How to Cancel Semrush in 2026 (Avoid the $120/Month Trap)

Updated February 2026 • 5 min read

Semrush costs $129.95/month for Pro, $249.95/month for Guru, or $499.95/month for Business. That's up to $6,000/year for an SEO tool you might use twice a month. Here's how to cancel and what free tools can replace most of its features.

⚠️ Annual Plans: Semrush charges the full year upfront with no refunds on annual plans. Monthly plans auto-renew silently. Cancel at least 24 hours before your billing date.

How to Cancel Semrush (3 Minutes)

Log into semrush.com
Click your profile icon → Subscription Info
Click "Cancel Subscription"
They'll offer discounts — decline or accept (see below)
Confirm cancellation
Screenshot your confirmation page — they've been known to "not process" cancellations

The Retention Offers You'll Get

Semrush doesn't let you go quietly. During cancellation, expect:

40-50% discount on your current plan (most common)
Free month extension — they add 30 days to reconsider
Plan downgrade — they'll suggest switching to a cheaper tier
"Pause" option — keeps your data but stops billing (7-day max, then auto-resumes)

💡 Pro tip: If you actually need Semrush occasionally, accept the 50% discount and cancel again next month. Many users cycle: subscribe for one month of heavy research, export everything, cancel, repeat quarterly.

Free Alternatives That Cover 80% of Semrush

Google Search Console — your actual search rankings (more accurate than Semrush's estimates)
Google Analytics 4 — traffic data, conversions, user behavior
Ubersuggest (free tier) — 3 free searches/day for keyword research
AnswerThePublic — question-based keyword ideas
Screaming Frog (free tier) — crawl up to 500 URLs for technical SEO audits
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools — free backlink checker and site audit for verified sites
PageSpeed Insights — Core Web Vitals and performance data

The Semrush Annual Plan Trap

Semrush pushes annual plans hard because they're non-refundable. Here's the math:

Pro monthly: $129.95/mo = cancel anytime
Pro annual: $108.33/mo billed as $1,299.96/year — locked in, no refunds
You "save" $260/year but you're committed to $1,300 even if you stop using it

Better strategy: Pay monthly, use it intensively for 2-3 months per year when doing keyword research or audits, and cancel between. Total cost: $390 vs $1,300.

Getting a Refund on Annual Plans

Semrush officially offers no refunds on annual plans, but there are exceptions:

Within 7 days of purchase: Contact support immediately — they sometimes honor a cooling-off period
Credit card chargeback: If you were auto-renewed without clear notice, file a dispute with your card issuer
FTC Click-to-Cancel rule: As of 2024, the FTC requires cancellation to be as easy as sign-up. Cite this if they resist

What Happens After Cancellation

Access continues until end of billing period
Your projects and data are preserved for 60 days
After 60 days, all data is permanently deleted
Free account remains active with very limited access (10 searches/day)
Export your data first: Download keyword lists, position tracking history, and site audit reports as CSV

Bottom line: Semrush is powerful but wildly overpriced for most users. Google's own free tools (Search Console + GA4) give you the most important data — your actual rankings and traffic — which Semrush can only estimate. Unless you're running an SEO agency, the free stack covers most needs.

Find More Subscriptions to Cancel →

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Quick Cancel Guide: Semrush

Direct cancel link + step-by-step instructions