Ahrefs
Paid API plan starts at
$129/ month
Lite · billed monthly
- Included
- 200,000 API units / month
- Request limit
- 100 rows / request on Lite
- Usage
- Rows × selected field costs; 50-unit request minimum
Ahrefs vs Semrush: choose the reports your SEO workflow needs
Ahrefs
- What it is
- An SEO platform and API for backlinks, organic rankings and search visibility data.
- Best for
- Examining a site’s ranking pages and backlink profile with date-specific data.
- Typical output
- Keywords, ranking URLs, positions, volume and traffic estimates.
Semrush
- What it is
- An SEO and marketing platform with APIs for keyword, domain and backlink reports.
- Best for
- Comparing competitors’ organic keywords, paid search and keyword gaps by market.
- Typical output
- Keyword positions, ranking URLs, search volume, CPC and traffic-share estimates.
Need both?
Paste this prompt into your agent.
set up https://glasser.ai/SKILL.md
Show me how to use Ahrefs and Semrush together through Glasser.What can Ahrefs and Semrush do?
| Capability | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Rankings | ||
| Links | ||
| Competition |
Limits & data comparison
| Compare by | Ahrefs | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Limits | Organic Keywords: up to 250 returned rows; no offset pagination. | Domain Organic: up to 100 rows per call. Direct API: 10 requests/second and 10 simultaneous requests. |
| Fields & data | Keyword, best position, URL, search volume, CPC and traffic; select, where and order_by supported. | Keyword, position, previous position, URL, volume, CPC, traffic share and a 12-month trend. |
| Execution & reliability | Synchronous report, 75-second Run timeout. Empty reports are free; invalid field names can reject the request. | Synchronous report, 25-second Run timeout. Empty reports are free; verify country database codes. |
| Access & scope | Direct API bills rows and requested fields with a 50-unit minimum for billable requests. Glasser offers selected reports. | Standard direct API needs eligible subscription access plus purchased units. Trends API is a separate product and allowance. |
Ahrefs vs Semrush pricing
Semrush
Required base plan
$499.95/ month + API units
SEO Toolkit Business · billed monthly
- Required extra
- API unit pack purchased separately
- Included API units
- 0 · Business alone does not fund API calls
- Pack price
- Shown in your Semrush account; starts at 2M units
Task-based cost example
Ahrefs: 1,000 organic keyword rows + Semrush: 1,000 organic keyword rows. Paid access from a new account; free credits, promotions and taxes excluded.
| Task | Direct APIs | Through Glasser |
|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs: 1,000 organic keyword rows | $129.00Lite monthly plan; 10 targets × 100 keyword-only rows, within 200,000 API units | $15.481,000 returned rows × $0.01548; no Ahrefs subscription |
| Semrush: 1,000 organic keyword rows | $499.95 + API packBusiness monthly fee plus a required API unit pack priced in your account | $0.551,000 returned rows × $0.00055; no Semrush subscription |
| Cost to start this task | $628.95 + API pack | $16.03 |
Inputs and outputs
Ahrefs
- InputDomain or URL, date and country
- ProcessRead Organic Keywords
- OutputRanking keyword rows with URLs and traffic
Semrush
- InputDomain and regional database
- ProcessRead Domain Organic report
- OutputOrganic keywords and ranking metrics
Still unsure? Choose based on your task
Inspect rankings at a chosen date
Use Ahrefs Organic Keywords to select fields, filter rows and study a target’s ranking URLs and traffic.
Compare rankings across markets
Use Semrush Domain Organic for regional keyword positions, previous positions and traffic shares; use keyword-gap reports for competitor overlaps.
Cross-check a keyword opportunity list
Pull ranking data from both indexes, align country and date, then inspect disagreements before choosing target keywords.
Why use Ahrefs and Semrush through Glasser?
One API Key
Use one key for both listed providers.
One Balance
Fund supported endpoint usage from one shared balance.
Pay as You Go
Pay per use, with no Glasser subscription.
Agent-Ready Integration
Connect your agent via Skill, MCP or CLI.
Questions before you choose
Why do Ahrefs and Semrush disagree on traffic?
Each uses its own index and estimation methods. Align geography, date, target scope and definitions before comparison. Neither organic traffic estimate replaces first-party analytics.
When should I choose Ahrefs over Semrush?
Use Ahrefs Organic Keywords to select fields, filter rows and study a target’s ranking URLs and traffic. Use Semrush Domain Organic for regional keyword positions, previous positions and traffic shares; use keyword-gap reports for competitor overlaps.
Can I use Ahrefs and Semrush together in one AI agent?
Yes, for the listed Ahrefs and Semrush operations. One Glasser key and balance can access both; your agent still needs to choose and sequence the tools.
Can my agent automatically choose the right provider?
Give the agent explicit rules based on the task, required fields and budget. Ahrefs: Examining a site’s ranking pages and backlink profile with date-specific data. Semrush: Comparing competitors’ organic keywords, paid search and keyword gaps by market. Tool routing is configured in your agent; an API key alone does not decide.
How do I control API spending through Glasser?
Inspect the current endpoint price before running it. Limit returned rows and batch sizes, deduplicate inputs and start with a small sample. Give your agent a spending ceiling and review Run charges; a prompt instruction is not a server-enforced budget cap. Separately connected services bill separately.
Can I use Glasser with Claude Code, Codex and ChatGPT?
Use the Glasser Skill in an agent that can follow skill instructions, or configure the supported MCP connection in your client. CLI access is also available. Client setup and tool permissions still apply; the prompt above starts with the listed Glasser operations.