I’m a beginner in SEO looking to change careers and learn SEO.
Ahrefs & Semrush are the two “top dogs” of SEO tools as far as research is concerned.
Are there other tools that do a comparable job but actually free? (Some might be free but have limitations)
What are free tools to use that do a great job for SEO research where paying is not necessary?
But I also hear paying for Ahrefs or Semrush is worth it because of their value and “you get what you pay for” -which makes sense.
Videos
SEO tools are expensive so I made a list of FREE SEO tools you can use for your business:
Google PageSpeed Insights
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
XML Sitemap Generator
Answer the Public
Google Analytics
Google Search Console
Ahrefs Backlink Checker
Google Ads Keyword Planner
SERP Snippet Optimization Tool
Google Trends
Website Authority Checker
SEMRush (Free trial)
AlsoAsked
Keyworddit
Feel free to add any other tools I missed.
Please if you could give a brief description to why and and links to any you may think might help
I’ve been testing out a few SEO audit tools lately that give instant website scores, keyword insights, and performance checks - no signup or setup required.
I noticed some newer tools are getting pretty good at analyzing on-page issues and technical SEO factors in seconds. Curious what others here are using in 2025 - especially for quick checks or client reports.
Do you stick to classics like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Screaming Frog, or are there any newer tools that impressed you lately?
(If anyone’s curious, I can share the one I recently tried that gives full SEO scores for free - not dropping a link since I know promo links aren’t allowed here.)
Do you always have a free SEO tool that you'd used for all of your projects and business?
I'm curating this list of free (absolutely free) tools used by founders, and here are some interesting free tools that I've discovered:
Ahrefs SEO Toolbar: A handy SEO assistant for your browser
Map of 48 SEO metrics: 48 insightful SEO metrics you should know
SEO Keyword Finder Tool: Find keywords for your business or website for free
SEO-Friendly URL Generator: Craft well-optimized, SEO-friendly URLs for free
SEO Analyzer: Analyze any site to detect critical errors and get actionable insights
Programmatic SEO Tool: Easily create content with dynamic data
SEO Keyword Database: A free Notion template to track my keywords
Would love to add more to the database if you have a free tool to recommend!
Cheers!
EDIT: I've pivoted to IndieHustle.co, where I publish interviews with indie founders running successful startups.
Hi, just wondering what free SEO tools you guys recommend for a beginner. I currently manage content for my longest local clients - I've began to work on SEO for a few of them without any extra charge to help me develop my skills. I want to use some SEO tools for keyword difficulty/ search volume without any added cost to me. What do you recommend?
Would like to know what are your current tect stack for SEO along with any recent finding or insights for SEO
Considering the budget, I am unable to hire any SEO specialists to my team at this point of time. Please suggest me some free or affordable SEO tools to simplify my SEO tasks such as position tracking, competitor analysis, search volume checking and content assistant to provide keywords to the content team. Hope many SEOs here will find this thread useful.
Hey SEO enthusiasts!
I was using Ahrefs for quite a long time. But I want to switch to some other SEO tool. I am confused whether I should use SEMrush or any new tool that is compatible with AI as well.
If you guys have any suggestion for any new tool then let me know?
I’m pretty new to SEO and just trying to get a feel for how everything works. I know Ahrefs and Semrush are the go to tools, but honestly, they’re out of my budget right now.
Are there any free SEO tools that are actually useful and not just super limited trials? Im mostly looking to do keyword research, maybe some basic site audits, and just learn the ropes without having to pay upfront.
Hi all, I am just getting started with SEO and keyword research. I will be travel blogging while teaching abroad. My blog page is set up for me through the company I am doing my teach abroad program with, so I am focusing mainly on on-page SEO. I was wondering if there are any free tools or strategies for SEO? As this is more of a side project, I am not looking to put lots of money into the paid tools. However, the free versions of most sites like Semrush and Ubersuggest are very limiting.
Looking to help my SEO on my podcast and comedy channel(same name as username) would love to have some recommendations on budget SEO tools.
We are a brand new business - trying to turn our little hobby into a business.
We sell screen printed shirts (I have 23 years experience working in the industry and starting my own now).
We have no income yet so its whatever we have in the bank - we want to do some print advertising around town and then try to optimize our website (wix) and google business profile with an online SEO tool.
We could maybe afford like $40 a month (eventually we will want to spend more but don't have money yet).
Best options?
Im a software dev thats currently digging into programmatic SEO. I created a free tool called websiteleaderboard(dot)com (<- trying to respect rule #2 there). I built it over the past week or so, so it is still very rough around the edges!
My site ranks bunch of websites by their google page speed insights as kind of just a fun little leaderboard thing but the bigger picture goal is to provide a free suite of tools to help folks improve seo posture. Right now i pull in data from google search console, similar web, ahrefs, and built with and provide that to users for free.
Eventually, i plan to incorporate more stuff here around like a "my website" dashboard where we centralize data from other tools such as google analytics, stripe, etc.
Like i mentioned before, I am pretty new to the seo thing so if anyone has cool ideas, favorite tools they are currently using or things that are super annoying/difficult to do right now, I would love to hear it and build it in!
Hi guys, I'm new to WordPress and almost done with my website. I'm currently learning more about SEO and saw many options like Yoast, RankMath, All in One SEO, and others. However, I don't have a budget for premium options and wanted to know which ones are the best free SEO plugins.
I'm looking for the best and free SEO tools to rank my website. Any advice would be appreciated.
Is there any free SEO tools?
Lately, I've been exploring Google Analytics, Google Search Console and SEMrush. Where can I practice for free?
There are many tools out there, and I have very limited time to study each day because of work, other activities, errands, and sleep. I also try to explore other tools. I just want something that I’m sure can be applied and has the same value as learning other SEO tools when I apply for an SEO position at a company.
Thanks in advance to those who will answer in detail! 🙂