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Marketing · head to head

Moz vs Optimove

Moz logo

Moz

Marketing

SEO platform built around Domain Authority, local listings management and a weekly campaign workflow

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Optimove logo

Optimove

Marketing

Retention marketing platform that forces control groups and reports uplift per customer

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Moz has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Moz moz refreshes its link index less often and discovers fewer links than Ahrefs, so a new backlink frequently appears in Ahrefs days before it shows up in Link Explorer, which matters if link acquisition reporting is your job.; Optimove it requires a customer-level data feed with transactions before it does anything useful, and mapping that feed typically takes weeks of joint work rather than days.
  • They diverge on capability: Moz covers Keyword Explorer, Optimove covers Customer modelling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Moz and Optimove actually diverge.

Attributes where Moz and Optimove differ
AttributeMozOptimove
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer month by usage limitsquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, REST API
Founded2004Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Marketing).

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 Moz

  • Keyword Explorer
  • Link Explorer
  • Site Crawl
  • Rank Tracking
  • Page Optimization
  • Competitive research
  • Local SEO tools
  • Fresh Web Explorer

Only in Optimove

  • Customer modelling
  • Mandatory control groups
  • Optibot
  • Multichannel orchestration
  • Self-optimising campaigns
  • Realtime triggers

What people use each for

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

Moz

  • SEO auditsnot Optimove
  • Keyword researchnot Optimove
  • Link buildingnot Optimove
  • Local SEOnot Optimove
  • Competitive analysisnot Optimove

Optimove

  • An operator that has to prove incremental revenue from retention marketing to a finance committeenot Moz
  • Segmenting a customer base by predicted value and lifecycle stage rather than by campaign list membershipnot Moz
  • Running hundreds of small always-on campaigns where per-campaign uplift decides which survivenot Moz
  • Coordinating retention messaging with paid audience suppression so lapsed customers are not paid for twicenot Moz

Where each one falls short

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

Moz

  • Moz refreshes its link index less often and discovers fewer links than Ahrefs, so a new backlink frequently appears in Ahrefs days before it shows up in Link Explorer, which matters if link acquisition reporting is your job.
  • Rank tracking is weekly on every tier, so a site watching a volatile SERP or validating a same-week change cannot see daily movement without buying a separate rank tracker.
  • The Standard plan allows only 150 keyword queries a month, which a single afternoon of research exhausts, and the jump to a workable 5,000 queries means paying 179 USD a month rather than 99.
  • Almost every limit is separately metered and separately billable: extra seats are 49 USD each, campaigns 10 USD, tracked keywords 20 USD per 200, crawl capacity 15 USD per 50,000 pages, so the real bill drifts well above the plan price.
  • Domain Authority is a Moz score, not a Google ranking factor, and teams that optimise for it directly are optimising for a proxy that its own vendor sells.
  • Moz Local is a separate subscription per location, so a business with twenty sites is buying a second product at twenty times the per-location price on top of Moz Pro.

Optimove

  • It requires a customer-level data feed with transactions before it does anything useful, and mapping that feed typically takes weeks of joint work rather than days.
  • Pricing is based on tracked customers, so an inflated database of accounts that will never return costs money exactly like an unpruned email list does.
  • The modelling layer is largely opaque, so when a lifecycle stage assignment looks wrong there is limited ability to inspect why beyond vendor support.
  • The interface is dense and built for daily operators, and occasional users typically never become independent in it.
  • Email delivery is through bundled or third-party sending infrastructure rather than an in-house ESP, which adds a party to any deliverability investigation.

Pricing, plan by plan

Moz

Free
  • Free toolsFree
    • Domain Analysis and Domain Authority lookups
    • Limited Keyword Explorer and Link Explorer queries
    • Competitive Research and Brand Authority checks
  • Starter$49/month
    • Entry plan for an individual managing a single website
    • Sits below Standard on the published pricing page
    • Upgrade path into the campaign-based tiers
  • Standard$99/month
    • 79 USD per month billed annually, 950 USD for the first year
    • 1 user seat
    • 3 campaigns and 300 tracked keyword rankings
  • Medium$179/month
    • 143 USD per month billed annually, 1,719 USD for the first year
    • 2 user seats
    • 10 campaigns and 1,500 tracked keyword rankings

Optimove

On request
  • Optimove$undefined/year
    • Priced by number of tracked customers
    • Channel modules and Kumulos-derived mobile messaging licensed separately
    • Annual contract including onboarding services

Which should you pick?

Choose Moz if

  • You need keyword explorer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want link explorer.
Moz review

Choose Optimove if

  • You need customer modelling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, REST API.
  • You also want mandatory control groups.
Optimove review

Questions people ask

Is Moz or Optimove better?
Neither clearly leads. Moz starts at Free and Optimove at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Moz or Optimove?
Moz has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Moz and On request for Optimove.
Does Moz or Optimove run on more platforms?
Moz runs on Web. Optimove runs on Web, iOS, Android, REST API.
Can I use Moz for free?
Yes. Moz has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Optimove starts at On request.
What is Moz best used for?
Moz is most often used for seo audits, keyword research, link building, local seo. Of those, seo audits and keyword research are not what Optimove is typically brought in for.
What can Moz do that Optimove cannot?
Moz covers Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, Site Crawl, Rank Tracking. Optimove covers Customer modelling, Mandatory control groups, Optibot, Multichannel orchestration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Moz: How much does Moz Pro cost?

Starter is 49 USD a month for a single site. Standard is 99 USD a month or 79 USD billed annually, Medium 179 or 143, and Large 299 or 239. Moz lists first-year annual totals of 950, 1,719 and 2,868 USD respectively.

Optimove: Why does it insist on control groups?

Because uplift is the reported metric. Without a holdout the platform cannot attribute revenue, and the reporting that justifies the licence stops working.

Moz: Is Moz or Ahrefs better?

Ahrefs is the stronger choice for backlink depth, index freshness and competitive research, and its Lite plan is 129 USD against Moz Standard at 99. Moz is the better buy if you need Domain Authority as a reportable metric, if local listings management matters, or if 49 USD a month for a single site is the budget.

Optimove: Is it only for iGaming?

No, but that is where its density of customers and its default lifecycle models are strongest. Subscription retail and financial services are the other common verticals.

Moz: What do the Moz free tools give you?

Free Domain Analysis with Domain Authority, limited Keyword Explorer and Link Explorer queries, Competitive Research, a Brand Authority check and MozCast volatility tracking. Campaigns, site crawls and rank tracking all require a paid plan.

Optimove: Can it send email itself?

It orchestrates and personalises, then sends through connected delivery infrastructure. Deliverability remains a shared responsibility with that provider.

Moz: Is Domain Authority a Google ranking factor?

No. It is a Moz model that predicts ranking strength on a 1 to 100 scale. Google does not use it. It is useful as a comparative shorthand, not as a target.

Moz: How often does Moz update rankings?

Weekly on every Moz Pro tier. Competitors such as SE Ranking update daily as standard.

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