Clearscope vs SEMrush

Two SEO tools side by side: what each does, what it costs and who it suits.

The verdict Side by side Plans and pricing Who each is for Other options

The verdict

On the data we hold, SEMrush comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.

What the data says

SEMrush covers more of the features we compared: 5 of 5, against 1.
Only SEMrush has a free plan to start on.
Only SEMrush has an MCP server, so an AI employee can work in it directly.
In our SEO ranking, SEMrush places 3 and Clearscope 11 of 15.

Side by side

Clearscope and SEMrush compared
9 points compared	Clearscope	SEMrush
Starts at	$129/mo	€112.52/mo
Free plan	No	Yes
API	Not known yet	Yes
MCP server	No	Yes
AI content optimiser	Yes	Yes
Backlink index	No	Yes
Keyword research database	No	Yes
Rank tracking	No	Yes
Technical site audit	No	Yes
Links	Visit	Visit

Plans and pricing

Clearscope

Essentials$129 a month with 50 tracked queries, 50 pages, unlimited users.$129/mo
Business$399 a month with 300 tracked queries, 300 pages and a dedicated account manager.$399/mo

SEMrush

FreeFor trying the platform: 1 demo project and 10 reports per day, no credit card.Free
SEO5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily; EUR 134 monthly or EUR 112.52 per month billed annually.€134/mo
Starter (SEO + AI Search)Adds AI visibility tracking (50 prompts) and MCP access; EUR 190 monthly or EUR 158.40 per month billed annually.€190/mo
Pro+ (SEO + AI Search)15 websites, 1,500 keywords, 100 prompts; EUR 286 monthly or EUR 238 per month billed annually.€286/mo
Advanced (SEO + AI Search)40 websites, 5,000 keywords, API data integration; EUR 526 monthly or EUR 436.99 per month billed annually.€526/mo

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

Choose Clearscope if…

A content team that publishes SEO articles every week and wants every writer to work from the same brief and score, instead of guessing which topics to cover.

Visit Read the review

Choose SEMrush if…

Marketing teams, agencies and growth marketers who want keyword research, backlink analysis, site audits, rank tracking and now AI search visibility in one subscription.

Visit Read the review

Other options worth a look

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SurferSEO
Optimise your content in real time with recommendations based on top-ranking search results.
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Ahrefs
Combines backlink analysis, keyword research, rank tracking and technical audits built on an extensive web index.
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From €27/moFree plan
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Frase
Research competitors, draft long-form content and optimise it for Google and generative search.
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From $39/mo yearly
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Otterly.AI
Monitor how your brand appears inside AI search results across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI and Copilot.
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From $25/mo yearly
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Semrush AI Toolkit
Track how your brand appears in AI search answers and measure your share of voice.
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From €94.94/moAffiliate link
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Profound
Tracks how AI assistants describe your brand and recommends content changes to improve those answers.
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Free plan
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