WP Meta SEO vs Yoast SEO (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 23, 2026, Yoast SEO grades higher than WP Meta SEO: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
WP Meta SEO grades higher on value for money. Yoast SEO grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
WP Meta SEO
WordPress SEO plugin built around bulk meta and image editing
Yoast SEO
WordPress SEO plugin with content analysis, schema and sitemaps
Which one is for you
Pick WP Meta SEO if
- Fits if you need meta titles and descriptions filled in across hundreds of posts
- Works for sites with big image libraries missing alt text
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as the free edition closed in June 2026 and there's no trial
- Watch out: $49 covers one year of updates and support, and the page gives no renewal price
- Watch out: refunds are only for problems support can't fix, not a change of mind or a missing feature
- Skip it if you need schema beyond local business markup, as no other type is on record
- Skip it if your site isn't on WordPress, as it runs nowhere else
Pick Yoast SEO if
- Fits if your site runs on WordPress and you want SEO checks shown while you write
- Works for writers who want readability notes next to the SEO ones
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your site isn't on WordPress, as Yoast for Shopify and the Google Docs add-on are separate products
- Tight if you stay free, since redirects, link suggestions and AI drafts all need Premium
- Pricey if you run several sites, as each needs its own $118.80 a year and bulk discounts start at 5
- Watch out: AI Brand Insights on AI+ checks 5 questions once a week, and another brand means another $358.80
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAWP Meta SEOFair | 2.6GPAYoast SEOGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$49 once covers unlimited sites, with a year of updates and support and no recurring charge. That's less than a year of this category's middle price, though the page doesn't say what another year of updates costs. | CPremium is $118.80 a year for one site before VAT, about $9.90 a month, a bit above this category's cheaper quarter ($8.25). WooCommerce SEO is $178.80 and AI+ is $358.80, each for one site or brand. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free. The WordPress.org edition closed on June 17, 2026, there's no trial, and refunds within 30 days only apply when support can't fix a problem. | BThe free plugin writes meta tags, canonicals, sitemaps, schema, breadcrumbs and llms.txt, and checks one keyphrase per post. One site could run on it, but redirects, link suggestions and AI drafts aren't in it at all. |
| Features | CBulk meta and image editing, XML and HTML sitemaps, a 404 and redirect manager, breadcrumbs, local business markup and Search Console keyword hints. The gaps: the only schema on record is local business, and there's no content scoring. | BContent and readability checks, meta tags, schema, sitemaps, redirects, internal link suggestions, Local, Video and News SEO, and an AI crawler blocker. It covers the whole job, with redirects and links on Premium only. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. The bulk editor puts every post on one screen, but the keyword hints and stats need Search Console and Analytics connected. | CNo rating on record. It sits in the WordPress admin, but each post needs a keyphrase set before the checks tell you much, and there are site-wide settings to go through first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, inside WordPress. It connects to Search Console and Google Analytics, works in Gutenberg, Elementor and Divi, and imports meta from Yoast SEO and All in One SEO. | BWeb only, inside WordPress, with no app of its own. It works with Semrush, Wincher, Elementor, Site Kit, WooCommerce, Advanced Custom Fields, Algolia and Jetpack. The Shopify version is a separate product. |
| Best for | editing meta and image details in bulk | SEO checks inside the WordPress editor |
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: WP Meta SEO and Yoast SEO. How we grade
Where they differ
- WP Meta SEO also covers reports and web analytics.
- Yoast SEO also covers AI search visibility and internal linking.
At a glance
| WP Meta SEO | Yoast SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49 one-time, with 1 year of updates and support, unlimited sites | $118.80 per year for 1 site, ex VAT |
| Free plan | None | Free plugin from WordPress.org: SEO and readability analysis for one keyphrase, meta tags, canonicals, XML sitemaps, schema, breadcrumbs, llms.txt and a bulk metadata editor. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | JoomUnited | Yoast BV |
| Price read from | joomunited.com | yoast.com |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
WP Meta SEO
- Runs only inside WordPress. The free WordPress.org edition was closed on June 17, 2026, and the changelog says it was merged into Pro.
- The $49 covers one year of updates and support; the pricing section does not give a renewal price.
- Refunds within 30 days are given only when support cannot fix a problem, not for a change of mind or a missing feature.
- A $199 JoomUnited bundle of every WordPress plugin is sold beside it.
Yoast SEO
- It runs only inside WordPress; Yoast SEO for Shopify and the Google Docs add-on are separate products.
- Each paid subscription covers one site, billed yearly before VAT; bulk discounts start at 5 subscriptions bought together.
- Redirects, internal linking suggestions and AI drafting need Premium; the free plugin has none of them.
- AI Brand Insights runs one weekly analysis of 5 questions per brand, with no extra runs; another brand needs another subscription.
Key features
WP Meta SEO
- Bulk meta editor
- Lists every post, page and custom post type so meta titles and descriptions can be edited in one place, with a checker for duplicates.
- Image SEO
- Edits image file names, alt text, titles, captions and descriptions in bulk, and swaps images shrunk in HTML for files at the size shown.
- 404 and redirect manager
- Crawls content for broken links, counts 404 hits per URL, adds redirects in one click or by rule, and can email a report of new errors.
- XML and HTML sitemaps
- Builds sitemaps from menus, posts, pages and custom post types, submits them to Google Search Console and checks their links.
- Google Search Console and Analytics
- Suggests keywords from Search Console data while a page is being edited, and shows Google Analytics stats inside WordPress.
- Page builders and imports
- Works in Gutenberg, Elementor and Divi, and can import existing meta from Yoast SEO and All in One SEO.
Yoast SEO
- Content and readability analysis
- Red, orange and green ratings in the editor for SEO and readability. The free plugin checks one keyphrase; Premium checks up to five, with word forms in 20+ languages.
- Technical SEO and schema
- Writes meta tags, canonical URLs, XML sitemaps, breadcrumbs and Schema.org data automatically. Premium outputs more schema types and joins them into one graph.
- AI metadata drafts
- Premium drafts SEO titles and meta descriptions page by page or in bulk, and nothing saves until it is approved. There is no separate AI subscription or credit pack.
- Redirects and internal links
- Premium prompts for a redirect when a page is moved or deleted, imports redirects by CSV, suggests internal links while writing and finds orphaned posts.
- AI crawler controls
- Manages an llms.txt file on every plan; Premium adds a bot blocker for AI training crawlers such as GPTBot, CCBot and Google-Extended.
- AI Brand Insights
- On the AI+ plan, a weekly report on whether 5 set questions in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity mention the brand, with sentiment, citations and competitor ranking.
Plans
WP Meta SEO
Pro Addon$49
one-time, with 1 year of updates and support, unlimited sites
Every feature on any number of domains and multisite networks, with a year of updates and support and no recurring payment.
Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO$0
The free WordPress.org plugin: content and readability analysis, meta tags, sitemaps, schema, breadcrumbs and llms.txt.
Yoast SEO Premium$118.80
per year for 1 site, ex VAT
AI titles and descriptions, 5 keyphrases per page, redirect manager, internal linking, Local, Video and News SEO plugins and 24/7 support.
Yoast WooCommerce SEO$178.80
per year for 1 site, ex VAT
Everything in Premium plus product schema, product content checks, store sitemaps, canonicals and AI metadata for products.
Yoast SEO AI+$358.80
per year for 1 brand, ex VAT
WooCommerce SEO plus AI Brand Insights: a weekly check of 5 brand questions in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity, with sentiment and citations.
Ways to pay less
WP Meta SEO
- Other savings
WordPress Bundle of every JoomUnited plugin
JoomUnited's bundle includes WP Meta SEO and its other WordPress plugins for unlimited sites with a year of support and updates, listed at $199 instead of $421.
Yoast SEO
- Other savings
Bulk discount from 5 subscriptions
Yoast takes 5% off 5 or more subscriptions of the same product bought in one order, rising to 40% off 75 or more; 100 or more is quoted.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, WP Meta SEO or Yoast SEO?
As of Oct 23, 2026, WP Meta SEO starts at $49 one-time, with 1 year of updates and support, unlimited sites, and Yoast SEO starts at $118.80 per year for 1 site, ex VAT.
Which has a free plan, WP Meta SEO or Yoast SEO?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only Yoast SEO has a free plan. WP Meta SEO does not.
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.