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SEO · head to head

SpyFu vs Yoast SEO

SpyFu logo

SpyFu

SEO

Competitor keyword research tool for SEO and PPC campaigns

From
$29/month
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: SpyFu entry-level Basic plan caps search results and data exports at 10,000 rows, limiting deep research.; 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: SpyFu covers Competitor Keyword Research, 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 SpyFu and Yoast SEO actually diverge.

Attributes where SpyFu and Yoast SEO differ
AttributeSpyFuYoast SEO
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFreemium, per site per year
Free tierNoYes
Platformsweb, apiWeb
Founded2005Unknown

Identical on both: 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 SpyFu

  • Competitor Keyword Research
  • Ad History
  • Rank Tracking
  • Backlink Analysis
  • RivalFlow AI
  • Automated Reporting
  • 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.

SpyFu

  • Researching a competitor's paid search strategynot Yoast SEO
  • Finding organic keyword gapsnot Yoast SEO
  • Tracking weekly keyword rank changesnot Yoast SEO
  • Building white-label SEO/PPC reports for clientsnot Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO

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

Where each one falls short

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

SpyFu

  • Entry-level Basic plan caps search results and data exports at 10,000 rows, limiting deep research.
  • API access is only available on the top Team/Agency tier, unlike some competitors that offer it at lower price points.
  • Additional user seats cost an extra $30 per user per month even on paid plans.
  • Weekly rank tracking refresh is less frequent than some competitors offering daily updates.

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

SpyFu

$29/month
  • Basic$29/month
    • 10k row search results and data exports
    • 5,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings
    • 10 automated reports
  • Pro + AI$89/month
    • Unlimited search results and data exports
    • 15,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings
    • 100 automated reports
  • Team/Agency$187/month
    • Unlimited data exports and reports
    • 50,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings
    • RivalFlow AI (5 sites)

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 SpyFu if

  • You need competitor keyword research.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want ad history.
SpyFu 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 SpyFu or Yoast SEO better?
Neither clearly leads. SpyFu starts at $29/month and Yoast SEO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SpyFu or Yoast SEO?
Yoast SEO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for SpyFu and Free for Yoast SEO.
Does SpyFu or Yoast SEO run on more platforms?
SpyFu runs on web, api. Yoast SEO runs on Web.
Can I use Yoast SEO for free?
Yes. Yoast SEO has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SpyFu starts at $29/month.
What is SpyFu best used for?
SpyFu is most often used for researching a competitor's paid search strategy, finding organic keyword gaps, tracking weekly keyword rank changes, building white-label seo/ppc reports for clients. Of those, researching a competitor's paid search strategy and finding organic keyword gaps are not what Yoast SEO is typically brought in for.
What can SpyFu do that Yoast SEO cannot?
SpyFu covers Competitor Keyword Research, Ad History, Rank Tracking, Backlink Analysis. Yoast SEO covers Readability and SEO analysis, Redirect manager, Multi-keyphrase optimisation, Bundled add-ons.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SpyFu: What does SpyFu cost?

SpyFu has three plans: Basic at $29/month (billed annually) or $39/month, Pro + AI starting around $89/month annually (or $59 for the first month, then $119/month), and Team/Agency at $187/month annually or $249/month.

Source
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.

SpyFu: What's included in the Basic plan?

Basic includes 10,000-row search results and data exports, 1 Live Site tracking project, 5,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings, 10 automated reports, and 1 user seat.

Source
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.

SpyFu: What extra do Pro + AI and Team/Agency add?

Pro + AI adds unlimited search results and exports, 10 tracking projects, 10+ years of historical data, 15,000 weekly rank checks, and 100 reports. Team/Agency adds unlimited projects and reports, 50,000 weekly rank checks, and 5 user seats.

Source
Yoast SEO: Can one Premium licence cover multiple sites?

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

SpyFu: Do all plans include AI features?

Yes, all plans include the RivalFlow AI tool, ChatGPT integration, AI Brand Monitoring, Google Ads campaign tools, Google Search Console integration, white-label reporting, and API access, though limits vary by tier.

Source
SpyFu: Is extra usage or extra users available beyond the base seats?

Yes, additional user seats can be added to Pro + AI and Team/Agency plans for $30 per additional user beyond the included seat count.

Source
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