Marketing · head to head
Moz vs Simplecast

Moz
Marketing
SEO platform built around Domain Authority, local listings management and a weekly campaign workflow
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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.; Simplecast basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
- They diverge on capability: Moz covers Keyword Explorer, Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Moz and Simplecast actually diverge.
| Attribute | Moz | Simplecast |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $15/month |
| Pricing model | Per month by usage limits | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Category | Marketing | Podcasting |
| Founded | 2004 | 2014 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Simplecast
- Unlimited hosting
- Analytics
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Distribution
- Team collaboration
- API access
- All podcast platforms
- Advertising networks
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Moz
- SEO auditsnot Simplecast
- Keyword researchnot Simplecast
- Link buildingnot Simplecast
- Local SEOnot Simplecast
- Competitive analysisnot Simplecast
Simplecast
- Hosting podcasts with per-episode analytics and audience metricsnot Moz
- Distributing shows to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directoriesnot Moz
- Monetising podcasts through dynamic ad insertion at the Professional tiernot 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.
Simplecast
- Basic plan at $15 per month includes only 20,000 monthly downloads and 2 team seats
- Essential plan at $35 per month includes 50,000 monthly downloads and 4 team seats
- Dynamic ad insertion and campaign management are only on the Professional plan, which is quoted by sales with no published rate
- API access for publishing and campaign management is Enterprise only
- Annual prepayment is required to get the 10 percent discount
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
Simplecast
$15/month- Basic$15/month
- Annual option: $13.50/month when prepaid
- 2 team seats
- Unlimited storage
- Essential$35/month
- Annual option: $31.50/month when prepaid
- 4 team seats
- Everything in Basic plus additional web players
- Professional$null/custom
- Contact sales for custom pricing
- Dynamic ad insertion
- Campaign management
- Enterprise$null/custom
- Contact sales for custom features
- Everything in Professional plus API integration
- White-labeled RSS
Which should you pick?
Choose Moz if
- You need keyword explorer.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want link explorer.
Questions people ask
- Is Moz or Simplecast better?
- Neither clearly leads. Moz starts at Free and Simplecast at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Moz or Simplecast?
- Moz has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Moz and $15/month for Simplecast.
- Does Moz or Simplecast run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Moz for free?
- Yes. Moz has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Simplecast starts at $15/month.
- 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 Simplecast is typically brought in for.
- What can Moz do that Simplecast cannot?
- Moz covers Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, Site Crawl, Rank Tracking. Simplecast covers Unlimited hosting, Analytics, Dynamic ad insertion, Distribution. Both handle Web support.
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.
Simplecast: How much does Simplecast cost?
Simplecast offers a 14-day free trial (no credit card required) followed by paid plans starting at $15/month for Basic ($13.50/month annual) and $35/month for Essential ($31.50/month annual). Professional and Enterprise plans require contacting sales for custom pricing.
SourceMoz: 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.
Simplecast: Can I change my Simplecast plan anytime?
Yes. Plan changes are allowed anytime with prorated adjustments. You can cancel anytime with no long-term contracts or penalties.
SourceMoz: 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.
Simplecast: What is included in the Basic plan?
The Basic plan ($15/month or $13.50/month annually) includes 2 team seats, unlimited storage, distribution to all platforms, basic analytics, custom domain website, and 20,000 downloads per month.
SourceMoz: 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.
Simplecast: What makes the Essential plan different from Basic?
The Essential plan ($35/month or $31.50/month annually) adds 2 more team seats (4 total), comparative analytics, location analytics, unique listener reports, and increases the monthly download allowance to 50,000.
SourceMoz: 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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