SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch vs SEOquake (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick SEOquake: it is first in our ranking of SEO browser extensions, and it grades higher too, 3.2 against 2.8.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
SEOquake 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.
SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch
Free Chrome extension for Google searches as seen from anywhere
Free
SEOquake
Free Semrush extension for page audits and metrics in Google results
Free
Which one is for you
Pick SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch if
- Fits if you need to see where a site ranks in another country or city now and then
- Works for agencies showing a client local Google results without a VPN
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need Bing or another engine, as it covers Google only
- Tight if you search a lot, as heavy use runs into Google rate limits or captchas
- Too light for tracking, since saved searches and rank history need Nightwatch's separate paid tracker
- Watch out: it's Chrome only, and the last update was version 1.3.1 in March 2025
Pick SEOquake if
- Fits if you check a rival's traffic and backlink figures while you browse
- Works for reading Semrush figures for every result on a Google search page
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: the traffic and backlink figures are Semrush estimates, not data from your own analytics
- Skip it if you use Firefox, where the version is 3.9.9 from December 2022 against 4.3.0 on Chrome
- Tight if you won't make a Semrush account, as Authority Score, referring domains and Traffic Analytics need one
- Not for you if you want the interface in a language other than English
How we grade them
| 2.8GPASEO Search Simulator by NightwatchGood | 3.2GPASEOquakeVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree with no login. A Nightwatch account adds saved searches and rank history, but the simulator itself costs nothing. | AFree from Semrush, with no paid tier for the extension. Core reports and the built-in Semrush figures work with no account at all. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright: searches from what Nightwatch counts as 107,000+ locations, on any Google domain and language, with recent searches kept and no account. | AFree outright. Authority Score, referring domains and Traffic Analytics need a Semrush account, but a free one is enough. |
| Features | DOne narrow function: unpersonalized Google results from any country, city and language, with recent searches kept. No other search engine, no page checks and no tracking over time. | BTitle, meta, headings, canonical and indexability with an audit, Semrush figures under every Google result in any country, AI Overview sources, links with follow status and HTTP codes, keyword density and domain comparison. That covers the whole job here. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but nothing to set up: no account, no VPN and no private window, just pick a place and search. | BNo rating on record, but nothing to set up: Quick View works on the first page you open, with no account. |
| Platforms and integrations | CChrome only, so computers only, in English, working on Google Search and linked to Nightwatch's own tracker. | CChrome and Firefox, so computers only, and the Firefox version lags far behind. It works on Google Search and draws on Semrush, and nothing else is listed. |
| Best for | Google results as seen from another city | Semrush figures on Google results and pages |
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: SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch and SEOquake. How we grade
Price against what you get
SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SEOquake has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
SEOquake scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other SEO browser extensions on the chart, none scores higher than SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch for less, and none scores higher than SEOquake 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
- SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch also covers keyword research and rank tracking.
- SEOquake also covers site audit, backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
In commonFree planBrowser extension
At a glance
| SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch | SEOquake | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The extension is free and works with no login; a Nightwatch account adds saved searches, rank history and multi-location monitoring. | The extension is free and its core reports work without an account; connecting a free Semrush account adds Authority Score, referring domains and Traffic Analytics. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Nightwatch | Semrush Inc. |
| Price read from | nightwatch.io | chromewebstore.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch
- It covers Google only, according to Nightwatch's FAQ.
- Heavy use can run into Google rate limits or captchas, as the store listing warns; Nightwatch points such users to its paid app.
- Saved searches, rank history and ongoing monitoring need a Nightwatch account and its rank tracker, sold separately.
- It is listed for Chrome only, with an English interface; the last update was version 1.3.1 in March 2025.
SEOquake
- Authority Score, referring domains and Traffic Analytics need a Semrush account, though a free one is enough.
- The Firefox version is much older: 3.9.9, last updated in December 2022, against 4.3.0 on Chrome in October 2026.
- Its traffic and backlink figures are Semrush estimates, not data from your own analytics.
- The Chrome Web Store lists the interface in English only.
Key features
SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch
- Search from any location
- Pick a country, a language and a city to see the Google results a searcher there gets; Nightwatch counts over 107,000 locations.
- No personalization
- Results are not shaped by your IP address, browsing history or Google account, so you see a neutral ranking.
- No VPN or incognito needed
- Location targeting is passed to Google with the query, so there is no need for a VPN, cleared cookies or a private window.
- Recent searches
- The simulator keeps a list of recent searches with their country and language so they can be run again.
- Any Google domain and language
- Searches can run on any Google country domain and in local languages, to check international SEO.
SEOquake
- Quick View and page audit
- Shows the title, meta description, headings, canonical, indexability and word count, then audits content, mobile and technical issues such as hreflang and alt text.
- SERP Overlay
- Puts position numbers and Semrush metrics under each organic Google result, in the country and language you pick, with CSV export.
- AI Overview sources
- Shows which pages a Google AI Overview cites and compares them by Semrush traffic and backlink figures.
- SEObar
- A toolbar on the page that keeps chosen metrics, such as traffic estimates and backlink counts, in view while you browse.
- Link and keyword density reports
- Lists internal and external links with anchor text, follow status and HTTP codes, and counts phrases of one to four words.
- URL and domain comparison
- Compares several URLs or domains side by side on Semrush traffic, backlink and other metrics; audits export as PDF.
Plans
SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch
Free$0
Location and language search simulation on Google with no account needed, free from the Chrome Web Store.
SEOquake
Free$0
Quick View, Full Report, SERP Overlay, SEObar and the built-in Semrush metrics, with more metrics after a free Semrush sign-in.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch or SEOquake?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch and SEOquake are free to use.
Which has a free plan, SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch or SEOquake?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch and SEOquake have a free plan.
More comparisons
- SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch vs SEO Minion
- SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch vs MST SERP Counter
- SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch vs Nightwatch
- SEO Search Simulator by Nightwatch vs Detailed SEO Extension
- SEOquake vs Detailed SEO Extension
- SEOquake vs SEO Minion
- SEOquake vs Keyword Surfer
- SEOquake vs SEO Pro Extension
- SEOquake vs Semrush
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.