Semrush MCP: which plans include it, what it costs in API units, and a pay-per-call alternative

$ Set up https://www.routergrowth.com/SKILL.md, then find 20 keywords around [topic], show who ranks for the best five and tell me which ones a new site could win.

We make RouterGrowth, the alternative described in the second half of this page, so read it as a vendor's view. Everything about Semrush was taken from Semrush's own pages on 11 October 2026 and is linked at the end. Products change; check the source before you decide.

Semrush MCP puts Semrush data inside ChatGPT, Claude and other assistants. People search for it to find out two things: which plan they need, and how much of their API allowance a question spends. This page answers both, then covers what you can use when you do not have a Semrush plan.

What is Semrush MCP?

Semrush MCP is Semrush's official Model Context Protocol server. It gives an AI agent access to Semrush's public APIs, so you ask a question in plain language and the assistant fetches the data. The server address is https://mcp.semrush.com/v2/mcp. It signs you in with OAuth by default and accepts an API key for agents that do not support OAuth.

Semrush's documentation lists Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Antigravity, Perplexity and Lovable, and Semrush is also an official ChatGPT app.

The server returns data from three Semrush APIs:

• the SEO API: keywords, domains, backlinks and competitors
• the Trends API: traffic and market data, depending on your Trends subscription
• the read-only methods of the Projects API, so an agent can read your projects but cannot create or change them

Which Semrush plans include MCP?

Semrush's developer documentation lists the plans that include it for SEO data: Semrush One Starter, Semrush One Pro+, SEO Classic Pro and SEO Classic Guru. Each comes with 50,000 API units that refresh on the renewal date. SEO Classic Business and Semrush One Advanced need an API units package on top, sold in packages of 2, 5, 10 or 20 million units. Traffic and market data needs a Trends API subscription, which includes MCP access.

What does a Semrush MCP request cost?

API units. Semrush states that the MCP server uses the same unit system as its API: each request consumes units depending on the type of report and the amount of data asked for. A plan's 50,000 units are the budget, and a broad question that pulls many rows spends more than a narrow one. The unit cost of each report is in Semrush's API documentation.

In practice, an agent that explores freely will use units faster than a person running the same reports by hand, because it asks follow-up questions on its own. Ask for the rows you need.

When is the official Semrush MCP the right choice?

• You already pay for a plan that includes it. The units are part of what you bought.
• You want Semrush's own dataset. Its page cites 28.4 billion keywords, 142 geo databases and 808 million domain profiles, and the Trends API adds traffic and market data.
• You want your projects in the conversation. Position tracking and site audit projects are readable through the Projects API.
• Your team reports from Semrush. A monthly report written from the same numbers your dashboards show avoids two sources disagreeing.

What is the alternative when you do not have a Semrush plan?

RouterGrowth is an MCP server and API that gives an agent SEO data as calls, paid one at a time from a prepaid balance. The data comes from DataForSEO. There is no plan and no unit allowance: a month with no SEO work costs nothing.

The SEO tools page lists every call with its price, the AI SEO agent guide runs a whole audit from one prompt, and Semrush alternatives compares seven tools on price.

What it does not do: it has no traffic analytics like Semrush Trends, no saved projects, no position tracking history and no site-wide crawler. Keyword counts and volumes come from a different index, so the numbers will not match Semrush's exactly. It audits one page at a time.

How do Semrush MCP and RouterGrowth compare?

Can you use both?

Yes. Both are MCP servers. A team on Semrush can keep it for tracked projects and reporting, and add a pay-per-call server for the questions that would otherwise eat units, or for the jobs Semrush does not cover.

Sources

Semrush's own pages, read on 11 October 2026: Semrush MCP, Semrush MCP overview, developer documentation, Semrush pricing.

What does each call cost?#

Prices below are the starting price per successful call. /v1/inspect returns the exact figure before the run and reserves it against your balance; failures and unbilled no-matches release the hold in full.

One prepaid balance covers every row. Capabilities marked coming soon are listed but not yet executable.

FAQ#

Is Semrush MCP free?

No. It is included in certain paid plans and for API users. Semrush's documentation names Semrush One Starter and Pro+ and SEO Classic Pro and Guru, each with 50,000 API units.

Which plan do I need for Semrush MCP?

For SEO data: Semrush One Starter or Pro+, or SEO Classic Pro or Guru. SEO Classic Business and Semrush One Advanced need an API units package. Traffic and market data needs a Trends API subscription.

Does Semrush MCP work with Claude and ChatGPT?

Yes. Semrush lists Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Perplexity and others, and it is an official ChatGPT app.

How many API units does Semrush MCP use?

It depends on the report and the number of rows. The MCP server uses the same unit prices as the Semrush API, and the plans that include MCP come with 50,000 units per billing period.

Is there a Semrush MCP alternative without a subscription?

RouterGrowth exposes keyword research, live results pages, ranked keywords, competitors, backlinks and page audits as pay-per-call tools over MCP, with no plan.