Best SEO tools for founders
Get found before you get funded. All 6 compared on what they actually cost, read from each vendor's own pricing page on 28 August 2026. 3 have a real free tier.
Ahrefs
Free, then $29/moThe deepest backlink and keyword data anyone sells, and the one tool here we earn nothing on.
If you only look at three
The rest of the seo table is worth reading, but these are the three most founders should be choosing between.
- 1
Keywords EverywhereFrom $7/mo$7, and it covers most of what somebody launching actually needs. Start here rather than at the serious end.
- 2
AhrefsFree, then $29/mo · our pickOur pick at $29 and the deepest data anyone sells. Also the only pick on this site we earn nothing on.
- 3
LowFruitsFree, then $20.75/moBuilt specifically for finding terms you can still rank for without authority, which is the problem a new site actually has.
More specific questions
The short version
Five tools, and it is a narrower category than it was: the ones that write the article for you moved to AI Writing, because a tool that tells you what to write and a tool that writes it are not alternatives and pricing them in one column was misleading. What is left does research. Ahrefs at $29 is our pick and the serious answer, with the deepest backlink index anyone sells, accurate rank tracking and site audits. It is also the only pick on this site we earn nothing on, which is worth stating plainly. Semrush at $117 does more and costs four times as much, and almost no founder needs the difference. Keywords Everywhere at $7 is the cheap lane and covers most of what somebody launching actually needs, and LowFruits is built specifically for finding terms you can still rank for without authority. Only Ahrefs has any free access. Nothing here ranks a site that has nothing worth ranking.
Head to head
Compare all 6
| Tool | From | Rating | Free to try | Keyword research | AI content | Rank tracking | Backlinks | Site audit | Free tier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AhrefsOUR PICK | $29/mo | Not rated | Yes | Yes, deep | No | Yes | Industry-leading | Yes | Limited free access | Visit |
| $7/mo | Not rated | No | Volume + CPC data | No | No | Basic count | No | No | Visit | |
| $20.75/mo | Not rated | Yes | Low-competition focus | No | Yes, basic | No | No | 3 searches/week | Visit | |
| $49/mo | Not rated | No | Yes | AI writing assist | AI prompt tracking | No | Content audit only | No | Visit | |
| $117.33/mo | Not rated | No | Yes, extensive | AI Search tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Trial only | Visit | |
| $39/mo | Not rated | Yes | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Visit |
Prices are the cheapest paid plan, annual rate where published. A price band counts a free tool as zero, and leaves out anything whose price is not published, because we cannot say an unknown price fits a budget.
All 6 seo tools
SEO
The backlink and rank tracking heavyweight
Best for teams needing deep backlink data
SEO
Search volume data inside your browser
Best for quick keyword checks while browsing
SEO
Finds low-competition long-tail keywords
Best for niche sites hunting easy keywords
SEO
Content editor that scores on-page SEO
Best for optimizing articles before publishing
SEO
All-in-one marketing and SEO platform
Best for teams wanting one big marketing suite
SEO
AI agents that rank you on Google and get you cited by AI search