RankThat vs Semrush: which is better for agency client work?
Semrush is a large marketing suite with SEO, ads, social, content and market research tools, and one of the biggest keyword and backlink databases you can buy. RankThat is built to run client sites: it finds problems, applies the fixes in WordPress, tracks rankings and AI mentions, and drafts the monthly report. If you mostly need research depth, Semrush is hard to beat. If you mostly need client work done and reported, RankThat costs less and does more of it for you.
Semrush facts checked October 2026 from their own website. Tell us if anything has changed.
Looking at other options too? See Semrush alternativesRankThat is best for
Agencies and freelancers running SEO for several local or WordPress client sites who want fixes applied, AI visibility and local grids included, and a monthly report written for them.
Professional $99/mo: 5 projects, 1,000 tracked keywords per project, AI visibility and local SEO included. Enterprise $199/mo: unlimited projects. Yearly billing is 10 months' price. 14-day free trial (card required, no charge until the trial ends).
Semrush is best for
Teams that need deep keyword and backlink research across many countries, plus PPC, social and market research in the same account.
SEO plan $139/mo (5 websites, 500 keywords tracked daily). SEO + AI Search Starter $199/mo (adds AI visibility and MCP access). Pro+ $299/mo (15 websites, 1,500 keywords). Billed annually: $117.33, $165.17 and $248.17 a month. 7-day free trial.
Semrush sells several things separately: Local from $30/mo per location, the AI Visibility Toolkit at $99/mo per domain, the Content plan at $60/mo (all billed annually), Pro Report white-label reports at $20/mo, and extra users from $45/mo.
Feature by feature
| RankThat | Semrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Site audit | 100+ checks, plain-English fixes | Yes, with tips for fixing each issue |
| Fixes applied on your websiteSemrush's Site Audit page describes fix tips and sending issues to developers, not applying changes to the site. | Yes, in WordPress via the free Bridge plugin | No, fix tips and a Trello hand-off |
| Undo a site change | One click, for every change | |
| Rank tracking | Daily or weekly, desktop and mobile, any location | Daily, desktop and mobile, ZIP-level |
| Keywords tracked at the entry agency price | 1,000 per project, 5 projects ($99) | 500 across 5 websites ($139) |
| Local map grid | Included (4x a month on Professional) | Semrush Local, $30 to $60/mo per location |
| AI visibility trackingSemrush names ChatGPT, Google AI, Gemini and Perplexity, with daily prompt tracking. | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews (included) | From the $199 plan, or $99/mo per domain |
| Keyword database | Solid for client work, not the biggest | 28B+ keywords, 142 geo databases |
| Backlink database | Profile, new and lost links, prospects | 43T+ backlinks across 800M+ domains |
| AI content writing | Articles in your brand voice, published to WordPress | Content plan, $60/mo billed annually |
| White-label reports | Included | Pro Report add-on, $20/mo |
| Client portalSemrush retired its Client Portal along with the Agency Growth Kit. | Clients log in read-only | Discontinued |
| Monthly report written for you | Drafted in plain English, you approve it | Report builder, AI summaries in Pro Report |
| Claude / MCP connector | Yes, Claude connector | MCP access from the $199 plan |
Why teams switch to RankThat
Fixes get done, not just listed
Semrush tells you what to fix. RankThat drafts the fix, you approve it, and the free Bridge plugin applies it in WordPress: titles, redirects, schema, alt text, internal links and more. Every change can be undone in one click, and RankThat re-checks the live page afterwards.
AI visibility and local grids in one price
On Semrush, AI visibility is $99/mo per domain and Local is $30 to $60/mo per location, on top of the base plan. RankThat Professional includes both for 5 projects at $99/mo, and checks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Google AI Overviews.
The monthly report writes itself
RankThat drafts each client's monthly report in plain English (clicks, calls, rankings, work completed) with fair month-on-month and year-on-year comparisons. You review and approve it; nothing is sent automatically. Clients can also log in read-only to a white-label portal.
Keep your ranking history
Send us your Semrush Position Tracking export and we import it for you, so the trend lines in your client reports don't start from zero.
Where Semrush is stronger
- Far bigger data: 28B+ keywords in 142 geographic databases and 43T+ backlinks. For deep research or link analysis in many countries, Semrush is stronger.
- Much wider suite: PPC and advertising research, traffic and market data, social tools and lead generation in one account. RankThat has no ads or PPC tools.
- API access on Advanced and Enterprise plans. RankThat does not offer a public API.
- AI prompts are tracked daily (50 prompts on Starter). RankThat's Professional plan checks AI visibility 4 times a month.
- Semrush Local Pro adds listing management and review generation for each location.
Many agencies keep a research suite for deep keyword and backlink research and use RankThat for the monthly client work.
Questions, answered
Can I move my data from Semrush?
Yes. Send us your Semrush Position Tracking export and we import it for you, so ranking history carries over into your charts and client reports. Then add each site, connect Search Console and Google Analytics 4, and install the free Bridge plugin on WordPress sites.
Is RankThat's keyword and backlink data as big as Semrush's?
No. Semrush reports 28B+ keywords and 43T+ backlinks, and that depth matters for large research projects. RankThat's keyword and backlink data covers what client work needs: volumes, difficulty, intent, ideas, keyword gaps, new and lost links and link prospects.
Can I use RankThat and Semrush together?
Yes. Some teams keep Semrush for deep research or PPC and use RankThat for the day-to-day client work: audits, fixes in WordPress, rank and AI tracking, local grids and the monthly report.
Does RankThat apply fixes on sites that aren't WordPress?
Audits, rank tracking, AI visibility and reports work for any site. Applying fixes for you needs WordPress and the free Bridge plugin; on other sites you get each fix written out with why it matters and how to do it.
How do the free trials compare?
Semrush offers a 7-day free trial. Every RankThat plan has a 14-day free trial. You pick a plan and add a card when you sign up, you aren't charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel before then.