How’s your online visibility? If you’re running a business, you already know how important it is to show up in local searches. But managing your business listings, tracking rankings, and keeping up with online reviews? That can be overwhelming. 🤯
That’s where Yext and BrightLocal come in. These two local SEO software tools promise to simplify your local search engine optimization strategy—but which one is actually the best for 2025? With 97% of consumers searching for local businesses online, you can’t afford to pick the wrong one. 🧐
Let’s break it down so you can choose the tool that helps you get found, stand out, and grow your business.
What Is Yext?
Yext is a powerful business listing and reputation management platform that keeps your company’s info accurate across hundreds of directories. With AI-powered search solutions and detailed analytics, Yext helps you ensure customers always find the right information about your business, no matter where they search.
If you’re tired of outdated listings and manual updates, Yext’s automation features could be just what you need. Instead of updating multiple directories one by one, you enter your business information once, and Yext syncs it across over 200 platforms, including Google, Apple Maps, Facebook, and Yelp.
But Yext isn’t just about listings. It also helps you manage your online reputation, giving you local SEO reporting tools and respond to customer reviews efficiently. Plus, its AI-powered search feature enables businesses to create a branded search experience, so customers can quickly find answers to common questions.
For businesses that want automation, accuracy, and a hands-off approach to local SEO, Yext offers a streamlined solution that saves time and effort.
Yext Standout Features
- Automated Listings Management: Keeps your business info consistent across 200+ platforms.
- AI-Powered Search and Answers: Helps customers find instant, accurate answers to their questions.
- Review Monitoring and Response: Allows you to track and respond to reviews all in one place.
- Performance Analytics: Give insights into how your business is showing up in search.
- Knowledge Graph: Stores and manages your key business data in one central hub.
Yext Pricing
Yext pricing is structured in tiers, giving businesses different levels of access to its features. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:
- Emerging Plan ($199/year) – Covers basic listings management across major directories.
- Essential Plan ($449/year) – Adds review monitoring and analytics to track performance.
- Complete Plan ($999/year) – Unlocks AI-powered search features and advanced customization.
- Custom Enterprise Plans – Tailored solutions for large businesses needing full-scale automation.
While Yext provides automation and hands-off management, its pricing can be steep for small businesses, making it a better fit for those who need extensive directory coverage and AI-powered search features.
What Is BrightLocal?
BrightLocal is an all-in-one local SEO toolkit designed to help businesses and agencies take full control of their local search presence. Unlike Yext, which emphasizes automation, BrightLocal offers a more hands-on approach, giving you the tools to manually build citations, track rankings, and manage reviews with greater customization and flexibility.
With BrightLocal, businesses can audit their local SEO performance, monitor how they rank in search results, and even generate SEO reports to track progress over time. The platform also provides detailed insights into Google Business Profile (GBP) performance, helping you optimize your listings for better visibility.
One of BrightLocal’s biggest strengths is its affordability. While Yext operates on a subscription-based model with automated listings, BrightLocal allows you to pay per listing for citation-building services, making it a cost-effective option for smaller businesses that prefer a DIY approach to local SEO.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly tool that gives you full control over your local SEO strategy and workflow, BrightLocal is a strong contender.
BrightLocal Popular Features
- Local Rank Tracker: Monitor how you rank on Google, Bing, and local directories.
- Citation Builder: Build and manage business listings manually for total control.
- Reputation Manager: Stay on top of online reviews and respond to customers.
- Google My Business (GMB) Insights: Track your GMB performance with in-depth analytics.
- SEO Auditing Tools: Pinpoint local SEO opportunities and areas for improvement.
BrightLocal Pricing
- Track Plan: $29/month – Essential Local SEO tools.
- Manage Plan: $36/month – Everything in Track plus Listings Management.
- Grow Plan: $44/month – Everything in Manage Plan plus Review Management.
- Pay-as-you-go citation-building service: $2 per site.
Yext vs BrightLocal: Feature Showdown
1. Business Listings Management
Yext’s strength lies in its automated business listing management, ensuring that your information stays up-to-date across 200+ directories with minimal effort. This means businesses can avoid the hassle of manually updating listings, reducing inconsistencies and improving search visibility.
BrightLocal, on the other hand, takes a manual approach, giving users full control over where and how their listings appear. While this requires more effort, it allows for greater customization and a one-time payment model rather than ongoing subscriptions.
Winner: Yext (Better for automation and large-scale updates)
2. Local Rank Tracking
When it comes to tracking local rankings, BrightLocal offers a more detailed and robust tracking system than Yext. Users can monitor rankings across Google, Bing, and other local directories, as well as track keyword performance over time.
Yext provides ranking insights, but they are not as in-depth as BrightLocal’s dedicated tracking tools. If precise, ongoing rank tracking is a priority, BrightLocal is the better option.
Winner: BrightLocal (More insights and better tracking tools)
3. Review Management
Both platforms offer strong review management features, but their approaches differ. Yext provides automated review monitoring, pulling in feedback from multiple platforms so businesses can respond quickly.
BrightLocal, however, offers manual review management, allowing businesses to analyze customer satisfaction and compare their reputation against competitors. If you prefer automation, Yext is a great choice, but if you want deeper insights, BrightLocal’s tools are more comprehensive.
Winner: Tie (Automation vs. manual control—it depends on what you prefer)
4. Pricing & Value
BrightLocal is the clear winner when it comes to affordability, offering lower-cost plans and a pay-as-you-go citation service. This makes it a better choice for small businesses that need flexibility.
Yext, while pricier, offers enterprise-level automation that can be invaluable for businesses managing multiple locations. If you’re looking for cost-effectiveness, BrightLocal wins. If you need time-saving automation, Yext’s pricing may be justified.
Winner: No clear winner – It depends on your budget and how much automation you need.
Looking for a Smarter Solution? Meet Search Atlas.
If neither Yext nor BrightLocal feels like the perfect fit, you’re not alone. That’s why Search Atlas exists—to give businesses like yours a more powerful, cost-effective alternative for local SEO. With a seamless mix of automation, in-depth analytics, and advanced SEO and content marketing tools, Search Atlas simplifies your local search strategy without breaking the bank.
Why Choose Search Atlas?
1. Smarter business listings management
Unlike Yext’s expensive automation and BrightLocal’s manual approach, Search Atlas offers a balanced solution that ensures your business information stays accurate across key directories while giving you greater control over updates and optimizations. Plus, its local citation tools help you build and maintain listings efficiently, ensuring your business appears consistently across the web.
2. Advanced SEO isights & local rank tracking
With Search Atlas, you get detailed keyword tracking and competitor analysis, so you always know how your business is performing in local search. Unlike BrightLocal, which focuses primarily on rankings, Search Atlas provides actionable recommendations to improve your search visibility.
3. Effortless reputation & review management
Search Atlas combines the automation of Yext with the deep review insights of BrightLocal, giving you the power to monitor, analyze, and respond to customer feedback with ease. With sentiment analysis and competitor benchmarking, you get a clearer picture of how your brand is perceived.
Search Atlas Pricing: The Best Value in Local SEO
Search Atlas offers flexible, budget-friendly pricing designed to work for businesses of all sizes—giving you more powerful SEO tools for less.
| 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 | Unlimited |
| GBP Accounts | 3 | 10 | 25 |
| Keywords per Site | Top 10K | Top 100K | Top 1M |
| Keyword Rank Tracking Projects | 20 | 50 | Unlimited |
| Keyword Research Lookups | 500 | 2000 | 5000 |
The Final Verdict: Search Atlas is the Winner
While Yext offers powerful automation and BrightLocal provides affordable control, neither one truly checks all the boxes. If you want a smarter, more effective way to manage your local SEO, Search Atlas is the clear winner.
Don’t waste time with outdated tools—get started with Search Atlas today and take your local search strategy to the next level.
Start your free trial now!
