Best Free SEO Tools

What separates the best free SEO tools on this page?

Two of the four picks cost nothing to start with. Google Search Console is free and scores 8.2, the highest here. It shows impressions, clicks and average position straight from Google, plus indexing reports that name the pages Google refused and why. The catch: it only covers sites you have verified, so there is no competitor data, and its backlink report is a sample rather than an index.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider scores 8.0 at $20. It is a desktop crawler, and on our test site it found 43 issues the cloud audits missed, including three redirect chains. It connects to Search Console, Analytics and PageSpeed. It does one job: no keyword data, no rank tracking, no backlinks, and a big crawl needs memory on your machine.

Moz Pro scores 7.9 at $49, the cheapest paid tool here, with explanations written for people still learning. Its Starter plan tracks 50 keywords, and it found 148 of 200 links. Ubersuggest scores 7.5 at $29 a month, or a one-off lifetime licence, and tracks 125 keywords on the entry plan. It found 89 of 200 backlinks.

What should you check before buying?

Our scoring weighs index size and data accuracy at 30, feature coverage at 25, usability and reporting at 15, limits and fair use at 10, and value at 20. Read your own needs against those weights.

• Accuracy first. Search Console gives you Google's own numbers. Every other tool estimates.
• Check the limits. 50 keywords on Moz Pro Starter and 125 on Ubersuggest's entry plan decide whether a tool fits one site or several.
• Check the backlink coverage. Moz Pro found 148 of 200 links, Ubersuggest 89 of 200. Neither is complete.
• Check the price model. Ubersuggest is the only member selling a lifetime licence.

Google Search Console

For anyone with a verified site who wants the real queries, positions and indexing problems without paying. Best for site owners who want Google's own data.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

For technical work: broken links, redirect chains, duplicate titles. Best for technical SEOs who need a desktop crawl.

Moz Pro

For people learning SEO who want Domain Authority, local listings and plain-English explanations. Best for beginners and local businesses.

Ubersuggest

For a single small site on a tight budget, with keyword ideas and content suggestions enough to plan a small blog. Best for solo bloggers.

Google Search Console suits anyone who wants Google's own query and indexing data for a verified site at no cost. Screaming Frog SEO Spider is the pick for technical crawling, and Moz Pro fits people learning SEO who want Domain Authority and local listings. Ubersuggest works for a single small site, especially if you want the one-off lifetime licence.