Independent head-to-head
Frase vs Surfer SEO
Both are on our shortlist, and most people only need one. Here is where each genuinely wins.
Which fits your work better: Frase or Surfer SEO?
Frase suits small teams and solo operators who want briefing, drafting and optimisation in one subscription at the lowest entry price of the three. Surfer SEO suits content teams who want a live score while writing, not just a report after the fact. Entry pricing is the same at $49/month, so the choice comes down to fit.
Frase
Content Optimization ToolsThe cheapest seat at the content-optimisation table, AI drafting included.
Surfer SEO
Content Optimization ToolsScores a draft against what's already ranking, line by line.
Decision view
Compare what changes the answer
| Decision factor | Frase$49/mo | Surfer SEO$49/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo | $49/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 7 days | None |
| Best for | Small teams and solo operators who want briefing, drafting and optimisation in one subscription at the lowest entry price of the three. | Content teams who want a live score while writing, not just a report after the fact. |
| Not for | Teams who need Clearscope's grading consistency across a large writer roster, or Surfer's deeper keyword and clustering tooling. | Anyone who wants a single stable target score — the ranking-page baseline moves as SERPs move, and chasing it precisely can flatten writing. |
Shared answers are dimmed so trade-offs stay visible.
Plan comparison
Published plans as recorded on each vendor’s pricing page on its verification date. Limits and add-ons differ between vendors, so compare at your own volume.
Frase
| Plan | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49 | 1 seat, 10 articles/month, 50 audit pages/month |
| Professional | $129 | 3 seats, 40 articles/month, content calendar and internal linking |
| Scale | $299 | 5 seats, up to 10 domains, client-ready reports |
Surfer SEO
| Plan | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | $49 | Baseline drafting and optimisation |
| Standard | $99 | 360 documents/month; planning, writing and AI-visibility tracking |
| Pro | $182 | Adds internal linking and cannibalisation reports |
| Peace of Mind | $299 | Unlimited optimisation and API access |
| Enterprise | Custom | From $999/month — SSO, advisory programme, white-label |
Where Frase wins
- Cheapest entry point of the three mainstream optimisation tools
- Content Guard's AI-drop monitoring is a genuinely distinct feature, not a rebrand of grading
- Article and audit-page allowances are generous relative to price at the Professional tier
Where Surfer SEO wins
- Real-time in-editor scoring shortens the draft-review loop
- Keyword research and optimisation live in one workflow instead of two tools
- Pricing ladder scales down further than Clearscope's for solo writers
Frase or Surfer SEO?
Frase suits small teams and solo operators who want briefing, drafting and optimisation in one subscription at the lowest entry price of the three. Surfer SEO suits content teams who want a live score while writing, not just a report after the fact. Entry pricing is the same at $49/month, so the choice comes down to fit.
Small teams and solo operators who want briefing, drafting and optimisation in one subscription at the lowest entry price of the three.
Content teams who want a live score while writing, not just a report after the fact.
What decides it
- Entry price
- Frase starts at $49/month; Surfer SEO at $49/month. Compare the plan that matches your real usage, not the entry tier.
- Trial
- Frase offers a 7-day trial; Surfer SEO offers no free plan or trial.
- Platforms
- Frase: web. Surfer SEO: web, api.
- What each gives up
- Frase: grading and recommendations feel less rigorous than Clearscope's. Surfer SEO: score can reward keyword density over actually answering the query.