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Head-to-head · SEO Tools

Semrush vs Google Search Console

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Semrush #1 in SEO Tools 9.4/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Semrush
Google Search Console #3 in SEO Tools 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Search Console

Semrush leads on 0 checks, Google Search Console on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreSemrush · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Semrush
  • Most featuresSemrush · 6 of 6

Semrush scores higher on our rubric for seo tools: 9.4 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

Semrush is the better fit for teams needing broad SEO and PPC intelligence. Google Search Console is the better fit for free Google search performance monitoring.

  • Semrush fits best

    Teams needing broad SEO and PPC intelligence

  • Google Search Console fits best

    Free Google search performance monitoring

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Semrush 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Google Search Console 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.2
Ranking #1 in SEO Tools #3 in SEO Tools
Best for Teams needing broad SEO and PPC intelligence Free Google search performance monitoring
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price — Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 7 days —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Tickets, Docs, Community Docs, Community
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Semrush 6/6 · Google Search Console 5/6
Keyword research ✓ ✓
Rank tracking ✓ ✓
Site audit ✓ ✓
Backlink analysis ✓ ✓
Competitor research ✓ (best) Not checked yet
API access ✓ ✓
Specs
Tracked keywords 500 keywords Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Covers keyword research, rank tracking, crawling, backlinks, and competitors
  • Tracks up to 500 keywords daily on the SEO and Starter plans
  • Supports API access plus Google Analytics, Search Console, and Looker Studio
  • Free access to search performance, indexing, sitemap, and issue tools
  • Detailed filtering by queries, pages, countries, devices, and dates
  • API access for Search Analytics, sitemaps, sites, and URL inspection
Cons
  • Broader coverage may exceed the needs of teams seeking one focused SEO tool
  • Higher tiers are needed for more websites and keyword tracking
  • Advanced capabilities are distributed across multiple plan levels
  • Focused on Google Search rather than broader search-engine monitoring
  • Does not provide dedicated site-audit features
  • Does not provide verified competitor research
Our verdict

Semrush is an online visibility management platform for marketers, agencies, and businesses. Its SEO toolkit brings together keyword discovery, competitor research, position tracking, technical website crawling, backlink analysis,…

Read the review →

Google Search Console is a free web-based service for website owners, SEO specialists, marketers, administrators, and developers. It shows how verified websites perform in Google Search through queries, clicks, impressions, click-through…

Read the review →
  1. SemrushSEO Tools 9.4Free plan · 7-day trial
  2. Google Search ConsoleSEO Tools 9.2Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Semrush — where it wins

    • Covers keyword research, rank tracking, crawling, backlinks, and competitors
    • Tracks up to 500 keywords daily on the SEO and Starter plans
    • Supports API access plus Google Analytics, Search Console, and Looker Studio

    Where it doesn't

    • Broader coverage may exceed the needs of teams seeking one focused SEO tool
    • Higher tiers are needed for more websites and keyword tracking
    • Advanced capabilities are distributed across multiple plan levels

  • Google Search Console — where it wins

    • Free access to search performance, indexing, sitemap, and issue tools
    • Detailed filtering by queries, pages, countries, devices, and dates
    • API access for Search Analytics, sitemaps, sites, and URL inspection

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on Google Search rather than broader search-engine monitoring
    • Does not provide dedicated site-audit features
    • Does not provide verified competitor research

More comparisons

All SEO tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update