A Semrush alternative for
daily rank tracking and SERP analysis.
Semrush's cheapest plan starts at 500 keywords and counts every device as its own slot. KeyRank starts at 50, with a real free plan and daily checks from $9 a month.
Semrush SEO plan: €134/month, 500 keywords. KeyRank: free, or from $9/month.
By Serhii Hromov, the developer who built KeyRank. Last updated 12 September 2026.
TL;DR: Semrush already checks daily, so speed isn't the difference. Its cheapest plan starts at 500 keywords, and tracking one keyword on two devices needs two slots plus a higher tier to enable at all. KeyRank tracks positions only, starts at 50 keywords, and its free plan needs no card. Pick Semrush for the full suite, KeyRank for tracking alone.
Why people look for a Semrush alternative
Semrush's own pricing and help pages explain most of it, once you read past the "daily updates" headline:
- The 500-keyword floor. The SEO plan is €134 a month and starts at 500 keywords, whether you track 40 or 400.
- Slots that multiply, then lock. Every keyword counts once per location and per device. Combining desktop and mobile for one keyword needs multitargeting, which isn't available below the Pro+ plan.
- A suite bill for one tab. Site audit, keyword research, backlink analysis, and AI visibility tracking come bundled with Position Tracking whether you open them or not.
None of that makes Semrush a bad tool. It makes it the wrong bill for someone who wants rank tracking and nothing else.
KeyRank is for you if
- You track positions for your own site, or a few client sites, and skip the rest of the suite.
- You want your keyword count to set the price, not the plan's floor.
- You'd rather pay $9 than commit to a 500-keyword plan you won't fill.
Stay on Semrush if
- You need site audit, backlink analysis, or keyword research alongside tracking.
- You want rankings tracked in AI answer engines like ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode, not only Google.
- You run reports across many client sites and want it all in one login.
Semrush does those well. KeyRank doesn't do them at all.
No credit card. Paid plans from $9/month.
About 200 people have signed up so far. The developer tracks around 1,000 of his own keywords on it.
Semrush Position Tracking vs KeyRank
Rank tracking only. Semrush figures last checked 12 September 2026 against Semrush's own pages: pricing, keyword limits, update frequency, tracking depth, Position Tracking feature.
Cheapest plan
- Semrush
- SEO, €134/month (€112.52 billed annually). Tracks 500 keywords. No smaller plan exists.
- KeyRank
- Free, $0. Starter, $9/month for 50 keywords.
Keyword-slot counting
- Semrush
- Each keyword counts once per location and per device, and multitargeting itself needs the Pro+ plan or higher. Below that, tracking desktop and mobile isn't available at all.
- KeyRank
- One device per project. Tracking both means a second project, on any plan, which doubles the keyword count the same way.
Free plan
- Semrush
- 10 keywords, 1 website, outside the paid SEO plans. Check frequency not published for it.
- KeyRank
- 50 keywords, weekly checks, top 30, every feature. No credit card.
Check frequency
- Semrush
- Automatic, within 24 to 48 hours. No manual refresh.
- KeyRank
- Daily on every paid plan. Weekly on the free plan.
Tracking depth
- Semrush
- Top 100, reported in buckets of top 3, top 10, and top 100.
- KeyRank
- Top 100 on paid plans, top 30 on the free plan.
Search engines tracked
- Semrush
- Google, Bing, and Baidu, plus AI answer engines: ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode.
- KeyRank
- Google only.
Competitors
- Semrush
- Added by hand, up to 20 per campaign, inside Position Tracking.
- KeyRank
- Found automatically from every SERP you track. No cap, nothing to configure.
What you're paying for
- Semrush
- The full SEO toolkit: site audit, keyword research, backlink analysis, content tools, and AI visibility tracking, bundled with Position Tracking.
- KeyRank
- Rank tracking and SERP analysis. Nothing else.
Support
- Semrush
- Support team, live chat, and a large help center.
- KeyRank
- Email the developer who built it. One person, real answers.
Pricing, tier by tier
The two products share exactly one keyword count: 500. Below that, Semrush has nothing smaller than its 500-keyword floor. Above 1,000, KeyRank has nothing bigger than its 1,000-keyword ceiling.
| Keywords | Semrush | KeyRank |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Not offered (500 is the smallest plan) | Starter — $9/mo |
| 200 | Not offered | Growth — $25/mo |
| 500 | SEO — €134/mo (€112.52 billed annually) | Pro — $49/mo |
| 1,000 | Not offered (jumps to 1,500) | Business — $99/mo |
| 1,500 | Pro+ — €286/mo (€238 billed annually) | Not offered |
| 5,000 | Advanced — €526/mo (€436.99 billed annually) | Not offered |
Semrush's pricing page showed these amounts in EUR when checked on 12 September 2026; Semrush prices separately by region, and we could not confirm a USD figure directly during this research. Multitargeting (one keyword on more than one device or location) is only available on Pro+ and Advanced. KeyRank counts one device per project; add the same keywords to a second project to cover a second device.
Need 50 or 200 keywords? Track them free, no card, or see all plans.
The keyword-slot math
On Semrush, a keyword counts once per location and once per device. Track one keyword in one country on desktop and mobile, and that's two of your 500 slots on the SEO or Starter plan, not one. Turning on that combination at all requires multitargeting, which Semrush reserves for the Pro+ plan and above.
KeyRank counts a keyword once per project, and a project is one domain, one country, one language, and one device. Tracking mobile as well means creating a second project with the same keywords, on any plan, free included. The count still doubles, but nothing is locked behind a higher tier to make it possible.
Competitors you have to add yourself
Semrush lets you add up to 20 competitor domains inside a Position Tracking campaign, then reports their rankings against yours for the same keywords. It's a useful view once you've set it up, but you have to know who to add first.
KeyRank skips that step. It reads the SERPs it already collects and builds a competitor table from whoever shows up: how many of your keywords each domain ranks for, and its median position. No list to maintain, no cap on how many domains appear.
Switching from Semrush
- Export your keyword list from Position Tracking (CSV export is included on every tier).
- Create a project in KeyRank with the same domain, country, language, and device.
- Paste the keywords into "Add keywords". Newlines, commas, or semicolons all work. First positions appear within 24 hours.
Ranking history does not transfer. KeyRank starts collecting from the day you add a keyword, so add them before you cancel Semrush, not after.
If you need the rest of Semrush
KeyRank replaces one part of the toolkit. For the rest, these cover most of what a solo site owner needs without a €134 plan:
- Backlinks and site audit for your own site. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for verified sites. It doesn't track rankings.
- Crawling. Screaming Frog is free up to 500 URLs.
- Keyword research. Google Search Console and Keyword Planner. Free.
- Backlinks on other sites. Moz Link Explorer has a free tier with a handful of lookups a month.
None of these are affiliate links.
Questions & answers
Does Semrush have a free plan?
Semrush's own help center lists a free tier outside its paid plans: 10 keywords, 1 website, with no published check frequency. Its pricing page offers a 7-day free trial of the paid plans, not a permanent free tier. KeyRank's free plan has no time limit: 50 keywords, weekly checks, top 30, no card.
What is the cheapest Semrush plan?
SEO, at €134 a month billed monthly, or €112.52 a month billed annually, on Semrush's own pricing page as checked on 12 September 2026. It starts at 500 keywords whether you need them or not, and there is no smaller plan. KeyRank Starter is $9/month for 50 keywords, checked daily.
How does Semrush count keywords toward my plan limit?
Each keyword counts once per location and per device you track it on, per Semrush's own keyword-limits article. Multitargeting, which lets one keyword cover more than one device or location, is only available on the Pro+ plan and above. Below that, you can't track desktop and mobile for the same keyword at all. KeyRank counts a keyword once per project; a project is one device, so covering both means a second project.
What is the cheapest way to track keyword rankings daily?
KeyRank Starter is $9 a month for 50 keywords, checked daily, top 100. Semrush's own cheapest plan, SEO, is €134 a month for 500 keywords, bundled with the rest of its SEO toolkit.
Does KeyRank track AI Overviews or ChatGPT rankings like Semrush?
No. Semrush's Position Tracking documents Google, Bing, and Baidu, plus AI answer engines including ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode. KeyRank tracks Google only. If AI-engine visibility matters to you, Semrush covers it and KeyRank doesn't.
Can I import my Semrush keywords into KeyRank?
Yes. Export the keyword list from Semrush's Position Tracking as CSV, create a KeyRank project with the same domain, country, language, and device, and paste the keywords into Add keywords. Newlines, commas, or semicolons all work. Ranking history does not transfer; KeyRank starts collecting from the day you add a keyword.
Can I cancel, and is there a refund?
KeyRank plans are monthly. Cancel anytime from your billing page and your account returns to the free plan at the end of the period. If you're unhappy with a charge, ask for a full refund within 14 days. No questions asked.
Other comparisons: Ahrefs alternative·AccuRanker alternative·SERPWatcher alternative·All comparisons
Track rankings free. Pay when your site outgrows it.
Free: 50 keywords, weekly, top 30. Paid: daily checks and top 100 from $9/month. Every plan gets every feature.
No credit card for the free plan. Paid plans are monthly, cancel anytime, full refund within 14 days of any charge. No questions asked.