This page ranks and compares every SEO tool we have reviewed on ToolStackChoice — covering keyword research, backlink analysis, site auditing, content optimisation, and rank tracking. Whether you are a solo founder, freelancer, or part of a small team, every rating is based on hands-on testing so you can choose with confidence.
See our top picks ↓Six tools, each suited to a different use case and budget. Click through to the full review for detailed scoring and a plain-language verdict.
The most trusted backlink index in the industry, paired with a strong keyword explorer, site audit, and content gap tool. The go-to choice for SEO professionals and content-focused teams.
Read review →A broader digital marketing suite covering SEO, PPC, social media, and competitive research in one dashboard. Best for agencies and marketing teams who want a single platform across multiple channels.
Read review →A clean, affordable toolset built around KWFinder. Ideal for bloggers, niche site owners, and solo founders who need solid keyword research and rank tracking without enterprise pricing.
Read review →A mature, fundamentals-focused SEO platform with clear reporting and one of the best educational ecosystems in the industry. Well-suited to in-house marketers and teams new to SEO.
Read review →The industry-standard desktop crawler for technical SEOs, developers, and agencies. Unmatched depth for site auditing, JS rendering, and large-scale on-page analysis at a fraction of the cost of cloud alternatives.
Read review →An AI-assisted on-page optimisation platform that scores your content against top-ranking pages in real time. Best for content marketers and agencies publishing SEO-driven articles at scale.
Read review →A capable, affordable SEO hub covering rank tracking, site audits, keyword research, backlinks, and reporting. Best for small businesses and agencies that need serious SEO tools without enterprise pricing.
Read review →Key metrics at a glance — updated February 2026.
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Keyword data | Site audit | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs Recommended | Backlink & content analysis | $129 / mo | ✓ Strong | ✓ Strong | Content gap, rank tracker |
| Semrush | Agencies & multi-channel teams | $139.95 / mo | ✓ Strong | ✓ Strong | PPC, social, content tools |
| Mangools | Bloggers & solo founders | $29 / mo | ✓ Good | — Limited | SERP analysis, rank tracker |
| Moz Pro | In-house teams & beginners | $99 / mo | ✓ Good | ✓ Good | DA metric, MozBar extension |
| Screaming Frog | Technical SEO & agencies | £259 / yr | — None | ✓ Best-in-class | JS rendering, custom extraction |
| Surfer SEO | Content optimisation | $99 / mo | ✓ Good | — Limited | Content editor, AI writing assist |
| SE Ranking | Small businesses & agencies | See pricing | ✓ Good | ✓ Good | White-label reports, AI on-page tools |
Prices are indicative. Always verify on the vendor’s official site before purchasing.
Scroll sideways to see all columns →
A quick-reference ranking based on our hands-on testing scores across keyword data quality, site audit depth, backlink analysis, reporting, pricing, and learning curve.
Full, in-depth reviews of individual SEO tools — covering features, pricing, pros and cons, and a plain-language verdict.
Our independent review of Ahrefs — one of the most widely used SEO toolsets for backlink analysis, keyword research, site auditing, and rank tracking. We cover features, pricing, pros, cons, and who it suits best.
Read full review →Our independent review of Semrush — the all-in-one digital marketing platform covering SEO, PPC, content, and social media. We cover features, pricing, pros, cons, and who it suits best.
Read full review →Our independent review of Mangools — the budget-friendly SEO toolset built around KWFinder. Ideal for bloggers, niche site owners, and small teams who want keyword research and rank tracking without enterprise pricing.
Read full review →Our independent review of Moz Pro — the mature, fundamentals-focused SEO platform best for small teams, in-house marketers, and anyone who wants clear reports and a strong educational ecosystem alongside their SEO toolkit.
Read full review →Our independent review of Screaming Frog SEO Spider — the desktop crawler that technical SEOs, developers, and agencies rely on for granular site auditing, JS rendering, and large-scale on-page analysis.
Read full review →Our independent review of Surfer SEO — the AI-assisted on-page optimisation platform best for content marketers, niche site owners, and agencies publishing SEO-driven articles at scale.
Read full review →Our independent review of SE Ranking — the all-in-one SEO platform best for small businesses and agencies that want broad SEO coverage at a lower price point than the major suites.
Read full review →Can’t decide between two tools? These head-to-head comparisons go deeper than the summary table above.
A direct, head-to-head comparison of Ahrefs and Semrush — covering backlinks, keyword research, technical SEO, pricing, and who each tool is best for, so you can choose without paying for both.
Read comparison →Budget-friendly Mangools vs full-scale Semrush — covering ease of use, keyword research, technical SEO, backlinks, pricing, and who each tool is best for.
Read comparison →Not sure where to start? Jump back to our top picks at the top of this page.
Every tool on this page has been tested hands-on by our team. We sign up for paid plans where necessary, run real keyword research projects, crawl real websites, and score results across six dimensions: keyword data quality, site audit depth, backlink analysis accuracy, reporting clarity, pricing fairness, and learning curve. We use the same rubric for every tool so that scores are directly comparable across the category.
When evaluating keyword data, we look beyond raw database size and test freshness, accuracy against known ranking pages, and the quality of difficulty scores. A tool with a large keyword database but outdated or inaccurate difficulty estimates is less useful than a smaller but more reliable dataset. Similarly, for site audits, we assess whether the tool surfaces actionable issues rather than just generating long lists of low-priority warnings.
Pricing is evaluated at multiple usage tiers, including the cost of adding team members and unlocking advanced features. We also consider whether a tool can serve as a standalone solution or whether it requires pairing with other tools to cover a full SEO workflow. Reviews are dated and revisited when a tool releases a major update or changes its pricing, so you always know how current the information is.
Mangools is the most approachable starting point for beginners, thanks to its clean interface and simple keyword difficulty scores. Moz Pro is also beginner-friendly and adds a strong educational ecosystem — including the Moz Academy and a large library of guides — that helps new SEOs build their knowledge alongside the tool.
Semrush is the strongest choice for agencies because it covers SEO, PPC, content, and social media in a single platform, supports multiple projects, and includes white-label reporting features. Ahrefs is the better pick for agencies whose work is primarily SEO and content, particularly those doing link building and competitive content analysis at scale.
Mangools is the most affordable full-featured SEO toolset, starting at $29 per month. For technical auditing specifically, Screaming Frog SEO Spider offers a free version that crawls up to 500 URLs, and the paid licence is under £260 per year — making it exceptional value for technical SEOs who do not need keyword research built in.
For most solo founders and small teams, one primary platform (Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz Pro) covers the majority of needs. However, many professionals pair a cloud platform with Screaming Frog for deep technical audits, and add Surfer SEO when producing a high volume of content. The key is to identify your primary use case first — keyword research, link building, technical auditing, or content optimisation — and choose the tool that excels there before adding others.
If your primary focus is SEO and content — particularly backlink analysis and content gap research — Ahrefs is the stronger choice. If you need a broader marketing platform that covers PPC, social media monitoring, and competitive intelligence across multiple channels, Semrush offers more. See our full Ahrefs vs Semrush comparison for a detailed breakdown.
