Creating impactful content involves much more than generating a lengthy article using a custom GPT model.
To truly optimize your content, you need to analyze the current SERP landscape, identify the best keywords and Natural Language Processing (NLP) terms, and develop a strategic content plan.
That’s why so many content and marketing folks turn to tools like Surfer SEO. These SEO tools help streamline this process to ensure content is fully optimized to rank and is using the right keywords.
However, some users feel Surfer SEO doesn’t offer all of the comprehensive SEO features needed to scale businesses. If you’re in this boat and reconsidering your options, we’ve curated a list of 6 Surfer SEO alternatives that can enhance your content creation workflow while keeping your budget in check.
These tools offer a range of specialized features to cater to different user needs, from all-in-one solutions to personalization options and more.
- Search Atlas: Best All-in-One SEO content creation
- Frase: Best for freelancers
- WriterZen: Best for beginners
- MarketMuse: Best for personalization
- Clearscope: Best for reoptimizing content
- Content Harmony: Best for visuals and video Format
- PageOptimizer Pro: Best for multiple languages
- Copywritely: Best for avoiding plagiarism
- Scalenut: Best for using templates
- SE Ranking: Best for custom plans
Consider This When Choosing a Surfer SEO Alternative
When selecting a Surfer SEO alternative, consider the tool’s ability to adapt to evolving SEO strategies. Surfer SEO uses outdated methodologies like TF-IDF, which some people feel is a bit outdated to align with modern approaches that prioritize creating helpful, intent-satisfying content.
Your new tool should not only offer AI SEO features but also seamlessly integrate them into its existing functionality.
Ease of use is another crucial factor, as a user-friendly platform will allow you to focus more on adding value instead of navigating complex software. Additionally, look for a tool that has demonstrated its responsiveness to changes in the SEO landscape, embracing new possibilities with AI rather than just superficially adding such features.
Stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring these Surfer SEO competitors could uncover features that significantly enhance your overall SEO strategy.
Don’t settle for the status quo–stay ahead of the curve by experimenting with these cost-effective alternatives.
10 Affordable Surfer SEO Alternatives to Try
Don’t hold back on your SEO efforts. We always recommend searching for new tools and experimenting with different options, so get ready to step out of your comfort zone and learn about some of the most affordable Surfer SEO competitors!
1. Search Atlas
Since Search Atlas is a comprehensive SEO all-in-one suite, it’s the favorite tool of both SEO writers and SEO specialists. Their core writing tool is Content Genius, an AI-powered content assistant that brings everything needed in one user-friendly space.
Unlike anything else in the market, content and SEO teams don’t need to use external tools to plan, write, and execute. This allows teams to maintain a consistent level of productivity and quality while creating content.
For instance, in just one place you can do keyword research, content planning, content writing, image generation, and even publishing.
Another differential that sets Search Atlas apart is its holistic approach to SEO. More often than not, Search Atlas is a more affordable SEO tool you can use to address crucial aspects like user experience optimization, technical SEO requirements, and authority building.
The platform is committed to continuous release of new features, functionalities, and it’s always trying to stay ahead of market trends and algorithm updates.
Search Atlas popular features
- Content Genius: AI content assistant integrated with ChatGPT and Claude, AI image generator, outline creation, competitor content analysis, terms assistant, internal linking suggestions, questions and answers. All of that in just one content tool.
- Keyword Tools: Use traditional keyword research tools, as well as keyword gap, rank tracker, and magic tool, which identifies if the keyword trend is going up or down. All of your selected keywords can be automatically added to the Content Genius.
- Topical Maps: Automatically generates articles ideas and keyword targets aiming to build topical authority in your primary topic areas.
- Content Planner: Browsers hundreds of keyword clusters to find the general search volume for a specific topic.
- Blog Ideas Generator: By inputting a keyword, this tool will provide a list of relevant blog topics to add to your content calendar.
- Onpage Audit: Analyzes content score and other metrics for a page or blog, including word count, readability, spam score, referring domains, and more.
- 1-Click Publishing: All of your content can be integrated with WordPress to publish new content or optimize current ones with just one click.
Search Atlas pros
- Enterprise SEO Suite for a fraction of the price
- Most advanced AI capabilities and integrations compared to all other Surfer SEO competitors
- Robust tools for writing, keyword research, and content planning
- Includes a free OTTO activation, accelerating content creation and optimization
Search Atlas cons
- Some reviews says the AI quota consumes quickly if you don’t control its use
- Payment plans can be complex but it does offer a lot of plan customizations
Search Atlas pricing
| Starter $99 Monthly | Growth $199 Monthly | Pro $399 Monthly | |
| Articles Created | 40 | 100 | 200 |
| Full Article Generation | 30 | 60 | 90 |
| Regular AI Quota | 100 | 250 | 99999 |
| Content Assistant Keywords | 120 | 300 | 600 |
| Onpage In-Depth Audits | 40 | 100 | 200 |
| Content Plans | 40 | 100 | 200 |
Search Atlas reviews
- G2: 4.8/5
- Capterra: 5/5
Don’t just take our word. Try Search Atlas for free and see why so many SEO and content professionals are making the switch from Surfer SEO!
2. Frase
Frase is a comprehensive SEO and content writing tool that offers research capabilities, AI-generated content briefs, and optimization features.
Its text editor uses a topic-based model to compare your content with competitors’ and provides an AI-generated outline. It provides recommendations for word count, headers, links, and images.
Frase’s keyword display system includes color-coding and sorting options that allows users to easily track keyword usage and identify areas for improvement in the content.
The topic score feature shows you the score of your content for a particular topic, which is updated in real-time.
Frase popular features
- Team Collaboration: Assign documents to different writers.
- Project Management: Track progress for each of your documents.
- Folders: Organize your documents in folders according to your topical maps, clients, or project.
- Templates: Re-use templates to create content briefs, save custom AI prompts, and build repeatable workflows.
Frase pros
- Excellent format for seeing which keywords to add
- Affordable pricing compared to Surfer SEO
- Free trial with no credit card required
Frase cons
- Basic keyword metrics of the target keyword
- Lacks advanced tools for content planning
- Some think the AI content creation features could be improved
Frase pricing
- $15 monthly: Solo plan, 1 user, 10 search queries
- $45 monthly: Basic, 1 user, 30 search queries
- $115 monthly: Team, 3 users, unlimited queries
Frase reviews
- G2: 4.8/5
3. WriterZen
WriterZen’s functionality covers from initial topic ideation through to final originality checks. Its feature set includes a Topic Discovery tool for generating content ideas, a Keyword Explorer and Keyword Planner, a built-in plagiarism checker and a GPT-3.5-powered AI writing assistant.
WriterZen popular features
- Topic discovery: Generates content ideas to help users establish topical authority. you can filter the topic data based on relevancy and search volume.
- Plagiarism checker: Compares a content piece with Google-indexed content to authorize the originality.
- Textbook mode: Helps users quickly understand the insight provided under tools like Keyword Planner, Topic Discovery, and Keyword Explorer.
WriterZen pros
- Ideal for beginners
- Clean and straightforward interface
- Team collaboration features
WriterZen cons
- Somewhat inflexible plans
- Keyword research tool could be more in-depth
- Lack of content management and monitoring tools compared to others in this list
WriterZen pricing
- $30 monthly: Only 50 daily keyword lookup
- $60 monthly: 50 articles per month
- $90 monthly: 100 articles per month
WriterZen reviews
- G2: 4.7/5
4. MarketMuse
MarketMuse’s flagship product, Optimize, is a robust content creation tool that provides real-time content scoring, insightful comparisons to similar webpages, and clear optimization targets.
Its user-friendly keyword tracking system employs intuitive color-coding to swiftly identify any missing keywords.
As a strong competitor to Surfer SEO, MarketMuse excels at competitor analysis, furnishing links to top-ranking pages for easy side-by-side comparison. It also offers AI-powered content brief generation to inspire your writing.
However, MarketMuse does have some limitations, including occasional formatting issues when importing content from other platforms and a higher price point compared to some rival offerings.
MarketMuse popular features
- On-Demand Inventory: Comprehensive tools to track and report on all your website’s existing content.
- Personalized Metrics: Detailed insights into the specific difficulty your site faces in ranking for target keywords.
- Content Cluster Analysis: Evaluate the breadth and coverage of your content on any given topic, uncovering gaps and blind spots.
MarketMuse pros
- Free plan with full-featured editor
- Live scoring and color-coded target identification make optimizing a breeze
- Automated content brief generation streamlines the writing process
MarketMuse cons
- Expensive monthly subscription plans compared to some others listed here
- Standard plan limits the number of monthly queries
- Formatting doesn’t always transfer seamlessly from Google Docs
MarketMuse pricing
- Free plan: 1 user, 10 queries monthly, and limited applications
- $99 monthly: 5 content briefs and 1 strategy docs monthly
- $249 monthly: 10 content briefs and 3 strategy docs monthly
- $499 monthly: 20 content briefs and 5 strategy docs monthly
MarketMuse reviews
- G2: 4.6/5
5. Clearscope
Clearscope empowers you to create high-performing content by providing detailed content briefs and SEO-optimized outlines. The tool offers invaluable insights into what’s helping competitor pages rank well, enabling you to incorporate those elements into your own content.
Simply enter your target keyword or search intent, select your domain, and choose the language–Clearscope will do the rest.
Through advanced natural language processing, Clearscope helps you craft content that outranks the competition.
Clearscope popular features
- Comprehensive Reports: In-depth overviews of each page, including SEO value, impressions, orphaned pages, and more.
- Robust Filtering: Filter pages by notice, tag, or content grade for efficient website content re-optimization.
- Content Decay Reports: Identify underperforming content that has lost the most clicks and address its weaknesses.
- Integrations: Seamless integration with Google Docs, WordPress, and Microsoft Word.
Clearscope pros
- Intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Checkmark system clearly indicates which keywords to add
- Unlimited user accounts
Clearscope cons
- Expensive monthly subscription costs compared to other tools
- Caps on the number of monthly queries
- No built-in content brief or collaboration tools
Clearscope pricing
- $189 monthly: 100 inventory pages, 50 keywords and 20 reports monthly.
- $399 monthly: 300 inventory pages, 50 keywords and 20 reports monthly.
- Custom pricing
Clearscope reviews
- G2: 4.9/5
6. Content Harmony
While Content Harmony offers the familiar staples of keyword reports, content briefs, and optimization tools, its true strength lies in its community-centric focus.
What sets this platform apart is its deep database of real-user queries sourced from Quora, Reddit, StackExchange, and Google’s People Also Ask sections.
Content Harmony popular features
- Extensive Communities: Access a robust database of questions and discussions from leading online communities.
- Dynamic Keyword Data: Continually updated keyword difficulty metrics based on the latest ranking sites.
- Visual Content Analysis: Leverage visual research capabilities to enhance your content strategy.
- Team Training: Free training sessions available to empower your entire content creation team.
Content Harmony pros
- Powerful visual research tools compared to others Surfer SEO alternatives
- Ability to identify and target unused keywords within the optimization suite
- Custom content brief creation options
Content Harmony cons
- Somewhat confusing interface and content scoring system
- Inclusion of numerous keywords that may not be directly relevant
- Lack of a free trial
Content Harmony pricing
Content Harmony’s pricing is entirely usage-based, ranging from $50 monthly for up to 5 articles to $1,000 monthly for 200+ articles. This flexible model caters to teams of all sizes.
Content Harmony reviews
- G2: 4.8/5
7. PageOptimizer Pro
POP helps businesses improve their on-page SEO performance by providing optimized content suggestions backed by AI-led analysis.
PageOptimizer Pro popular features
- Content brief: Grade your content to see how much it’s optimized.
- Competitor’s schemas: It shows you which combination of schemas the competitors are using.
- Content editor: Tells you how changes will affect your page as you make them.
PageOptimizer Pro pros
- Supports 61 languages
- Makes suggestions of what elements you should optimize on your page
PageOptimizer Pro cons
- Data interpretation might challenge those who are less tech-savvy
- Some users say the AI writer is very repetitive
PageOptimizer Pro pricing
- $34 monthly: 20 POP credits
- $47.5 monthly: 40 POP credits
- $61 monthly: 50 POP credits
- $120 monthly: 120 POP credits
- $350 monthly: 120 POP and additional services
POP writer starts from 4 POP Credits per 1,000 words.
PageOptimizer Pro reviews
- G2: 4.9/5
8. Copywritely
Copywritely is an SEO content tool designed to optimize your content for both readers and search engines.
Copywritely popular features
- Comparison Tool: Analyzes competitor’s content and generates comprehensive tasks for copywriters using templates.
- Content Checker: Identifies plagiarism, detects keyword stuffing, and tests readability score.
Copywritely pros
- In-app editor can be shared between editors and writers
- Offers a range of free features
Copywritely cons
- May not be the best tool for advanced users
- Lacks features for agencies and large businesses
Copywritely pricing
Varies depending on how many monthly pages you need to generate. Ranging from $29 monthly for 50 pages to $1250 monthly for 5,000 pages.
Copywritely reviews
- G2: 4.9/5
9. Scalenut
Offers you tools like SEO writing, content optimization, topic clustering, etc. Scalenut uses integrated ChatGPT to give the best results.
Scalenut popular features
- Cruise mode: Uses AI to create a blog from scratch through a few steps.
- AI history: Enables you to see the AI’s history and learning journey.
Scalenut pros
- AI-guided content creation through intuitive Cruise mode
- Extensive library of 40+ copywriting templates and frameworks
Scalenut cons
- Some users say the AI sometimes struggles with tone consistency
- Essential features require additional payment, like link management, AI detection, text humanization, on-page analysis.
Scalenut pricing
- $49 monthly: 15 articles creation and 15 optimization per month
- $79 monthly: 90 articles creation, 90 pages optimization, 90 keyword clusters, 500 pages analysis
- $149 monthly: 225 articles creation, 225 pages optimization, 225 keyword clusters, 1500 pages analysis
Scalenut reviews
- G2: 4.9/5
10. SE Ranking
SE Ranking offers a range of tools, like content editor, on-page audit features, keyword analysis, and in-depth competitor research, being a strong option for a Surfer SEO alternative.
SE Ranking popular features
- Content Editor tool: Get SERP-based suggestions on content’s length, structure, target keywords, image use, and more.
- AI Writer: Lets you generate a whole article in one click or take it step-by-step with your input.
SE Ranking pros
- User-friendly and straightforward interface
- Scalable–up to 30 users
SE Ranking cons
- The quotas for articles and AI words are very limited without add-ons
- Doesn’t include content editor and AI writer in their starter plan.
SE Ranking pricing
- $65 monthly: Does not include content editor tool
- $119 monthly: 3 articles per month, 5,500 AI words, 1 plagiarism check, 50 article storage limit.
- $259 monthly: 7 articles per month, 13,000 AI words, 1 plagiarism check, 100 article storage limit.
SE Ranking reviews
- G2: 4.8/5
Start Saving With a Budget-Friendly Surfer SEO Alternative!
The time has come to break free from outdated and limiting SEO tools. By exploring innovative alternatives like Content Harmony, you’ll open the door to a wealth of possibilities that can significantly elevate your content creation process.
One platform leading the charge is Search Atlas, an all-in-one SEO suite that’s quickly making waves in the industry. Embrace the future of SEO and give Search Atlas a try with a free trial today!
