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It's a split decision.
Choose Semrush if your main job is SEO research, rank tracking, site audits and AI-search visibility; its SEO plan starts at $117.33/month when billed annually. Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if you want campaigns, automation and reporting tied to HubSpot CRM; its listed Starter price is $7 per seat/month. Those prices are not directly comparable: HubSpot charges per seat and sells credits for AI and automation, while Semrush lists extra users from $45/month. Both offer free plans.
01Side by side
| Semrush | HubSpot Marketing Hub | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $117.33/month annually; $139 month-to-month | $7/seat/month listed; billing differences not shown |
| Free plan | One demo project, 10 reports per day | Breeze AI, CRM records and two-way app sync |
| Best for | SEO teams tracking keywords, rankings and AI visibility | Teams running CRM-linked campaigns and marketing automation |
| Core strength | Keyword, backlink, rank and AI visibility tools | Campaigns and automation connected to HubSpot CRM |
| Ease-of-use review score | Review score: 7/10 | Review score: 5/10 |
| Integrations and data | Starter includes MCP access to Semrush data | CRM foundation; two-way sync with dozens of apps |
| Team and seat costs | Additional users start at $45/month | Per-seat pricing; extra seats and credits cost more |
| Support | Free plan lists Help Center and basic onboarding | Starter lists email and in-app chat support |
Semrush Choose Semrush if
- Choose Semrush if SEO research is your main requirement.
- Choose Semrush if you need daily rank and keyword tracking.
- Choose Semrush if AI visibility tracking belongs in your SEO workflow.
HubSpot Marketing Hub Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if
- Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if campaigns need CRM context.
- Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if you need marketing automation workflows.
- Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if social publishing and campaign reporting matter.
02Pricing compared
Semrush’s SEO plan is $117.33 per month when billed annually, or $139 month to month, according to its pricing page. It includes five websites and 500 daily tracked keywords. HubSpot’s Starter price is $7 per seat per month; the page does not break out separate monthly and annual rates. That is a low entry price, not a like-for-like replacement for Semrush’s SEO plan. HubSpot also sells credits for AI agents and automation, and charges for additional seats. Semrush lists extra users from $45 per month. Both have free plans, but their limits differ: Semrush’s includes one demo project and 10 daily reports, while HubSpot’s includes CRM records, data sync and Breeze AI Assistant. Compare the cost for your full team and workflow, not just the entry price.
03Features and depth
Semrush is the more focused choice for SEO research and monitoring. Its homepage lists keyword research, competitor and backlink analysis, rank tracking, content optimization and technical site audits. Its SEO plan includes five websites, 500 daily tracked keywords, Position Tracking and Site Audit. AI visibility monitoring is also part of the offer, though prompt limits vary by plan: Starter lists 50 daily, while Pro+ lists 100.
HubSpot Marketing Hub is built around campaigns and CRM data. Its listed features include email, social, forms, ads, SEO/AEO tools and marketing analytics. Professional adds advanced workflows, social account management, a Content Agent and AI search visibility tools. Campaign and Nurture Agents use campaign goals or CRM data to support planning and email personalization, per the product description. HubSpot’s advantage is connecting campaign activity to contact records and reporting; Semrush’s is deeper dedicated SEO and AI-search tracking. Neither product’s listed strengths make it a full substitute for the other.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The simpler fit depends on the work your team already does. Semrush centers on SEO tasks such as keyword research, rank tracking and audits, so it is easier to justify when those are the main jobs. Its plan limits matter: the entry paid plan covers five websites and 500 daily tracked keywords.
HubSpot ties marketing work to its CRM, which can keep campaigns and lead data together, but introduces per-seat pricing and credits for some AI and automation features. Teams not already using HubSpot may need to account for that wider setup. The published reviews rate ease of use at 7/10 for Semrush and 5/10 for HubSpot; treat those as review scores, not a guarantee for your team.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Semrush or HubSpot Marketing Hub?
HubSpot has the lower listed entry price: $7 per seat per month for Starter. Semrush SEO starts at $117.33 per month with annual billing. They are not equivalent plans, and HubSpot’s price is per seat; credits and additional seats can add cost.
Can HubSpot Marketing Hub replace Semrush?
Not fully based on the listed features. HubSpot includes SEO/AEO tools and AI search visibility at Professional, but Semrush is more explicitly built around keyword and backlink research, rank tracking and technical audits. If those are core tasks, compare the specific tools and limits before switching.
Do Semrush and HubSpot have free plans?
Yes. Semrush Free includes one demo project and 10 reports per day across vital tools. HubSpot Free includes Breeze AI Assistant, unified CRM records and two-way data sync with dozens of apps. The free plans cover different jobs, so their limits are not directly comparable.
Which is better for AI-search visibility?
Semrush lists AI visibility features on its Free and paid plans, with prompt-tracking limits that rise by plan; Starter includes 50 prompts daily and Pro+ 100. HubSpot lists AI search engine visibility tools on Professional. The published pricing details do not specify HubSpot prompt limits.