The Smart SEO Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Smart SEO 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.
Smart SEO
The Insider’s Guide
Shopify SEO app for AI meta tags, image optimization and JSON-LD
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SEO plugins and apps, read from Smart SEO’s own pages.
Made by Sherpas Design · 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 Smart SEO’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Smart SEO’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
2.4
GPA, above 33 of the 78 other SEO plugins and apps we grade
Smart SEO, listed as Smart SEO AI & Image Optimizer, is a Shopify app that writes meta tags, alt text and product descriptions with AI, compresses images and adds JSON-LD structured data. It also checks for broken links, manages the sitemap and noindex tags, sends pages to search engines through IndexNow, and publishes llms.txt and Agents.md catalogs for AI assistants to read.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Smart SEO, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It installs from the Shopify App Store, but every plan is a set of quotas to keep an eye on, and bulk AI writing waits on Business.
- 1
Best for AI meta tags and alt text for Shopify
This Shopify app writes meta tags, alt text and product descriptions with AI, compresses images, adds JSON-LD and publishes llms.txt for AI assistants.
- 2
Paid plans start at $14.99 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $14.99 per month, billed every 30 days.
- 3
There is a free plan
Meta and alt tag optimization, sitemap and noindex controls, 20 AI generations, 50 images optimized, 100 pages link-checked and a 20-page SEO audit.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
AI meta tags, alt text and descriptions
Writes titles, meta descriptions, alt text and product descriptions with AI: 20 generations free, then 200, 500 or 1,200 by plan. Bulk AI writing starts at Business.
- 6
Image optimization
Compresses images, 50 on the free plan and 1,000 to 5,000 on paid plans, with bulk optimization from Pro and SEO-friendly file names from Business.
- 7
JSON-LD and page speed
From Pro, adds JSON-LD structured data for Google and AI tools and page speed options; it can also strip a theme's old microdata.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 33 of 78
That is against the other SEO plugins and apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Smart SEO 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.
Smart SEO at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $14.99 per month, billed every 30 days
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of paid plans, limited to the free plan's quotas until billing starts
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Sherpas Design, since 2015
- Category
- SEO Plugins & Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for AI meta tags and alt text for Shopify
This Shopify app writes meta tags, alt text and product descriptions with AI, compresses images, adds JSON-LD and publishes llms.txt for AI assistants. Every plan is a set of quotas, use past them is billed, the trial keeps the free plan's limits, and bulk AI writing waits on the $24.99 plan.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro is $14.99 a month, above this category's $10.99 middle, or $149.90 a year. Use beyond the quota is billed on top: on Pro, 10¢ an AI generation and 1¢ an image or page. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Meta and alt tags and sitemap and noindex controls, with 20 AI generations, 50 images, 100 link-checked pages and a 20-page audit. Caps you'll reach quickly. |
| Features | B | AI meta, alt text and descriptions, image compression, JSON-LD, speed options, sitemap and noindex controls, IndexNow, broken-link checks with 404 logs, backlinks, llms.txt and MCP. It covers the whole job across four plans. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. It installs from the Shopify App Store, but every plan is a set of quotas to keep an eye on, and bulk AI writing waits on Business. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, inside Shopify. It connects to Search Console, Shopify Sidekick, ChatGPT, Claude and IndexNow, and works with Judge.me and Loox. |
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 Smart SEO is for
- Fits if you want meta tags and alt text written in bulk across a Shopify store
- Works for small stores wanting JSON-LD and IndexNow from $14.99 a month
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay free, with 20 AI generations, 50 images and 100 pages checked
- Watch out: the 7-day trial keeps the free plan's quotas, and full quotas start only once billing does
- Pricey if you go past your quota, as Pro bills 10¢ per AI generation and 1¢ per image or page
- Watch out: bulk AI tags, file names and other languages need Business; automatic broken-link fixes need Premium
- Skip it if your store isn't on Shopify, as it runs nowhere else
Good to know
Good for
- Shopify stores that want meta tags and alt text written in bulk
- Small stores looking for a low entry price on structured data and IndexNow
- Merchants who want their catalog readable by AI assistants
Worth knowing
- Works only on Shopify stores; it is installed from the Shopify App Store.
- The 7-day trial keeps the free plan's quotas (20 AI generations, 50 images, 100 pages); full quotas start once billing begins.
- Use beyond a plan's quota is billed: on Pro, 10¢ per AI generation, 1¢ per page checked and 1¢ per image, with lower rates on higher plans.
- Bulk AI tags, image file names, backlinks and multi-language need Business; automatic broken-link fixes and your own AI key need Premium.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$14.99
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Smart SEO has a free plan. Paid plans start at $14.99 per month, billed every 30 days.
Free
$0
Meta and alt tags, sitemap, noindex tags, 20 AI generations, 50 images, 100 pages link-checked and a 20-page automatic audit.
Pro
$14.99
per month, billed every 30 days
200 AI generations, 1,000 images and 1,000 link-check pages, JSON-LD, IndexNow, page speed, llms.txt, bulk editing and Search Console with MCP.
Business
$24.99
per month, billed every 30 days
500 AI generations, 3,000 images, 2,500 pages, AI bulk meta and alt tags, image file names, backlinks, multiple languages and 500-page audits.
Premium
$49.99
per month, billed every 30 days
1,200 AI generations, 5,000 images, 6,000 pages, unlimited audits, automatic broken-link fixes, a choice of AI model or your own key, premium support.
The free plan
Meta and alt tag optimization, sitemap and noindex controls, 20 AI generations, 50 images optimized, 100 pages link-checked and a 20-page SEO audit.
Trying it first
7-day free trial of paid plans, limited to the free plan's quotas until billing starts
Read from apps.shopify.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 17% with yearly billing
The listing offers Pro at $149.90 a year, Business at $249.90 and Premium at $499.90, which it says saves 17% against monthly billing.
Stated on apps.shopify.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
Shopify SEO app for AI meta tags, image optimization and JSON-LD. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, site audit, backlink analysis, AI search visibility, schema markup, page speed.
It covers the whole job across four plans.
- AI meta tags, alt text and descriptions
- Writes titles, meta descriptions, alt text and product descriptions with AI: 20 generations free, then 200, 500 or 1,200 by plan. Bulk AI writing starts at Business.
- Image optimization
- Compresses images, 50 on the free plan and 1,000 to 5,000 on paid plans, with bulk optimization from Pro and SEO-friendly file names from Business.
- JSON-LD and page speed
- From Pro, adds JSON-LD structured data for Google and AI tools and page speed options; it can also strip a theme's old microdata.
- Indexing controls
- Sitemap and noindex tag controls on every plan, with IndexNow submissions from Pro to tell search engines about new and changed pages.
- Broken links and backlinks
- Checks pages for broken links, logs 404 hits from Pro, adds a backlinks report from Business and fixes broken links automatically on Premium.
- LLM catalog and MCP
- Pro publishes llms.txt and Agents.md catalogs of a store's products, and connects Google Search Console data to AI agents over MCP and Shopify Sidekick.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Search Console
- Shopify Sidekick
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Judge.me
- Loox
- IndexNow
Smart SEO is made by Sherpas Design, and has been around since 2015.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
33/78
Other SEO plugins and apps it is graded above
Smart SEO's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 33 of the 78 other SEO plugins and apps we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on features (B, above 53 of 78) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $14.99 a month, against a middle price of $9.99 for the category: 35 of the 58 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 79 SEO plugins and apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Smart SEO’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 15 of 78
- CFree plan and trialAbove 8 of 78
- BFeaturesAbove 53 of 78
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 78
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 78
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 70 SEO plugins and apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Smart SEO 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 Smart SEO 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.
It costs $179.88 a year.
What you could make
- Schema markup: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An index of the links between billions of web pages.
- A crawler that checks every page of a site.
- Speed tests run from real browsers on a schedule.
- 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, Shopify Sidekick and ChatGPT among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Smart SEO’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
Avada SEO Suite, SearchPie, SEOWILL, Booster AI SEO + AEO Optimizer and TinySEO
The 5 tools Smart SEO is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Avada SEO Suite
Free plan · from $34.95/mo
Shopify SEO app with AI audits, image compression and speed tools.
- Smart SEO also covers backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
- Avada SEO Suite also covers keyword research.
- 2.4GPA
SearchPie
Free plan · from $39/mo
Shopify SEO app for schema, meta tags, indexing and page speed.
- Smart SEO also covers backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
- SearchPie also covers keyword research.
- 2.2GPA
SEOWILL
Free plan · from $29.99/mo
Shopify SEO app with audits, speed fixes, AI blog posts and llms.txt.
- Smart SEO also covers backlink analysis.
- SEOWILL also covers keyword research and content optimization.
- 2.2GPA
Booster AI SEO + AEO Optimizer
Free plan · from $39/mo
Shopify app that audits and fixes store SEO and compresses images.
- Smart SEO also covers backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
- Booster AI SEO + AEO Optimizer also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
TinySEO
Free plan · from $14/mo
Shopify app for image compression, page speed and SEO fixes.
- Smart SEO also covers backlink analysis and AI search visibility.
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 Smart SEO free?
Smart SEO has a free plan. Meta and alt tag optimization, sitemap and noindex controls, 20 AI generations, 50 images optimized, 100 pages link-checked and a 20-page SEO audit.
How much does Smart SEO cost?
Smart SEO lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Smart SEO work on?
Smart SEO is available on Web.
Does Smart SEO offer any discounts?
Smart SEO publicly lists the following: Save 17% with yearly billing.
Does Smart SEO have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Smart SEO is listed for Web.
Does Smart SEO have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Smart SEO is listed for Web.
Is Smart SEO open source?
Smart SEO is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
What does Smart SEO integrate with?
Smart SEO's listing names Google Search Console, Shopify Sidekick, ChatGPT, Claude, Judge.me, Loox and IndexNow.
Does Smart SEO have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day free trial of paid plans, limited to the free plan's quotas until billing starts.
Who makes Smart SEO?
Smart SEO is made by Sherpas Design. It dates from 2015.
What are the alternatives to Smart SEO?
The closest alternatives to Smart SEO in our directory are Avada SEO Suite, SearchPie, SEOWILL, Booster AI SEO + AEO Optimizer and TinySEO.
How does Smart SEO compare with other SEO plugins and apps?
Smart SEO's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 33 of the 78 other SEO plugins and apps we grade, and level with 15.
Is Smart SEO good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Smart SEO C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $14.99 a month, against a middle price of $9.99 for the category: 35 of the 58 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Smart SEO?
To replace Smart SEO 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 Smart SEO’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 Sherpas Design'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 Sherpas Design. Prices change, so check apps.shopify.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
- Smart SEO, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/smart-seo
- 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, "Smart SEO: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/smart-seo
Know someone choosing between SEO plugins and apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/smart-seo/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded SEO plugins and apps after Smart SEO, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- SEO Plugins & Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 79 SEO plugins and apps we grade, compared
- Slim SEO Insider's GuideWordPress SEO plugin that sets meta tags and schema with no setup3.4 GPA
- SmartCrawl Insider's GuideWordPress SEO plugin from WPMU DEV with audits, schema and autolinks3.2 GPA
- XML Sitemap Generator for Google Insider's GuideFree WordPress plugin that builds and updates XML and HTML sitemaps3.2 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 Smart SEO’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. Smart SEO is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Sherpas Design. Prices and plans change: check apps.shopify.com before you buy.