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Semrush was listed before Ahrefs in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Peec AI1st
Otterly.AI2nd- Semrush3rd
Profound4th
Ahrefs5th
SE Ranking6th
Searchable7th
AirOps–
AthenaHQ–
Scrunch–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Semrush4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ahrefs4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Peec AI4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Otterly.AI4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Profound3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- SE Ranking2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Searchable1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- AirOps0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- AthenaHQ0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Scrunch0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI search visibility tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI search visibility tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI search visibility tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI search visibility tool for brand mentions in AI answers?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai search visibility tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best ai search tool”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Ahrefs or Semrush more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ahrefs and Semrush by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten AI search visibility tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Semrush, Ahrefs. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Semrush | Ahrefs | SE Ranking | Peec AI | Profound | AirOps | Searchable | Otterly.AI | AthenaHQ | Scrunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 58.2% | 31.8% | 5.2% | 0.91% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.75% | 0.24% | 0.27% | 0.31% |
| Nov 2025 | 62.3% | 27.9% | 4.6% | 1.4% | 0.99% | 1.4% | 0.65% | 0.26% | 0.23% | 0.28% |
| Dec 2025 | 65.4% | 23.9% | 4.8% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.26% | 0.29% | 0.28% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.3% | 31.3% | 5.2% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 0.92% | 0.35% | 0.33% | 0.31% |
| Feb 2026 | 57.3% | 31.3% | 5.1% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 0.76% | 0.36% | 0.37% | 0.31% |
| Mar 2026 | 61.6% | 27.6% | 4.5% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.46% | 0.32% | 0.27% |
| Apr 2026 | 61.9% | 27.7% | 4.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.66% | 0.38% | 0.32% | 0.27% |
| May 2026 | 54.3% | 29.7% | 8.9% | 2.3% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 0.87% | 0.51% | 0.33% | 0.29% |
| Jun 2026 | 60.8% | 27.2% | 4.5% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 0.78% | 0.57% | 0.39% | 0.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 61% | 27.3% | 4.5% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.55% | 0.32% | 0.33% |
| Aug 2026 | 61.4% | 27.5% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.49% | 0.26% | 0.33% |
| Sep 2026 | 60.8% | 27.2% | 4.5% | 2.2% | 2% | 1.4% | 0.94% | 0.52% | 0.27% | 0.27% |
How has the Ahrefs and Semrush comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Semrush was ahead of Ahrefs in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ahrefs’ share of searches among AI search visibility tools worldwide moved from 31.8% to 27.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 301K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Semrush’s share of searches among AI search visibility tools worldwide moved from 58.2% to 60.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 673K.
How did search popularity change for AI search visibility tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Semrush lost share of searches among AI search visibility tools worldwide, from 61.4% to 60.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Ahrefs worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 450K to 301K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ahrefs’ and Semrush’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among AI search visibility tools
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