Semrush API Pricing 2026: Plans, API Units and What It Really Costs

The Semrush API isn't something you buy on its own. You need an eligible Semrush plan first, then you buy API units on top, and every report you pull spends a set number of those units. That's why the real cost is hard to see on Semrush's pricing page.

This guide answers the questions I get most: which plans include the API, how API units work, what common reports cost, what's included for free with Semrush's MCP server, and when a cheaper API is the better buy. If you're still deciding whether Semrush itself is worth it, start with my hands-on Semrush review.

How Much Does the Semrush API Cost?

The short answer: an eligible plan plus API units. Direct API access starts with the SEO Classic Business plan at $499.95/month, or Semrush One Advanced, which Semrush prices on request. On top of either one you buy API units in packages of 2, 5, 10 or 20 million units. Your plan includes zero units for the direct API until you buy a package.

Semrush doesn't publish what an API unit package costs on any public page. You see the prices in your account under Subscription info, API Units, after you're on an eligible plan. Any per-unit price you read elsewhere is an estimate, not Semrush's list price.

What Is the Semrush API?

The Semrush API lets your own code, spreadsheet or reporting tool request the same data you see in Semrush: domain traffic, organic and paid keywords, keyword metrics, backlinks and competitor data. Instead of clicking through reports and exporting CSV files, you request the numbers directly and get them back as data.

Semrush sells several APIs, and they're priced differently:

Which Semrush Plans Include API Access?

Only the top plans include the Standard API. Semrush now sells two plan lines: Semrush One (the current plans) and SEO Classic (the older toolkit plans, still sold). Here's how API access breaks down:

Upgrading to an API plan doesn't give you units by itself. Semrush's own docs say it plainly: after you upgrade, the number of units will still be zero until you buy a package. Budget for the plan and the units together.

How Do Semrush API Units Work?

An API unit is Semrush's currency for API requests. Each report has a unit price, and most reports charge per line of data returned. Ask for 1,000 keywords and you pay for 1,000 lines. A few reports charge a flat amount per request instead.

• Historical data costs five times more. A live domain organic keyword report is 10 units per line; the same report for a past month is 50 units per line.
• Empty results are free. A request that returns no data doesn't spend units.
• Running out stops the data. Line-based reports return only as many lines as your balance covers; other requests fail with an error.
• Checking your balance is free. The balance endpoint doesn't spend units.

What Does the Semrush API Cost in Practice?

Unit math is easier with real jobs. Three common ones:

The pattern: reporting on your own or your clients' sites uses few units, and the plan is the main cost. Large competitor pulls and historical data are where the units add up.

Is There a Free Semrush API?

Not for the Standard API. There are no free units, and the 7-day free trial on Semrush's SEO plans doesn't cover the plans that include the API. Semrush's Advanced plan starts with a demo request rather than a self-serve trial.

The closest thing to free API access is the Semrush MCP server. Starter and Pro+ (and the older Classic Pro and Guru) include 50,000 API units a month for it, refreshed on your renewal date. MCP lets an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT pull Semrush data for you. Requests through MCP spend the same units as direct API calls, and there's no extra MCP fee. It's read-only, and 50,000 units is enough for regular questions about your own site, not for bulk exports.

If you want to try it, I walk through the setup in how to use Semrush with Claude.

Semrush API Rate Limits and Data Rules

• 10 requests per second, and at most 10 requests running at once per account.
• No caching beyond one month. Semrush's terms don't let you store API data for more than a month without written consent. That matters if you're building a product on top of it.
• The Trends API has its own limit of 10 requests per second and its own 10,000 units a month.

Cheaper Alternatives to the Semrush API

If you don't already pay for Semrush, starting with its API is the expensive route. These APIs cost less to start, and all of them publish their prices:

DataForSEO is the one I'd look at first if you only need data. There's no subscription, you pay per request, and a new account gets a small free credit to test with. Ahrefs makes sense if you want its backlink data and the suite as well. For a fuller comparison, see my guide to the best SEO APIs and the DataForSEO review.

Should You Pay for the Semrush API?

For most small businesses doing their own SEO, the API isn't the next step. A suite you actually open every week is. If you're deciding between suites, my Semrush pricing guide shows what each plan costs, and the Ahrefs vs Semrush comparison covers how the two differ. If the API is the reason you're looking, my guide to SEO APIs for agency work shows what agencies actually build with them.