Brandwave

Frase vs Semrush:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Semrush had more branded searches than Frase among AI SEO tools worldwide. Semrush had about 673,000 branded searches, while Frase had 2,490. Semrush made up 68.6% of all AI SEO tool searches we track, and Frase accounted for 0.25%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI SEO tools, Semrush appeared in all five answers and Frase in four. Semrush was mentioned before Frase in three out of five answers.

Among AI SEO tools worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Semrush, about 270 searches for every 1 for Frase

Semrush 673K searchesFrase 2.5K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Semrush, mentioned in every answer we collected

Semrush in 5 of 5Frase in 4 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Semrush, named ahead of Frase in 3 of 5 answers

Semrush first in 3Frase first in 2

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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. Frase was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Semrush was listed before Frase in three out of five answers.

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 Frase or Semrush more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Frase 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.

Frase and Semrush among AI SEO tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Semrush, Frase. 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 Frase and Semrush comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Semrush was ahead of Frase in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Frase’s share of searches among AI SEO tools worldwide moved from 0.16% to 0.25%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.1K to 2.5K.
  • 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 Frase worldwide rose 19.1% over 12 measured months, from 2.1K to 2.5K 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?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Frase’s 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.

Frase

3 branded search terms

  • frase content optimization
  • frase seo
  • frase.io

Semrush

1 branded search term

  • semrush

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among AI SEO tools

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