The OpenSEO Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about OpenSEO 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.
OpenSEO
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source, usage-priced SEO platform built for AI agents
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SEO tools, read from OpenSEO’s own pages.
Made by Every App, Inc. · 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 OpenSEO’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on OpenSEO’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
2.8
GPA, above 61 of the 64 other SEO tools we grade
OpenSEO is an open-source SEO platform covering keyword research, domain and backlink research, rank tracking, site audits and AI search visibility, all on DataForSEO data. It is designed to be used through AI agents such as Claude, Codex and ChatGPT via its MCP server, as well as in its own web app. The hosted plan is $10 a month with usage included, and the code can be self-hosted for free.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about OpenSEO, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The web app and agents both run on usage credits you'll want to watch, and self-hosting means Docker or Cloudflare plus a DataForSEO key.
- 1
Best for SEO research through AI agents like Claude
But heavier use costs extra, included credits reset monthly, and self-hosting still means paying DataForSEO for the data.
- 2
Paid plans start at $10 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $10 per month, including $10 of usage.
- 3
There is a free plan
Self-hosted: the open-source app is free to run with Docker or on Cloudflare, but you bring your own DataForSEO API key and pay DataForSEO for the data.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Keyword research
Keyword ideas with search volume, difficulty, intent and live SERPs, saved into keyword lists for content planning and tracking.
- 6
Domain overview and backlinks
Estimate any domain's organic traffic and ranking keywords, and inspect its backlinks, referring domains and link quality.
- 7
Rank tracking
Track keywords by domain and location, optionally on desktop and mobile, with the ranking URL, position changes and SERP features.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 61 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 OpenSEO you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
OpenSEO at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $10 per month, including $10 of usage
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Free trial with $0.50 of usage credits, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Every App, Inc.
- Category
- SEO Tools
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for SEO research through AI agents like Claude
OpenSEO is an open-source SEO platform covering keyword and backlink research, rank tracking, site audits and AI answer tracking, built to be used through agents like Claude and Codex as well as its own web app. The hosted plan is $10 a month with $10 of usage. But heavier use costs extra, included credits reset monthly, and self-hosting still means paying DataForSEO for the data.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $10 a month with $10 of usage included, under 60% of this category's cheaper quarter. The vendor's estimate is about $0.05 per keyword search and $0.08 per domain overview. Heavier use is bought as top-ups, with a 28% fee on DataForSEO requests. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Self-hosting is free, but you pay DataForSEO for the data, with a $50 minimum top-up. The hosted trial gives $0.50 of credits with no card, about ten keyword searches. |
| Features | B | Keyword research, domain and backlink research, rank tracking by location and device, site audits, AI answer tracking and an MCP server for agents, all on one plan. It covers the whole job, though AI tracking names only ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. The web app and agents both run on usage credits you'll want to watch, and self-hosting means Docker or Cloudflare plus a DataForSEO key. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, connected to Search Console, DataForSEO, Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and Gemini through its MCP server. 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 OpenSEO is for
- Fits if you already do your SEO work through Claude, Codex or another AI agent
- Works for developers who want to self-host or build on open-source SEO code
Who it is not for
- Tight if you research a lot, as $10 of usage is about 200 keyword searches and more is bought as top-ups
- Watch out: plan credits reset each billing cycle, and top-ups only work while you have an active subscription
- Watch out: the hosted service adds a 28% fee on DataForSEO requests
- Skip it if you want self-hosting to be free, as you still pay DataForSEO, with a $50 minimum top-up
- Skip it if you need AI tracking beyond ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews
Good to know
Good for
- People who do SEO work through AI agents such as Claude or Codex
- Small sites and freelancers with light research needs, from $10 a month
- Developers who want to self-host or build on an open-source SEO tool
Worth knowing
- The $10 plan covers $10 of usage a month; the vendor estimates about $0.05 per keyword search, $0.08 per domain overview and $0.002 per AI prompt check.
- Usage credits in the plan reset each billing cycle; only bought top-up credits roll over, and using them still needs an active subscription.
- Self-hosting needs your own DataForSEO account, with a $50 minimum top-up; the hosted service adds a 28% fee on DataForSEO requests.
- AI visibility tracking names ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews; the site lists no other AI engines.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$10
A month to start. There is a free plan too
OpenSEO has a free plan. Paid plans start at $10 per month, including $10 of usage.
Self-hosted
$0
The open-source app, hosted yourself with Docker or on Cloudflare. You pay DataForSEO directly for data; its minimum top-up is $50.
Base Plan
$10
per month, including $10 of usage
Every feature, with $10 of usage credits each month. Extra credits can be bought at any time and never expire; Search Console data uses no credits.
The free plan
Self-hosted: the open-source app is free to run with Docker or on Cloudflare, but you bring your own DataForSEO API key and pay DataForSEO for the data.
Trying it first
Free trial with $0.50 of usage credits, no credit card required
Read from openseo.so on Oct 23, 2026.
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
Open-source, usage-priced SEO platform built for AI agents. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, backlink analysis, AI search visibility.
It covers the whole job, though AI tracking names only ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews.
- Keyword research
- Keyword ideas with search volume, difficulty, intent and live SERPs, saved into keyword lists for content planning and tracking.
- Domain overview and backlinks
- Estimate any domain's organic traffic and ranking keywords, and inspect its backlinks, referring domains and link quality.
- Rank tracking
- Track keywords by domain and location, optionally on desktop and mobile, with the ranking URL, position changes and SERP features.
- Site audit
- Crawls a site's pages and lists technical and page-level SEO problems.
- AI visibility and Prompt Explorer
- Research prompts, then track brand mentions, cited pages and competitors in ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews, and compare answers across models.
- MCP server and agent skills
- Connect Claude, Codex, ChatGPT and other agents; skills for audits, keyword and competitor research save their findings as reports in the app.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Search Console
- DataForSEO
- Claude
- ChatGPT
- Codex
- Cursor
- Gemini
OpenSEO is made by Every App, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
61/64
Other SEO tools it is graded above
OpenSEO's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 61 of the 64 other SEO tools we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 57 of 64) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $39 for the category: 2 of the 56 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 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 65 SEO tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. OpenSEO’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 57 of 64
- CFree plan and trialAbove 14 of 64
- BFeaturesAbove 43 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. OpenSEO 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 OpenSEO you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 61 of the 64 other SEO tools we grade. It costs $120 a year. OpenSEO is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- Search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
- An index of the links between billions of web pages.
- Daily checks of where your pages rank in search results.
- A crawler that checks every page of a site.
- The same prompts asked of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI answers every day, and the answers kept.
- It plugs into other products, Google Search Console, DataForSEO and Claude among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. OpenSEO’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, Mangools and Ubersuggest
The 5 tools OpenSEO 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.
- OpenSEO is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- OpenSEO also covers AI search visibility.
- Semrush also covers reports.
- 2.0GPA
Ahrefs
Free plan · from $29/mo
SEO toolset for backlinks, keyword research, audits and rank tracking.
- Only Ahrefs lists a browser extension.
- OpenSEO is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- OpenSEO also covers AI search visibility.
- 2.2GPA
SE Ranking
Free trial · from $103.20/mo
SEO platform for rank tracking, audits, research and AI visibility.
- OpenSEO has a free plan. SE Ranking does not, though it has a free trial.
- OpenSEO is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- OpenSEO also covers AI search visibility.
- 2.0GPA
Mangools
Free plan · from $37.70/mo
Bundle of five SEO tools led by the KWFinder keyword research app.
- Only Mangools lists a browser extension.
- OpenSEO is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- OpenSEO also covers site audit and AI search visibility.
- 2.4GPA
Ubersuggest
Free plan · from $29/mo
Low-cost SEO tool for keyword ideas, site audits and rank tracking.
- Only Ubersuggest lists a browser extension.
- OpenSEO is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- OpenSEO also covers AI search visibility.
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 OpenSEO free?
OpenSEO has a free plan. Self-hosted: the open-source app is free to run with Docker or on Cloudflare, but you bring your own DataForSEO API key and pay DataForSEO for the data.
How much does OpenSEO cost?
OpenSEO lists 2 plans. Self-hosted: $0.
What platforms does OpenSEO work on?
OpenSEO is available on Web.
Does OpenSEO have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. OpenSEO is listed for Web.
Does OpenSEO have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. OpenSEO is listed for Web.
Is OpenSEO open source?
Yes. OpenSEO is open source, according to its own site.
What does OpenSEO integrate with?
OpenSEO's listing names Google Search Console, DataForSEO, Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and Gemini.
Does OpenSEO have a free trial?
Yes. Free trial with $0.50 of usage credits, no credit card required.
Who makes OpenSEO?
OpenSEO is made by Every App, Inc.
What are the alternatives to OpenSEO?
The closest alternatives to OpenSEO in our directory are Semrush, Ahrefs, SE Ranking, Mangools and Ubersuggest.
How does OpenSEO compare with other SEO tools?
OpenSEO's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 61 of the 64 other SEO tools we grade, and level with 2.
Is OpenSEO good value for money?
ToolGPA grades OpenSEO A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $39 for the category: 2 of the 56 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of OpenSEO?
To replace OpenSEO you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from OpenSEO’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 OpenSEO'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 Every App, Inc. Prices change, so check openseo.so 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
- OpenSEO, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/openseo
- 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, "OpenSEO: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/openseo
Know someone choosing between SEO tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/openseo/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded SEO tools after OpenSEO, 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 OpenSEO’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. OpenSEO is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Every App, Inc. Prices and plans change: check openseo.so before you buy.