NEW The Friday Drop: 10 new AI tools, top deals and updates, out every week. Subscribe now
SEO comparison

Semrush vs Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Our pick: Semrush scores 9.4/10 against 8.9/10 for Screaming Frog SEO Spider. Here's how they differ and which one fits your needs.

Semrush

All-in-one SEO, content and competitive research suite

9.4/10Free trialOur pick
Visit Semrush
VS

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Desktop website crawler for technical SEO audits

8.9/10Free plan
Visit Screaming Frog SEO Spider

At a glance

SemrushScreaming Frog SEO Spider
Our score9.4/108.9/10
Best forAgencies, SEO professionals, Marketing teamsTechnical SEOs, Agencies
TypeKeyword researchTechnical SEO
PricingFree trialFree plan
Starting priceSee websiteFree
PlatformsWeb, APIWindows, Mac, Linux
Launched20082010

Key features

Semrush

  • Keyword Magic Tool
  • Site audit
  • Position tracking
  • Backlink analytics
  • AI visibility toolkit

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

  • Site crawling
  • Broken link & redirect audits
  • JavaScript rendering
  • Custom extraction
  • AI API integrations

Semrush: pros and cons

Pros

  • Huge keyword and competitor database
  • Covers SEO, PPC and content in one place
  • Well-paying affiliate programme

Cons

  • Expensive for solo users
  • Add-ons increase cost

Screaming Frog SEO Spider: pros and cons

Pros

  • Industry-standard technical crawler
  • Free up to 500 URLs
  • Very configurable

Cons

  • Desktop app uses local resources
  • Steep learning curve

Verdict: Semrush or Screaming Frog SEO Spider?

Choose Semrush if you're agencies or seo professionals or marketing teams and value huge keyword and competitor database.

Choose Screaming Frog SEO Spider if you're technical seos or agencies and value industry-standard technical crawler.

Overall we rate Semrush slightly higher. Both are worth trying, and at least one has a free plan or trial. See all SEO tools for more options.

We may earn a commission if you sign up through links on this page. How we make money.