Many marketers use both Screaming Frog and Semrush because the tools solve different SEO problems.
Screaming Frog focuses on website crawling. The tool finds broken links, duplicate content, and missing meta descriptions. Screaming Frog helps complete technical SEO audits faster.
Semrush covers a wider range of tasks. The tool supports keyword research, backlink analysis, and local SEO tracking.
Some marketers use both tools. Others rely on one platform to reduce costs or simplify workflows.
This article compares their features, limitations, and pricing. You find out when one tool works better, when both tools add value, and when an alternative fits your goals.
What Is Screaming Frog?
Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a website crawler built for technical SEO audits. The tool scans websites and analyzes their structure. It detects broken links, duplicate content, and missing meta descriptions. It collects onsite data and highlights issues that affect search engine rankings.
Screaming Frog handles both small and large websites. Screaming Frog shows crawl results in real time. It supports JavaScript rendering and evaluates dynamic websites.
It integrates with Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other platforms. These integrations provide deeper data. Users generate XML sitemaps, check redirects, and review indexing rules.
The free version crawls up to 500 URLs. The paid version removes the limit and adds more features. Users adjust crawl settings and extract custom data. There are technical SEO tools that work as Screaming Frog alternatives.
Screaming Frog Features
Screaming Frog overlaps with Semrush in a few areas. However, it focuses on technical audits and crawling. Its primary features are listed below.
- Website Crawling. Scans site structure and finds issues such as broken links and duplicate content.
- Redirect Auditing. Flags temporary redirects, permanent redirects, chains, and loops. This feature supports site migration analysis.
- Metadata Analysis. Reviews page titles and meta descriptions. It highlights missing, duplicate, or weak entries.
- Duplicate Content Detection. Uses algorithmic checks to detect exact or near-identical content across pages.
- JavaScript Rendering. Analyzes content and links loaded by JavaScript for dynamic websites.
- API Integrations. Connects with Google Analytics, Search Console, and PageSpeed Insights to enrich crawl data.
- XML Sitemap Generation. Builds XML and image sitemaps. Users select which URLs to include.
- Accessibility Audits. Checks if your website is accessible enough.
Screaming Frog Pricing
Screaming Frog provides two options. They are listed below.
- Free Version ($0/year). Crawls up to 500 URLs. Includes basic features for smaller sites.
- Paid License ($259/year). Removes the crawl limit and unlocks advanced functionality.
Actual crawl capacity depends on system memory and available storage.
What Is Semrush?
Semrush offers a unified platform for managing SEO, content, social media, and online advertising. It supports digital marketing workflows by gathering data that reveals keyword opportunities, tracks competitor performance, and monitors campaign progress.
Users evaluate domains, compare backlink profiles, and audit website issues from a single dashboard. The platform includes reports that assist with strategy development and performance analysis.
Many professionals value its interface and functionality. However, new users often require time to understand the platform fully. Semrush includes educational resources that guide users through its capabilities, which makes it one of the most popular all-in-one marketing platforms.
Semrush Features
- Keyword Analysis. Analyzes keyword competitiveness to help prioritize which terms to target for SEO campaigns. It provides similar keywords and phrase matches.
- Backlink Insights. Delivers detailed insights into backlink profiles, showing link types, quality, and potential opportunities.
- Competitor Backlink Analysis. Offers in-depth competitor backlink analysis to uncover valuable link-building opportunities and gaps.
- SEO Audits. Detects on-site issues and suggests improvements to optimize content and enhance SEO performance.
- Traffic Data. Provides accurate website traffic data, identifying high-performing pages and key traffic sources across devices.
- Domain Comparison. Compares your site’s performance against competitors to uncover strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
- PPC Campaign Analysis. Analyzes pay-per-click advertising campaigns, providing insights into competitors’ ad strategies and keyword choices.
Semrush Pricing
The plans are listed below.
- Pro Plan. $139.95 per month. It includes 5 projects, tracks up to 500 keywords, and checks up to 10,000 results per report.
- Guru Plan. $249.95 per month. It includes 15 projects, tracks up to 1,500 keywords, and checks up to 30,000 results per report.
- Business Plan. $499.95 per month. It includes 40 projects, tracks up to 5,000 keywords, and checks up to 50,000 results per report.
Many Semrush features come as add-ons or extra modules, such as the Local Dashboard.
Screaming Frog vs. Semrush. Comparing Product Features
Many professionals use both platforms together. Semrush handles strategy and competitive research, while Screaming Frog focuses on deep technical audits and crawling tasks.
1. Site Crawling and Audits
Semrush provides a Site Audit tool that crawls up to 20,000 pages per project with a customizable limit. Semrush Site Audit reports broken links, redirects, blocked pages, and on-page errors.
Users filter results by URL or status and access detailed page-level reports with internal link data. The Site Structure view shows subdomains and folders and points to areas that need improvement. This tool helps SEO teams assess technical performance, locate issues quickly, and take action across large sites without confusion.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider crawls both small and large websites efficiently. It detects broken links, server errors, duplicate content, redirect chains, and loops. The Screaming Frog SEO Spider handles JavaScript-heavy sites and creates accurate XML sitemaps.
SEO Spider supports real-time crawling and advanced filtering. Integration with Google Analytics and Search Console adds user and performance data to crawl reports. These features help prioritize technical SEO fixes based on actual impact.
Winner: Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog provides more control over technical SEO audits without third-party data restrictions. It mimics Googlebot with accuracy, renders JavaScript, and offers precise crawl configuration.
API integrations supply enriched data, while the tool delivers unrestricted insights. This setup supports detailed, flexible, and comprehensive audits across various website structures.
2. Broken Link Analysis
Semrush analyses broken links successfully with Backlink Analytics and Site Audit.
Backlink Analytics locates broken backlinks by analyzing competitor domains. Users enter a domain, view the Competitors tab, select a competitor, and then apply the Broken Pages filter in the Indexed Pages report to find links with error codes.
Site Audit detects broken links on the user’s site and flags issues that affect performance. It checks for slow-loading pages, non-secure URLs, and duplicate content. The tool offers direct suggestions for fixing each issue, based on real-time analysis of page-level data.
Screaming Frog scans websites in real time to detect broken internal and external links. It runs as a desktop crawler without API limits. Users control crawl depth, speed, and user-agent settings.
Screaming Frog processes large sites efficiently. It reports broken links with status codes for each URL. It does not scan backlinks. Screaming Frog includes bulk export features for error management. It supports precise audits with high-speed performance. The tool mimics search engine crawlers to deliver accurate link health data.
Winner: Semrush
Semrush excels in broken link analysis through its Backlink Analytics feature that finds dead backlinks on competitor domains. It filters results by error type and displays referring domains. The report includes backlink gap insights.
Screaming Frog scans only internal and external URLs. Semrush uncovers broken backlinks across the web, which makes it better for competitor analysis.
3. Internal Linking Analysis
Semrush Site Audit detects internal linking issues with clear reports and fix instructions. It flags broken internal links that return 404 errors. It identifies pages overloaded with links and highlights those with unnecessary nofollow attributes.
The tool finds orphaned pages with no inbound links and pages with only one internal link. It reports on crawl depth greater than three clicks and internal links pointing to redirects. Users review each issue in the Internal Linking report and apply direct fixes based on audit findings.
Screaming Frog scans internal links to uncover crawl depth issues and highlights buried pages beyond three clicks. It reports on internal link counts to flag underlinked pages, often seen with new or low-priority content.
Users run custom searches to locate strategic link opportunities by keyword. Screaming Frog suits large or complex sites that need precise control. It requires manual filtering and sorting. However, its flexibility supports advanced audits for those who prefer hands-on control of internal link structures.
Winner: Tied
Semrush automates internal linking reports with error flags and fix suggestions in one interface. Screaming Frog provides granular manual control over crawl settings, filters, and exports. Both tools deliver comprehensive internal linking audits, but with different approaches.
4. User Experience
Semrush balances comprehensive functionality with intuitive controls to suit teams of all skill levels. Dashboards clearly present data. Users navigate between sections with minimal clicks. Reports load fast and include clear labels.
Wizards guide setup for new projects. In-platform tutorials and tooltips provide context so pages remain open. The unified design reduces training time.
Screaming Frog suits analysts who prioritize depth and manual control over guided experience or visual simplicity. The interface prioritizes data density over design. Columns, filters, and tabs appear without visual guidance.
New users face a learning curve. Experienced SEOs benefit from control over crawl settings, export options, and custom configurations.
Winner: Semrush
Semrush feels easier to use. It groups tools clearly, explains features with tooltips, and uses clean visuals. Users spend less time learning the interface. It suits marketers and SEOs who want results without configuring every crawl detail.
5. Pricing
Screaming Frog offers a free version with a 500-URL crawl limit. This limit does not suit larger sites. It lacks full SEO coverage, so users often pair it with other tools.
Semrush provides a free plan, but with tighter restrictions. Its paid plans include more features, though extra user seats and add-ons (Semrush Local, Semrush .Trends, My Reports Suite) raise the cost.
Winner: No clear winner
Neither tool supports unlimited access without a subscription, but Semrush offers broader functionality in one platform. Screaming Frog prioritizes crawling precision over all-in-one convenience.
Get Both Tools in One Comprehensive Platform: Search Atlas
Search Atlas matches Screaming Frog’s technical depth and exceeds Semrush in scope. It combines both toolsets in one platform. Agencies benefit the most, especially those that need accuracy and a full SEO suite without switching between tools.
Search Atlas covers everything from crawling and technical SEO to link building and content. The tool evolves constantly and offers new features (OTTO Google Ads, Wildfire link exchange, Scholar).
Search Atlas Features
Search Atlas has over 40 tools. The main Search Atlas tools are listed below.
- Comprehensive Site Audit Toolkit. Delivers reports on technical problems, content gaps, and performance errors. Shows site health scores and sends issue alerts around the clock.
- Targeted Local SEO Toolkit. Includes heatmaps, citation tools, local reports, and Business Profile controls for rank improvement in local search.
- On-Page Toolkit. Checks technical elements, content alignment, and keyword placement. Compares pages with competitors and provides step-based suggestions.
- Off-Page Toolkit. Supports link-building through email templates, filtering systems, and press release tools.
- Reporting Toolkit. Builds custom client-facing reports. Tracks SEO progress across campaigns with flexible layout options.
- Robust Content Toolkit. Covers research, optimization, and AI writing tasks for higher engagement and improved ranking potential.
- Automation Features. Fixes SEO issues with one-click tools. Supports instant publishing, in-line recommendations, and AI on-page workflows.
- Insightful Competitor Research. Reviews backlink sources, compares link profiles, and finds keyword gaps using Site Explorer and other modules.
Site Crawling
Search Atlas applies a modern method to technical SEO and crawl analysis through direct data imports from Google Search Console.
It uses browser emulation and JavaScript-based crawling to reflect how Google processes pages, which results in accurate and current data.
Traditional tools use estimates; Search Atlas reflects actual performance.
Search Atlas users encountered no data disruptions after recent Google JavaScript changes.
The platform maintains stable technical SEO tracking through secure data practices and precise crawl simulation.
Technical SEO Tools
The Search Atlas suite includes technical SEO tools that detect live issues and scan up to one million pages with the site auditor. It supports internal link visualization, real-time crawl reports, and schema markup creation to improve structural SEO.
The platform applies AI-powered recommendations to fix issues directly from the dashboard.
The Site Audit Tool processes broken links, redirects, and technical errors through a streamlined interface that mirrors the accuracy of Screaming Frog.
Domain Power
Search Atlas uses a unique metric called Domain Power, alongside additional authority scores.
Domain Power reflects real performance by combining organic traffic and ranking keywords from Google Search Console.
Traditional metrics rely on backlinks and external signals, but Domain Power focuses on data that aligns with real search results.
This metric maintains consistency with actual SERP rankings.
Comprehensive Link Analysis
Search Atlas provides tools to explore backlinks, external links, and referring domains with precision.
The platform includes Link Gap Analysis, Backlink Comparison, and Topical Relevance for clear insight into link profiles.
Users access site visualization features that display any website as a tree chart with full link listings for each page.
Teams present findings through customizable visuals designed to support client communication.
Keyword Tools
Search Atlas includes keyword research, tracking, analysis, and clustering tools designed for complete content optimization.
The platform supports automation across each stage, so teams reduce time spent on manual input.
Users apply discovered keywords inside the content planner to build a full editorial calendar within minutes.
OTTO AI Agents
Search Atlas includes two AI agents that automate your process.
The first AI agent is OTTO SEO. OTTO SEO automates tasks including content, technical, link building, on-page, reporting, and local optimization.
The second AI agent is OTTO Google Ads. OTTO Google Ads fully automates Google Ads campaign creation, management, and optimization.
Ease of Use
SEO platforms often present large volumes of data in ways that confuse or delay progress. Search Atlas solves this through guided demos and personalized onboarding sessions that help users learn each tool with clarity.
Gartner ranks Search Atlas highest for usability and satisfaction among all SEO platforms.
Search Atlas Pricing
Search Atlas offers a broader feature set than Semrush at a lower cost. Every plan includes free OTTO activations that replace hours of manual effort.
Users activate Deep Freeze to preserve OTTO changes if they cancel their subscription.
| Starter plan | Growth plan | Pro plan | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99 monthly | $199 monthly | $399 monthly | Custom |
| Free OTTO Activation | 1 | 2 | 4 | Custom |
| User Seats | 2 | 3 | 5 | Custom |
| GSC Sites | 5 | 15 | Unlimited | Custom |
| Automated GBP Accounts | 3 | 10 | 25 | Custom |
| Regular AI Quota | 100 | 250 | Unlimited | Custom |
Access Advanced AI Tools Through Search Atlas
Need a complete SEO platform with advanced tools across keyword research, competitor analysis, and backlink tracking? Search Atlas delivers full coverage across each area. AI tools like OTTO reduce manual work, accelerate results, and control costs.
Experience a new standard in SEO. Test Search Atlas with a free trial. No commitment, cancel anytime.
