Industry-leading SEO and digital marketing suite with AI toolkits for keyword research, content and AI visibility.
Frase vs Surfer SEO
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Editor’s verdict
Frase and Surfer both help write and optimize articles against search results, but Frase is built as an end-to-end content workflow while Surfer focuses on the optimization editor itself. Choose Frase if you want research, AI drafting, SEO and GEO scoring, publishing to your CMS, a site audit and ongoing monitoring in one place, plus API and MCP access on every plan. Choose Surfer if your writers mainly need a clear content score and term recommendations inside Google Docs or WordPress, with topical maps, internal linking and an optional AI Tracker; API access is limited to the top plans. Both track AI search visibility. Neither includes backlink analysis, so teams doing link building or technical SEO will still need a suite like Semrush or SE Ranking.
Neither has a permanent free plan, but you can start with a free trial.
Which should you choose?
Choose Frase if…
- You need content teams that research, write and optimize articles for both Google and AI answers
- Technical site audit matters to you
- You're one of: content marketers and seo writers, agencies producing client articles, teams optimizing content for ai search
- Covers research, writing, publishing and monitoring in one tool
Choose Surfer SEO if…
- You need writers and content teams optimizing articles against top-ranking pages
- You're one of: content marketers, seo agencies producing articles, freelance writers
- You want something quicker to learn
- Clear, actionable on-page recommendations
At a glance
| Frase | Surfer SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Content teams that research, write and optimize articles for both Google and AI answers | Writers and content teams optimizing articles against top-ranking pages |
| Free plan | Trial only | Trial only |
| Starting price | From $39/mo | From $49/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Low |
| Platforms | Web, API | Web, Chrome extension, API |
| Ideal for | Content marketers and SEO writers, Agencies producing client articles, Teams optimizing content for AI search | Content marketers, SEO agencies producing articles, Freelance writers |
Feature comparison
| Frase | Surfer SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword research | Limited | Yes |
| Backlink analysis | No | No |
| Rank tracking | Limited | Limited |
| Technical site audit | Yes | No |
| Content optimization editor | Yes | Yes |
| AI article writer | Yes | Yes |
| AI search / LLM visibility tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Local SEO | No | No |
| API access | Yes | Top plans only |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Frase | Surfer SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | — |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | — | — |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Frase
Frase is a content platform that combines SERP research, briefs, an AI writing agent, SEO and GEO scoring, publishing and ongoing monitoring in one workflow. It was rebuilt and relaunched in January 2026 around AI search visibility, tracking brand mentions in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI. It is used by content marketers, agencies and in-house SEO writers.
Key features- SERP research and content briefs
- AI agent that drafts and optimizes articles
- Dual SEO and GEO content scoring
- AI visibility tracking across major AI assistants
- Content Guard monitoring and auto-optimization of published pages
- Publishing to WordPress, Webflow, Sanity, Wix or FraseCMS
Surfer SEO
Surfer is an on-page content optimization tool whose Content Editor scores drafts against top-ranking pages for terms, headings, structure and length, with an AI writer for full articles. It also offers keyword research with topical maps, content audits, internal linking suggestions and an AI Tracker that monitors brand visibility in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI features. It is used by content marketers, agencies and freelance writers.
Key features- Content Editor with real-time content score
- AI article writer and in-editor AI assistant
- Keyword research and topical maps
- Content audit with ranking drop alerts
- AI Tracker for AI search visibility
- Plagiarism checker and AI detector
Pricing
Frase
7-day free trial (no card). Starter $39/mo annual ($49 monthly); Professional $103/$129; Scale $239/$299; Enterprise custom.
Surfer SEO
Free start/trial option. Paid from $49/mo (Discovery, annual); Standard $99, Pro $182, Peace of Mind $299 (annual); Enterprise custom.
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Frase
Strengths- Covers research, writing, publishing and monitoring in one tool
- AI visibility tracking included on every plan
- API and MCP server for agent-driven workflows
- Free trial without a card
- No backlink analysis
- Keyword research is lighter than full SEO suites
- Monthly article and audit page quotas on each plan
- No local SEO features
Not ideal for: SEO specialists who need backlink data, deep keyword databases or rank tracking at scale should pair it with or choose a suite like Semrush or SE Ranking.
Surfer SEO
Strengths- Clear, actionable on-page recommendations
- Integrates with Google Docs and WordPress
- AI visibility tracking available alongside content tools
- Internal linking and cannibalization reports on higher plans
- No backlink analysis or technical site audit
- Page tracking is limited compared with a full rank tracker
- API access only on the top plans
- Document and prompt quotas vary by plan
Not ideal for: Teams that need backlink data, technical audits or full rank tracking will need Semrush, SE Ranking or Ahrefs alongside it.
Integrations
Frase
Surfer SEO
FAQ
What is the main difference between Frase and Surfer SEO?
Frase is built for content teams that research, write and optimize articles for both Google and AI answers; Surfer SEO is built for writers and content teams optimizing articles against top-ranking pages. Key differences: Frase offers technical site audit.
Is Frase or Surfer SEO cheaper?
Frase starts from $39/mo and Surfer SEO starts from $49/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Frase is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Frase and Surfer SEO have free plans?
Neither has a permanent free plan, but you can start with a free trial.
Which is easier to use, Frase or Surfer SEO?
Surfer SEO is generally quicker to learn (Frase: medium, Surfer SEO: low learning curve).
What are good alternatives to Frase and Surfer SEO?
Other seo tools worth comparing include Semrush, SE Ranking and NeuronWriter.
Alternatives
Other seo tools to compare
All-in-one SEO platform: rank tracking, site audit, keyword/competitor research and AI search visibility.
Budget-friendly NLP/semantic content optimization and AI writing tool based on SERP analysis.