The closest alternatives to Surfer SEO on Lister are Frase, SE Ranking and Writesonic, the companies that share the most rankings with it. Each is compared below on its stated best fit, starting price and Lister Score.
How to choose an alternative to Surfer SEO
Start from what you need it for. Where each fits best, as Lister records it:
- Frase: Content researchers and video SEO strategists
- SE Ranking: Freelancers, small agencies, and budget-conscious teams
- Writesonic: YouTube creators focused on search optimisation
- Semrush: SEO and digital marketers
- Semrush One: Agencies, in-house teams, content creators tracking AI-generated search results
- Clearscope: Enterprise content teams and publishing organisations seeking AI-driven content gap insights and workflow integration
- Jasper: Enterprise marketing teams and professional copywriters
- Ahrefs: Backlink and SEO research
- Copysmith: Large e-commerce retailers and marketplaces
- Ubersuggest: Freelancers and small businesses starting their SEO journey
Closest to Surfer SEO by the rankings they share: Frase (5 rankings), SE Ranking (4 rankings) and Writesonic (4 rankings).
Stated starting prices: Frase ($15/month), SE Ranking ($39/month), Writesonic ($16/month), Semrush ($129.95/month), Semrush One ($199/month), Jasper ($39/month), Ahrefs (129 USD per month), Copysmith (£19/month) and Ubersuggest ($12/month).
Custom or quote-based pricing: Clearscope.
Each Lister Score is the alternative's score on the ranking named in its row, so compare scores within one ranking rather than across rankings. How the score is made.
Each alternative in brief
01
#1 in Content optimisation tools for agencies: Frase is a content operating system for AI search. It runs SEO and AI search end to end.
PROS- Exceptional research and outline generation capabilities
- Reasonably priced starting tier
CONS- AI writing capabilities feel secondary to research tools
- Requires manual editing to form a complete spoken script
98.0
02
Cost-effective platform with strong rank tracking
#1 in AI search visibility tools with a free trial: SE Ranking is an AI SEO software platform designed to help businesses grow their online visibility. It provides comprehensive tools for tracking rankings, analysing competitors, and managing content marketing strategies.
PROS- Significantly lower pricing with good value for money
- Reliable rank tracking and useful keyword research functionality
CONS- Smaller database of backlinks and competitor data than market leaders
- Less comprehensive than all-in-one platforms like SEMrush
96.0
03
#3 in Top 10 AI Product-Description Writers: Writesonic combines multiple writing use cases with strong e-commerce functionality, including product description, product copy, and sales copy templates. It features an intuitive editor, article plagiarism checking, and straightforward integration capabilities for online stores.
PROS- Integrates up-to-date internet data for current events
- Affordable entry-level pricing plans
CONS- Word counts on lower tiers deplete quickly
- Interface can feel cluttered with too many features
90.3
04
Online visibility and marketing analytics
#1 in Top 10 Content Gap Analysis Tools: SEMrush provides comprehensive content gap analysis through its Content Marketing Platform and Competitive Research toolkit. It identifies content opportunities by comparing your domain against up to five competitors, highlighting topics, keywords, and content formats you are missing. The platform also audits your existing content for SEO optimisation and provides historical content performance data.
PROS- Combines SEO and brand monitoring
- Competitor tracking capabilities
CONS- Social media tracking is secondary to SEO
- Costly for teams only needing brand monitoring
95.0
05
Enterprise AI search visibility and brand monitoring across ChatGPT, Google, and Perplexity
#1 in Top 10 AI SEO Tools: Semrush One tracks brand visibility across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity in 6 regions with monitoring of 100+ million prompts daily. Designed for agencies, in-house teams, and content creators managing complex visibility landscapes.
PROS- Comprehensive AI search visibility tracking across multiple platforms and regions
- Enterprise-grade monitoring of over 100 million daily prompts with actionable insights
CONS- Higher pricing at $199/month may be prohibitive for solo practitioners or small teams
95.0
06
AI-powered content optimisation and gap analysis for modern content teams
#5 in Top 10 AI SEO Tools: Clearscope combines deep NLP analysis with unlimited user seats and a clean workflow designed for fast team adoption. Perfect for enterprise content teams and editorial teams seeking collaborative content optimisation at scale.
PROS- AI-powered gap identification with sophisticated semantic content analysis
- Seamless CMS integration and content workflow automation features
CONS- Custom pricing with no published tiers makes cost comparison difficult
- Requires technical setup and editorial workflow changes for full benefit
89.0
07
#1 in Top 10 AI Product-Description Writers: Jasper is a comprehensive AI writing platform built for marketing and e-commerce teams. It offers dedicated product description templates, brand voice customisation, and team collaboration features, making it ideal for businesses generating hundreds of descriptions monthly at consistent quality.
PROS- Extensive template library for various video formats
- Strong brand voice customisation capabilities
CONS- Higher price point compared to niche alternatives
- Can occasionally produce generic marketing copy
95.0
08
#2 in Top 10 AI SEO Tools: Ahrefs combines the largest and most frequently updated backlink index in the industry with AI visibility tracking through Brand Radar. Trusted by agencies, in-house teams, and link builders for comprehensive competitive analysis.
PROS- Extremely reliable backlink database
- Clean and logical user interface
CONS- Lacks built-in social media tracking features
93.5
09
Scale your e-commerce content production
#8 in Top 10 AI Product-Description Writers: Copysmith specialises in e-commerce copywriting with direct integrations for Amazon, Shopify, and WooCommerce. It offers templates specifically for product listings, bullet points, and multi-channel copy, simplifying inventory-wide updates.
PROS- Excellent bulk generation capabilities
- Direct e-commerce platform integrations
CONS- Steeper learning curve for advanced features
78.7
10
User-friendly SEO tool for keyword and content research
#9 in Top 10 Content Gap Analysis Tools: Ubersuggest offers content gap analysis through its Competitor Analysis tool, revealing keywords and topics your competitors rank for that you do not. The platform provides keyword difficulty scores, search volume data, and basic content recommendations. It is designed as an affordable alternative to premium SEO platforms, suitable for small businesses and startups getting started with content strategy optimisation.
PROS- Very affordable entry price for complete toolkit
- Strong focus on content research and opportunity identification
CONS- Significantly smaller data sets than major competitors
- Limited backlink accuracy compared to Ahrefs and SEMrush
76.3