Ahrefs vs Semrush:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Semrush had more branded searches than Ahrefs among SEO tools worldwide. Semrush was estimated to have 838K branded searches compared to Ahrefs’ 302K, and held a 61.8% Share of Search versus Ahrefs’ 22.3%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Ahrefs or Semrush?
Compare the seo tools teams use. 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 Search by month for Semrush, Ahrefs. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Semrush | Ahrefs | Ubersuggest | SE Ranking | Moz Pro | Screaming Frog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 51.8% | 28.2% | 15.2% | 4.6% | 0.18% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 55.3% | 24.4% | 16.1% | 4% | 0.16% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 57.8% | 21% | 16.8% | 4.1% | 0.2% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 50.2% | 27.2% | 18% | 4.4% | 0.22% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 52% | 28% | 15.2% | 4.6% | 0.24% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 68.2% | 17.6% | 11.3% | 2.8% | 0.17% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 56.7% | 23.7% | 15.6% | 3.8% | 0.19% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 51.3% | 26.4% | 14.3% | 7.8% | 0.21% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 57.3% | 23.3% | 15.4% | 3.8% | 0.19% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 57.9% | 24.7% | 13.3% | 4% | 0.19% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 59% | 24.3% | 13.3% | 3.3% | 0.16% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 61.8% | 22.3% | 12.2% | 3.6% | 0.12% | <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’ estimated Share of Search among SEO tools worldwide moved from 28.2% to 22.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 455K to 302K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Semrush’s estimated Share of Search among SEO tools worldwide moved from 51.8% to 61.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 838K.
Other head-to-heads among SEO tools
How each brand is measured
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.
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.