# The best free SEO tools in 2026 > The best free SEO tools, split into truly free and freemium: Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, GA4, Ahrefs Free, Screaming Frog and free AI checks. Source: https://terradium.io/blog/best-free-seo-tools Last updated 14 October 2026 · Prices checked 14 October 2026 **The short answer** Start with the three free consoles that read your own data: **Google Search Console** for Google, **Bing Webmaster Tools** for Bing (now with a report on Copilot citations), and **Google Analytics 4** for what visitors do. Add **Ahrefs Free** for a site audit and your own backlinks, **Keyword Surfer** for keyword volumes on Google results, and **Screaming Frog** for crawls up to 500 URLs. For AI search, Terradium's free [AI crawler checker](https://terradium.io/tools/ai-crawler-checker) and [AI visibility checker](https://terradium.io/tools/ai-visibility-checker) show whether AI crawlers can read your site and whether ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews mention you. A free SEO tool is one you can keep using without paying, not a free trial that ends after a week. The best free SEO tools are mostly first-party consoles from the search engines themselves (Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools), Google Analytics, and free tiers from paid vendors that cap how much you can do. This guide separates the tools that are fully free from the freemium ones, and says exactly where each free tier stops. ## Free vs freemium vs free trial "Free" gets stretched in SEO software. Three different things hide behind the word: - **Truly free.** No paid tier is needed for the core job, and nothing expires. Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, standard Google Analytics 4, Ahrefs Free (for sites you verify) and Keyword Surfer are in this group. - **Freemium.** A free version that works but is capped, with a paid plan above it. Screaming Frog's 500-URL limit, SEO PowerSuite's free version, Semrush's free plan and Claude's free plan are examples. - **Free trial.** The full product for a few days, then you pay. Useful for testing, but not a free tool. Most paid SEO suites work this way, and so does Terradium itself (a 7-day trial of a $29/mo plan). This guide covers the first two groups. Every price and limit below was read from the vendor's own site on the date at the top. ## The best free SEO tools at a glance | Tool | Type | Paid plans from | Free option | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Google Search Console | Free Google tool | [Free](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9128668) | Free | | Google Analytics 4 | Free Google tool | [Contact sales (Analytics 360)](https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/) | Free (standard GA4) | | Bing Webmaster Tools | Free Microsoft tool | [Free](https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/2025/6/Start-Using-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-to-Improve-Your-Site-Visibility) | Free | | Ahrefs Free (Webmaster Tools) | Free SEO tool (site owners) | [Free](https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools) | Free for verified sites | | Keyword Surfer | Keyword research (browser extension) | [Free](https://surferseo.com/keyword-surfer-extension/) | Free | | Screaming Frog SEO Spider | SEO crawler (desktop) | [$279/yr (Paid licence)](https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/pricing/) | Free version (500 URLs per crawl) | | SEO PowerSuite | Desktop SEO software | [$29.10/mo (Professional)](https://www.link-assistant.com/pricing.html) | Free version (1 project, 500-URL crawl) | | Semrush | All-in-one SEO suite | [$139/mo (SEO)](https://www.semrush.com/pricing/seo-ai-search/) | Free plan (10 reports/day) | | Claude | General AI assistant | [$20/mo (Pro)](https://claude.com/pricing) | Free plan | The "Paid plans from" column shows the paid tier above each free option, where one exists. For the truly free tools it says Free, except Google Analytics, where it shows the contact-sales Analytics 360 tier. ## Truly free tools ### Google Search Console *Free Google tool · [Free](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9128668) · Free* Google Search Console is Google's free view of how your site performs and gets indexed in Google Search. The Performance report shows the queries and pages that bring you clicks and impressions. Traffic from AI Overviews and AI Mode is included in that report under the Web search type, with no separate AI filter, and all links in an AI Overview share the single position the AI Overview occupies. The URL Inspection tool shows detailed crawl, index and serving information for any page. **Pros** - First-party Google data on queries, clicks, impressions and positions. - URL Inspection tells you exactly why a page is or isn't indexed. - Completely free. **Cons** - Google only, and only for sites you verify. - You can't separate AI Overviews or AI Mode traffic from ordinary search traffic. **Best for:** everyone with a website. Set it up first. ### Google Analytics 4 *Free Google tool · [Contact sales (Analytics 360)](https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/) · Free (standard GA4)* Google Analytics 4 is Google's free web and app analytics, with Analytics 360 as the paid enterprise tier. It measures what visitors do once they arrive, across web and app, with cross-platform attribution. Standard properties keep event-level data for up to 14 months and can export to BigQuery, capped at 1 million events a day. **Pros** - Free for standard properties, which covers most sites. - Connects search traffic to what visitors do next, such as sign-ups or purchases. - BigQuery export on the free tier. **Cons** - Event-level data is kept for up to 14 months on standard properties. - It's an analytics tool, not an SEO tool: it shows what visitors did, not why you rank. **Best for:** measuring whether your search traffic turns into customers. ### Bing Webmaster Tools *Free Microsoft tool · [Free](https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/2025/6/Start-Using-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-to-Improve-Your-Site-Visibility) · Free* Bing Webmaster Tools is Microsoft's free console for Bing. It supports IndexNow URL submission, Site Scan technical audits, keyword research and backlink reports, and it can import verified sites directly from Google Search Console. Its AI Performance report, in public preview since February 10, 2026, shows how often your site is cited in Microsoft Copilot, Bing's AI-generated summaries and select partner integrations, with total citations, average cited pages per day and a sample of the grounding queries the AI used. On October 13, 2026 Bing added Topics Portfolio (beta), which groups those queries into topic clusters and highlights queries where competitors are cited but you aren't. **Pros** - The only free first-party report here that counts AI citations. - Audits, keyword research and backlink reports at no cost. - Quick setup if you already use Search Console. **Cons** - Bing and Microsoft's AI surfaces only. - The AI Performance report is still in preview, and Topics Portfolio is in beta. **Best for:** anyone who wants free data on AI citations, and a second opinion next to Search Console. ### Ahrefs Free (Webmaster Tools) *Free SEO tool (site owners) · [Free](https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools) · Free for verified sites* Ahrefs Webmaster Tools has been renamed Ahrefs Free. It gives free access to Site Audit (170+ issue checks), Site Explorer and Web Analytics for an unlimited number of websites you verify. Limits: 5,000 crawl credits per verified project per month, up to 1,000 backlinks or keywords visible at once, Web Analytics up to 1 million events per project, and one free AI Content Helper document a month. **Pros** - A real site audit with 170+ checks, free. - Your own backlinks and ranking keywords from Ahrefs' data. - No limit on how many verified sites you add. **Cons** - Only covers sites you've verified. Looking at competitors needs a paid Ahrefs plan. - Results are capped at 1,000 backlinks or keywords at a time. **Best for:** site owners who want a free audit and a look at their own backlink profile. ### Keyword Surfer *Keyword research (browser extension) · [Free](https://surferseo.com/keyword-surfer-extension/) · Free* Keyword Surfer is Surfer's free Chrome extension. It shows search volume, cost per click and keyword ideas directly on Google search results, with data from 70 countries. You can save keywords into Collections and export them as CSV. Surfer describes it as "100% free. Forever." **Pros** - Keyword volumes where you already search, without opening another tool. - Collections and CSV export for building a keyword list. **Cons** - A Chrome extension, not a full keyword research tool. - Its page doesn't state usage limits or whether you need an account. **Best for:** quick keyword checks while you research topics on Google. ## Freemium tools (free with limits) ### Screaming Frog SEO Spider *SEO crawler (desktop) · [$279/yr (Paid licence)](https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/pricing/) · Free version (500 URLs per crawl)* The Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a desktop site crawler for technical SEO audits, free for up to 500 URLs per crawl. The free version finds broken links and redirects, page titles and meta data, robots directives, hreflang, exact duplicates and XML sitemaps. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. A paid licence removes the URL limit and adds saved crawls, JavaScript rendering, scheduling and connections to Google Analytics, Search Console and PageSpeed Insights. **Pros** - A proper technical crawler at no cost for small sites. - Runs locally on Windows, macOS or Linux. **Cons** - 500 URLs per crawl, so larger sites need the paid licence. - The free version can't save crawls, render JavaScript or connect to Google's tools. **Best for:** technical audits of small sites, or spot checks of one section of a big one. ### SEO PowerSuite *Desktop SEO software · [$29.10/mo (Professional)](https://www.link-assistant.com/pricing.html) · Free version (1 project, 500-URL crawl)* SEO PowerSuite is a downloadable desktop SEO suite covering rank tracking, audits, backlinks and keyword research. Its free version is free forever but limited to 1 project with no saving, a 500-URL crawl, 1,100 backlinks and 1 competitor. Every plan, including Free, lists Google AI Overviews tracking. Paid plans are sold as yearly licenses only. **Pros** - Rank tracking, audits, backlinks and keyword research in one free download. - AI Overviews tracking is listed on the free version. **Cons** - You can't save projects on the free version, so it's for one-off checks. - Paid plans are yearly only, with no monthly option. **Best for:** trying a full desktop suite before deciding whether to buy one. ### Semrush *All-in-one SEO suite · [$139/mo (SEO)](https://www.semrush.com/pricing/seo-ai-search/) · Free plan (10 reports/day)* Semrush is an all-in-one SEO suite with a free plan: 1 demo project and 10 reports a day. That's enough to look up a few keywords or competitors, not to run ongoing SEO. Paid plans add monitored websites, daily keyword tracking, Position Tracking, Site Audit and AI visibility tracking, with a 7-day free trial. **Pros** - Access to Semrush's keyword and competitor data at no cost, in small amounts. - A 7-day trial if you need more for a short project. **Cons** - 10 reports a day runs out quickly. - The paid plans are a big step up from free. **Best for:** occasional keyword and competitor lookups. ### Claude *General AI assistant · [$20/mo (Pro)](https://claude.com/pricing) · Free plan* Claude is Anthropic's AI assistant. Its Free plan includes web search, memory, Artifacts and up to 5 Projects, which makes it a usable free AI tool for SEO tasks like outlining articles, drafting meta descriptions, rewriting thin pages and summarizing a Search Console export. Pro adds Claude Code and Opus. **Pros** - A capable free AI assistant with web search. - Projects let you keep a brand brief and keyword list alongside your drafts. **Cons** - No SEO data of its own: volumes, rankings and crawl data come from the tools above. - Drafts need fact-checking and editing before they go live. **Best for:** free AI help with writing and analysis, next to free data tools. ## Free AI-visibility checks Search now includes AI answers. When someone asks ChatGPT or Google's AI Overviews a question in your market, you want to know whether your brand is named and your site cited. A few free tools give you a first look. ### Terradium's AI crawler checker The [AI crawler checker](https://terradium.io/tools/ai-crawler-checker) tests whether AI systems can read your site at all. It checks your robots.txt against 13 AI crawlers, looks at your llms.txt file, and checks whether your pages are rendered on the server so crawlers see the content. If AI crawlers are blocked, nothing else on this page will help you get cited, so run it first. Our post on [what robots.txt "disallow all" does to SEO and AI visibility](https://terradium.io/blog/robots-txt-disallow-all-impact-on-seo-and-ai-visibility) explains why. ### Terradium's AI visibility checker The [AI visibility checker](https://terradium.io/tools/ai-visibility-checker) asks one question on ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews and shows whether your brand appears in the answer. It's a single sample, so treat it as a spot check rather than a trend. ### The free consoles Bing Webmaster Tools' AI Performance report counts your citations in Copilot and Bing's AI summaries, and Google Search Console includes AI Overviews and AI Mode traffic in its Performance report, though you can't split it out. Frase and Semrush also offer free AI visibility checkers on their sites. For ongoing tracking across many questions and engines, you'll need a paid tool. Our comparison of the [best AI visibility tools](https://terradium.io/best-ai-visibility-tools) covers the options and their prices. **Where Terradium fits** Terradium itself is not free. It's a $29/mo plan with a 7-day free trial that tracks 15 questions weekly on 3 of 4 AI engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Gemini) and writes up to 30 articles a month to fill the gaps. The free parts are the two checkers above. It doesn't replace anything on this list. Terradium has no backlink index, no site crawler or technical audit, no Google keyword-position tracking and no keyword database, so you still want Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and a crawler like Screaming Frog. It's worth a look once the free tools show you're missing from AI answers and you need the content to change that. ## A free SEO stack for beginners If you're starting from zero, set these up in order: 1. **Google Search Console.** Verify your site and submit your sitemap. 2. **Bing Webmaster Tools.** Import your site from Search Console, then check the AI Performance report. 3. **Google Analytics 4.** So you can see what search visitors do after they land. 4. **The AI crawler checker.** Make sure AI crawlers aren't blocked. 5. **Ahrefs Free or Screaming Frog.** Run a site audit and fix broken links, redirects and missing titles. 6. **Keyword Surfer.** Check volumes as you plan new pages. 7. **Claude's Free plan.** Draft outlines and meta descriptions, then edit them yourself. That stack costs nothing and covers indexing, analytics, technical health, keyword checks and a first look at AI search. If you work on a Mac, see our guide to the [best SEO software for Mac](https://terradium.io/blog/best-seo-software-for-mac-the-modern-macos-stack) for desktop options. ## How to choose - **Start with first-party data.** Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools come straight from the search engines. Third-party estimates come second. - **Check where the free tier stops.** Screaming Frog stops at 500 URLs, Ahrefs Free at your own verified sites, Semrush at 10 reports a day. - **Don't confuse a trial with a free tool.** If it asks for a card and expires, budget for it. - **Add AI search early.** A quick crawler check costs nothing and catches the problems that would block every AI answer. - **Upgrade when a limit costs you time.** If you keep hitting the 500-URL cap or the report limit, that's the signal to pay. For AI tools worth paying for, see our guide to the [best AI SEO tools](https://terradium.io/blog/best-ai-seo-tools). ## Questions **What is the best free SEO tool?** Google Search Console. It's free, it comes straight from Google, and it shows the queries, clicks and indexing status for your own site. Pair it with Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics 4. **Which SEO tools are completely free?** Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, standard Google Analytics 4, Ahrefs Free (for sites you verify) and the Keyword Surfer Chrome extension have no paid tier you need for the core job. Screaming Frog, SEO PowerSuite and Semrush have free versions with limits. **What are the best free SEO tools for beginners?** Start with Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics 4, then add Ahrefs Free or Screaming Frog for a site audit and Keyword Surfer for keyword volumes. All of them are free to use. **Are there free AI tools for SEO optimization?** Yes. Claude's free plan can help draft outlines and meta descriptions, and Terradium's free AI crawler checker and AI visibility checker show whether AI crawlers can read your site and whether ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews mention you. **Is Ahrefs Webmaster Tools still free?** Yes, under a new name: it's now called Ahrefs Free. It includes Site Audit, Site Explorer and Web Analytics for unlimited verified sites, with 5,000 crawl credits per project per month. **Can I see AI search traffic in free tools?** Partly. Bing Webmaster Tools has an AI Performance report, in preview since February 2026, that counts citations in Copilot and Bing's AI summaries. Google includes AI Overviews and AI Mode traffic in Search Console's Performance report but doesn't let you filter it separately.