Robots Exclusion Checker 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 3.0.
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.
Robots Exclusion Checker
Free Chrome extension that flags robots rules blocking a page
Free
SEOquake
Free Semrush extension for page audits and metrics in Google results
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Robots Exclusion Checker if
- Fits if you need to know why a page isn't being crawled or indexed
- Works for checking at a glance whether a site blocks AI crawlers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're not on Chrome, as no other browser is named
- Too light for whole-site audits, since it reports on the URL open in the browser
- Not for you if you want the interface in a language beyond English, German, Spanish and French
- Watch out: the developer hasn't identified itself as a trader, so EU consumer rights don't apply
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
| 3.0GPARobots Exclusion CheckerVery good | 3.2GPASEOquakeVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree from the Chrome Web Store, with no account and no paid version listed. | 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: all six checks, the user-agent switcher and link highlighting, with nothing to upgrade to. | AFree outright. Authority Score, referring domains and Traffic Analytics need a Semrush account, but a free one is enough. |
| Features | CRobots.txt rules highlighted, meta robots and X-Robots-Tag, canonical mismatch warnings, 14 AI bots from 6 companies, nofollow, ugc and sponsored links, and Googlebot or Bing user-agents. It does indexing checks fully, a smaller job, with no headings or search data. | 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: the icon turns red, amber or green on the next page you load. | 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, with no Firefox, Safari or Edge version named and no integrations. | 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 | finding what stops a page being indexed | 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: Robots Exclusion Checker and SEOquake. How we grade
Price against what you get
Robots Exclusion Checker has no paid plan and scores 2.3 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 Robots Exclusion Checker 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
- SEOquake also covers backlink analysis.
In commonFree planBrowser extensionSite auditAI search visibility
At a glance
| Robots Exclusion Checker | SEOquake | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole extension is a free install from the Chrome Web Store, with no account and no paid version listed. | 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 | checkrobots.com | Semrush Inc. |
| Price read from | chromewebstore.google.com | chromewebstore.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Robots Exclusion Checker
- It is listed for Chrome only; the store listing names no Firefox, Safari or Edge version.
- It reports on the URL open in the browser, one page at a time, rather than auditing a whole site.
- The developer has not identified itself as a trader, so EU consumer rights do not apply, as the store listing notes.
- The interface comes in English, German, Spanish and French only.
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
Robots Exclusion Checker
- Robots.txt rule finder
- When an Allow or Disallow rule affects the current URL, it shows that rule and the full robots.txt with the rule highlighted.
- Meta robots and X-Robots-Tag
- Flags index, noindex, follow and nofollow directives in the HTML and in the HTTP header, and shows the full header with exclusions marked.
- AI bot check
- Checks robots.txt against 14 AI bots from 6 companies, covering training, search indexing and live browsing, and adds an AI label to the icon when any are blocked.
- Canonical mismatch warnings
- Reads canonical tags from the HTML head and the HTTP header and turns the icon amber when the canonical URL differs from the current one.
- Nofollow, UGC and sponsored links
- Optionally highlights links with those rel values on the page, in colors you choose; off by default on new installs.
- Search engine user-agents
- Simulate what Googlebot, Googlebot News, Bing or Yahoo may access, chosen in settings. 404 pages are flagged in red.
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
Robots Exclusion Checker
Free$0
All six checks, the user-agent switcher and link highlighting, 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, Robots Exclusion Checker or SEOquake?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both Robots Exclusion Checker and SEOquake are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Robots Exclusion Checker or SEOquake?
As of Oct 23, 2026, both Robots Exclusion Checker and SEOquake have a free plan.
More comparisons
- Robots Exclusion Checker vs Detailed SEO Extension
- Robots Exclusion Checker vs META SEO inspector
- Robots Exclusion Checker vs NoFollow
- Robots Exclusion Checker vs Redirect Path
- 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.