Serpstat: All-in-One SEO Platform for Freelancers and Small Agencies

Serpstat is an all-in-one SEO platform founded in 2013, headquartered in Odesa, Ukraine, founded by Oleg Salamaha and Artem Borodatyuk. The platform bundles five SEO tools: keyword research (volume, CPC, competition, related keywords), backlink analysis (link profile, new/lost backlinks, anchor texts), rank tracking (daily position for defined keywords), site audit (technical SEO checks up to 1.5M pages) and competitor analysis (competitor keywords, shared rankings, content gaps). Over 1.1 million users worldwide.

Four paid tiers, with annual billing saving roughly 27 %. The ladder follows searches per day, rank checks and pages per audit. The one boundary that matters is API access: the entry tier has none, which is still fine for a solo SEO with one to three projects. Seven days of full access to trial it, and not cancelling means automatic renewal.

Ahrefs has the largest backlink index on the market and the strongest data quality — the standard for backlink profiles of large domains. Prices from $29/month (Starter, limited solo plan) or $129/month (Lite) for serious use. Semrush is the broadest platform with 50+ tools — SEO, PPC, content, social. Prices from $139/month (Pro). Serpstat covers the most important 80% of SEO workflows at noticeably lower prices (from $50/month Individual). Weaknesses: smaller backlink index than Ahrefs, less data on niche keywords, weaker PPC/content tools than Semrush. For budget-conscious solo SEOs and small agencies usually the rational choice; for agencies with enterprise clients and backlink-focused audits often Ahrefs.

Strong: Serpstat covers 230+ country databases with localized volume, CPC and competition scores. US, UK, Canadian and Australian data is dense and reliable for mainstream keywords (>500 monthly searches). For deep niche keywords (e.g. very specific local services, B2B specialty terms), data depth can vary — cross-check with Google Keyword Planner or DataForSEO. SERP features (Featured Snippets, AI Overviews, People Also Ask) have been tracked since 2024 and are surfaced in keyword research. Usable as primary tool for a US/UK marketing strategy; for deep backlink analysis on huge .com domains, additionally consult Ahrefs.

Serpstat processes usage data in the EU and Ukraine; a data processing agreement (DPA) is available on request. For site audits, the audited URLs are transmitted to Serpstat servers — sensitive content should be considered before audit. For pure keyword research and SERP data uncritical, since only publicly available data is queried. For highest GDPR standards, request a DPA in addition.

API access is included in-plan from the Team plan ($100/month) — on Ahrefs, API access was opened to all paid tiers from Lite in 2026, but as a separate paid add-on (from ~$500/month on top). The Serpstat API delivers keyword data, backlink data, rank tracking snapshots and site audit results in structured form. Limits: 200–400k credits/month on Team, 400k on Team x2, 2M on Agency. One credit equals one API request. Useful for custom dashboards in Google Looker Studio or Notion, automated client reports, or bulk keyword research via script. For agencies serving many clients in parallel, a clear advantage over Ahrefs/Semrush.

Three alternatives by need: Ahrefs for deep backlink analysis of large domains and enterprise SEO (from $29/month Starter, $129/month Lite). Semrush for broad marketing suite with PPC, content and social tools (from $139/month). SE Ranking as direct mid-market competitor (from $103/month Core, restructured in late 2025). For rank tracking only without full suite: AccuRanker or Nightwatch. Free alternatives: Google Search Console (own domain), Google Keyword Planner (volume estimates), Ubersuggest (limited free tier). For an overview of all marketing tools, see our Marketing Tools overview.