Screaming Frog vs. Moz is a common comparison for marketers evaluating the best SEO toolkit. Screaming Frog excels in technical SEO. Moz delivers a broader toolkit. However, neither platform supports the full SEO workflow in one place.
In this comparison, we explore how Screaming Frog and Moz handle reporting, AI-driven SEO, technical analysis, and pricing. You will see where both tools fall short and discover an alternative that connects every part of your SEO strategy with automation and a fully integrated platform. 🧠
What Is Screaming Frog?
Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a desktop-based SEO crawler that examines website architecture and surface-level technical elements. It evaluates JavaScript-rendered pages, tracks indexability signals, and collects on-page data points. The crawler connects with external SEO platforms like Google Analytics (GA4) for combined traffic and performance analysis.
What Are Screaming Frog Features?
Screaming Frog delivers a wide range of features to analyze websites and audit SEO performance. Key capabilities are listed below.
- SEO Spider. Analyze site architecture across all URL levels and access immediate crawl data for decision-making.
- Crawl Overview. Generate scheduled summary reports and detect performance shifts across different crawl periods.
- Redirect Auditing. Track and resolve redirect loops, chains, and outdated URL paths during optimization projects.
- Log File Analyser. Upload server log files, confirm search bot visits, and review crawler activity for indexation patterns.
- Metadata Analysis. Identify missing, repeated, or under-optimized metadata to improve title tags and meta descriptions.
What Is Screaming Frog Pricing?
Screaming Frog SEO Spider offers a free limited-feature version and a paid plan with volume discounts for multiple users.
- Free Version. Crawl up to 500 URLs with access to basic features.
- Paid Version. $259 for a yearly license – Unlimited* URL crawling and access to advanced features
What Is Moz?
Moz is a SEO platform that combines research, auditing, and link evaluation tools in one dashboard. The software supports rank monitoring, on-page diagnostics, and authority tracking for multiple domains. Moz organizes over 50 SEO features into a single interface for streamlined navigation. Users review keyword data, backlink profiles, and site health metrics from one central workspace.
What Are Moz Popular Features?
Moz emphasizes authority metrics and link analysis in its SEO toolset.
- Keyword Explorer. Identify search terms, analyze SERPs, and access over one billion keyword suggestions for content targeting.
- Link Explorer. Track backlinks, assess referring domains, and evaluate link authority for improved ranking strategies.
- Site Crawl. Detects technical SEO issues, which includes crawl errors, duplicate pages, and blocked resources with automated scans.
- Domain Authority Checker. Measure domain authority and compare ranking potential across different websites and competitors.
- Page Optimization. Uncover on-page improvement areas with guidance on metadata, keyword usage, and internal linking.
What Is Moz Pricing?
Moz offers tiered pricing plans with options for freelancers, small business, and large enterprises, with flexible feature access per plan.
- Starter Plan. $39/month, 1 user, 1 tracked site, 50 tracked keywords, 20K pages crawled.
- Standard Plan. $79/month, 1 user, 3 tracked sites, 300 tracked keywords, 400K pages crawled.
- Medium Plan. $143/month, 2 users, 10 tracked sites, 1,500 tracked keywords, 2M pages crawled.
- Large Plan: $239/month, 3 users, 25 tracked sites, 3,000 tracked keywords, 5M pages crawled.
Screaming Frog vs. Moz: Side-by-Side SEO Features Review
From site audits to reporting tools, see how Screaming Frog and Moz stack up in this side-by-side SEO features review. Use this comparison to decide which tool aligns better with your SEO priorities.
1. Site Crawling
Screaming Frog scans every part of a website, which includes pages built with JavaScript. The tool collects detailed SEO information like broken links and missing tags. Users control how deep the scan goes and pull extra data from GA4 and Google Search Console (GSC).
Moz Site Crawl automatically checks websites for common SEO problems like broken links, duplicate pages, and missing titles. The tool runs weekly scans, highlights the most urgent issues, and offers step-by-step recommendations to help users improve site structure.
The winner for site crawling is Screaming Frog.
Screaming Frog outperforms Moz by offering more advanced features, which includes full JavaScript rendering, real-time crawl control, and powerful data extraction.
2. Link Analysis
Screaming Frog crawls all website links and flags broken URLs with status codes like 404 or 500. The tool identifies underlinked pages, highlights crawl depth issues, and lets users adjust crawl speed, depth, and filters for targeted internal link audits.
Moz Link Explorer focuses on backlinks from other websites. It reports referring domains, anchor text, and spam scores. Users monitor link-building performance, research competitor backlinks, and check if inbound links lead to valid pages or now return errors.
The winner for link analysis is Screaming Frog.
Screaming Frog delivers stronger internal link analysis and gives users full control over crawl settings. Moz focuses mainly on external backlinks and misses key features like complete internal link visibility and live error detection during crawls.
3. Reporting Tools
Screaming Frog provides customizable export options for detailed SEO data. Users track crawl changes over time, integrate results with Looker Studio, and build time-series reports. The platform supports scheduled reporting, which helps users monitor technical SEO shifts and site health trends consistently.
Moz Pro offers ready-made SEO reports focused on rankings, backlinks, and site audits. Users customize layouts, export data in PDF or CSV, and track competitor metrics. The tool emphasizes visual clarity, which makes it useful for teams sharing results with clients or executives.
Both win in reporting, just on different fronts.
Screaming Frog excels in technical depth and raw data for SEO specialists. Moz shines with simple, polished reports ideal for clients and managers. Both tools meet different reporting needs, balancing detail with clarity depending on user goals.
4. AI SEO
Screaming Frog adds AI functions directly into its SEO Spider tool. Users create custom prompts, target specific URL segments, and connect to private AI providers like DeepSeek or Copilot. The setup supports flexible API endpoints and advanced control over AI query execution.
Moz integrates AI into both Keyword Explorer and Domain Overview. The platform applies machine learning to classify search intent and highlight domain strengths. Users analyze query patterns, identify ranking opportunities, and refine content strategies using AI-generated insights on audience behavior and search trends.
There is no winner for AI SEO.
There is no clear winner for AI SEO. Neither Screaming Frog nor Moz delivers advanced AI SEO automation. Both tools include useful features, but their AI capabilities remain limited compared to platforms with more innovative AI tools now entering the market.
5. Pricing
Screaming Frog offers a free plan with a 500-URL crawl limit, ideal for small projects. The paid version unlocks unlimited crawling, advanced features, and integrations. Users pay annually, with extra costs for high-volume use or additional licenses for larger teams.
Moz offers tiered plans covering basic to advanced SEO needs. Monthly fees increase as users require more keyword, link, or site crawl allowances. While entry plans suit small websites, access to deeper data or competitive analysis often requires upgrading to higher-cost packages.
There is no clear winner for pricing.
Neither Screaming Frog nor Moz stands out for affordability. Both tools become expensive at scale, especially when compared to more budget-friendly SEO platforms that cover essential tasks at lower rates.
Screaming Frog vs. Moz? Meet the All-in-One SEO Alternative
Screaming Frog and Moz neither offers a complete all-in-one solution. Search Atlas fills this gap by combining technical site audits, backlink analysis, and SEO reporting in a single platform.
Search Atlas Features
Search Atlas delivers a unified SEO platform with technical audits, keyword tracking, backlink analysis, and content creation in one place. Teams pull real-time data from GSC, GA4, Google Business Profile (GBP), and ad platforms to drive decisions.
OTTO SEO, the built-in AI assistant, automates citation building, local grid tracking, and on-page updates. It goes beyond recommendations by applying changes directly to websites.
Unlike Screaming Frog and Moz, Search Atlas includes all features without needing separate add-ons or upgrades for local tools. This integration aligns SEO, PPC, and local tasks within a single workflow, streamlining both execution and reporting.
OTTO Crawl Monitoring
OTTO Crawl Monitoring tracks how search engine bots interact with websites using direct server log analysis. The tool monitors crawler visits from Google, Bing, and other engines, showing which pages receive attention and how often they get crawled.
It detects crawl budget waste, flags gaps in crawl coverage, and identifies technical patterns affecting indexing. OTTO connects this crawl data with GSC metrics, which gives users a full view of how bot activity influences search visibility.
Technical SEO Tools
Search Atlas provides a cloud-based set of technical SEO tools designed for full site evaluation and ongoing performance monitoring. The Site Auditor scans for errors affecting indexing, speed, and internal linking.
The On-Page Audit evaluates individual pages against top competitors. It analyzes content structure, metadata, and core web vitals, then offers targeted recommendations for SEO improvements.
Issue Alerts notify users as soon as critical site problems appear. Each alert includes specific action steps, which helps teams respond quickly and prevent ranking losses.
Reporting Tools
Search Atlas includes reporting tools that track rankings, traffic, engagement, and visibility metrics without external dashboards. The Report Builder merges clicks, impressions, backlinks, and heatmaps into client-ready PDFs or shareable links.
It offers White-Label Reports, which allow customizable reports with branding options like logos, colors, and layouts. Optional site widgets display lead and service data for ongoing client engagement.
Link Building/Backlink Tools
Search Atlas offers a backlink analyzer that evaluates link quantity, authority, and relevance to your rankings. The tool compares your backlink profile with competitors, highlighting strategy gaps and link-building opportunities.
The Site Auditor identifies broken links, weak internal connections, and crawl flow issues that affect site performance. It provides clear instructions on what to fix and where to strengthen your internal linking structure.
Search Atlas includes Wildfire, a link-building system that delivers high-authority backlinks through a 2:1 exchange model. Users contribute two outbound links to earn one quality inbound link, which support scalable link acquisition.
Content Tools
Unlike Screaming Frog and Moz, which lack dedicated tools for content creation, Search Atlas offers a powerful suite built specifically to support and optimize your SEO content strategy.
The Content Planner tool that identifies keyword clusters and trend patterns, which helps teams organize topics for broader coverage. The Topical Map Generator visually arranges related themes, supporting stronger topical authority.
Content Genius is the writing assistant in Search Atlas. It generates outlines, suggests NLP terms, sets word counts, and creates SEO-optimized drafts complete with headings, internal links, and AI-generated images.
For quality control, SCHOLAR evaluates each page against ranking factors like clarity, accuracy, freshness, and intent alignment. It provides detailed scores with specific guidance on areas needing improvement for better visibility.
Search Atlas Pricing
Search Atlas provides advanced SEO tools with flexible pricing models. The platform suits teams planning to scale without facing steep cost increases. Each plan provides free OTTO SEO activation, which gives users access to automation and reporting tools from the start.
| Starter plan | Growth plan | Pro plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price: | $99 monthly | $199 monthly | $399 monthly |
| Free OTTO Activation | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| User Seats | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| GSC Projects | 5 | 15 | 100 |
| Keywords per Site | Top 10K | Top 100K | Top 1M |
| On-Page In-Depth Audits | 40 | 100 | 200 |
| Keyword Rank Tracking Projects | 20 | 50 | 1000 |
| Backlink Analyzer Projects | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Total Pages Crawled per Month | 50K | 100K | 10M |
| Aggregator Network Citations | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Content Genius – AI Blog and Landing Page Generation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Search Atlas: Smarter SEO Begins with Unified Automation
Screaming Frog and Moz handle key SEO tasks, but neither covers the full workflow in a single platform. Users switch between tools, export data manually, and pay extra for features missing from their base plans.
Search Atlas solves these problems by combining technical audits, backlink management, content planning, and local SEO tracking in one streamlined system without the need of third-party add-ons.
For teams focused on budget and execution speed, Search Atlas reduces tool sprawl and centralizes core SEO functions with built-in automation and flexible pricing. Explore all features with a free trial today! 🚀
