Screaming Frog vs Semrush
Screaming Frog SEO Spider and Semrush both run technical site audits, which is why they get compared, and that is where the overlap ends. Screaming Frog is a desktop crawler that inspects a site in depth from your own machine. Semrush is a cloud SEO suite in which the site audit is one tool among keyword research, rank tracking, backlink data and competitor research.
Which should you choose?
Choose Screaming Frog SEO Spider if
- Technical SEO audits of a site's structure, links and metadata
- Freelancers and agencies auditing client sites
- Small site owners who can audit within 500 URLs for free
Choose Semrush if
- Agencies running SEO and PPC for multiple clients
- In-house marketing teams that need competitor intelligence
- Content teams that want research and optimization in one suite
Cheapest to start
Not comparable
Free plan
Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Semrush
Highest editor rating
Semrush · 4.7
Key differences
- Listed for Screaming Frog SEO Spider but not Semrush: Desktop app.
- Listed for Semrush but not Screaming Frog SEO Spider: AI assistant, API access, Backlink analysis, Browser extension, Competitor analysis and 6 more.
- Only Screaming Frog SEO Spider lists Windows, macOS and Linux among its platforms.
- Only Semrush lists Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension and API among its platforms.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider prices its entry plan per user; Semrush charges per account, so team size changes the comparison.
| Compare | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free trial | No |
| Starting price | Free plan |
| Editor rating | Not yet rated |
| Ease of use | — |
| Category | SEO |
| Pricing model | Free for up to 500 URLs per crawl. A paid licence is £199 per user per year and adds unlimited crawling and the advanced features; volume pricing is £189 per licence for 5–9, £179 for 10–19 and £169 for 20 or more. The pricing page also lists €199 per year. |
| Plans |
|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Integrations | Google Analytics |
| Best for |
|
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
| AI assistant | No |
| API access | No |
| Backlink analysis | No |
| Browser extension | No |
| Competitor analysis | No |
| Content optimization | No |
| Desktop app | Yes |
| Keyword research | No |
| Mobile app | No |
| Rank tracking | No |
| Reporting & dashboards | No |
| Site audit | Yes |
| White-label / custom branding | No |
Common questions
- Does Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Semrush have a free plan?
- Both do. Screaming Frog SEO Spider and Semrush each offer a free tier, so you can try either without paying.
- How long is the Screaming Frog SEO Spider and Semrush free trial?
- Semrush offers a 7-day free trial. Screaming Frog SEO Spider does not offer one.
Our verdict
Choose Screaming Frog SEO Spider if technical auditing is the job: broken links, redirects, duplicate pages, metadata and directives, crawled the way a search engine sees the site. It is free for up to 500 URLs per crawl, and a licence costs £199 per user per year for larger crawls and the advanced features. It has no keyword database, rank tracking or backlink index of its own.
Choose Semrush if you need the audit alongside everything else. The SEO plan is $139 a month and every plan includes one user; the account covers keyword research, rank tracking by location and device, backlink data and competitor research, and its audit runs in the cloud rather than on your machine.
They are not substitutes. Many SEO professionals use a crawler for deep technical checks and a suite for research. A small site can often cover both with Screaming Frog's free version and a free Semrush account, which allows a limited number of requests a day.
Go deeper
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider review
- Semrush review
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider alternatives
- Semrush alternatives