The cognitiveSEO Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about cognitiveSEO in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
cognitiveSEO
The Insider’s Guide
SEO suite for backlink audits, rank tracking and content optimization
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SEO tools, read from cognitiveSEO’s own pages.
Made by GESKIMO SRL · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from cognitiveSEO’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on cognitiveSEO’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 4 of the 64 other SEO tools we grade
cognitiveSEO is a web-based SEO suite covering site audits, backlink analysis, rank tracking, keyword research and content optimization. Its Unnatural Link Detection flags risky backlinks for Google penalty recovery and disavow work. Plans are priced by campaigns, tracked keywords and backlinks analyzed per site, and only the Starter plan has a free trial.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about cognitiveSEO, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Link audits and disavow work assume you know what you're looking at, and campaigns take setting up.
- 1
Best for backlink audits and Google penalty recovery
cognitiveSEO is a web SEO suite whose Unnatural Link Detection flags backlinks that risk a Google penalty, for audits and disavow files, alongside site audits, city-level rank tracking and content scoring.
- 2
Paid plans start at $89 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $89 per month, billed annually ($129.99 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial of the Starter plan; a card or PayPal account is required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Site Audit
Crawls the pages of a site, lists technical problems with fixes, and checks speed through Google PageSpeed. JavaScript crawling starts at Premium.
- 6
Backlink analysis
Crawls and classifies the links pointing at your site and your rivals', from 200,000 backlinks per site on Starter to 3 million on Elite.
- 7
Unnatural Link Detection
Flags backlinks likely to draw a Google penalty, for link audits, disavow files and penalty recovery. Included on every plan.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 4 of 64
That is against the other SEO tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace cognitiveSEO you would be making an index of the links between billions of web pages. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
cognitiveSEO at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $89 per month, billed annually ($129.99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of the Starter plan; a card or PayPal account is required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- GESKIMO SRL, since 2011
- Category
- SEO Tools
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for backlink audits and Google penalty recovery
cognitiveSEO is a web SEO suite whose Unnatural Link Detection flags backlinks that risk a Google penalty, for audits and disavow files, alongside site audits, city-level rank tracking and content scoring. But it starts at $89 a month on a 12-month contract, the only trial covers Starter and needs a card or PayPal, white label waits for Premium, and AI answer tracking is a separate product.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter is $89 a month on a 12-month contract, or $129.99 billed monthly, for 5 campaigns, 2 users and 1,500 keywords. The yearly price sits at the edge of this category's dearer quarter; paying monthly puts it in the dearest tenth. |
| Free plan and trial | D | No free plan, and the 7-day trial of Starter needs a card or PayPal account up front. You can cancel before it ends, but it's not a no-strings look. |
| Features | C | Site audits, backlink analysis with penalty-risk detection, rank tracking by city, content scoring and automated reports. The gaps the listing names: no AI answer tracking, which is a separate product, and Starter has no JavaScript crawling or white label. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. Link audits and disavow work assume you know what you're looking at, and campaigns take setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with Google Analytics and PageSpeed Insights as its two integrations and an API for link, ranking and social data. The pricing table puts the API on Elite, the API page says Premium and up. No desktop or phone app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who cognitiveSEO is for
- Fits if you're cleaning up a backlink profile after a Google penalty
- Works for consultants who audit other people's links for a living
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you'd rather not give a card for a trial, as the 7-day Starter trial needs a card or PayPal
- Skip it if you want AI answer tracking, which the maker sells separately as BrandMentions
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $129.99 against $89 on a 12-month contract
- Tight if you need white label or JavaScript crawling, which start at Premium at $199 a month
- Watch out: the pricing table puts the API on Elite only, while the API page says Premium and up
Good to know
Good for
- SEO consultants auditing backlink profiles and recovering from Google penalties
- Agencies sending white-label reports for several client campaigns
- Tracking Google rankings by city on desktop and mobile
Worth knowing
- Starter has no white-label reports, JavaScript crawling or success manager; those start at Premium.
- The pricing table lists API access on Elite only, while the API page says it comes with Premium and up.
- Yearly prices are 12-month contracts, and the trial needs a card or PayPal account up front.
- AI visibility and brand-mention tracking are not in these plans; the maker sells them as a separate product, BrandMentions.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$89
A month to start
cognitiveSEO is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $89 per month, billed annually ($129.99 billed monthly).
The yearly price sits at the edge of this category's dearer quarter; paying monthly puts it in the dearest tenth.
Starter
$89
per month, billed annually ($129.99 billed monthly)
5 campaigns, 2 users, 1,500 tracked keywords, 200,000 backlinks analyzed per site and 150 content audit credits. No white label.
Premium
$199
per month, billed monthly (yearly view shows $209 a month)
10 campaigns, 5 users, 4,500 keywords, 1 million backlinks per site, white label and JavaScript crawling. Shown against a crossed-out $299.
Elite
$349
per month, billed annually ($499 billed monthly)
25 campaigns, 10 users, 13,500 keywords, 3 million backlinks per site, 1,000 content audit credits, API access and a success manager.
Trying it first
7-day free trial of the Starter plan; a card or PayPal account is required
Read from cognitiveseo.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save about 30% with yearly billing
The pricing page's yearly toggle says save 30%: Starter is $89 a month on a 12-month contract instead of $129.99 billed monthly, and Elite $349 instead of $499.
Stated on cognitiveseo.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
SEO suite for backlink audits, rank tracking and content optimization. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, reports, keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, backlink analysis, content optimization.
Site audits, backlink analysis with penalty-risk detection, rank tracking by city, content scoring and automated reports.
- Site Audit
- Crawls the pages of a site, lists technical problems with fixes, and checks speed through Google PageSpeed. JavaScript crawling starts at Premium.
- Backlink analysis
- Crawls and classifies the links pointing at your site and your rivals', from 200,000 backlinks per site on Starter to 3 million on Elite.
- Unnatural Link Detection
- Flags backlinks likely to draw a Google penalty, for link audits, disavow files and penalty recovery. Included on every plan.
- Rank Tracker
- Tracks Google rankings on desktop and mobile by country, language and city, daily or weekly, for 1,500 to 13,500 keywords per account.
- Content optimization
- A content assistant that combines keyword research, a look at the pages that rank and a content score, paid for with 150 to 1,000 audit credits.
- Reports and API
- Automated marketing reports on every plan, white label from Premium, and an API for link, ranking and social data.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Analytics
- Google PageSpeed Insights
cognitiveSEO is made by GESKIMO SRL, and has been around since 2011.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/64
Other SEO tools it is graded above
cognitiveSEO's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 4 of the 64 other SEO tools we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 15 of 64) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 9).
Its paid plans start at $89 a month, against a middle price of $39 for the category: 45 of the 56 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 13 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 65 SEO tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. cognitiveSEO’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 11 of 64
- DFree plan and trialAbove 9 of 64
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 64
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 64
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 64
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 57 SEO tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. cognitiveSEO is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace cognitiveSEO you would be making an index of the links between billions of web pages. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 45 of the 64 other SEO tools grade higher. It costs $1,068 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An index of the links between billions of web pages.
- Search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
- A crawler that checks every page of a site.
- Daily checks of where your pages rank in search results.
- A score built from what the top results for each keyword cover.
- It plugs into other products, Google Analytics and Google PageSpeed Insights among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. cognitiveSEO’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Semrush, Ahrefs, SE Ranking, SEO PowerSuite and Moz Pro
The 5 tools cognitiveSEO is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Semrush
Free plan · from $117.33/mo
SEO suite for keyword research, rank tracking and AI search visibility.
- Semrush has a free plan. cognitiveSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
- cognitiveSEO also covers content optimization.
- 2.0GPA
Ahrefs
Free plan · from $29/mo
SEO toolset for backlinks, keyword research, audits and rank tracking.
- Ahrefs has a free plan. cognitiveSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Ahrefs lists a browser extension.
- cognitiveSEO also covers reports and content optimization.
- 2.2GPA
SE Ranking
Free trial · from $103.20/mo
SEO platform for rank tracking, audits, research and AI visibility.
- cognitiveSEO also covers content optimization.
- 2.4GPA
SEO PowerSuite
Free plan · from $19.95/mo
Four desktop SEO apps for rankings, audits, backlinks and outreach.
- SEO PowerSuite has a free plan. cognitiveSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only cognitiveSEO lists a web app.
- Only SEO PowerSuite lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- 1.8GPA
Moz Pro
Free plan · from $49/mo
SEO toolkit for keyword and link research, site crawls and rankings.
- Moz Pro has a free plan. cognitiveSEO does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Moz Pro lists a browser extension.
- cognitiveSEO also covers reports and content optimization.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is cognitiveSEO free?
No, cognitiveSEO is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial of the Starter plan; a card or PayPal account is required.
How much does cognitiveSEO cost?
cognitiveSEO lists 3 plans. Starter: $89 per month, billed annually ($129.99 billed monthly).
What platforms does cognitiveSEO work on?
cognitiveSEO is available on Web.
Does cognitiveSEO offer any discounts?
cognitiveSEO publicly lists the following: Save about 30% with yearly billing.
Does cognitiveSEO have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. cognitiveSEO is listed for Web.
Does cognitiveSEO have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. cognitiveSEO is listed for Web.
Is cognitiveSEO open source?
cognitiveSEO is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does cognitiveSEO have an API?
Yes. cognitiveSEO offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does cognitiveSEO integrate with?
cognitiveSEO's listing names Google Analytics and Google PageSpeed Insights.
Who makes cognitiveSEO?
cognitiveSEO is made by GESKIMO SRL. It dates from 2011.
What are the alternatives to cognitiveSEO?
The closest alternatives to cognitiveSEO in our directory are Semrush, Ahrefs, SE Ranking, SEO PowerSuite and Moz Pro.
How does cognitiveSEO compare with other SEO tools?
cognitiveSEO's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 4 of the 64 other SEO tools we grade, and level with 15.
Is cognitiveSEO good value for money?
ToolGPA grades cognitiveSEO C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $89 a month, against a middle price of $39 for the category: 45 of the 56 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of cognitiveSEO?
To replace cognitiveSEO you would be making an index of the links between billions of web pages.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from cognitiveSEO’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from cognitiveSEO's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by GESKIMO SRL. Prices change, so check cognitiveseo.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- cognitiveSEO, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/cognitiveseo
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "cognitiveSEO: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/cognitiveseo
Know someone choosing between SEO tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/cognitiveseo/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded SEO tools after cognitiveSEO, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- SEO Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 65 SEO tools we grade, compared
- Rank Math Insider's GuideWordPress SEO plugin for meta tags, schema, sitemaps and rank tracking3.0 GPA
- Keywords Everywhere Insider's GuideBrowser extension that shows search volume on the sites you browse2.8 GPA
- NeuronWriter Insider's GuideContent editor that scores drafts against the pages already ranking2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what cognitiveSEO’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. cognitiveSEO is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by GESKIMO SRL. Prices and plans change: check cognitiveseo.com before you buy.