META SEO inspector vs View Rendered Source (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, META SEO inspector grades higher than View Rendered Source: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
META SEO inspector grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
META SEO inspector
Free Chrome extension that lays out a page's hidden metadata
Free
View Rendered Source
Free Chrome extension comparing raw HTML with the rendered page
Free
Which one is for you
Pick META SEO inspector if
- Fits if you check titles, descriptions and social tags before a page goes live
- Works for teams that need the interface in a language other than English
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not on Chrome, as the developer names no other browser
- Too light for whole-site audits, since it inspects the page in front of you
- Not for you if you want search volumes or backlinks, which it doesn't show
- Watch out: the developer hasn't identified itself as a trader, so EU consumer rights don't apply
- Watch out: it's a one-person project, with requests and bug reports going by email or X
Pick View Rendered Source if
- Fits if you check what a JavaScript-heavy page looks like before and after rendering
- Works for developers testing prerendering or dynamic rendering for Googlebot
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: the last release, version 4.0, is from June 2023
- Skip it if you're not on Chrome, as there's no other version
- Too light for audits, since it compares one page's source and checks nothing else
- Not for you if you want a help page, as support is by X message to the developer
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMETA SEO inspectorVery good | 2.8GPAView Rendered SourceGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree with no account, logins or fees; the developer takes optional donations through PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. | AFree from the Chrome Web Store, with no paid version, account or sign-up mentioned anywhere in its listing. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free and there's no paid version, so nothing is held back. | AFree outright: raw, rendered and diff views and the Googlebot and mobile options, with nothing to upgrade to. |
| Features | CTitles and descriptions with length checks, canonicals, meta robots, H1 to H6, alt text, Open Graph and Twitter tags, JSON-LD and a new broken link checker. The basics, with no search volumes, rankings or backlink data. | DOne narrow function: raw against rendered source with the differences highlighted, as Googlebot or a mobile browser if you like. No tags, links, schema or search data, and no audit. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but no account and nothing to set up: click the icon, or dock it in the side panel, and the page's metadata is listed. | BNo rating on record, but nothing to set up: open a page, click the icon and the three views are there. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMade for Chrome, so computers only, with no Firefox, Safari or Edge version named. No integrations, though it links out to site testers. | CChrome only, so computers only, in English, with no website of its own and no integrations. Support is by X message to the developer. |
| Best for | a page's hidden metadata in a side panel | comparing raw HTML with the rendered page |
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: META SEO inspector and View Rendered Source. How we grade
Price against what you get
META SEO inspector has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. View Rendered Source has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
META SEO inspector scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other SEO browser extensions on the chart, none scores higher than META SEO inspector for less, and none scores higher than View Rendered Source 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
- META SEO inspector also covers schema markup.
In commonFree planBrowser extensionSite audit
At a glance
| META SEO inspector | View Rendered Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Completely free with no account, logins or fees; the developer accepts optional donations through PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. | Free to install from the Chrome Web Store; the listing mentions no paid version, account or sign-up. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Omiod (Andrea Doimo) | Peg Leg Ltd |
| Price read from | omiod.com | chromewebstore.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
META SEO inspector
- It is made for Chrome; the developer names no Firefox, Safari or Edge version.
- It inspects the page in front of you and does not crawl a whole site.
- The developer has not identified itself as a trader, so EU consumer rights do not apply, as the store listing notes.
- It is a one-person project; feature requests and bug reports go to the developer by email or X.
View Rendered Source
- The last release, version 4.0, dates from June 2023.
- It is listed for Chrome only, with an English interface and no website of its own; support is by X message to the developer.
- It compares sources for one page at a time and does not crawl or audit a site.
- The listing says the developer will not collect or use your data.
Key features
META SEO inspector
- Metadata with length checks
- Shows titles and descriptions with their character counts, canonicals and meta robots, and flags tags that are missing, cut off or too long.
- Headings and image alt text
- Lists the H1 to H6 headings in order and the ALT text of the page's images.
- Social tags and JSON-LD
- Displays Open Graph and Twitter tags and extracts the page's full JSON-LD schema in one click.
- Broken link checker
- A newly added checker tests the page's links; the store listing also counts internal and unique links.
- Docked side panel
- The inspector can stay open in Chrome's side panel while you browse, with dark or light and compact or comfortable themes.
- Exports and print reports
- Export meta values or a dataset, print a report, and jump to outside site testers and safety checkers from the panel.
View Rendered Source
- Raw source
- The HTML sent from the server before the DOM is built, as the browser's own View Source shows it, lightly formatted.
- Rendered source
- The page after it has been turned into a DOM, including every change JavaScript has made to it.
- Line-by-line difference
- Highlights each line that differs between the raw and rendered versions, showing what JavaScript added or changed.
- Googlebot and mobile requests
- Request the raw source as Googlebot to check dynamic rendering setups, or tick a box to emulate a mobile user agent for adaptive sites.
Plans
META SEO inspector
Free$0
Every feature, with no account needed; optional donations to the developer.
View Rendered Source
Free$0
Raw, rendered and difference views with Googlebot and mobile user-agent options, free from the Chrome Web Store.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, META SEO inspector or View Rendered Source?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both META SEO inspector and View Rendered Source are free to use.
Which has a free plan, META SEO inspector or View Rendered Source?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both META SEO inspector and View Rendered Source have a free plan.
More comparisons
- META SEO inspector vs Detailed SEO Extension
- META SEO inspector vs SEO META in 1 CLICK
- META SEO inspector vs SEOquake
- META SEO inspector vs HeadingsMap
- META SEO inspector vs SEO Pro Extension
- View Rendered Source vs SEO Minion
- View Rendered Source vs Web Developer
- View Rendered Source vs Detailed SEO Extension
- View Rendered Source vs Redirect Path
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.