The short answer
- Moving from Semrush SEO to Google Search Console (free tier) saves $1,618 in the first year, after setup and upkeep time (Stackcut's model: modeled, not measured).
- Google Search Console's official guide covers setting up, but nothing carries over from Semrush automatically; 3 things stay behind. Details
- 1 public account of making this switch: 1 switched. Read them
- 2 comparison pages checked, each labeled with who wrote it. What they claim
What Semrush and Google Search Console cost
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, as stored in the Stackcut catalog. Each price links its source.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush SEO | $139/mo | $117.33/mo | 5 websites, 500 tracked keywords; position tracking, site audit |
| Semrush Starter (SEO + AI Search) | $199/mo | $165.17/mo | 5 websites, 500 keywords; plus 50 AI prompts tracked daily |
| Semrush Pro+ | $299/mo | $248.17/mo | 15 websites, 1,500 keywords; historical data, multi-location |
| Semrush Advanced | $549/mo | $455.67/mo | 40 websites, 5,000 keywords; API access |
- Semrush free plan: 1 demo project, 10 reports per day across tools semrush.com
- Google Search Console free plan: Free search.google.com
Google Search Console's plans aren't in the Stackcut catalog yet; check Google Search Console's own site.
What comparison pages say
Each claim as the page makes it, and who it favors. Vendor pages are labeled; weigh them accordingly.
2 pages compared, 0 of them written by one of the two vendors. Claims are the pages' own, paraphrased; prices in them may be older than the catalog prices above.
| About | The page says | Favors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Semrush starts at $139.95/month while Google Search Console is free. | Google Search Console | Capterra independent |
| Features | Google Search Console covers 12 of 50 tracked features versus Semrush's 36 of 50. | Semrush | Capterra independent |
| Reliability | Search Console scores 4.8/5 across 219 reviews with zero negative reviews, versus Semrush's 4.6/5 across 2,329. | Google Search Console | Capterra independent |
| Features | Search Console keyword data is limited to queries you already rank for, versus Semrush's fuller volume, difficulty and intent data. | Semrush | Aware Digital independent |
| Price | Google Search Console is free while the agency cites Semrush at $99/month. | Google Search Console | Aware Digital independent |
| Other | The agency recommends using Search Console and Semrush together rather than choosing just one. | Even | Aware Digital independent |
Moving from Semrush to Google Search Console
What Google Search Console's importer carries over, what it leaves behind, and any help it offers switchers.
To Google Search Console
Official guide support.google.com
Doesn't move: Semrush's competitor/backlink data; Historical keyword-volume estimates; Any Semrush report or dashboard layout. support.google.com
Watch out for:
- No Semrush data import exists or is needed - GSC only ever shows Google's own first-party data support.google.com
- Domain properties require DNS access; URL-prefix properties don't support.google.com
From each destination's own migration docs and switching pages, plus community write-ups where no official guide exists, each checked against its page. Confirm terms on the linked page before you rely on an offer.
People who moved from Semrush to Google Search Console
1 public accounts of leaving Semrush: 1 switched. Summaries are ours; each links the original, and each was checked against its page before it appeared here.
After 8 months paying $139.95/month for Semrush, the author found Google Search Console free and more accurate for their own site, keeping Semrush only for competitor research. Medium
How to leave Semrush
Export first, then cancel. Every step links the vendor's own help page, checked on the date shown.
How to leave Semrush
Export first
- Position Tracking (rankings, pages, competitors, devices, featured snippets): Position Tracking → each tab → Export (XLSX, CSV, Google Sheets, PDF). Historical date-range export not verified; SE Ranking can import Semrush ranking history. semrush.com
- Keyword lists (Keyword Strategy Builder, formerly Keyword Manager): Keyword Strategy Builder → list → Export (XLSX, CSV). semrush.com
- Site Audit (crawled pages, issues, compare crawls): Site Audit → Export (PDF, data exports (format not stated)). semrush.com
- Projects as a whole: No bulk project export found: export each tool separately.
What you lose
- Semrush's own keyword and backlink index and its history
- Ads, social, PR and content suites
- Scheduled PDF reports
Cancel
- Export everything you want to keep first (see export).
- Logged in, open semrush.com/cancel (also reachable from Subscription Info → Contact us).
- Choose "All Semrush subscriptions" to cancel everything; add-ons need a separate Contact Form request, apps are cancelled under My Apps → Settings.
- Confirm through the emailed link within 24 hours.
- Check Subscription Info shows "Recurring: Inactive".
- Takes effect
- At the end of the committed term; the account then drops to a free account.
- Refunds
- 7-day money-back guarantee only for initial subscriptions with a term of 12 months or more (and initial add-ons); ask for it in the cancellation form's comment field. No refunds for month-to-month plans.
- Notice
- None beyond cancelling before the renewal date.
- After you cancel
- Website Monitoring folders are kept for a 30-day grace period, then deleted.
FAQ
Is Google Search Console cheaper than Semrush?
Modeled, not measured: moving from Semrush SEO to Google Search Console (free tier) saves $1,618 in the first year, after setup and upkeep time at $50/hour. It depends on your plan, seats and usage. the math
Can I move my Semrush data to Google Search Console?
It doesn't move: Semrush's competitor/backlink data; Historical keyword-volume estimates; Any Semrush report or dashboard layout. support.google.com
What do I lose when I leave Semrush?
Per Semrush's own pages, leaving or downgrading loses: Semrush's own keyword and backlink index and its history; Ads, social, PR and content suites; Scheduled PDF reports. semrush.com
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find_alternatives({"vendor": "Semrush"})