Yes, this page is written by the Outrank team - so we made it impossible to accuse of spin. Every alternative below is a real option with real strengths, current pricing from its own website, and a plain statement of what you give up and what you gain. If one of them fits you better than we do, you'll know by the end of the page.
The baseline you're comparing against
What Outrank does
Outrank is the all-in-one AI SEO platform: it researches keywords, writes and publishes SEO-optimized articles daily, builds verified backlinks to your site automatically, and generates lead-capturing SEO tools — all on auto-pilot for $99/month.
Add-ons include a Human Curated Service with professional editors, extra article volume (60 or 90 per month), backlink boost plans, and a one-time directory submission to 100+ directories. Volume discounts up to 20% apply across multiple sites. Full pricing here.
1. SEObotseobotai.com
Autonomous AI SEO agent for founders
SEObot starts at $49/month for 9 articles, then $99/month for 20 articles and $199/month for 50 articles, per its help center. Outrank is $99/month for 30 articles with keyword research, backlinks, AI images, and all integrations included.
Why people pick it
Lower entry price at $49/month for smaller sites
Higher article ceilings on the largest tiers (up to 300/month)
Programmatic SEO, news articles, and YouTube-video-to-article modules built in
The trade-off vs Outrank
More articles at the same $99/month price point (30 vs 20)
Backlinks built for you with every placement re-checked, included in the base plan
Why we'd still pick Outrank
SEObot is a real autopilot, and $49 is a cheaper on-ramp. At the $99 tier the numbers favor Outrank: 30 articles instead of 20, keyword research you can explore yourself, and a scheduled job that re-checks every backlink placement. Same price, more output, and links you can check.
Content optimization editor with AI search visibility tracking
Surfer lists prices in euros. Discovery is €49/month billed yearly (€59 monthly) for 120 documents a year; Standard is €99/month billed yearly (€119 monthly) for 360 documents; Pro is €182/month billed yearly (€219 monthly). Outrank is $99/month for 30 finished, published articles with backlinks and keyword research included.
Why people pick it
Deeper on-page optimization data and SERP analysis for hand-crafted content
Strong review scores: 4.8/5 on G2 and 4.9/5 on Capterra, as shown on its site
AI search visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, AI Overviews, and AI Mode
The trade-off vs Outrank
Full autopilot: keyword research, writing, images, and publishing happen without you
Backlinks built for you — Surfer’s pricing page lists no backlink building
Why we'd still pick Outrank
Surfer is the better editor if you already have writers — that is not a close call, and its AI visibility tracking is something we do not sell. What it is not is a hands-off publishing engine: you create or optimize documents in the editor, its listed integrations are WordPress, Google Docs, Contentful, and Zapier, and its pricing page lists no backlink building. Outrank exists for the other case: 30 finished, published articles a month, plus the links that help them rank, without staffing a content team.
Jasper Pro costs $69/month per seat ($59 billed yearly) and Business is custom-priced; neither lists an article quota. Outrank is $99/month flat with unlimited users, 30 published articles, keyword research, and backlinks included.
Why people pick it
Best-in-class brand voice training and multi-channel campaign copy
Purpose-built for SEO: keyword research, SERP-aware article generation, and publishing in one pipeline
Backlinks built for you — Jasper’s pricing page lists no link building
Why we'd still pick Outrank
Jasper is better at brand copy than we are. That is the honest split. If the goal is organic traffic, Jasper’s plans list no keyword research, scheduled blog publishing, or link building, so those stay your job. Outrank is $99 flat for the whole SEO loop, not $69 per seat for a copilot your team has to drive.
Byword is $99/month for 25 articles (Starter), $299/month for 80 (Standard), and $999/month for 300 (Scale), with about 17% off on annual billing and 5 free articles to start. Outrank is $99/month for 30 articles including keyword research, backlinks, and auto-publishing.
Why people pick it
Higher volume plans: 80 articles at $299/month and 300 at $999/month
Strong bulk and programmatic workflow with keyword lists, campaigns, and spreadsheet sync
Free 5-article test with no credit card
The trade-off vs Outrank
Backlinks built for you automatically — Byword’s pricing page lists no link building
More articles at the same headline price (30 vs 25 at $99/month)
Why we'd still pick Outrank
Byword is a strong bulk writer, and it ships its own keyword research and scheduling. Outrank’s argument is the work around the words: one pipeline that picks the keywords, keeps the cadence, publishes, and builds backlinks, which Byword’s pricing page does not list. Same $99, 30 articles instead of 25, and API access without a higher plan.
Arvow Solo is $69/month (or $39/month billed yearly) for 1,000 credits on one site; at 15 credits per article that is about 66 text-only articles before image and optimization credits. Automatic backlinks start on the Business plan at $169/month ($69/month billed yearly). Outrank includes backlinks at $99/month with no credit system.
Why people pick it
Lower entry price: Solo is $69/month, or $39/month billed yearly
Broad extras such as Google Business Profile post automation, AI visibility tracking, and white-label SEO reports
API and MCP access on every plan, and 150+ languages
The trade-off vs Outrank
Backlink building included at $99/month — Arvow lists automatic backlinks from its $169/month Business plan
No credit math: 30 complete articles with images included, every month
Why we'd still pick Outrank
Arvow is cheaper to start, especially if you pay yearly. The catch is the shared credit pool: an article costs 15 credits, images and optimization draw from the same balance, and automatic backlinks start on the $169 Business plan. Outrank’s $99 is boring on purpose — 30 complete illustrated articles plus the backlinks we build for you, no arithmetic, no plan gate on links.
ContentPen Starter is $49/month ($39 billed yearly) for 12 articles without autopilot; Growth is $99/month ($79 billed yearly) for 40 articles with autopilot; Scale is $249/month for 75 and Agency $449/month for 150. AI visibility tracking is included in every plan. Outrank is $99/month including 30 articles, backlinks, and unlimited keyword research.
Why people pick it
Lower entry price: $49/month, or $39/month billed yearly, for 12 articles
More articles at $99/month: 40 on Growth vs 30
AI visibility tracking included in every plan, plus Search Console analytics
The trade-off vs Outrank
Backlinks built for you — ContentPen’s pricing page lists no link building
Autopilot on the base plan; ContentPen includes it from Growth ($99/month), not Starter
Why we'd still pick Outrank
ContentPen gives you more articles at $99 and bundles an AI visibility dashboard we do not sell. What we include is the thing that usually moves rankings after content: backlinks we build and verify for you, which ContentPen’s pricing page does not list. Add autopilot from the base plan, a free tools builder, and optional human editors, and $99 buys the fuller SEO stack.
RightBlogger Solo is $59/month ($49 billed annually) for one site and one automated post a day; Pro is $89/month ($69 billed annually) for three sites; Agency is $299/month ($199 billed annually) for ten. There is also a free plan with 2,000 AI words a month. Outrank is $99/month for a full hands-free pipeline with 30 published articles and backlink building included.
Why people pick it
Lower entry price ($59/month, or $49 billed annually) with unlimited AI words and a free plan
Also runs a backlink exchange on every paid plan
Site Agent keeps published posts updated, plus 80+ standalone tools for hands-on creators
The trade-off vs Outrank
Human Curated Service when you want professional editors
Unlimited users on the base plan — RightBlogger lists team seats from its Pro plan
Why we'd still pick Outrank
RightBlogger is one of the few tools that also runs a backlink exchange, and its toolkit is genuinely loved by hands-on bloggers. Our argument is not “more features” — it is that you should not have to operate them. Outrank is one pipeline: research, write, publish, links, with unlimited users and optional human editors when you outgrow pure AI.
Casper Content is $29/month for 5 articles (Starter), $99/month for 30 (Pro), and $249/month for 40 (Advanced), with 10, 25, and 50 keyword search credits a month. Outrank is $99/month for 30 articles with unlimited keyword research, backlinks, and every integration included.
Why people pick it
Lower entry price: $29/month for 5 articles
AI visibility tracking included in every plan (5 to 250 prompts)
Zapier and Make support, plus unlimited team members
The trade-off vs Outrank
Backlinks built for you — Casper’s pricing page lists no link building
Unlimited keyword research vs 10 to 50 keyword search credits a month
Why we'd still pick Outrank
Casper is a fair autoblog, and at $29 its Starter plan is a cheaper way to publish five articles a month. At $99 the two plans match on volume: 30 articles each. The difference is what surrounds the articles: Casper’s pricing page lists no backlink building and meters keyword searches, while Outrank includes unlimited keyword research and verified backlinks built for you.
SEO and GEO content platform with a publishing agent
Frase costs $49/month ($39 billed yearly) for 10 articles, $129/month ($103 billed yearly) for 40, and $299/month ($239 billed yearly) for 100, with a 7-day free trial and no credit card. Outrank is $99/month for 30 articles with backlink building included.
Why people pick it
Deeper SERP research, site audits, and page-level optimization scores
Per-content-type autonomy controls and Content Guard suit brand-safety-conscious teams
AI visibility tracking included, and strong review scores on G2 and Capterra
Lower entry price at $49/month for 10 articles
The trade-off vs Outrank
Backlinks placed for you with verified placements — Frase finds prospects and drafts the outreach
30 articles for $99/month; Frase includes 10 at $49 and 40 at $129
Why we'd still pick Outrank
Frase’s research, audits, and AI visibility tracking go deeper than ours, and its agent can publish on its own on every plan. The gap is links: Frase finds backlink prospects and drafts the outreach, while Outrank places and verifies backlinks for you. On volume, $99 covers 30 articles where Frase’s $49 plan covers 10 and its $129 plan covers 40.
Koala starts at $25/month for 45,000 words (Starter); Professional is $49/month for 100,000 words and Boost is $99/month for 250,000 words with Content Calendar Autopilot. Annual billing saves 20%, and new accounts get 5,000 free words. Outrank is $99/month for 30 complete articles with keyword research, backlinks, publishing, and images included.
Why people pick it
Lower entry price: $25/month, with a free 5,000-word allowance and no card
Strong reputation for per-article quality, citations, and Amazon-affiliate content
API and MCP access on every paid plan, with SEO research data built in
The trade-off vs Outrank
Backlinks built for you automatically — Koala’s pricing page lists no link building
Predictable output — 30 articles/month, with no word allowance that changes with the AI model
Why we'd still pick Outrank
Koala is a cheap way to generate words, and the per-article quality reputation is deserved. It has also added an SEO agent and, on its $99 Boost plan, a calendar that publishes on schedule. What its pricing page does not list is link building, and output still depends on which model spends your word allowance. Outrank runs strategy, publishing, and backlinks as 30 finished articles a month for $99, no word math.
SEO content that ranks on Google is what ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity cite in their answers. Outrank customers like AIApply report their brands being picked up in AI answers after publishing with Outrank.
10,000+
ChatGPT mentions secured for customers
750,000+
Articles created
25,000+
Backlinks added
FAQ
Choosing an alternative, answered
If you can't find what you're looking for, feel free to reach out!
What is the best alternative to Outrank?
It depends on how you work. SEObot is the closest hands-off alternative at a lower entry price. Surfer SEO is best if you write in-house and want optimization guidance. RightBlogger suits hands-on bloggers who want unlimited AI words. Frase fits research-first teams that want approval controls. Compare each one on backlink building, keyword research limits, and human editing, which Outrank bundles at $99/month.
What is the cheapest Outrank alternative?
Koala AI starts at $25/month for 45,000 words if you mainly need article writing. Casper Content starts at $29/month for 5 articles with Autoblog, and SEObot at $49/month for 9 articles. ContentPen and Frase start at $49/month for 12 and 10 articles. In every case, check what the lower price leaves out compared with Outrank — most commonly backlink building, unlimited keyword research, or article volume.
Which Outrank alternatives include backlink building?
A few. RightBlogger includes a Backlink Exchange on every paid plan, and SEObot gives one backlink credit per new article. Arvow lists automatic backlinks from its $169/month Business plan ($69/month billed yearly). Frase finds backlink prospects and drafts outreach emails. The pricing pages of Surfer, Jasper, Byword, ContentPen, Casper Content, and Koala list no backlink building. Outrank builds verified backlinks for you on the base $99/month plan.
Why do people choose Outrank over these alternatives?
Bundling and hands-off operation. Outrank combines keyword strategy, daily article generation, AI images, auto-publishing to 10+ platforms, and verified backlink building in one flat $99/month subscription with unlimited users — a stack that would otherwise require two or three separate tools. Customers also report their brands appearing in AI assistant answers as their rankings grow.
