Ahrefs vs Semrush:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Semrush had more branded searches than Ahrefs among keyword research tools worldwide. Semrush had about 838,000 branded searches, while Ahrefs had 352,000. Semrush made up 43.3% of all keyword research tool searches we track, and Ahrefs accounted for 18.2%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is Ahrefs or Semrush more popular in search?
Compare the tools used to research search keywords. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
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 | Google Keyword Planner | Ahrefs | Ubersuggest | AnswerThePublic | Moz | KWFinder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 35.9% | 18.7% | 21.6% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 0.42% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.9% | 17.1% | 18.5% | 11% | 9% | 6% | 0.44% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.5% | 17.3% | 15.8% | 11.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 0.45% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.5% | 17.3% | 20.5% | 12% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 0.39% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.7% | 17.9% | 21.2% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 0.41% |
| Mar 2026 | 52.9% | 12.6% | 15.8% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 0.23% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.6% | 15.3% | 20.8% | 10.6% | 8.6% | 5.8% | 0.28% |
| May 2026 | 34.9% | 17.2% | 23.3% | 9.7% | 8% | 6.5% | 0.26% |
| Jun 2026 | 37.3% | 16.8% | 20.7% | 10% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 0.27% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.7% | 19.7% | 24.4% | 7.9% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 0.26% |
| Aug 2026 | 38.5% | 17.7% | 20.7% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 0.28% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.3% | 18.4% | 18.2% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 0.28% |
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 keyword research tools worldwide moved from 21.6% to 18.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 505K to 352K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Semrush’s share of searches among keyword research tools worldwide moved from 35.9% to 43.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 838K.
How did search popularity change for keyword research tools worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Google Keyword Planner overtook Ahrefs to rank 2nd among keyword research tools worldwide, with 18.4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Semrush gained share of searches among keyword research tools worldwide, from 38.5% to 43.3%.
In September 2026, Ahrefs lost share of searches among keyword research tools worldwide, from 20.7% to 18.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
5 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 keyword research tools
- Semrush vs Google Keyword Planner: compare search popularity
Semrush vs Ubersuggest: compare search popularity
Semrush vs AnswerThePublic: compare search popularity- Google Keyword Planner vs Ahrefs: compare search popularity
- Google Keyword Planner vs Ubersuggest: compare search popularity
- Google Keyword Planner vs AnswerThePublic: compare search popularity
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