Category by category
| Category | Semrush | Google Search Console |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Stronger | – |
| Backlinks | Stronger | – |
| Keywords | Stronger | – |
| Pricing | Even | Even |
| Ease of use | – | Stronger |
| Support | Even | Even |
| Starting price | from $139/mo | free |
Category calls are editorial judgements, not lab test results. Swipe sideways if the table is cut off.
- Features
- Semrush covers competitor research, keyword discovery, backlink analysis, and content tools. GSC shows your own site's search performance data only
- Backlinks
- Semrush has a full backlink research suite. GSC only shows links pointing to your site in a limited, filtered view
- Keywords
- Semrush discovers new keyword opportunities. GSC shows queries your pages already rank for — valuable but reactive, not proactive
- Pricing
- Compare the source-linked plan prices and included limits below. Currency and billing basis must match before treating one option as cheaper.
- Ease of use
- GSC is a focused, clean interface for your own data. Semrush has a steep learning curve given its breadth
- Support
- Check the vendor help centre and support terms for the plan you are considering; no comparative response-time test is claimed.
Every paid plan on one price scale
Semrush
- SEO$139/mo
- Starter$199/mo
- Pro+$299/mo
- Advanced$549/mo
- Partly checkedSemrush: prices read from semrush.com on . SEO + AI Search portfolio; add-ons and extra seats cost more. Annual totals calculated from the displayed monthly-equivalent rates.
- Checked on vendor siteGoogle Search Console: prices read from support.google.com and support.google.com on . Free service.
Which should you pick?
Pick Semrush if
You need competitive research, keyword discovery, backlink analysis, and a full professional SEO toolkit
Semrush plans and catchesPick Google Search Console if
You just launched a site and need to understand how it performs in search — GSC gives you everything Google officially shares for free
Google Search Console plans and catchesOur take
GSC and Semrush answer different questions. GSC tells you how your pages currently perform in Google Search — impressions, clicks, average position, index coverage. Semrush tells you what keywords you could rank for, what your competitors rank for, and where they get their backlinks. Every site should use GSC from day one. Semrush is the upgrade you buy when you're ready to find and act on opportunities beyond what you currently have.