SEO Tracer vs Sitebulb (2026): which should you pick?

Pick SEO Tracer if

• Fits if you work on a Mac and want a native crawler with no Java runtime
• Works for quick technical checks of a site from an iPhone or iPad

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it's Apple devices only
• Watch out: it needs macOS 15.6 or later, or iOS and iPadOS 18.6 or later
• Tight if you stay free, as each crawl session stops at 500 pages
• Watch out: App Store purchases are non-refundable except where the law or Apple's policies require
• Watch out: it obeys robots.txt by default, so blocked sections are skipped unless you switch the override on

Pick Sitebulb if

• Fits if you want each audit finding ranked by priority with an explanation of what to do
• Works for freelancers auditing sites under 10,000 URLs, from $180 a year on Lite

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if your site is big, as Lite stops at 10,000 URLs per audit and lacks scheduling, comparisons and several reports
• Pricey if you want it in the browser, as Sitebulb Cloud starts at $125 a month and needs at least 2 users
• Skip it if you need keyword research or rank tracking, as it only audits
• Watch out: desktop crawls depend on your computer; Pro's default cap is 500,000 URLs, and more users are from $11 a month each
• Watch out: there's no free plan after the 14-day trial, and paying by invoice or purchase order is for yearly plans only

SEO Tracer

• The free tier stops at 500 pages per crawl session; larger crawls need a Premium plan or Lifetime Access.
• Apple devices only: it needs macOS 15.6 or later, or iOS and iPadOS 18.6 or later, with no Windows, Linux or web version.
• Purchases go through the App Store, and the terms say they are non-refundable except where the law or Apple's policies require.
• Its crawler obeys robots.txt by default, so blocked sections are skipped unless you switch on the robots override.

Sitebulb

• Lite caps each audit at 10,000 URLs and lacks scheduling, comparisons and several report types.
• Desktop crawls are limited by the computer: Pro's default cap is 500,000 URLs, raisable to 2 million.
• Sitebulb Cloud is priced separately, from $125 a month, and needs at least 2 users.
• Purchase order and invoice payment is only for yearly plans.

SEO Tracer

On-page data from every crawled page

Collects titles, meta descriptions, H1 and H2 headings, canonicals, images, CSS and JavaScript, and flags missing titles and duplicate headings.

Broken links and status codes

Finds broken internal and external links, 4xx and 5xx errors and redirect chains, records server response times and filters pages by status code.

JavaScript rendering

Renders pages built with JavaScript before auditing them, and detects robots.txt files and sitemaps along the way.

Custom extraction and list mode

Pulls page data with CSS selectors, XPath or regular expressions, audits a pasted list of URLs, and reaches protected pages with HTTP Basic Auth or cookies.

Large crawls kept on the device

A database storage mode handles projects of 100,000+ pages. Crawl data stays local, and sessions move between Mac and iPhone or iPad as files.

Exports and issue help

Exports to CSV, HTML or PDF on the Mac, searches the downloaded HTML with text or regex, and explains each flagged issue with fix examples.

Sitebulb

Prioritized hints

Each audit flags issues against 100+ hints on Lite or 300+ on Pro, ranked by priority and explained in plain terms.

JavaScript crawling

Render JavaScript-heavy sites during a crawl on every plan, at no extra cost.

Audit comparison and scheduling

On Pro, compare audits to see what changed and schedule audits to run automatically, with auto-export to Google Sheets.

Crawl maps and reports

See site structure as visual crawl maps, and on Pro produce customized PDF reports for clients.

Pro-only checks

Pro adds performance and mobile, structured data, hreflang, spelling, accessibility and AMP reports.

MCP access

Connect audits to Claude, ChatGPT and other AI tools through Sitebulb's MCP server, included on every plan.

SEO Tracer

• Free$0

  Up to 500 pages per crawl session on Mac, iPhone or iPad.

• Monthly Premium$4.99

  per month

  Unlimited crawling and the Pro features, billed monthly through the App Store.

• Yearly Premium$44.99

  per year

  The same unlimited crawling and Pro features, billed once a year through the App Store.

• Lifetime Access$129.99

  one-time

  Unlimited crawling and the Pro features for a single payment, with no renewal.

Sitebulb

• Lite$18

  per month, billed monthly

  Desktop, 1 user, 10,000 URLs per audit, 100+ hints, JavaScript crawling, crawl maps and GA, GSC and Sheets integration.

• Pro$42

  per month, billed monthly

  Desktop price for 1 user; more users from $11 a month each. 500,000 URLs per audit, 300+ hints, scheduling, comparisons, PDF reports.

• Sitebulb Cloud$125

  per month and up, billed monthly

  Browser-based cloud crawling for 2+ users, no project limits, recurring crawls and Data Studio integration.

SEO Tracer

• Annual discount

  About 25% less with the yearly plan

  On the US App Store, Yearly Premium costs $44.99 a year, against $59.88 for twelve months of Monthly Premium at $4.99.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Access for a one-time $129.99

  The App Store listing sells Lifetime Access as a single in-app purchase of $129.99, and the terms describe it as a one-time lifetime purchase.

Sitebulb

• Annual discount

  Save 15% with yearly plans

  Paid yearly, Lite is $180 a year and Pro $425 for 1 user, with extra users at $115.60 a year; Sitebulb Cloud starts at $1,500 a year.