SEO data · replacement recipe

Occasional keyword or rank lookups

Replaces Semrush. 8 ways out. Best: Semrush data via Treg (per call) (pay per use), about $1,634 saved in year one.

Modeled, not measured. Savings use public prices and planning assumptions: the bill you stop paying, minus the new tool, your upkeep time and your setup time at $50/hour, over the first 12 months. No verified migrations yet. Check the must-haves in each recipe before you switch.

What you use

  • Selected keyword queries
  • Selected SERP/rank lookups
  • CSV export

Not covered

  • Entire competitive index
  • Historical parity
  • All backlink data
  • Automated full-suite equivalence

Check before switching

  • Exact data endpoint identified
  • Coverage compared
  • Prepayments included in cash flow
  • Cadence and unit counts confirmed

Agents: get_recipe("keyword-workbench") on the Stackcut MCP server.

8 ways out, best first

Pay per useSemrush data via Treg (per call)Saves $1,634 in year one
$139/mo today → $1.80/mo · setup 0.25 h · then $1,646/yr · payback 0.1 mo
1 seat, about 300 keyword/backlink lookups a month.
Covers 33% of the core features (not: Rank tracking, Site audit)
Occasional lookups from an agent or script; same Semrush data, no seat.
Porting: Nothing to port; keep a CSV export of projects if you want history.
  • Same Semrush data at the provider rate
  • One key for thousands of other paid tools
  • $1 free credit to try
  • No UI: API or agent only
  • No rank tracking or site audit
Sources: treg.tosemrush.com
Switch vendorGoogle Search Console (free tier)Saves $1,618 in year one
$139/mo today → $0/mo · setup 1 h · then $1,668/yr · payback 0.4 mo
1 seat. If your use fits the free tier.
Covers 67% of the core features (not: Keyword research)
Free, first-party data on your own site's queries, positions and indexing; no competitor data.
Sources: semrush.comsearch.google.com
Open sourceOpenSEO (hosted)Saves $1,495 in year one
$139/mo today → $12.30/mo · setup 0.5 h · then $1,520/yr · payback 0.2 mo
1 seat. Same UI with nothing to run: pay $10 a month plus data at cost + 28%.
Covers 100% of the core features (not: AI search visibility, Content ideas)
Same UI with nothing to run: pay $10 a month plus data at cost + 28%.
License: MIT
Porting: Same as self-hosted; can move to self-hosted without re-entering data by exporting.
  • Nothing to host
  • Same open-source code: can self-host later
  • Usage-based data cost
  • 28% markup on data requests
  • Smaller dataset UI than Semrush
Sources: github.comsemrush.com
Open sourceOpenSEO (self-hosted)Saves $1,271 in year one
$139/mo today → $1.80/mo + 0.5 h upkeep · setup 1.5 h · then $1,346/yr · payback 0.7 mo
1 seat. Founders comfortable with Docker or Cloudflare who want a UI and an MCP server for their coding agent.
Covers 100% of the core features (not: AI search visibility, Content ideas)
Founders comfortable with Docker or Cloudflare who want a UI and an MCP server for their coding agent.
License: MIT
Porting: Re-add your domain and tracked keywords (CSV export from Semrush). Rank history does not move.
  • No monthly fee: you pay DataForSEO per request
  • MCP server and agent skills for Claude Code
  • MIT license, runs on Cloudflare's free plan
  • You bring and fund a DataForSEO key ($50 minimum deposit)
  • No history import from Semrush projects
  • Fewer reports than Semrush (no AI search visibility)
Sources: github.comsemrush.comdataforseo.com
Replace with AIBuild it: keyword + rank checkerSaves $786 in year one
$139/mo today → $1.80/mo + 1 h upkeep · setup 4 h + $60 · then $1,046/yr · payback 3 mo
1 seat. You only check volumes and your own rankings; want it inside your own dashboard.
Covers 67% of the core features (not: Site audit, Backlink analysis, Competitor traffic analysis, AI search visibility)
You only check volumes and your own rankings; want it inside your own dashboard.
Porting: Export tracked keywords from Semrush as CSV and seed the table.
  • Exactly the 2 features you use
  • Lives in your stack (cron + table + page)
  • Data API cost only
  • You own bugs and API changes
  • No backlink or audit data
Sources: dataforseo.comsemrush.com
Switch vendorMoz ProSaves $430 in year one
$139/mo today → $99/mo · setup 1 h · then $480/yr · payback 1.2 mo
1 seat. Moz Standard $99/mo ($79 annual) vs Semrush SEO $139/mo.
Covers 100% of the core features
Moz Standard $99/mo ($79 annual) vs Semrush SEO $139/mo.
Sources: semrush.commoz.com
Switch vendorDataForSEOSavings not modeled yet
Sources: dataforseo.com
Replace with AIReplace with AI: occasional keyword or rank lookupsSavings not modeled yet
Build a bounded query interface over licensed APIs; cache results and expose endpoint-specific prices.

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