VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON
Tool details checked August 23, 2026
Tool Comparison
CB Insights vs Semrush
Start here
CB Insights
Contact for pricing · Web · Mobile · API
- You want screeners, data visualizations, and corporate actions & special situations.
Pick Semrush instead if
Semrush
Free • From $139/mo · Web · Mobile · API
- You'd rather start free and only pay if you outgrow it
- You want app & website traffic and blogs.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
CB Insights and Semrush cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, APIs & data feeds and sheets / excel add-ins), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. CB Insights simply does more: 7 categories to Semrush's 4, including screeners, data visualizations, and corporate actions & special situations. Semrush counters by letting you start free.
What readers say
CB Insights
No votes yet. Cast the first one.
Semrush
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Key differences at a glance
- Free plan
- Semrush
- Free trial
- Semrush7 days
- Broader coverage
- CB Insights7 vs 4 categories
- Asset coverage
- CB InsightsAdds stocks
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Contact for pricing | Free • From $139/mo |
Free tier | No | Yes |
Free trial | — | 7 days |
Plan limits | 3 limits: Browser Analyst: pricing: Request pricing, Enterprise Platform: pricing: Request pricing +1 more | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Integrations | Salesforce, Microsoft Excel +6 more | Google Analytics, Google Search Console +1 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 7 | 4 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Security | — | Data residency: US and SSO: SAML |
| Try it | Visit CB Insights | Visit Semrush |
Where each one shines
What CB Insights and Semrush each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What CB Insights and Semrush each do best.What CB Insights does best
- Research coverage for private and public companies, investors, funding rounds, M&A, business relationships, earnings, markets, and competitive markets.
- Company profiles, market analytics, visual dashboards, deal analysis, and sector tracking to map markets and competitors.
- Mosaic Score and other proprietary measures to evaluate private-company health and growth signals.
- Strategy Terminal, Browser Analyst, ChatCBI, and team-of-agents workflows for AI-assisted scouting, briefs, trend discovery, and market analysis.
- Access to CB Insights data into workflows through Excel, Salesforce, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Snowflake, Zapier, Affinity, A2A, MCP-style, and data-solution integrations where licensed.
What Semrush does best
- Analysis of website traffic, visitor sources, engagement, keywords, competitors, backlinks, SEO performance, paid search, and market benchmarks.
- Semrush One and AI visibility products to monitor brand and content visibility across AI search and classic SEO workflows.
- The Standard API for eligible SEO Toolkit Business users, with separately purchased API units and request or line-based consumption.
- Separate API paths for Trends, Listing Management, and Map Rank Tracker, noting that local APIs and map rank APIs have their own access and billing rules.
- Export support for data and reports through CSV, Excel, PDF, JSON, Google Sheets, Position Tracking, Site Audit, and App Center connector workflows.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for CB Insights and Semrush, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for CB Insights and Semrush, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | StocksOther | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | Not specified | REST |
API auth & delivery | Not specified | Auth: APIKey and OAuth2 |
Integrations | SalesforceMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft 365 CopilotSnowflakeAffinityZapierA2AMCP | Google AnalyticsGoogle Search ConsoleGoogle Sheets |
Export formats | Not specified | CSVExcelPDFJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Data residency: USSSO: SAML |
Vendor & support | CB Information Services, Inc.Country: United StatesSupport: Email and Phone | Semrush Inc.Country: United StatesSupport: Email |
Curation ratings | Not specified | Methodology 4/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | Free |
| Entry paid plan | — | $139/mo“SEO” |
| Tier 2 | — | $199/mo“Starter” |
| Tier 3 | — | $299/mo“Pro+” |
| Top plan | — | $549/mo“Advanced” |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“Browser Analyst”pricing: Request pricing | Contact sales“Enterprise” |
| Free trial | — | 7 days |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between CB Insights and Semrush?
CB Insights leans toward APIs & data feeds, sheets / excel add-ins, and screeners, while Semrush puts more weight on app & website traffic, APIs & data feeds, and sheets / excel add-ins. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
Is CB Insights or Semrush free to use?
Semrush has a free tier, so you can get started without paying anything. CB Insights is paid-only. If budget matters, start with Semrush and see how far it takes you before opening your wallet.
Do CB Insights and Semrush have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose CB Insights or Semrush?
It depends on what you're after. Pick CB Insights if screeners and data visualizations matter to you; go with Semrush if you'd rather have app & website traffic and blogs. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do CB Insights and Semrush cover?
Both cover other. CB Insights also handles stocks.
Can I export data from CB Insights and Semrush?
Semrush exports to CSV and Excel. CB Insights is stingier about getting data out.
Which has a better stock screener: CB Insights or Semrush?
CB Insights has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; Semrush doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Keep researching
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Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.