What is the key difference between Ahrefs and Sem?

Ahrefs belongs to the Developer Tools category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution, while Sem belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Ahrefs or Sem in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Ahrefs and Sem free or paid?

Ahrefs operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Sem operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Ahrefs lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Sem lists 0 tools with 1 views and 3,315 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Ahrefs and Sem together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Ahrefs vs Sem

In-depth architectural comparison of the Ahrefs and Sem MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Ahrefs

Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 43/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Sem

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Ahrefs if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose Sem if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Ahrefs when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Ahrefs Details

Choose Sem when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Sem Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	A Ahrefs Developer Tools	Sem Developer Tools
Summary	Ahrefs: Ahrefs API: SEO powerhouse featuring keyword research, backlink analysis, and SERP tracking.	Entity-level code intelligence: semantic diff, impact analysis, blame, and context for AI agents
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Ahrefs Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Sem Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Ahrefs Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ahrefs": {
      "url": "https://jojapi.com/hub/api/ahrefs"
    }
  }
}

Sem Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "sem"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Ahrefs is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. In contrast, Sem belongs to Developer Tools using local stdio subprocess. Select Ahrefs when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Sem when you require tools for developer tools.

More alternatives to Ahrefs More alternatives to Sem Developer Tools category hub