Free SEO tools vs paid SEO software
Short answer
RankProof is free and needs no account, but it checks one page, URL or keyword at a time. Paid SEO software adds things like site-wide crawls, backlink indexes and rank tracking over time. The table shows what each entry plan covers and roughly what it costs; the exact figure lives on the vendor’s own page, which every row links to.
- Paid tools compared
- 5
- Last verified
What each entry plan includes
| Tool | Entry plan, price range | Free option | Site-wide crawl | Backlink index | Rank tracking | Keyword volume | AI content brief | Accessibility (WCAG) checks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RankProof | Free | Every tool, no account | No | No | No | Included | Included | Included |
| Ahrefs | $20 – $50 / month current price → | Free tools for sites you verify (account needed) | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Not listed |
| Semrush | €100 – €150 / month, billed yearly current price → | Free tools and a limited free account | Included | Included | Included | Included | Paid add-on | Paid add-on |
| SE Ranking | €50 – €100 / month, billed yearly current price → | 14-day free trial | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included | Not listed |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | £150 – £250 / year current price → | Free version, up to 500 URLs per crawl | Included | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Included |
| Surfer | €20 – €50 / month, billed yearly current price → | Free keyword browser extension | Not listed | Not listed | Paid add-on | Included | Included | Not listed |
Prices are shown as a range for the entry plan, because exact figures change and differ by country and currency — each row links to the vendor’s own page for the current one. "Included" means the entry plan has the feature, usually with usage limits. "Not listed" means the vendor’s plan and feature pages did not mention it on 16/09/2026; it is not a claim that the feature is missing.
When RankProof is enough
- You want to check one page, URL or piece of text right now, without signing up.
- You need on-page, technical, AI-readiness or accessibility checks rather than market data.
- You have no budget for SEO software, or you want a second opinion next to a paid tool.
When a paid tool is worth it
- You need to crawl a whole site, track rankings over time or keep a history of changes.
- You rely on a backlink index or on competitor traffic estimates.
- A team works across many projects and needs reports, alerts and shared access.