Rank Math
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WordPress SEO plugin with content analysis, focus keyword scoring and built-in AI writing tools.
From $6.99/mo
Yoast SEO
· WordPress plugin for real-time content analysis, readability checks and focus keyphrase guidance.
Yoast SEO
WordPress plugin for real-time content analysis, readability checks and focus keyphrase guidance.
Chandan Kumar
Yoast SEO is one of the longest-running WordPress SEO plugins and is best known for its in-editor content analysis. As a post is written, the plugin scores it against a focus keyphrase and gives separate SEO and readability feedback, covering things like keyphrase placement, sentence length, passive voice and transition words. This is checklist-style guidance rather than competitor-derived scoring, so it does not compare a draft with the pages ranking for a query.
The free plugin covers the core analysis, meta title and description editing, XML sitemaps, schema and an llms.txt feature. Yoast SEO Premium adds analysis for up to five keyphrases per page with synonyms and word forms in 20+ languages, an internal linking suggestion tool, a redirect manager, social previews, AI-generated titles and meta descriptions that are reviewed before saving, and the Content Planner. It also bundles the Local, News and Video SEO plugins, one seat for the Yoast SEO Google Docs add-on and 24/7 support.
Yoast sells three paid plans in USD: Premium, WooCommerce SEO (adds product-specific analysis and schema) and SEO AI+ (adds AI Brand Insights, a browser-based tool that tracks brand mentions across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity). Each subscription covers one site or domain, so multi-site owners pay per site, with bulk discounts and custom agency licensing above 100 sites.
Yoast SEO's core features
SEO and readability analysis
Scores a post in the WordPress editor against a focus keyphrase with separate SEO and readability checks.
Multiple keyphrases
Premium checks one page against up to five keyphrases, including synonyms and word forms in 20+ languages.
AI title and meta generation
Drafts SEO titles and meta descriptions by page or in bulk, with nothing saved until reviewed.
Internal linking suggestions
Suggests relevant pages to link to while writing and shows orphaned content that nothing links to.
Google Docs add-on
Provides Yoast guidance inside Google Docs so contributors can optimize drafts without WordPress access.
Where Yoast SEO wins and loses
Strengths
- Free plugin includes real-time SEO and readability analysis
- Very widely installed, with extensive documentation and training
- Premium bundles Local, News and Video SEO plugins and a Google Docs add-on seat
- AI metadata generation requires review before anything is saved
- 24/7 support on Premium
Limitations
- Analysis is rule-based against one keyphrase, not competitor or SERP-driven
- Each subscription covers only one site, so multi-site costs add up
- No month-to-month billing; plans are billed annually
- Multiple keyphrases, internal linking and redirects sit behind Premium
Yoast SEO's pricing breakdown
Yoast SEO has a permanent free plugin. Premium is $118.80/year (about $9.90/month), billed annually and excluding VAT; there is no month-to-month option, so the monthly figures shown are the yearly price divided by 12.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual /mo | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoast SEO (free) | Free | Free | Free WordPress plugin with SEO and readability analysis, focus keyphrase check, meta editing, sitemaps and schema. |
| Yoast SEO Premium | — | $9.90 | $118.80/year billed annually (ex VAT), equal to $9.90/month. Adds multi-keyphrase analysis, internal linking suggestions, redirect manager, AI title and meta generation, Local/News/Video SEO plugins, one Google Docs add-on seat and 24/7 support. |
| Yoast WooCommerce SEO | — | $14.90 | $178.80/year billed annually (ex VAT), equal to $14.90/month. Everything in Premium plus product-focused content analysis, product schema, WooCommerce sitemaps and canonical handling. |
| Yoast SEO AI+ | — | $29.90 | $358.80/year billed annually (ex VAT), equal to $29.90/month. Includes WooCommerce SEO and Premium plus AI Brand Insights with weekly brand analysis across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity. |
Verified against the official pricing page.
Verdict
Use Yoast SEO
- WordPress site owners who want on-page checks inside the editor
- Writers who need readability feedback while drafting
- Teams that draft in Google Docs and publish to WordPress
- Stores or publishers needing WooCommerce, news or video SEO in one subscription
Skip Yoast SEO
- You need competitor-based term and topic scoring like Surfer or Clearscope
- You do not use WordPress
- You manage many sites and want one low-cost license
- You want a large keyword tracking or rank tracking suite
What users say about Yoast SEO
Ratings from trusted review communities.
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