hrefStack vs Koala (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, hrefStack and Koala share a 2.4 GPA, and only hrefStack has a free plan.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
hrefStack
AI content agent that writes, scores and publishes SEO articles
Koala
AI article writer with SERP analysis, internal links and an SEO agent
Which one is for you
Pick hrefStack if
- Fits if you're a small team that wants keyword gaps turned into published articles
- Works for sites on WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Ghost or Sanity
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, at 10,000 words a month, 2,000 per article and no research features
- Pricey if you need the API, custom prompts or team seats, which wait on Pro at $69 a month
- Watch out: allowances are counted in words, so long articles mean fewer of them
- Watch out: the AI agent and competitor gaps are listed only from Starter at $45 a month
Pick Koala if
- Fits if you run a blog or affiliate site and publish articles in volume
- Works for WordPress and Shopify sites that want drafts sent straight to the site
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as the free allowance is one-time
- Watch out: word allowances assume one model, and the others count double or triple
- Tight if you lean on the SEO agent, at 25 messages a month on Starter and 50 on Professional
- Pricey if you write for several brands, as each extra one is $29 a month
- Watch out: refunds come only within 15 days, and only if under 15,000 words and 100 credits were used
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAhrefStackFair | 2.4GPAKoalaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $45 a month for 100,000 words, right at this category's middle ($45), or $450 a year. Pro is $69 a month for unlimited words, the API and team collaboration. | CStarter is $25 a month for 45,000 words and 500 credits, between this category's cheaper quarter ($20) and its middle ($45). The SEO-scored editor, the Search Console dashboard and Deep Research start at Professional, $49. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan with no card: 10,000 words a month, articles up to 2,000 words, one at a time. No research features, so you'll hit the edge quickly. | CNo ongoing free plan. A new account gets a one-time 5,000 words and 25 credits with no card, which is enough for a look and not much more. |
| Features | BA Search Console agent, competitor keyword gaps, researched articles with tables, video and links, a six-part content score, scheduled publishing and daily ranking data. The whole job, though research starts at Starter. | BAn article writer working from the ranking pages, an SEO agent that plans from Search Console, automatic internal links, publishing to four CMSs, Amazon affiliate articles, an API and an MCP server. The whole job, though the scored editor starts at Professional. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You connect Search Console and a CMS, and allowances count words, not articles, so the monthly total depends on length. | CNo rating on record. There's Brand DNA to set up, Search Console and a CMS to connect, and words and credits counted separately. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with no desktop or phone app. It publishes to WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Webflow, Ghost, Sanity and Squarespace, reads Search Console and has an API on Pro. | BWeb, publishing to WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and Ghost, with Zapier, Make, Search Console, Analytics, an API and an MCP server. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | keyword gaps turned into published articles | AI blog articles published straight to your CMS |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: hrefStack and Koala. How we grade
Price against what you get
hrefStack starts at $45 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Koala starts at $25 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Koala starts $20 a month lower. Of the other SEO content tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than hrefStack for less, and 1 scores higher than Koala for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- hrefStack also covers rank tracking.
- Koala also covers internal linking.
At a glance
| hrefStack | Koala | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $45 per month for 100,000 words, billed monthly | $25 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | 10,000 words a month, up to 2,000 words an article, one article at a time, unlimited AI images and basic models. No research features; no card needed. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free account with a one-time 5,000 words and 25 credits, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | hrefStack Inc. | F5 Media, LLC |
| Price read from | hrefstack.com | koala.sh |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
hrefStack
- The free plan has no research features and caps articles at 2,000 words and 10,000 words a month.
- API access, custom prompts and team collaboration need the Pro plan.
- Allowances are counted in words, not articles, so the number of articles a month depends on their length.
- The AI agent and the research tools, competitor gaps included, are listed only from the Starter plan up.
Koala
- There is no ongoing free plan; new accounts get a one-time 5,000 words and 25 credits.
- Word allowances assume the GPT-6 Luna model; GPT-6.1 Sol and Claude Sonnet 5 count double and Claude Opus 5.5 triple.
- The SEO agent is capped at 25 messages a month on Starter and 50 on Professional; Boost removes the cap.
- Extra brands cost $29 a month each; refunds are given within 15 days only if under 15,000 words and 100 credits were used.
Key features
hrefStack
- Search Console agent
- Answers questions such as which pages are losing traffic with ranked findings from Search Console, articles and drafts, then proposes a fix to approve.
- Competitor keyword gaps
- Lists keywords a competitor's domain ranks for that the site does not, with volume, difficulty and a suggested move: create, refresh or cluster.
- Article generation
- Writes researched articles with a table of contents, comparison tables, an embedded video and internal and external links, in four length settings.
- Content scoring
- Scores each draft on readability, structure, keyword placement, depth, credibility and engagement, with what works and what to fix.
- Scheduled publishing
- Plans articles on a calendar and publishes to the connected CMS after approval, or on its own once the owner allows it.
- Ranking and traffic tracking
- Syncs Search Console every day to show clicks, impressions, average position and the queries each page already ranks for.
Koala
- KoalaWriter
- Drafts articles that cover the entities and terms shared by the ranking pages, with Deep Research sources from Professional, AI images and a bulk mode.
- Brand DNA and SEO agent
- Reads your website or Google Maps listing once, then plans topics from your Search Console and Analytics with built-in keyword, backlink and SERP data.
- Automatic internal linking
- KoalaWriter indexes your site and places internal links in each article; KoalaLinks adds links and schema markup across existing pages from Professional.
- One-click publishing
- Publishes drafts or finished posts to WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and Ghost, or anywhere else through webhooks for Zapier and Make.
- Amazon affiliate articles
- Writes product roundups and single-product reviews from live Amazon data, including product details and customer reviews.
- API and MCP server
- Every paid plan can write by API or connect an AI assistant to 62 SEO tools; research calls cost 0.1 to 4 credits each.
Plans
hrefStack
Free$0
10,000 words a month, articles up to 2,000 words, basic AI models and SEO checks, email support.
Starter$45
per month for 100,000 words, billed monthly
Articles up to 3,000 words, 5 at once, advanced models, research features and the AI agent. $450 a year billed annually.
Pro$69
per month for unlimited words, billed monthly
Articles up to 5,000 words, 10 at once, all premium models, full research, custom prompts, API access and team collaboration. $699 a year billed annually.
Koala
Starter$25
per month for 45,000 words, billed monthly
500 credits a month, 1 brand, 25 agent messages, bulk writing, publishing integrations, the API and MCP server.
Professional$49
per month for 100,000 words, billed monthly
1,000 credits, 50 agent messages, Search Console and Analytics dashboard, SEO-scored editor, Deep Research and KoalaLinks for 50 sites.
Boost$99
per month for 250,000 words, billed monthly
2,500 credits a month, the full Brand DNA experience with no agent message cap, and content calendar autopilot.
Growth$179
per month for 500,000 words, billed monthly
Everything in Boost with 5,000 credits a month and 3 brands.
Elite$350
per month for 1,000,000 words, billed monthly
Everything in Boost with 10,000 credits a month and 7 brands.
Advanced$500
per month for 1,500,000 words, billed monthly
Everything in Boost with 12,500 credits a month and 12 brands. Scale plans go on up to $2,000 a month.
Ways to pay less
hrefStack
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% with yearly billing
hrefStack's pricing page sells Starter at $450 a year and Pro at $699 a year, against $45 and $69 a month billed monthly.
Koala
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Koala's pricing page offers 20% off every plan with annual billing, with the whole year's words and credits given up front.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, hrefStack or Koala?
As of Oct 23, 2026, Koala is cheaper to start with: $25 a month, against $45 a month for hrefStack. hrefStack starts at $45 per month for 100,000 words, billed monthly, and Koala starts at $25 per month, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, hrefStack or Koala?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only hrefStack has a free plan. Koala does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.