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SEO · head to head

AnswerThePublic vs Screaming Frog SEO Spider

AnswerThePublic logo

AnswerThePublic

SEO

Keyword and content ideation tool that visualizes search questions and phrases

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Screaming Frog SEO Spider logo

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

SEO

Desktop crawler for technical SEO audits and site analysis

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Screaming Frog SEO Spider has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AnswerThePublic credit-based limits on projects and articles mean heavy users need the higher-priced Growth or Business tiers.; Screaming Frog SEO Spider free version limited to 500 URL crawl limit for meaningful analysis
  • They diverge on capability: AnswerThePublic covers Search listening visualizations, Screaming Frog SEO Spider covers Crawl up to 500 URLs (free) or unlimited (paid).
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AnswerThePublic and Screaming Frog SEO Spider actually diverge.

Attributes where AnswerThePublic and Screaming Frog SEO Spider differ
AttributeAnswerThePublicScreaming Frog SEO Spider
Starting price$20/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformswebWindows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (SEO).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AnswerThePublic

  • Search listening visualizations
  • AI content drafting
  • Content scheduling
  • Plagiarism detection
  • WordPress publishing
  • Custom writing styles

Only in Screaming Frog SEO Spider

  • Crawl up to 500 URLs (free) or unlimited (paid)
  • 300+ SEO issue checks
  • JavaScript rendering with Chromium
  • XML sitemap generation
  • Custom data extraction
  • Google integrations
  • Scheduled crawls and comparisons
  • Multi-language support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AnswerThePublic

  • Finding long-tail question keywords for blog topicsnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider
  • Building FAQ content from real search queriesnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider
  • PR and content teams brainstorming article anglesnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider
  • Identifying content gaps around a seed topicnot Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

  • Identify broken links and server errors on large sitesnot AnswerThePublic
  • Audit redirect chains during site migrationsnot AnswerThePublic
  • Analyze and fix duplicate content issuesnot AnswerThePublic
  • Extract and validate structured data on pagesnot AnswerThePublic
  • Monitor site health with scheduled crawlsnot AnswerThePublic

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AnswerThePublic

  • Credit-based limits on projects and articles mean heavy users need the higher-priced Growth or Business tiers.
  • Question-mining approach is narrower than full-suite SEO content tools that also grade content against SERP competitors.
  • Article and content-creation features are relatively new additions layered onto a keyword-visualization tool, so depth may lag dedicated writing platforms.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

  • Free version limited to 500 URL crawl limit for meaningful analysis
  • Desktop application required, not available as web-based tool
  • Unlimited crawls depend on system memory and storage capacity
  • Annual licensing model with no monthly option
  • Learning curve for advanced features like custom extraction

Pricing, plan by plan

AnswerThePublic

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 2 projects
    • 60 monthly credits
    • 6 articles/month
  • Growth$99/month
    • 4 projects
    • 350 monthly credits
    • 35 articles/month
  • Business$199/month
    • 8 projects
    • 800 monthly credits
    • 80 articles/month

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 500 URL crawl limit
    • Core features included
    • Link checking and metadata analysis
  • Paid License$199/year
    • Unlimited URL crawls (limited by system memory/storage)
    • All free version features
    • Advanced features unlocked

Which should you pick?

Choose AnswerThePublic if

  • You need search listening visualizations.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want ai content drafting.
AnswerThePublic review

Choose Screaming Frog SEO Spider if

  • You need crawl up to 500 urls (free) or unlimited (paid).
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want 300+ seo issue checks.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider review

Questions people ask

Is AnswerThePublic or Screaming Frog SEO Spider better?
Neither clearly leads. AnswerThePublic starts at $20/month and Screaming Frog SEO Spider at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AnswerThePublic or Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
Screaming Frog SEO Spider has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for AnswerThePublic and Free for Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
Does AnswerThePublic or Screaming Frog SEO Spider run on more platforms?
AnswerThePublic runs on web. Screaming Frog SEO Spider runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Screaming Frog SEO Spider for free?
Yes. Screaming Frog SEO Spider has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. AnswerThePublic starts at $20/month.
What is AnswerThePublic best used for?
AnswerThePublic is most often used for finding long-tail question keywords for blog topics, building faq content from real search queries, pr and content teams brainstorming article angles, identifying content gaps around a seed topic. Of those, finding long-tail question keywords for blog topics and building faq content from real search queries are not what Screaming Frog SEO Spider is typically brought in for.
What can AnswerThePublic do that Screaming Frog SEO Spider cannot?
AnswerThePublic covers Search listening visualizations, AI content drafting, Content scheduling, Plagiarism detection. Screaming Frog SEO Spider covers Crawl up to 500 URLs (free) or unlimited (paid), 300+ SEO issue checks, JavaScript rendering with Chromium, XML sitemap generation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AnswerThePublic: What does AnswerThePublic cost?

Plans run Starter at $20/month, Growth at $99/month, and Business at $199/month, each with monthly credits, project limits, and an article-generation cap; annual and lifetime options are also offered.

Source
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: What is the difference between free and paid Screaming Frog licenses?

The free version crawls up to 500 URLs with core features. The paid license (GBP 199/year) includes unlimited URL crawls limited only by system memory and storage, plus advanced features.

Source
AnswerThePublic: Is there a free plan?

No free tier is listed; all plans are paid, with Starter as the entry-level option at $20/month or a $99 lifetime option.

Source
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Can Screaming Frog crawl JavaScript-rendered content?

Yes. Screaming Frog renders JavaScript through headless Chromium, enabling crawls of React, Angular, Vue.js, and other JavaScript frameworks.

Source
AnswerThePublic: What does AnswerThePublic integrate with?

All plans include WordPress publishing so finished articles can be pushed directly to a connected WordPress site.

Source
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: What platforms does Screaming Frog support?

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is available for Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), and Linux (Ubuntu and Fedora).

Source
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