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SEO · head to head

OnCrawl vs Yoast SEO

OnCrawl logo

OnCrawl

SEO

Technical SEO crawler that joins crawl data with server log files

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yoast SEO logo

Yoast SEO

SEO

The longest-established WordPress SEO plugin, free core with a flat-rate Premium tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Yoast SEO has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Yoast SEO premium is licensed per site, so an agency or publisher managing many WordPress installs pays linearly per site with no volume discount tier published, unlike Rank Math's site-count-bundled plans.
  • They diverge on capability: OnCrawl covers Log file analysis, Yoast SEO covers Readability and SEO analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OnCrawl and Yoast SEO actually diverge.

Attributes where OnCrawl and Yoast SEO differ
AttributeOnCrawlYoast SEO
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteFreemium, per site per year
Free tierNoYes

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 OnCrawl

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

Only in Yoast SEO

  • Readability and SEO analysis
  • Redirect manager
  • Multi-keyphrase optimisation
  • Bundled add-ons
  • AI-assisted metadata
  • Google Docs add-on

What people use each for

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

OnCrawl

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

Yoast SEO

  • A WordPress site owner who wants a predictable flat annual price with no renewal surprise, unlike some competitor pricing patternsnot OnCrawl
  • A multi-site publisher needing Local, Video and News SEO functionality bundled rather than bought as three separate add-onsnot OnCrawl
  • A small blog that can run indefinitely on the free tier without hitting a feature wall that forces an upgradenot OnCrawl
  • A content team wanting AI-assisted bulk metadata generation to clear a backlog of missing titles and descriptionsnot OnCrawl

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Yoast SEO

  • Premium is licensed per site, so an agency or publisher managing many WordPress installs pays linearly per site with no volume discount tier published, unlike Rank Math's site-count-bundled plans.
  • The free tier's schema output is more basic than Rank Math's free tier, which ships more predefined schema types at no cost.
  • There is no rank tracking feature at all, free or paid, so any team wanting to monitor rankings needs an entirely separate tool regardless of Yoast tier.
  • Some previously free features have migrated behind Premium over successive releases, so long-time users have seen the free-to-paid boundary move against them.
  • The AI-assisted content and metadata features are newer additions and reviewers note they are less mature than dedicated AI content tools such as Surfer SEO or Frase.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Yoast SEO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • SEO and readability analysis
    • XML sitemaps and basic schema output
    • Google Search Console integration
  • Premium$118.8/year
    • Flat rate with no renewal price increase, per site
    • Redirect manager and multi-keyphrase optimisation
    • Local, Video and News SEO plugins included

Which should you pick?

Choose OnCrawl if

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

Choose Yoast SEO if

  • You need readability and seo analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want redirect manager.
Yoast SEO review

Questions people ask

Is OnCrawl or Yoast SEO better?
Neither clearly leads. OnCrawl starts at On request and Yoast SEO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OnCrawl or Yoast SEO?
Yoast SEO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for OnCrawl and Free for Yoast SEO.
Does OnCrawl or Yoast SEO run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Yoast SEO for free?
Yes. Yoast SEO has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OnCrawl starts at On request.
What is OnCrawl best used for?
OnCrawl is most often used for a large publisher or marketplace diagnosing wasted crawl budget on parameterised or low-value urls, a technical seo team that needs server log data joined to crawl data, not just a crawl report on its own, an enterprise site comparing crawl-plus-log platforms against botify or lumar before committing to a multi-year contract, a team wanting custom segmentation of crawl and log data without writing sql against a raw export. Of those, a large publisher or marketplace diagnosing wasted crawl budget on parameterised or low-value urls and a technical seo team that needs server log data joined to crawl data, not just a crawl report on its own are not what Yoast SEO is typically brought in for.
What can OnCrawl do that Yoast SEO cannot?
OnCrawl covers Log file analysis, Crawl and log cross-analysis, Structured data and Core Web Vitals checks, Data Explorer. Yoast SEO covers Readability and SEO analysis, Redirect manager, Multi-keyphrase optimisation, Bundled add-ons.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Yoast SEO: Does the price go up after the first year?

No. Yoast charges the same flat 118.80 US dollars a year per site every year, unlike some competitors that discount the first year and raise the renewal price.

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.

Yoast SEO: Is the free version usable long-term, or is it a trial?

It is a genuinely usable free tier; many small sites run on it indefinitely without ever needing Premium.

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.

Yoast SEO: Can one Premium licence cover multiple sites?

No. Premium is licensed per site; multiple sites each need their own licence.

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