5 Best SE Ranking Alternatives of 2024【That doesn't suck!】

Discover how SE Ranking alternatives can offer specialized tools to meet your unique SEO needs. Compare features, benefits, and pricing.

Written by
Oskar Mortensen
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April 24, 2024

SE Ranking offers a free trial and a base package at $55 a month spanning to a business plan at $570 a month if you choose the maximum daily keyword tracking of 15,000. Both plans include basic SEO tracking tools, research tools, website audits, SEO reporting and a backlink checker.

These tools are the only included tools in all of the packages, where the different packages give the user more options when it comes to integrations and minor quality-of-life additions to the tool, like data history and an API key.

Additionally to these tools they also sell extra tools that you can add to your SE Ranking platform, like a content editor and a local SEO tool.

There are however multiple alternatives to the tools SE Ranking offer that can handle each of a the objectives that you seek in a more specialized way, which is what this article is going to cover.

What are the best SE Ranking alternatives?

These are the SE Ranking alternatives that you should consider:

  1. SEO.AI
  2. Google Search Console
  3. Ahrefs
  4. SEOptimer
  5. Morningscore

Why you might need an alternative to SE Ranking

While SE Ranking offers a wide variety of tools on an easy-to-use and visually appealing platform, there are certain pitfalls associated with having an all-in-one tool.

In a world where SEO tools are constantly evolving and integrating new technology in highly complex ways, it is very difficult for all-in-one tools to keep up with the more specialized tools that aim to excel in a very specific area, rather than trying to offer everything to everyone simultaneously.

SE Rankings content editor featuring an AI writer

This might leave you satisfied with one aspect of the tool; SE Ranking, in particular, excels in its primary functions, such as monitoring your keywords' rankings in search engines.

Tip: We also offer a free SEO ranking tool that allows you to check domains performance on any given keyword.

The content editor may have fallen short of expectations, particularly if you were anticipating more advanced AI enhancements that are now standard in the industry. It appears that the editor wasn't initially designed with AI capabilities at its core but was instead retrofitted to include AI features, which may not fulfill all user requirements.

How i selected the best SE Ranking alternatives

The list of top SE Ranking alternatives is compiled from the expertise of our Danish SEO agency staff, my personal favorite tools, and recommendations from other sources.

These tools should each fulfill at least one of these 3 factors:

  • A) Excel at a specific SEO function
  • B) Offer a more affordable option than SE Ranking
  • C) Provide all the features of SE Ranking with added capabilities in the main product

The 5 best SE Ranking alternatives

Here are the SE Ranking competitors worth exploring:

1. SEO.AI for content driven SEO

SEO.AI offers a free trial, and premium plans start at only $49 per month.

While SE Ranking excels in content monitoring, it falls short in content creation. SEO.AI is the premier platform for creating and optimizing content, designed with AI integration from the outset. This enables not only the generation of full-length articles but also the fine-tuning of various sections to ensure your content is original and precise.

For this reason, SEO.AI is essential if you're starting with a monitoring tool, as monitoring is only effective if you've already mastered successful content writing.

Why use SEO.AI over SE Ranking for content?

SEO.AI provides a superior AI-generated content platform, featuring a user-friendly editor enhanced by advanced SEO scoring and built-in optimization tools. Unlike SE Ranking's content editor and AI writer, SEO.AI has been purpose-built to incorporate AI optimally, allowing you to generate full-length articles and adjust different aspects using the ChatGPT Integration.

What’s the difference between SEO.AI and SE Ranking?

The distinction between SEO.AI and SE Ranking highlights significant differences in usability.

SEO.AI shines with affordable, high-quality AI content and a streamlined editor:

SEO.AI helps you optimize content with its powerful AI SEO Editor

SEO.AI's editor surpasses SE Ranking in nearly every aspect. It is easier and quicker to use, with a more advanced SEO score based on competitor benchmarking, insights, and semantically rich keyword distribution, title competitiveness, and built-in AI optimization features. Additionally, SEO.AI includes a ChatGPT-powered chat and an AI inline feature within the editor, making writing enjoyable again. In contrast, SE Ranking has updated their editor to include AI, which means adding an AI tab with preset prompts and the capability to create full-length articles.

SEO.AI helps you plan your SEO content strategy

Keyword research shouldn't be a complex and time-consuming task with so many options that it becomes overwhelming to plan new content creation and existing content optimization.

SEO.AI offers an easy-to-use keyword research tool that simplifies content planning. For instance, our AI Research tool provides a quick brainstorm, making it easy to discover valuable content opportunities and add them to your "Planned Content" tab. Features like simple keyword tagging and team member options assist in creating clear lists of priorities.

SE Ranking includes cool features like their topic cluster tool and content planner, but compared to the alternative, SEO.AI, it can be challenging for the average user to navigate all its features, utilize them effectively, and act on the insights.

2. Google Search Console for rank tracking

Google Search Console is completely free.

Introduced in 2012, Google Search Console (GSC) limits data to 1,000 keywords and a data history of 16 months when accessed through the user interface. However, an alternative is to utilize the GSC API key, which allows up to 25,000 keywords, a quantity sufficient for most users.

Why choose Google Search Console over SE Ranking?

Choose Google Search Console over SE Ranking for its accurate rank tracking based on real user search data, comprehensive insights into the queries driving traffic to your site, and detailed metrics on search impressions and clicks for a true measure of your online visibility.

What’s the difference between Google Search Console and SE Ranking?

Google Search Console is free with domain monitoring, matches SE Ranking's base package features, but does not offer add-ons or upgrades.

Google Search Console's key features:

  • Real Searches: Tracks keyword rankings based on actual user searches, unlike data from scrapers like SE Ranking.
  • Query Insights: Analyzes search queries to reveal how your site ranks for specific keywords.
  • Visibility Metrics: Provides impressions and clicks data for keywords, offering a direct view of search performance.

3. Ahrefs for competitive/keyword research

Ahrefs starts with a base package at $99 per month and the recommended package at $199 per month.

Launched in 2011, Ahrefs is one of the oldest SEO tools available and remains one of the most popular. While Ahrefs may lack in reporting tools, it compensates with its research capabilities and data accuracy.

Why choose Ahrefs over SE Ranking?

Ahrefs as an alternative outperforms SE Ranking with a comprehensive suite of research tools, including the content gap tool. This feature offers valuable insights by enabling you to track specific keywords and competitors, revealing which SERP features they dominate.

What’s the difference between Ahrefs and SE Ranking?

Ahrefs stands out from SE Ranking with its in-depth competitor analysis tools, content gap feature for identifying keyword opportunities, and advanced keyword research capabilities.

  • In-depth Competitor Analysis: Ahrefs provides comprehensive tools for analyzing competitors' strategies and performance.
  • Content Gap Tool: Identifies keyword opportunities by comparing your content with that of your competitors.
  • Advanced Keyword Research: Offers extensive keyword research capabilities to uncover valuable search terms in your industry.

4. SEOptimer for SEO audits

Launched in 2012, SEOptimer is available at a low price point, even though it's a straightforward tool. The base package is just $19 per month, while the middle package, which includes reporting tools for external clients, is $29 per month.

SEOptimer is a simple yet very useful tool that offers a reporting feature that is easy to use and allows you to customize your reports. This includes both the data included and the ability to add your own visual flair to the reports.

Why choose SEOptimer over SE Ranking?

SEOptimer also includes similar tools to those found in SE Ranking, allowing you to track keywords, backlinks, and more. The only feature it lacks from SE Ranking's base package is a tool for competitive research. However, considering the price, it offers more than enough to be an alternative.

What’s the difference between SEOptimer and SE Ranking?

The differences between SEOptimer and SE Ranking include SEOptimer's focus on comprehensive SEO audits, customizable reporting options, a user-friendly interface for easy navigation, and the provision of over 50 free tools accessible to anyone.

  • Comprehensive SEO Audits: SEOptimer specializes in detailed SEO audits, providing actionable insights for website optimization.
  • Customizable Reporting: Offers the ability to personalize SEO reports, tailoring them to specific needs and branding.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Designed with simplicity in mind, SEOptimer's interface facilitates easy navigation and understanding of SEO data.
  • Free tools: SEOptimer also offers over 50 free tools that are available to anyone.

5. Morningscore for monitoring with an extended user base

Morningscore, launched in 2018, has evolved into an exceptional monitoring tool with an intuitive and user-friendly interface that simplifies SEO for users who may find the complex insights from other tools daunting.

Morningscore's pricing begins at $49 for the base package, $69 for the business package, $129 for the pro package, and $249 for the premium package.

Why choose Morningscore over SE Ranking?

Morningscore is priced similarly to SE Ranking but offers a different set of features: it supports fewer tracked keywords yet allows more users per account. The suitability of this trade-off depends on your team's structure. At the entry-level, the differences are more noticeable, but at the pro level—with Morningscore at $129 and SE Ranking at $109—both track up to 2,000 keywords. Morningscore, however, accommodates 10 users per account, in contrast to SE Ranking's limit of 3, making it an alternative you should consider.

What’s the difference between Morningscore and SE Ranking?

Morningscore differs from SE Ranking by offering more user access per account, which enhances team collaboration, providing specialized monitoring tools for SEO performance, and featuring a user-centric design that prioritizes ease of use and clarity in its interface.

  • Extended User Access: Morningscore allows for more users per account, facilitating team collaboration and access.
  • Specialized Monitoring Tools: Offers a suite of monitoring tools tailored for tracking and improving SEO performance.
  • User-Centric Design: Morningscore's platform is designed with the end-user in mind, emphasizing ease of use and a clear interface for monitoring SEO metrics.

5 Best SE Ranking Alternatives of 2024【That doesn't suck!】

This is an article written by:

Oskar is highly driven and dedicated to his editorial SEO role. With a passion for AI and SEO, he excels in creating and optimizing content for top rankings, ensuring content excellence at SEO.AI.