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Google Search Console vs OnCrawl

Google Search Console logo

Google Search Console

SEO

Google's free tool for monitoring how a site appears in Search

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OnCrawl logo

OnCrawl

SEO

Technical SEO crawler that joins crawl data with server log files

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Search Console has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Search Console query data below a low, undisclosed volume threshold is anonymised and dropped from reports, so genuine long-tail performance is invisible.; OnCrawl no pricing is published anywhere on the site, so early-stage comparison against Botify or Lumar requires getting quotes from all three before any evaluation can start.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Search Console covers Performance reports, OnCrawl covers Log file analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Search Console and OnCrawl actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Search Console and OnCrawl differ
AttributeGoogle Search ConsoleOnCrawl
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Google Search Console

  • Performance reports
  • Index coverage
  • URL inspection
  • Core Web Vitals report
  • Sitemap and manual actions
  • Search Console API

Only in OnCrawl

  • Log file analysis
  • Crawl and log cross-analysis
  • Structured data and Core Web Vitals checks
  • Data Explorer
  • Google Search Console integration
  • API access

What people use each for

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

Google Search Console

  • Any site owner confirming what Google actually indexed versus what a crawler assumes it indexednot OnCrawl
  • A team diagnosing a traffic drop by checking for manual actions or a spike in crawl errors firstnot OnCrawl
  • An SEO analyst exporting query-level click data via the API to blend with a paid rank tracker's historynot OnCrawl
  • A developer validating that structured data and mobile rendering match what Googlebot seesnot OnCrawl

OnCrawl

  • A large publisher or marketplace diagnosing wasted crawl budget on parameterised or low-value URLsnot Google Search Console
  • A technical SEO team that needs server log data joined to crawl data, not just a crawl report on its ownnot Google Search Console
  • An enterprise site comparing crawl-plus-log platforms against Botify or Lumar before committing to a multi-year contractnot Google Search Console
  • A team wanting custom segmentation of crawl and log data without writing SQL against a raw exportnot Google Search Console

Where each one falls short

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

Google Search Console

  • Query data below a low, undisclosed volume threshold is anonymised and dropped from reports, so genuine long-tail performance is invisible.
  • Performance history is capped at 16 months, so year-over-year comparison beyond that window requires a third-party tool that has been logging the data independently for longer.
  • It only reports Google Search; it has no visibility into Bing, other search engines, or the AI answer engines increasingly sending referral traffic.
  • The interface aggregates by property, and comparing multiple properties or clients side by side means exporting and reassembling data yourself.
  • Position and CTR figures are averages across ranking positions and personalisation, so they do not match what any single search or rank tracker snapshot shows for a specific query.

OnCrawl

  • No pricing is published anywhere on the site, so early-stage comparison against Botify or Lumar requires getting quotes from all three before any evaluation can start.
  • Log file analysis requires the customer to actually supply raw server logs, which many marketing teams cannot get from their infrastructure team without a separate internal project.
  • It is a smaller company than Botify, so enterprise buyers evaluating vendor stability and roadmap longevity weigh that against the lower likely price.
  • The interface and terminology assume a working knowledge of crawl budget and log analysis concepts, so it is a poor fit for a generalist marketer without technical SEO background.
  • Data retention periods are tied to plan tier, so historical trend analysis beyond the contracted retention window is not available without upgrading before the data would otherwise be purged.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Search Console

Free
  • Google Search ConsoleFree
    • Unlimited verified properties per account
    • 16 months of performance history
    • Index coverage, sitemaps and Core Web Vitals reporting

OnCrawl

On request
  • OnCrawl$undefined/month
    • Priced by monthly crawl volume, log line volume and data retention
    • Small-site, mid-market and enterprise tiers, all quote-based
    • Free trial available on request

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Search Console if

  • You need performance reports.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want index coverage.
Google Search Console review

Choose OnCrawl if

  • You need log file analysis.
  • You also want crawl and log cross-analysis.
OnCrawl review

Questions people ask

Is Google Search Console or OnCrawl better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Search Console starts at Free and OnCrawl at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Search Console or OnCrawl?
Google Search Console has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Search Console and On request for OnCrawl.
Does Google Search Console or OnCrawl run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Google Search Console for free?
Yes. Google Search Console has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OnCrawl starts at On request.
What is Google Search Console best used for?
Google Search Console is most often used for any site owner confirming what google actually indexed versus what a crawler assumes it indexed, a team diagnosing a traffic drop by checking for manual actions or a spike in crawl errors first, an seo analyst exporting query-level click data via the api to blend with a paid rank tracker's history, a developer validating that structured data and mobile rendering match what googlebot sees. Of those, any site owner confirming what google actually indexed versus what a crawler assumes it indexed and a team diagnosing a traffic drop by checking for manual actions or a spike in crawl errors first are not what OnCrawl is typically brought in for.
What can Google Search Console do that OnCrawl cannot?
Google Search Console covers Performance reports, Index coverage, URL inspection, Core Web Vitals report. OnCrawl covers Log file analysis, Crawl and log cross-analysis, Structured data and Core Web Vitals checks, Data Explorer.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Search Console: Do I need to pay for Search Console?

No. It has never had a paid tier and Google has given no indication of introducing one.

OnCrawl: Do I need to provide my own server logs?

Yes, log file analysis is only available if you can export raw access logs from your web server or CDN; without them OnCrawl functions as a crawler only.

Google Search Console: Why does it show different keyword rankings than my rank tracker?

GSC reports averaged position across many searches, devices and locations over the reporting period; a rank tracker takes a single snapshot from a defined location, so the two numbers measure different things.

OnCrawl: How much does OnCrawl cost?

It is not published. Pricing is quoted based on crawl volume, log volume and retention period; get a quote before comparing it to Botify or Lumar.

Google Search Console: Can I use it instead of a rank tracker?

For your own site's actual click and impression data, yes; for daily position tracking, historical trend charts beyond 16 months, or any visibility into competitors, no.

OnCrawl: Is this suitable for a small business site?

Generally not economically; the log analysis capability that justifies the cost only pays off once a site is large enough that Google is not crawling every page anyway.

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