Brandwave

Ahrefs vs Semrush:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Semrush had more branded searches than Ahrefs among AI SEO tools worldwide. Semrush had about 673,000 branded searches, while Ahrefs had 301,000. Semrush made up 68.6% of all AI SEO tool searches we track, and Ahrefs accounted for 30.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI SEO tools, Semrush appeared in all five answers and Ahrefs in three. Semrush was mentioned before Ahrefs in every answer.

Among AI SEO tools worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Semrush, about 2 searches for every 1 for Ahrefs

Semrush 673K searchesAhrefs 301K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Semrush, mentioned in every answer we collected

Semrush in 5 of 5Ahrefs in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Semrush, named ahead of Ahrefs in every answer

Semrush first in 5Ahrefs never first

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Top AI SEO tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Semrush appeared in all five answers. Ahrefs was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Semrush was listed before Ahrefs in every answer.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Surfer1st
  2. Semrush2nd
  3. Clearscope3rd
  4. Frase4th
  5. Ahrefs5th
  6. MarketMuse6th
  7. Screaming Frog7th
  8. WriterZen–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Semrush5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Surfer5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Frase4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Clearscope4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ahrefs3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Screaming Frog2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • MarketMuse1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • WriterZen0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about AI SEO tools

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

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 eight AI SEO tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Ahrefs and Semrush among AI SEO tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Semrush, Ahrefs. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSemrushAhrefsFraseClearscopeMarketMuseWriterZenScreaming FrogSurfer
Oct 202563.9%35%0.16%0.45%0.36%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Nov 202568.4%30.6%0.17%0.39%0.32%0.16%<0.01%<0.01%
Dec 202572.3%26.4%0.17%0.41%0.42%0.2%<0.01%<0.01%
Jan 202663.8%34.9%0.22%0.44%0.53%0.15%<0.01%<0.01%
Feb 202664%35%0.22%0.37%0.3%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Mar 202668.4%30.6%0.17%0.39%0.32%0.11%<0.01%<0.01%
Apr 202668.5%30.6%0.19%0.32%0.26%0.13%<0.01%<0.01%
May 202664%35%0.37%0.3%0.24%0.12%<0.01%<0.01%
Jun 202668.4%30.6%0.33%0.31%0.2%0.13%<0.01%<0.01%
Jul 202668.5%30.6%0.35%0.26%0.17%0.1%<0.01%<0.01%
Aug 202668.5%30.6%0.28%0.26%0.17%0.1%<0.01%<0.01%
Sep 202668.6%30.7%0.25%0.21%0.17%0.09%<0.01%<0.01%

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 SEO tools worldwide moved from 35% to 30.7%, 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 SEO tools worldwide moved from 63.9% to 68.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 673K.

How did search popularity change for AI SEO tools worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Ahrefs worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 450K to 301K in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Semrush worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 823K to 673K 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.

Ahrefs

1 branded search term

  • ahrefs

Semrush

1 branded search term

  • semrush

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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