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3 Top-Rated Free SEO Software

Saumya Srivastava profile picture
By Saumya Srivastava

Published | Updated on
7 min read
Are you looking for a tool to improve your SERP rank, boost traffic, and analyze competition? Search engine optimization (SEO) software finds high search volume keywords to optimize your website. Plus, you can strengthen your SEO strategy by improving site structure, monitoring reviews, adding content, and much more to stay ahead of your competition.

If you're just starting out as an SEO manager, you can evaluate free SEO software plans that let you explore the software functionalities first without the commitment of purchasing the product.

This article highlights, in alphabetical order, three top-rated free SEO software products based on verified software reviews. We categorized these products into: Google reviews manager to monitor customer reviews and website optimizer to manage keywords, search engine (SE) rankings, backlinks, and other technical SEO parameters. Read more.

1. LOCALBOSS

LOCALBOSS is a Google reviews manager that tracks and monitors reviews on your Google business profile. It features a mobile application that lets you reply to reviews using pre-defined text and emoticons. Plus, it sends Google alerts via push notifications and email when your business’s rating increases, decreases, or a new review is added. 

The free LOCALBOSS version gives access to unlimited reviews for a single business location. You can also use the premium features of the software in the free plan. Upgrading to a paid plan will let you track and manage reviews for 25+ business locations.

Free features:

  • Review insights: Calculate the number of reviews required to increase the rating, assess the positive and negative reviews, and access other insights related to the business's online presence and review trends. 

  • Link share: Invite customers via QR code, text message, email, or social media sharing to share their reviews and rate your business.  

  • Social sharing: Share your best business reviews on social media via a link or direct posting.

Customer support options: Chat, blog, call, email, online ticket.

Who should consider LOCALBOSS?

If you are looking for a mobile application to track customer reviews on your Google business profile on the go, consider LOCALBOSS. The tool assists with managing and optimizing your star rating on Google by managing customer reviews. You can reply to customer reviews, add or edit business descriptions, access review trends and insights, and much more using your smartphone or tablet.

Best fuctionality

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Trial
  • Free Version

Cost to upgrade

$6 per month

Device compatibility

* Analysis accurate as of June 2023

/ Pro tip

Evaluate an SEO tool for tracking multiple websites or online business profiles. Most free SEO tools limit the number of online assets you can track, which varies for different software. You need to find one that matches your business's current requirements and scope of expansion.

2. Seobase

Seobase is a website optimizer that offers a SERP checker, giving you an accurate ranking difficulty score and a detailed SEO report for the top 10 SE results. You can use its keyword research tool to boost your ranking by analyzing and optimizing high search volume keywords in the website content and meta description. Seobase lets you create detailed reports on your SE ranking for specific keywords, rank changes over time, and new keywords you've started ranking for. Additionally, the tool lets you identify SEO issues in your website, including page load time, redirects, incorrect keywords, and more.

The free version of Seobase allows you to track a single website with up to 10 keywords. You can perform up to 30 SERP checks in 24 hours. Additionally, the free plan lets you research up to five new keywords with 25 results and perform three site audits. Upgrading to a paid plan increases the website tracking limit to 300 with up to 3,000 keywords. You can also increase the SERP checks to 1,200 every 24 hours, look up 700 new keywords, and perform 50 site audits.

Free features:

  • SEO metrics dashboard: Access site performance details, including SERP checks, keyword analysis, ranks, etc., using a single customizable dashboard. You can generate reports with custom metrics and data visualization tools such as charts and graphs. 

  • Keyword explorer: Perform new keyword research and track those used on your website. You get access to detailed reports related to keyword performance, including the effect on search results, competition, PPC, and other metrics. 
  • Track backlinks: Access all the existing backlinks in one place along with their performance over time, new additions and deletions, and missed opportunities based on your competition.

Customer support options: Chat, blogs, and online tickets.

Who should consider Seobase?

You should consider Seobase if you are looking for detailed SERP analysis of your website, including crawlability, keywords, and ranking. You can prepare daily, weekly, and monthly reports of the SEO results for your targeted keywords and track ranks in real time. This helps analyze your site performance to optimize your SEO strategy and boost the ranking.

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Trial
  • Free Version

Cost to upgrade

$16 per month

Device compatibility

* Analysis accurate as of June 2023

3. SEO PowerSuite

SEO PowerSuite is a website optimizer. It offers a set of four tools—Rank Tracker for keyword research, SERP rank tracking, and competition analysis; Website Auditor for crawling and optimizing site structure and optimizing on-page SEO; SEO SpyGlass for backlink analysis and discovery; and LinkAssistant for link building and campaign outreach. In addition, you can use the tool for website content analysis, mobile SEO optimization, and social media analysis. 

The free version of SEO PowerSuite allows access to all four tools. You can explore unlimited keywords, crawl and audit up to 500 URLs, and track up to 1,100 backlinks. Upgrading to a paid plan offers unlimited access to all the above features, automated SEO tasks, dedicated query processing systems, and more.

Free features:

  • Traffic and PPC insights: Track visits through any keyword, including bounce rate, total visits, and organic visits. You can also evaluate the return on investment for your PPC ads, including cost per click, estimated monthly costs, and expected clicks. 

  • Page speed tracker: Track and analyze the page load time including, images, videos, embed links, and other elements to enhance user experience.

  • Site structure visualizer: Use a visual sitemap to analyze the site structure (sequences and hierarchies) for web pages, interlinking, webpages, and more.  

Customer support options: FAQs, chat, blog, how-to guides, and training. 

Who should consider SEO PowerSuite?

SEO PowerSuite is for someone looking for technical SEO optimization, including URLs, page speed, site structure, duplicate content, broken pages, redirects, and more. However, beginners with little to no technical SEO knowledge can use the software after learning the process through training provided by the software vendor.

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Trial
  • Free Version

Cost to upgrade

$25 per month

Device compatibility

* Analysis accurate as of June 2023

/ Pro tip

Assess the technical SEO capabilities of the software to map it with the current skill sets of your team. For example, free SEO software ranges from basic review and rank tracking to high-level optimization of site code, content, URL, and more.

Narrow your search for SEO Companies with our list of companies in the following areas:

What is the cost to upgrade from free SEO software to a paid one?

Upgrading to a paid SEO tool can cost as low as $5 per month, or increase to $450+ per month, depending on various factors—features, number of businesses managed, data export, type of SEO, and more. Most SEO software typically includes the following subscription plans:

  • Free trial: No-cost trial plans ranging from 14 to 30 days, giving users access to all or limited software features.

  • Free version: Free software plans offer basic features and limited premium feature access; ideal for small businesses or individuals with a limited budget.

  • Entry-level: Ranges between $5 to $120 per month and offers limited features; a good option for small businesses or teams with basic features such as site audits, keyword tracking, link building, sitemaps, and more

  • Mid-tier: Ranges between $12 to $230 per month with features such as content marketing, broken link tracking, HTTP authentication, and other advanced SEO features.

  • High-end: Ranges between $30 to $450 per month and offers unlimited access to entry and mid-level features.

Hidden costs associated with SEO software

In addition to the software license itself, there may be added costs associated with SEO software, including premium features, exporting data, training, integration, and upgrades, which small businesses should budget for when considering a new tool.

Frequently asked questions when selecting free SEO software 

Ask the below questions to the software support team to select the best SEO tool for your business.

Does the tool optimize mobile websites?

As most of the audience is browsing on mobile devices, it is essential to optimize your website for mobile screens. You need to learn about the optimization capabilities of the SEO platforms for mobile devices (mostly tablets and smartphones). This includes page load time, content, images, videos, and all other elements.

Does the tool measure business performance?

Besides the keyword searches and SERP ranks, your SEO tool should allow you to measure the returns on investment for your SEO campaigns. This includes your monthly or annual growth rate, the total amount spent, and forecast on future requirements.

Is there a user limit on free plans?

Most free plans limit the number of users allowed to access the software. This starts from a single user and can be customized with an upgrade or extra fee. You need to explore and find a free tool that matches your SEO team size before subscribing.


Methodology

We selected the three products with the highest ratings to feature in this article. To be considered for this list, products must:

  • Have at least 20 unique product reviews published on Capterra within the past two years, with an average rating of 3.0 or higher (as of June 15, 2023). 

  • Offer a free, stand-alone version of the software (not a trial version of the software where you must purchase the product after a limited amount of time).

  • Meet our SEO software market definition: "SEO software helps companies manage their search engine optimization with backlink and rank tracking, keyword research, social analytics, and website auditing tools."

The "best functionality" tool is identified based on the highest user ratings for functionality that a vendor receives based on user reviews as of June 15, 2023.

The "most affordable" tool is identified based on the lowest pricing a vendor offered on their website in terms of cost to upgrade as of June 15, 2023.

Read more about our editorial independence.

Product research for this article was contributed by Akriti Sharma.

Products evaluated for the pricing calculation were taken from Capterra's SEO software directory. The pricing ranges exclude freemium versions of the products. The features highlighted were identified based on their relevance and the percentage of products in the Capterra directory that offer them. Only products with publicly available pricing information, as of June 15, 2023, were considered for pricing calculation.


Looking for Web Analytics software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Web Analytics software solutions.

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About the Author

Saumya Srivastava profile picture

Saumya Srivastava is a writer at Capterra. She provides expert insights and helps small businesses identify the right software for their needs by conducting primary and secondary research and analyzing user sentiment. A postgraduate in mass communication, she has worked as a content creator for an educational website and an advertising agency. Her expertise lies in social media marketing and content strategy. When not working, she can be found meditating or spending time outdoors.

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