Which SEO Tools Let You Export a Real Report Without Paying Extra?
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The answer changed. Semrush and Ahrefs now both publish a free allowance for one client-facing PDF report. Semrush includes scheduling with that first Base report. Ahrefs gives a free account one report per month, but scheduling remains paid. Ubersuggest bundles export into every paid plan, while Surfer still does not publish enough for us to mark its lowest tier either way.
The Short Answer
- Semrush — Semrush includes one Base report on its free plan, with PDF export and daily, weekly, or monthly scheduled delivery to up to three recipients.
- Ahrefs — Ahrefs Free includes one report per month with five widgets and PDF delivery, but scheduling is unavailable on Free, Starter, and Lite.
- Ubersuggest — Ubersuggest lists image, CSV, and PDF export on all three paid plans, starting with Individual at $29 per month.
- Surfer SEO — Surfer lists paid plans from $49 per month billed annually, but its current pricing page does not establish report export on the lowest tier.
| Tool | Best for | From | Free | Report export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush | One Free Scheduled Report | $117.33/mo (annual) | Yes | Free plan exports |
| Ahrefs | One Free Manual Report | $29/mo | Yes | Free plan exports |
| Ubersuggest | Export Bundled from $29 | $29/mo | No | Cheapest paid plan exports |
| Surfer SEO | Export Still Unconfirmed | $49/mo (annual) | No | No free tier to evaluate |
What we checked
On 2026-08-20, we re-read the official plan and reporting pages for all four tools. This is a published-feature audit, not a hands-on report-quality test. We recorded whether the first PDF report can be created without an added purchase, what the lowest published plan costs, and where scheduled delivery introduces another gate.
The changed evidence is explicit. Semrush’s My Reports documentation says Free includes one Base report. Ahrefs’ Report Builder page says a Free account can create one report per month. Ubersuggest’s pricing page lists export on Individual, Business, and Enterprise. Surfer’s pricing page still does not state whether Discovery can export a client-ready PDF report.
One Free Scheduled Report
1. Semrush — One Free Scheduled Report
Semrush no longer requires a $10 add-on for the first report. Its free plan includes one Base report, and the Base tier includes PDF export plus daily, weekly, or monthly scheduling. Free accounts can send or schedule that report to up to three recipients, although their custom email message cannot contain URLs.
The $10 monthly amount now applies to each additional Base report. Paid Semrush toolkits include three Base reports, and the $20 Pro report tier adds white-labeling, external integrations, hourly delivery, link sharing, and a custom domain. For the narrow question on this page, the first complete PDF export costs $0.
From $117.33/mo (annual). Free plan: 1 demo project, 10 reports per day across core tools, and 1 Base report with PDF export and scheduled email delivery.
- SEO — $139/mo, or $117.33/mo billed annually
- Starter — $199/mo, or $165.17/mo billed annually
- Pro+ — $299/mo, or $248.17/mo billed annually
- Advanced — $549/mo, or $455.67/mo billed annually
Report export Free plan exports — The Free plan includes 1 Base report. Base reports include PDF export plus daily, weekly, or monthly scheduling; a free account can send or schedule the PDF to up to 3 recipients. Additional Base reports cost $10/mo per report and Pro reports cost $20/mo per report.
Pros
- One scheduled PDF Base report is included on the free plan; paid toolkits include 3 Base reports
Skip it if
- Free accounts can send scheduled reports to only 3 recipients and cannot include URLs in the custom email message
One Free Manual Report
2. Ahrefs — One Free Manual Report
Ahrefs also includes the first report without its $99 add-on. Ahrefs Free can create one report per month with up to five widgets. The product page says the result can be delivered as a PDF to people who do not have an Ahrefs account.
The free allowance is manual, not scheduled. Ahrefs marks scheduling unavailable on Free, Starter, and Lite. Its $99 monthly Report Builder add-on raises the limit to 50 reports and 500 widgets and adds scheduled delivery. Standard at $249 per month also includes scheduling. That distinction matters for a recurring agency workflow, but it does not change the cost of one manual report: $0.
From $29/mo. Free plan: Ahrefs Free — verified-site data plus 1 Report Builder report per month with 5 widgets and no scheduling.
- Starter — $29/mo
- Lite — $129/mo
- Standard — $249/mo
- Advanced — $449/mo
Report export Free plan exports — Ahrefs Free includes 1 Report Builder report per month with up to 5 widgets and manual PDF delivery. Scheduling is not included on Free, Starter, or Lite; the $99/mo Report Builder add-on includes 50 reports, 500 widgets, hourly/daily/weekly/quarterly scheduling, and up to 50 recipients per report.
Skip it if
- The free report cannot be scheduled; the cheapest published scheduling upgrade is the $99/mo Report Builder add-on
Export Bundled from $29
3. Ubersuggest — Export Bundled from $29
Ubersuggest still bundles export instead of selling a separate report product, but the plan prices changed. Individual is now $29 per month, Business is $49, and Enterprise is $99. All three current plan columns list image, CSV, and PDF export.
The vendor’s general Ubersuggest landing page also describes limited free keyword-research access. We did not verify that PDF export exists inside that free access, so the qualifying path in this comparison remains the $29 Individual plan rather than an inferred $0 option.
From $29/mo. No free plan.
- Individual — $29/mo · 1 seat
- Business — $49/mo · 2 seats
- Enterprise — $99/mo · 5 seats
Report export Cheapest paid plan exports — All three paid plans list "Export images, CSV and PDF" outright, including the cheapest, Individual at $29/mo. No separate export add-on is required.
Pros
- Export is bundled into every paid plan with no separate add-on
Skip it if
- The pricing page offers a trial; a separate official landing page describes limited free keyword-research access, but we did not verify PDF export on that free access
Export Still Unconfirmed
4. Surfer SEO — Export Still Unconfirmed
Surfer’s current pricing page still starts with Discovery at $49 per month billed annually, followed by Standard at $99, Pro at $182, and Peace of Mind at $299. The page does not clearly identify client-ready PDF report export on Discovery, and we did not find a separate current report product page that settles the question.
That leaves Surfer blank on this axis. A paid entry price is not proof that the required export exists, and a trial button is not proof of a perpetual free plan.
From $49/mo (annual). No free plan.
- Discovery — $49/mo billed annually
- Standard — $99/mo billed annually
- Pro — $182/mo billed annually
- Peace of Mind — $299/mo billed annually
Report export No free tier to evaluate — No perpetual free plan is listed to evaluate against this axis. We also could not confirm report export behavior on the lowest paid tier from Surfer's current pricing page.
Skip it if
- No free plan at any price point
More in this category
For the total cost of one manually delivered report, see what one client-ready SEO report costs. If the report must arrive automatically, the gating changes; our Semrush versus Ahrefs scheduled-report comparison prices that narrower workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which SEO tool lets you export a client report for free?
Semrush and Ahrefs both publish a free first-report allowance. Semrush Free includes one Base report with PDF export and scheduled delivery. Ahrefs Free includes one report per month with up to five widgets and manual PDF delivery, but no scheduling. We did not create accounts to test either output.
Does Semrush charge $10 just to export a PDF report?
Not for the first Base report. Semrush now says the free plan includes one Base report, while a paid toolkit includes three. The $10 monthly price applies to each additional Base report; the first free report still includes PDF export and daily, weekly, or monthly scheduling.
Does Ahrefs require the $99 Report Builder add-on for one report?
No. Ahrefs says a free account can create one report per month with up to five widgets. The $99 monthly add-on expands that to 50 reports and 500 widgets and adds scheduling. Free, Starter, and Lite do not include scheduling.
Does Ubersuggest include PDF export?
Yes on the three paid plans shown on its current pricing page. Individual at $29 per month, Business at $49, and Enterprise at $99 all list image, CSV, and PDF export. A separate official landing page describes limited free access, but we did not verify PDF export on that free access.
Why is Surfer SEO still unpriced for report export?
Surfer's official pricing page confirms Discovery at $49 per month billed annually, followed by $99, $182, and $299 tiers. It does not clearly state whether a client-ready PDF report is included on Discovery or sold elsewhere, so we leave the export result unconfirmed.
How We Keep This Updated
We re-check each tool's pricing, source documentation, and any firsthand test records used on this page. Every change is logged here. Our full procedure is on the methodology page, and if anything above is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will re-check it.
- 2026-08-20 — Corrected Semrush and Ahrefs from add-on-required to one free report after both vendors changed their published report allowances. Updated Ubersuggest's monthly prices from $12/$20/$40 to $29/$49/$99.
- 2026-08-05 — First published. Pricing and export-gating details read from each vendor's own pricing page on this date.