Semrush is expensive enough that most people assume there is no point trying it without paying. That assumption costs you a genuinely useful free tool. A free Semrush account needs no credit card and does not expire; it just rations you. Here is exactly what you get, and a workflow that makes the ration go a long way.
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Quick answer: A free Semrush account gives you roughly 10 analytics requests per day, a site audit of up to 100 pages, and position tracking for 10 keywords, with no card and no expiry. That is enough to audit a small site, check your key keywords and watch one competitor. Paid plans also offer a free trial when you outgrow it.
What the Free Account Includes
Per Semrush’s plan documentation and third-party breakdowns at the time of writing: around ten requests per day across the main analytics reports (domain overview, keyword overview and similar), a site audit capped at roughly 100 pages, position tracking for up to ten keywords, and a small number of projects. Semrush adjusts these limits periodically, so treat the numbers as a guide and check the plan comparison page for the current figures.
A Workflow That Fits in Ten Requests a Day
Day one, audit yourself. Create a project for your own site and run the site audit. For small sites, 100 pages covers everything, and the audit alone often surfaces broken links, missing meta descriptions and slow pages worth fixing.
Day two, set up tracking. Add your ten most important keywords to position tracking. Choose keywords with real intent, not vanity terms. This runs in the background without spending your daily requests.
Every day after, spend requests deliberately. One domain overview of a competitor, a handful of keyword overviews for topics you are considering, and stop. Ten requests used with a plan beat a hundred used browsing.
Where the Free Account Runs Out
You will feel the limits the moment you want to research many keywords in one sitting, export data, track more than ten positions, or audit a larger site. That is the point to consider a paid plan, and Semrush offers a free trial of its paid tiers, which is the sensible way to test whether the full toolkit earns its price for your situation. Our SEO tools comparison covers Semrush against Ahrefs and the budget alternatives if you are deciding.
Pair It With the Free Essential
Whatever you do in Semrush, connect Google Search Console to your site. It is free, unlimited, and shows the queries you already rank for, which makes every Semrush request smarter. The two together are a surprisingly capable free SEO setup for a small site.
FAQ
Is Semrush free?
There is a free account with daily limits, roughly ten analytics requests per day plus a small site audit and keyword tracking. It does not expire and needs no card. Full access requires a paid plan, which you can trial first.
How many keywords can I track on the free plan?
Around ten keywords in position tracking, according to current documentation. Limits change periodically, so check Semrush’s plan comparison for the latest.
Is the free Semrush account enough for a small business?
For auditing a small site and watching a handful of keywords, often yes, especially paired with Google Search Console. Businesses doing regular content planning or competitor research usually outgrow it quickly.