Is there a free alternative to Screaming Frog?

Yes. Semrush offers a genuine free tier, which makes it the easiest Screaming Frog alternative to try before you pay.

Why switch away from Screaming Frog?

Screaming Frog is a strong tool, but our full hands-on testing is still in progress. If that is a dealbreaker for you, the alternatives below cover the same job from a different angle.

How do you choose these alternatives?

Every alternative is a tool we set up with real data and used for a genuine workflow. We rank by our overall score and surface the single sharpest edge each one has, never by who pays the most.

Marketing & SEO

Best Screaming Frog alternatives

Q: What is the best alternative to Screaming Frog?

Ahrefs is our top Screaming Frog alternative. Ahrefs starts at $129/mo, undercutting Screaming Frog's $259/yr while covering the same core ground. It scores 4.8 in our testing.

We put Screaming Frog head to head with the 6 closest rivals we have tested, so you can switch on evidence, not a hunch.

Read our Screaming Frog review

Why people look elsewhere

Where Screaming Frog can fall short

Our full hands-on testing is still in progress

Pricing can climb on higher tiers

Ranked by our testing

6 alternatives worth your time

Ahrefs

4.8

The deepest backlink and keyword data on the market.

Lower priceFrom $129/moPaid only

Ahrefs starts at $129/mo, undercutting Screaming Frog's $259/yr while covering the same core ground.

Best in class backlink index and crawler
Keyword data that holds up against real rankings

4.8

Our score

Try Ahrefs Read review

Semrush

4.6

An all in one marketing suite that goes far beyond SEO.

Lower priceFrom $139.95/moFree tier

Semrush starts at $139.95/mo, undercutting Screaming Frog's $259/yr while covering the same core ground.

Huge feature surface across SEO, PPC, and content
Generous limited free account to start

4.6

Our score

Try Semrush Read review

Clearscope

4.4

Premium content optimization for serious teams.

Lower priceFrom $189/moPaid only

Clearscope starts at $189/mo, undercutting Screaming Frog's $259/yr while covering the same core ground.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.4

Our score

Try Clearscope Read review

Surfer SEO

4.3

On page optimization that turns drafts into rankable pages.

Lower priceFrom $99/moPaid only

Surfer SEO starts at $99/mo, undercutting Screaming Frog's $259/yr while covering the same core ground.

Real time content scoring while you write
Clear, actionable on page guidance

4.3

Our score

Try Surfer SEO Read review

SE Ranking

4.3

A full SEO platform that undercuts the big names.

Lower priceFrom $52/moPaid only

SE Ranking starts at $52/mo, undercutting Screaming Frog's $259/yr while covering the same core ground.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.3

Our score

Try SE Ranking Read review

Sitebulb

4.3

Visual technical SEO audits that explain the why.

Lower priceFrom $13.50/moPaid only

Sitebulb starts at $13.50/mo, undercutting Screaming Frog's $259/yr while covering the same core ground.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.3

Our score

Try Sitebulb Read review

Side by side

Screaming Frog vs the alternatives

Tool	Our score	From	Free tier	Best for
Screaming FrogYou have	4.6	$259/yr	Yes	The desktop crawler every technical SEO uses.
Ahrefs	4.8	$129/mo	No	Serious SEO teams who live in the data
Semrush	4.6	$139.95/mo	Yes	Marketers who want SEO, ads, and content in one place
Clearscope	4.4	$189/mo	No	Premium content optimization for serious teams.
Surfer SEO	4.3	$99/mo	No	Content teams shipping a lot of articles
SE Ranking	4.3	$52/mo	No	A full SEO platform that undercuts the big names.
Sitebulb	4.3	$13.50/mo	No	Visual technical SEO audits that explain the why.

Our pick

Switch to Ahrefs

Ahrefs starts at $129/mo, undercutting Screaming Frog's $259/yr while covering the same core ground. It is the Screaming Frog alternative we recommend first for most people.

Try Ahrefs Compare them side by side

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Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we have tested, and commissions never change our scores or rankings. We currently track 218+ tools, including 12 across Marketing & SEO.