The LibreCrawl Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about LibreCrawl 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.
LibreCrawl
The Insider’s Guide
Free open-source SEO crawler you run in your own browser
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among technical SEO tools, read from LibreCrawl’s own pages.
Made by PhialsBasement · 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 LibreCrawl’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on LibreCrawl’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
2.6
GPA, above 56 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade
LibreCrawl is an MIT-licensed SEO crawler built as a Python web application that you install on your own computer or server and use in a browser. It audits titles, links, redirects, schema markup, hreflang, canonicals and page speed, can render JavaScript sites with Playwright, and has no URL limit. Several people can crawl at once in separate sessions, and plugins add new tabs.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about LibreCrawl, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Sharing it on a network means setting a secret key and turning sign-in on.
- 1
Best for free crawls with no URL cap on your own machine
But there's no hosted version, setup means Docker or Python, and it's one developer's project, with bugs and requests handled on GitHub.
- 2
It is free
LibreCrawl has no paid plan at all. Free and open source under the MIT license with no URL limit; the project says it will never have paid tiers or subscriptions.
- 3
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 4
Technical SEO checks
Finds broken links, redirect chains and loops, duplicate content, title and meta problems, schema errors, hreflang and canonical issues, and missing alt text.
- 5
JavaScript rendering
Uses Playwright and Chromium to crawl React, Vue, Angular and Next.js sites, in headless mode for speed or headed mode for debugging.
- 6
Large crawls
No URL cap; memory profiling and virtual scrolling are there to keep crawls of a million or more URLs stable, with the limit set by your hardware.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 56 of 83
That is against the other technical SEO tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
LibreCrawl is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
LibreCrawl at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- PhialsBasement
- Category
- Technical SEO & Site Audits
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for free crawls with no URL cap on your own machine
LibreCrawl is a free, MIT-licensed crawler you install yourself and use in a browser, with JavaScript rendering, no URL limit, exports and a REST API. But there's no hosted version, setup means Docker or Python, and it's one developer's project, with bugs and requests handled on GitHub.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free under MIT with no URL limit, and the project says it will never have paid tiers. It runs on your own computer with Docker or Python, so there's nothing to rent for a crawl. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Every feature is free, including JavaScript rendering, unlimited exports and multi-user sessions. The only limit on crawl size is your hardware. |
| Features | C | Broken links, redirect chains, duplicates, titles and meta, schema, hreflang, canonicals and alt text, with Playwright rendering, PageSpeed data and plugins. The gaps: no scheduled crawls, crawl comparison or Search Console data on record. |
| Ease of use | D | No rating on record. You install it with Docker or Python 3.8 or later, and on Windows the startup script's automatic Python install is turned off for now. Sharing it on a network means setting a secret key and turning sign-in on. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Windows, Mac and Linux, used through a browser on the machine running it, with a REST API, PageSpeed Insights and Playwright. A program for computers only: no hosted or phone version. |
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 LibreCrawl is for
- Fits if you want a crawler with no URL limit and no licence fee
- Works for agencies hosting one crawler for a whole team on their own server
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't want to install anything, as there's no hosted version and the demo is down
- Watch out: on Windows the automatic Python install is off, so you need Docker or a manual setup
- Not for you if you'll put it on a shared network as it comes, since it runs without sign-in by default
- Watch out: one developer maintains it with outside help, and support goes through GitHub
Good to know
Good for
- SEOs who want a crawler with no URL limit and no licence fee
- Agencies hosting one crawler for a whole team
- Developers auditing JavaScript-heavy sites
Worth knowing
- There is no hosted version: you install it with Docker or Python 3.8 or later, and the public demo has been taken down.
- On Windows the startup script's automatic Python install is temporarily disabled, so Docker or a manual Python setup is needed.
- It runs in local mode without sign-in by default; sharing it on a network means setting a secret key and turning authentication on.
- It is maintained by one developer, PhialsBasement, with outside contributors; bugs and feature requests go through GitHub.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
LibreCrawl is free to use.
Free under MIT with no URL limit, and the project says it will never have paid tiers.
Free
$0
The full crawler, which you install and host yourself with Docker or Python. Every feature is included.
The free plan
Free and open source under the MIT license with no URL limit; the project says it will never have paid tiers or subscriptions.
Read from librecrawl.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and Linux
Free open-source SEO crawler you run in your own browser. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, site audit.
The gaps: no scheduled crawls, crawl comparison or Search Console data on record.
- Technical SEO checks
- Finds broken links, redirect chains and loops, duplicate content, title and meta problems, schema errors, hreflang and canonical issues, and missing alt text.
- JavaScript rendering
- Uses Playwright and Chromium to crawl React, Vue, Angular and Next.js sites, in headless mode for speed or headed mode for debugging.
- Large crawls
- No URL cap; memory profiling and virtual scrolling are there to keep crawls of a million or more URLs stable, with the limit set by your hardware.
- Exports
- Export crawl data as CSV, Excel, JSON or XML, picking the fields you want, with no limit on the number or size of exports.
- Multi-user sessions
- Several users can crawl at the same time in separate sessions; a production mode adds sign-in and user tiers, and a local mode skips them.
- Plugins and REST API
- A plugin is one JavaScript file that adds a tab with the crawl data, shared through a Plugin Workshop; a REST API starts, stops and exports crawls.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- PageSpeed Insights
- Playwright
- Docker
- Zoho
LibreCrawl is made by PhialsBasement.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
56/83
Other technical SEO tools it is graded above
LibreCrawl's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 56 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 62 of 83) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
LibreCrawl has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 84 technical SEO tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. LibreCrawl’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 54 of 83
- AFree plan and trialAbove 62 of 83
- CFeaturesAbove 10 of 83
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 83
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 83
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 73 technical SEO tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. LibreCrawl 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
LibreCrawl is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 56 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade.
What you could not
- A crawler that checks every page of a site.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, PageSpeed Insights, Playwright and Docker among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. LibreCrawl’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
Screaming Frog SEO Spider, SiteOne Crawler, SEOnaut, Sitebulb and Beam Us Up
The 5 tools LibreCrawl is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Free plan · from $279/yr
Desktop website crawler for technical SEO audits.
- Only LibreCrawl lists a web app.
- LibreCrawl is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider also covers reports.
- 3.0GPA
SiteOne Crawler
Free
Free open-source site crawler and audit report, as an app or CLI.
- Only LibreCrawl lists a web app.
- LibreCrawl is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
SEOnaut
Free plan · from $9/mo
Open-source SEO site audit tool, self-hosted or in the cloud.
- Only LibreCrawl lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- 2.6GPA
Sitebulb
Free trial · from $18/mo
Website auditing crawler for Windows and Mac, with a cloud edition.
- LibreCrawl has a free plan. Sitebulb does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LibreCrawl lists a Linux app.
- LibreCrawl is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Beam Us Up
Free
Free desktop SEO crawler for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Only LibreCrawl lists a web app.
- LibreCrawl is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Beam Us Up also covers page speed.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 LibreCrawl free?
Yes. LibreCrawl is free to use.
How much does LibreCrawl cost?
LibreCrawl lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does LibreCrawl work on?
LibreCrawl is available on Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does LibreCrawl have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. LibreCrawl is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does LibreCrawl have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. LibreCrawl is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is LibreCrawl open source?
Yes. LibreCrawl is open source, according to its own site.
Does LibreCrawl have an API?
Yes. LibreCrawl offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does LibreCrawl integrate with?
LibreCrawl's listing names PageSpeed Insights, Playwright, Docker and Zoho.
Who makes LibreCrawl?
LibreCrawl is made by PhialsBasement.
What are the alternatives to LibreCrawl?
The closest alternatives to LibreCrawl in our directory are Screaming Frog SEO Spider, SiteOne Crawler, SEOnaut, Sitebulb and Beam Us Up.
How does LibreCrawl compare with other technical SEO tools?
LibreCrawl's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 56 of the 83 other technical SEO tools we grade, and level with 7.
Is LibreCrawl good value for money?
ToolGPA grades LibreCrawl A for value for money. LibreCrawl has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of LibreCrawl?
LibreCrawl is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from LibreCrawl’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 LibreCrawl'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 PhialsBasement. Prices change, so check librecrawl.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
- LibreCrawl, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/librecrawl
- 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, "LibreCrawl: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/librecrawl
Know someone choosing between technical SEO tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/librecrawl/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded technical SEO tools after LibreCrawl, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Technical SEO & Site Audits Insider's GuideEvery one of the 84 technical SEO tools we grade, compared
- Lighthouse Insider's GuideGoogle's open-source audit of page speed, accessibility and SEO3.2 GPA
- PageSpeed Insights Insider's GuideFree Google speed test with real-user Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse3.2 GPA
- Yellow Lab Tools Insider's GuideFree open-source audit of a page's speed and front-end code3.2 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 LibreCrawl’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. LibreCrawl is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by PhialsBasement. Prices and plans change: check librecrawl.com before you buy.