Moz Vs Semrush 2025: Which SEO Tool Is Best for You?

Moz Vs Semrush: Comparing Their Features

Let’s examine Moz and Semrush’s features more closely. Each tool has strengths, and understanding them will help you choose the right one for your needs.

1. Keyword Research: Which Tool Finds the Best Keywords?

Keyword research is one of the most important parts of SEO. Both Moz and Semrush offer tools to help you find valuable keywords, but they do this in different ways.

To compare keyword research accuracy, I tested Moz and Semrush using the keyword “Best SEO Tools.”

Key Findings:

1. Semrush provided 3x more keyword variations and better CPC & competition data, making it ideal for SEO & PPC strategies.

2. Moz’s Click-Through Rate (CTR) metric is useful for assessing organic traffic potential, but lacks deep competitor insights.

3. Semrush offers SERP analysis, showing which domains rank, their backlink strength, and historical ranking trends—which Moz lacks.

Winner: Semrush

📌 Why?

• Larger keyword database (25B+ keywords vs. Moz’s 500M)
• More accurate difficulty score (Moz bases KD on DA, while Semrush factors in backlinks & SERP strength)

2. Site Audits: Fixing Technical Issues

A site audit checks your website for technical issues that might hurt your rankings. Both Moz and Semrush have tools for this.

Moz’s Site Crawl tool focuses on identifying and fixing critical SEO issues. It highlights problems like:

• Broken links
• Duplicate content
• Crawl errors
• Missing or poorly optimized metadata

The tool organizes the issues by priority, making it clear which ones to address first. This saves time and ensures that you fix the most important problems first.

Semrush’s Site Audit tool is more comprehensive and covers over 130 types of issues. It checks for:

• HTTPS implementation
• Core Web Vitals (site speed and user experience)(critical for user experience and rankings, as explained in Google’s Core Web Vitals documentation)
• Site Performance
• Markup

While Semrush provides more details, the reports can be overwhelming for smaller businesses without dedicated SEO teams.

Winner: Moz.

Moz’s focus on simplicity and prioritization makes it better for small to medium-sized businesses.

3. Backlink Analysis: Evaluating Your Links

Backlinks remain one of Google’s top ranking factors.

I tested Moz vs Semrush by analyzing Forbes.com’s backlink profile.

Key Findings:

1. Semrush detected 22% more backlinks and updated link data daily, while Moz updated monthly.

2. Moz’s Spam Score is great for identifying low-quality links, but Semrush’s Toxicity Score is more advanced, grading link quality based on multiple SEO signals.

3. Semrush’s Link Intersect tool reveals which sites link to competitors but not to you, a crucial feature missing in Moz.

Winner: Semrush

📌 Why?

• More backlinks detected (190M vs 155.7M)
• More frequent updates (daily vs. monthly in Moz)
• Better competitor backlink tracking (Link Intersect tool)

4. Rank Tracking: Monitoring Your Performance

Rank tracking is essential for measuring your SEO success. Both tools let you track keyword rankings over time.

Moz’s Rank Tracker allows you to monitor local and national rankings. It provides simple reports showing how your rankings have improved over time.

It’s ideal for businesses that want to see clear trends without too much complexity.

Semrush’s Position Tracking tool offers more frequent updates (daily) and includes competitor tracking.

You can see how your rankings compare to those of your competitors, which can help you adjust your strategy.

Winner: Semrush.

Semrush’s detailed tracking and competitor analysis make it the better choice for advanced users.

5. Ease of Use: Simplicity vs. Complexity

Moz is well-known for its clean and user-friendly design. Its interface is straightforward, and even beginners can navigate it without much trouble.

This makes it ideal for small businesses or individuals who are new to SEO.

Semrush, on the other hand, has a more complex interface due to its extensive features. While it offers more options, it can feel overwhelming for users who are not familiar with SEO tools.

Winner: Moz.

Moz’s simplicity and ease of use make it more accessible.

6. Pricing: Which Tool Is More Affordable?

While Semrush is more expensive, it offers a wider range of features beyond SEO (e.g., PPC & content tools).

Key Findings:

• Moz is more affordable ($31/month vs. Semrush’s $117.30/month), making it better for budget-conscious users.
• Semrush includes PPC, social media, and competitor tracking tools, providing better long-term value for agencies & large businesses.
• Moz’s cheaper plans come with feature limitations—many advanced SEO tools (like backlink gap analysis) are missing.

Winner: Moz for affordability, Semrush for feature depth

📌 Why?

• Moz is cheaper for small businesses ($31/month vs. $117.30/month).
• Semrush offers better value for agencies by combining SEO, PPC, and content marketing tools.

Moz vs Semrush: How to Use Both for Better Results

Moz and Semrush are both powerful SEO tools, but did you know you can use them together for even better results? Instead of choosing just one, combining their strengths can help you get deeper insights, improve rankings, and drive more traffic.

Here’s how to make the most of both:

1. Use Semrush for Keyword & Competitor Research

Semrush has a large keyword database and provides detailed competitor insights. Start by using Semrush to:

• Find high-performing keywords with traffic potential
• Analyze competitors’ top-ranking pages and backlink profiles
• Track keyword positions to see what’s working and what needs improvement

2. Use Moz for Domain Authority & Local SEO

Moz is great for tracking domain authority (DA) and improving local search rankings. Here’s how to use it:

• Monitor your Domain Authority (DA) to see how strong your website is
• Use Moz Local to manage business listings and improve local search rankings
• Run site audits to fix technical SEO issues

3. Run a Site Audit on Both Tools for a Full Picture

Both tools offer SEO audits, but they analyze different aspects. Running an audit on both Moz and Semrush gives you a more complete view of what’s holding your site back. Semrush goes deep into technical SEO issues, while Moz simplifies site health tracking.

4. Use Semrush for Content & Backlink Strategy

Semrush has a content marketing toolkit that helps you:

• Optimize content with the SEO Writing Assistant
• Track backlinks and find new link-building opportunities
• Identify which pages need content updates for better rankings

5. Use Moz to Track Long-Term SEO Progress

Moz’s Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) metrics help you measure your SEO growth over time. Use them to:

• See if your site is gaining authority in your industry
• Track how your SEO efforts are improving your rankings
• Make data-driven decisions based on long-term trends

By combining their strengths, you’ll have a well-rounded SEO strategy that covers all aspects of ranking higher on Google.

Semrush vs Moz: What Users Are Saying 🏆

When it comes to choosing between Semrush and Moz, real user experiences can give valuable insights into which tool is the best fit.

Here’s what professionals in the industry have to say about both platforms.

What Users Love About Semrush

All-in-One SEO & Marketing Tool
“What I appreciate most about Semrush is that it covers all areas of search with its tools, so I can have a 360-degree view of my projects.”
— Esther Giménez, Senior SEO & UX Consultant, Annalect, Omnicom Media Group

Powerful for Agencies & Businesses
“If you ask an agency to deliver 10x organic search growth through content, they will assign a large team to your project. Our content team, in contrast, runs activities with Semrush without having an army of people specialized in SEO.”
— Fabrizio Ballarini, SEO Lead, TransferWise

Great for Keyword Tracking & Research
“We chose Semrush because the keyword tracking was much more accurate than our previous tools and the interface was very intuitive.”
— Freddy Hunt, Director of SEO and Content Marketing, Oneupweb

Significant Organic Traffic Growth
“There is a direct correlation between using Semrush, being focused on SEO, and the sheer growth that we’ve had. Our organic traffic was up by 230% in 2019. Literally every day we are getting the highest traffic ever on our website.”
— Eric Bogard, VP of Marketing, Arkadium

What Users Love About Moz

Reliable & Long-Term SEO Support
“Moz’s all-in-one toolkit has been the backbone of our services for a long time. We set it up on day one, and we continue to rely on its insight to have stability in our service as we help our clients grow their brands and succeed in search.”
— Tony Edward, SEO Director, Tinuiti

Great for Measuring Traffic & Conversions
“With Moz and DashThis, we are able to measure the traffic and conversions our clients care about. Now, our clients are always asking, ‘Can we do more SEO?'”
— Jeroen Bos, Co-Owner, LeadLogic

Smooth Website Migrations Without Traffic Loss
“When switching domains, we prepared for a 7–10% loss in traffic. 90 days after launch, we had +29% organic traffic. It would have been much harder to navigate this transition without Moz Pro.”
— John Varghese, Director of SEO, TopSpot

Moz Vs Semrush: Pros and Cons

Moz Pros

• Easy-to-use interface suitable for beginners
• Reliable keyword research and SEO tools
• Strong educational resources and community support
• Offers transparent SEO metrics like Domain Authority (DA)
• Affordable entry-level plans for smaller teams

Moz Cons

• Smaller backlink database compared to competitors
• Higher pricing for smaller businesses

Semrush Pros

• Comprehensive suite for SEO, PPC, and content marketing
• Extensive backlink and keyword databases
• Real-time rank tracking and frequent updates
• Advanced competitor analysis and insights
• Powerful content optimization tools with AI-driven recommendations

Semrush Cons

• Steeper learning curve for beginners
• Premium pricing tiers may not suit small businesses
• Some tools can feel overwhelming for basic SEO tasks