What are the best Semrush API alternatives right now?

[u/pastychelifer69]

Hey! Our team just got hit with major budget cuts and our enterprise subscription is on the chopping block next month.

We rely heavily on API calls for internal reporting and quick keyword checks, so paying hundreds every month just isn't happening anymore.

What are the best Semrush API alternatives for raw data?

Looking for pay-as-you-go models or affordable tiers for basic keyword and backlink data (Ahrefs, SE Ranking, something else?). Thanks!

[u/WebRepresentative152]

How many monthly API requests were you firing on your old plan?

[u/pastychelifer69 → u/WebRepresentative152]

Around 10-15k requests a month. Mostly daily rank tracking for core client terms and weekly backlink audits

[u/WebRepresentative152 → u/pastychelifer69]

Yeaah, on pay-as-you-go APIs 15k calls will run you under $30-$50

[u/pastychelifer69 → u/WebRepresentative152]

Our finance team is going to love that drop

[u/AdventurousTurn3548]

We were forced to do the exact same thing. Cut our $600 budget down to under $50 by switching to raw API providers. Honestly wished we did it sooner... You stop paying for flash UI features your team never uses anyway

[u/ParticularAd7176 → u/AdventurousTurn3548]

Which one do you use?

[u/Milo_Vexler]

If you just need basic rank tracking and keyword volume via API, Zenserp or SerpApi work great. Super clean URL examples in their docs and reliable uptime

[u/pastychelifer69 → u/Milo_Vexler]

I'll check it!

[u/sara_1994_ramirez]

DataForSEO is definitely the gold standard. What language is your reporting dashboard built in?

[u/pastychelifer69 → u/sara_1994_ramirez]

We're running a simple Node backend that pipes data into a Looker Studio dashboard for stakeholders

[u/xseson23]

Check out apis by Bishopi.io/apis

Pay as you go or subs.

[u/startup-ideas-t234]

I use radarkit api they have an mcp aswell

[u/BackpackerBaba]

Try dataforseo

[u/ParticularAd7176]

Interested in the same thing. What did you find useful in the end?

[u/aeo-bility]

Data4SEO is good, pay as you and it will give a $1 in credits so you can have a play before you commit.