A focused alternative to the Ahrefs and Semrush site audit
If all you need is a deep, AI-powered SEO audit, you don't need to pay for keyword research and backlink suites. CrawlSense focuses, costs less, goes deeper on semantic + GEO.
CrawlSense is not a Semrush or Ahrefs replacement — those are full suites with rank tracking, keyword research and backlinks. CrawlSense is the audit module, done right: semantic clusters, cannibalization detection and GEO scoring out of the box. Many of our users keep Ahrefs or Semrush for backlinks and use CrawlSense for the audit + AI insights.
CrawlSense vs Ahrefs Site Audit vs Semrush Site Audit
An honest, side-by-side comparison of the three audit modules.
| Feature | Ahrefs Site Audit | Semrush Site Audit | CrawlSense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone audit pricing | Bundled in €99+/mo plans | Bundled in €119+/mo plans | €59/mo standalone |
| Pages per crawl | 5k–25k+ depending on tier | 100k+ | 25k (Agency) |
| Semantic clustering | Limited | HDBSCAN | |
| Cannibalization detection | Manual | Limited | Embedding-based |
| GEO / AI search optimization | Full module | ||
| AI Insights | Limited | Limited (ContentShake) | Claude-native |
| Cloud-based | |||
| GSC + GA4 integration |
Swipe horizontally to see all columns.
Audit-first, not suite-first
Pay for what you use
If you only need site audit, you don't pay for backlinks, keyword research or SERP tracking. One focused module, one focused price.
Semantic-first
Cluster pages by topic, find cannibalization automatically — features Ahrefs and Semrush either don't have or do poorly.
GEO-ready
Optimize for AI search engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity). Built-in. Ahrefs and Semrush still focus only on traditional Google search.
Try CrawlSense free for 14 days
No credit card required. Keep your suite if you need it.
What CrawlSense gives you
- 200+ technical SEO checks per page
- Semantic topic clusters with HDBSCAN
- Embedding-based cannibalization detection (automatic)
- GEO analysis (5 dimensions, action plan)
- AI Insights generated by Claude
- GSC + GA4 + Bing Webmaster integration
- White-label PDF reports (Pro+)
- Workspaces for agencies, up to 100 sites (Agency)
Frequently asked questions
Does CrawlSense replace Ahrefs / Semrush completely?
No. We focus on doing the audit + semantic + GEO better than they do. Many of our users keep Ahrefs or Semrush for backlinks and use CrawlSense for everything else.
Can I use both?
Absolutely — and many do. CrawlSense plays well alongside the suites; we integrate with GSC and GA4 directly so there's no overlap on data sources.
Is there an API?
Coming. Right now CSV exports cover most workflows. The team is gathering API request examples — drop us a note.
How does pricing compare?
Ahrefs Lite is around €99/month. Semrush Pro is €119/month. CrawlSense is €59/month flat for the Pro tier — no per-feature unbundling.
Ready to focus your audit stack?
Spin up your first crawl in 60 seconds. Keep the suite for backlinks if you need it.