The 10 best website and SEO auditing tools for scaling digital marketing agencies
Izzy Fletcher • November 7, 2025

Why might you look for alternative website and SEO auditing tools?
We all know how important digital marketing is for local businesses, yet selling digital marketing solutions can feel like trying to push water uphill. So, you turn to SEO and website auditing tools. If you’re reading this, you're most likely either already using an SEO auditing tool or have heard about them and want to see how they compare to the alternatives.
There are tons of SEO and website auditing tools out there, all claiming to streamline processes and save in-house resource time. But if you don’t choose the right tool for your agency, it could do more damage than good.
We’ve spent hours testing, trialling, and sifting through user reviews to narrow down everything you need to know about the most popular SEO and website auditing tools out there.
We’re not just throwing another listicle at you; this here is a comprehensive, no-nonsense look at what these tools have to offer, where their strengths lie, and what their shortcomings are, so we can help you make the most informed decision possible when investing in an SEO or online auditing tool.
So get comfortable and prop your feet up whilst we cut through all the noise and get straight to the meat of it.
1. Limited features and functionality
One of the main reasons that an agency would look elsewhere for a digital presence checker tool is its current tool's limitations in features and functionality. As your agency grows and your marketing and sales teams’ skillsets change, your requirements will evolve.
Whether it's the inability to handle multiple clients without the right tech stack or lacking the level of depth you need in its scans or audits, limitations can hinder your ability to deliver the 5* services that you know your team is capable of doing.
2. Value for money
A common concern we saw across the board was value for money; so if you're looking around, you might be looking for more bang for your buck that your current provider isn't delivering on when it comes to features and functionality.
Agencies, especially smaller ones, startups or individual businesses, might find that they’re spending too much on a tool that doesn't align with their budget or their needs. Alternatively, if you’re an enterprise digital marketing provider selling at scale, the most expensive tool with all the bells and whistles doesn’t always mean it’s the most valuable for your organisation.
3. Poor user experience and support
A tool that’s difficult to use or lacks proper support can be detrimental to its success. If you spend more time troubleshooting, problem-solving, or attempting to find your way around a complicated user interface than you do actually using the tool for its intended purpose, it’s time to reconsider.
A lot of the feedback we’ve analysed highlighted poor and slow customer support as a main driver for switching. Understandably, this can leave your agency stranded when you need help the most, impacting your ability to provide quality service and value to your clients.
10 of the best website and SEO auditing tools and how to decide which one is right for your organisation
TL;DR? Here’s a breakdown to save you time:
| The alternative SEO tool | Primary market |
|---|---|
| Insites | Enterprise sales teams or organisations selling digital marketing solutions who want to streamline their sales processes with automated website audits that sales reps can understand and present confidently and generate more leads by embedding free audits on their site. |
| Woorank | Digital marketing professionals and agencies who need an SEO audit to help clients optimise website performance. - Small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners who want to improve their website's SEO but lack dedicated marketing staff. |
| Marketgoo | Web hosts, domain registrars, registries, and digital agencies. The platform offers SEO tools and domain intelligence solutions designed to help these service providers increase customer retention, identify upselling opportunities, and unlock new revenue streams. |
| SERanking | Digital marketing agencies that serve multiple clients and need comprehensive SEO reporting, white-label capabilities, and client management features. |
| SEOptimiser | For SMBs and digital agencies looking to a website and SEO auditing tool to improve performance |
| BuzzBoard | An AI-powered management and workflow platform for sales and marketing teams who sell digital marketing products, services, and technology solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. |
| BrightLocal | Agencies, small businesses and multi-local brands use BrightLocal to track and optimise their local SEO |
| So Connect | Local businesses like restaurants, retail stores, hospitality businesses, service providers, and other location-based businesses who want to improve them online visibility and reputation management. |
| Ahrefs | SEO professionals and specialists who need comprehensive, advanced SEO analysis and competitive intelligence. This includes in-house SEO managers, SEO consultants, and SEO analysts who work on complex optimisation strategies. |
| Semrush | SEO professionals and marketers who require advanced keyword research, competitor analysis, and technical SEO capabilities for complex campaigns. |
The full breakdown of each SEO auditing tool
1. Insites
Best for growing agencies and enterprise digital marketing providers with sales teams that sell at scale to local SMBs.
Insites is especially useful for scaling sales teams looking to generate more qualified leads, close more sales, and maintain consistent communications across their pipelines.
It’s ideal for digital marketing agency sales teams of 3 or more.
What does Insites do?
In a nutshell, Insites audits any website in 60 seconds and generates a comprehensive audit of the brand’s total online presence.
There are three key differences between Insites’s approach to audits in comparison to other auditing tools:
- Insites audits don’t just focus on SEO. The audits scan a business’s whole presence and offer insight into all corners of a brand’s online presence.
- Insites is designed to help you sell. While audits are comprehensive, they produce trackable scores and reports in a language anyone can understand, meaning your sales team can sell confidently.
- It’s designed with local-level SEO at heart, with features like Local Grid and Competitor Analysis, so it’s ideal for users who want to audit businesses that operate in a local area.
- Marketing teams generate hundreds of untapped leads by offering website visitors a free online health check. Simply plug the Insites widget into landing pages, and white label it as your own. The sales team will then be notified with contact details and the audit results for each prospect.

Features
- In-depth online audits: Performs comprehensive website and online presence audits that cover over 70 checks for SEO, website build, content, local presence, accessibility, security, and more. The audits are fully customisable, and the weighting for the checks can be adjusted to reflect your services. The easy-to-understand interface and colour-coded scores allow your sales reps the confidence to smash those sales pitches.
- Lead generation: Provides a bespoke lead generation tool that captures the details of qualified and warm leads, sending them directly to your inbox.
- API’s & Integrations: 10+ API’s and integrations with the likes of Hubspot, Zapier, Salesforce, Yext, Uberall and more to ensure your data storage and organisation run smoothly and efficiently.
- Competitor analysis: Competitor analysis allows a business to see how it stacks up against its competitors and get one step ahead.
- Local-SEO features: Insites Local Grid feature has a significant competitive advantage as it allows sales teams to show prospects and clients the competitors in the local area and how they rank against them.

Pricing, pros and cons for Insites
Prices for enterprise and growth customers depend on specific needs but start from $299/£249 per month.
Free trials are available once you've had a free demo call to determine your needs for the platform.
Pros
✅ Local-SEO specific, so ideal for agencies offering services to small businesses
✅ 1:1 support with an assigned CSM to help you reach your agency’s growth goals
✅ Extremely user-friendly interface perfect for sales reps and SMBs to understand
✅ The lead generation magnet is an ideal solution to turn website visitors into engaged leads
Cons
❌ Designed for sales teams, so not suitable for specialist teams
❌ Unlike SEMrush & Ahrefs, it’s not designed to make fixes from within the tool
❌ There are only two plans, Growth and Enterprise, so there is no price plan for freelancers or smaller agencies
2. Woorank
Best for: Digital marketing professionals, agencies, and SMB owners wanting straightforward SEO auditing without overwhelming complexity.
Woorank is ideal for businesses that need to quickly identify and fix website SEO issues through easy-to-understand, actionable recommendations. It's perfect for teams that want to offer white-labeled reports to clients without investing in a complex enterprise tool.
What does Woorank do?
Woorank is a comprehensive website SEO audit tool that analyses your site in real-time and provides instant, actionable insights. It goes beyond basic SEO to include website performance, mobile optimisation, usability, accessibility, and security checks.
Key differences between Woorank and other auditing tools:
- Beginner-friendly: Woorank uses simple language and colour-coded scoring (0-100) that anyone can understand—perfect for SMBs without dedicated SEO staff.
- Real-time monitoring: The tool continuously monitors your website 24/7 and sends automated weekly reports and alerts if issues arise.
- Quick implementation: Focuses on providing clear, step-by-step recommendations that users can implement themselves without needing specialist help.
- Affordability for SMBs: Entry-level pricing makes it accessible for freelancers and small agencies who need a basic but solid audit tool.
Features
- Comprehensive website audit: Analyses 100+ SEO, technical, and usability factors, including on-page SEO, technical issues, mobile optimisation, accessibility, security, and compliance checks.
- Keyword research and tracking: Discover high-performing keywords for your industry, track rankings over time, and monitor competitor keyword strategies with search volume data.
- Site crawl technology: Identifies broken links, duplicate content, missing meta tags, and other technical SEO problems that impact rankings.
- Backlink analysis: Check the number of backlinks, referring domains, and backlink quality scores to assess link profile health.
- Customisable white-label reports: Generate branded PDF reports that you can download and deliver to clients, perfect for agencies.
- Lead generation widget: Embed an audit form on your website to capture leads and turn website visitors into qualified prospects.

Pricing, pros and cons for Woorank
Pricing tiers:
- Pro Plan: $79.99/month (or $53.25/month annual) — Best for freelancers and small agencies, includes 1 website, unlimited audits, keyword tracking, and backlink data for 100 domains
- Premium Plan: $199.99/month (or $133.25/month annual) — Best for growing agencies, includes 5 websites, 250 keyword tracking, advanced reporting, and white-label capabilities
- Enterprise: Custom pricing — Built for large teams with API access and dedicated support
Free trial available: 14 days (updated from original 3 days)
Pros:
✅ Real-time 24/7 monitoring with automated weekly reports
✅ Affordable entry-level pricing starting at $79.99/month
✅ Great white-label reporting capabilities for agencies
✅ Seamless Google integrations (Analytics, Search Console, Ads)
Cons
❌ Limited advanced SEO features for specialist professionals or complex campaigns
❌ Pricing can be steep for freelancers compared to other basic audit tools
❌ Website audit makes up 80-90% of functionality; keyword research and backlink features are basic
❌ No API available (only Enterprise plan has custom integrations)
❌ Some users report inconsistent customer support quality
3. Marketgoo
Best for: Web hosts, domain registrars, and digital agencies who want simple, DIY-friendly SEO tools to offer their customers.
Marketgoo is ideal if you're looking to provide an easy-to-implement SEO solution that your customers can action themselves, without needing to hire experts. It's particularly strong for service providers offering white-label SEO as an add-on to existing services.
What does Marketgoo do?
Marketgoo is a DIY-focused SEO platform designed specifically for non-SEO experts. Rather than overwhelming users with complex analysis, it breaks down SEO into simple, actionable tasks that anyone can implement.
Key differences between Marketgoo and other auditing tools:
- Non-expert focused: Designed with simplicity in mind—no technical jargon, just plain-language recommendations and step-by-step instructions.
- Task-based approach: Instead of detailed analysis reports, Marketgoo provides specific to-do items that users can complete themselves.
- Reseller model: Heavily built for white-label partnerships with hosting providers and service companies who want to offer SEO to their customer base.
- Revenue generation: Helps service providers like web hosts increase customer retention and upsell SEO services, ultimately unlocking new revenue streams.
Features
- Simple DIY SEO audits: Website analysis designed for non-experts with easy-to-understand language and actionable recommendations.
- Step-by-step tasks: Breaks down SEO improvements into specific, implementable tasks rather than overwhelming analysis.
- White-label solutions: Heavily focused on reseller partnerships—customise the platform with your branding for seamless integration.
- Domain intelligence: Provides insights into customer domain usage patterns and portfolio analysis.
- Customer retention focus: Helps service providers identify upsell opportunities and strengthen customer relationships.
- Actionable insights: Focuses on practical, implementable recommendations rather than complex metrics and analysis.

Pricing, pros and cons for Marketgoo
Pricing is not advertised publicly; custom pricing is available for partners and resellers.
Free trial: Not advertised
Pros
✅ Simplicity is a major strength—perfect for non-SEO experts and SMBs
✅ Excellent for reseller/white-label partnerships with hosting providers
✅ Task-based approach makes it easy for customers to implement improvements themselves
✅ Strong focus on business outcomes (retention, revenue, upselling) rather than just metrics
Cons
❌ Limited transparency on pricing (custom-only model)
❌ Not suitable for agencies needing advanced, professional-grade SEO analysis
❌ Minimal information available on features compared to other tools
❌ Designed for customers to self-implement, not for agency management
❌ No free trial available to test the platform
4. SE Ranking
Best for: Digital marketing agencies managing multiple clients who need white-label capabilities, excellent local SEO tracking, and user-friendly interface.
SE Ranking is perfect for agencies that want an all-in-one platform without the complexity of enterprise tools. It's ideal if you're delivering SEO services to clients and need to track local rankings with precision while maintaining full branding control.
What does SE Ranking do?
SE Ranking is a comprehensive, agency-focused SEO platform that combines SEO auditing, reporting, and client management in one place. It's built specifically for teams delivering SEO services to multiple clients.
Key differences between SE Ranking and other auditing tools:
- Agency-first design: Everything is built with client management in mind—from reporting to permissions to collaboration tools.
- Local SEO strength: Provides excellent local ranking tracking with geographic precision, critical for agencies serving location-based businesses.
- Approachable complexity: More powerful than basic tools but far less overwhelming than enterprise platforms like Ahrefs or Semrush.
- All-in-one platform: Combines SEO, PPC, social media, and content tools so you're not juggling multiple subscriptions.
Features
- Custom dashboards: Provide clients with controlled access to SEO data with customisable, easy-to-understand dashboards.
- Local SEO tracking: Monitor keyword rankings with geographic precision, essential for agencies serving multiple locations.
- Comprehensive audits: Website audits identify technical SEO issues, content gaps, and on-page optimisation opportunities.
- Keyword research: Collect relevant queries for SEO and PPC campaigns with search volume, competition, and SERP competitor analysis.
- Backlink checker: Analyse backlink profiles, find link-building opportunities, and monitor domain authority growth.
- GBP management: Create and schedule Google Business Profile posts directly from the platform.
- Agency catalogue listing: Get listed in SE Ranking's Agency Catalogue to attract more potential clients and establish authority.
- Lead generator widget: Capture leads with a customisable On-Page SEO Checker widget embedded on your website.

Pricing, pros and cons for SE Ranking
Pricing tiers:
- Starter plans: From $44/month — Ideal for freelancers and small agencies managing 1-3 clients
- Mid-tier plans: Scales with client count and feature access
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for large agencies with advanced needs
Free trial:
14 days
Pros
✅ Excellent local SEO capabilities with geographic precision—ideal for agencies serving SMBs
✅ Strong white-label features and Agency Catalogue listing for lead generation
✅ User-friendly interface that's less overwhelming than Semrush or Ahrefs
✅ All-in-one platform reduces need for multiple tool subscriptions
✅ Flexible pricing scales with your agency's growth
✅ Trusted by 40,000+ agencies globally
Cons
❌ Not as comprehensive as Ahrefs or Semrush for advanced competitive analysis
❌ Pricing increases significantly as you add more clients
❌ Fewer advanced features compared to enterprise-grade tools
❌ Not the best tool for sales reps due to it's more complex UI and functionalities
5. SEOptimer
Best for: SMBs and digital agencies wanting a comprehensive audit tool with white-label reports and lead generation capabilities.
SEOptimer is ideal if you need a fast, affordable tool for running detailed SEO audits and generating branded reports at scale. It's particularly strong for agencies offering audit services as part of their sales process or for resellers building audit capabilities into their platform.
What does SEOptimer do?
SEOptimer is primarily known as a website SEO audit and reporting tool, but it's evolved into a comprehensive SEO suite. It performs detailed analysis across 100+ website data points and provides clear, actionable recommendations in language anyone can understand.
Key differences between SEOptimer and other auditing tools:
- Affordable suite: Offers a comprehensive toolkit at a fraction of competing tools' cost while maintaining quality and depth.
Features
- SEO Crawler: Detailed page-by-page website scanning to identify technical SEO issues, broken links, and structural problems.
- Keyword research tool: Research competitors and find keyword opportunities with search volume, competition, and CPC data.
- Keyword tracking: Monitor search rankings over time by country, language, search engine, and device type.
- Backlink monitoring: Track new and lost links, protect from negative SEO, and build a strong link profile.
- Free SEO toolbox: Meta tag generator, robots.txt generator, XML sitemap generator, .htaccess file generator, keyword generator, and more.
Pricing, pros and cons for SEOptimer
Pricing tiers: Starting from €29/month (approximately $30 USD)
Free trial: Available (days unknown)
Pros
✅ Very affordable pricing starting at €29/month—excellent value for SMBs and agencies
✅ Fast audit execution with JavaScript rendering capabilities
✅ Excellent white-label and embeddable audit widget for lead generation
✅ Comprehensive feature set at a lower price point than competitors
✅ Free SEO toolbox with utilities that complement the paid service
✅ Multi-language support makes it globally accessible
Cons
❌ Less information available on specific features compared to larger platforms
❌ May lack some advanced features needed by specialist SEO professionals
❌ Customer support and update frequency are unclear compared to bigger players
❌ Free trial duration not clearly advertised
❌ Smaller community and fewer case studies compared to Semrush/Ahrefs
6. BuzzBoard
Best for: Sales and marketing teams who sell digital marketing products, services, and technology solutions to SMBs at scale
BuzzBoard is the platform for you if you're running a sales-driven digital marketing company and need AI-powered account intelligence and lead generation at enterprise scale. It's built specifically for inside sales teams who need to prospect, pitch, and close deals faster.
What does BuzzBoard do?
Best for: Sales and marketing teams who sell digital marketing products, services, and technology solutions to SMBs at scale
BuzzBoard provides comprehensive business intelligence on 30+ million SMBs with 6,400+ signals per business, enabling sales teams to create personalised outreach across multiple channels.
Key differences between BuzzBoard and other auditing tools:
1. SMB-specific focus - Database specifically designed for businesses selling to small/medium businesses
2. Sales enablement - Generates personalised sales content across email, SMS, voicemail, websites and social media
3. Account intelligence - Provides comprehensive business insights in under 60 seconds
4. Enterprise scale - Built for large sales teams with hundreds to thousands of reps

Features
- SMB database access: 30+ million SMBs globally with 6,400+ signals, including technology usage, advertising spend, and business triggers
- AI content generation: Automatically creates personalised sales content across multiple media types and channels
- Account scoring: Prioritise prospects based on fit and buying signals to focus on the highest-value opportunities
- CRM integrations: Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other major CRM platforms
- Sales intelligence: Real-time recommendations on which products to sell, cross-sell, or upsell based on prospect data
- Demand generation: Tools for identifying, segmenting, and scoring target accounts for ABM campaigns
Pricing, pros and cons for BuzzBoard
Prices for enterprise customers depend on specific needs.
Pros
✅ Massive database specifically focused on SMB market
✅ AI-powered personalisation
✅ Comprehensive business intelligence beyond just SEO metrics
Cons
❌ Very expensive - designed for enterprise sales teams only
❌ Overkill for small agencies or individual SEO professionals
❌ Focuses on sales enablement rather than SEO optimisation
7. BrightLocal
Best for: Agencies, small businesses, and multi-location brands specialising in local SEO and online reputation management.
BrightLocal is the go-to tool if you're focused on local SEO and manage clients across multiple locations. It's perfect for agencies serving location-based businesses (restaurants, retail, service providers) that depend on local search visibility and customer reviews.
What does BrightLocal do?
BrightLocal is a specialised local SEO platform purpose-built for location-based businesses and the agencies that serve them. It handles the complexity of managing local SEO at scale—from citations to reviews to local rankings—all in one dashboard.
Key differences between BrightLocal and other auditing tools:
- Local SEO specialisation: Every feature is designed specifically for location-based businesses and multi-location management, not general SEO.
- Citation management at scale: Handles business listings across hundreds of local directories, saving massive amounts of time.
- Geo-specific precision: Tracks local rankings with pinpoint accuracy, showing how you rank in specific areas and against local competitors.
- Review management centralised: Collect, monitor, and respond to reviews across multiple platforms from a single dashboard.
Features
- Local search rank tracking: Monitor keyword rankings by geographic location with geo-specific precision; understand how you rank in specific areas.
- Citation management: Handle business listings across hundreds of local and international directories automatically and at scale.
- Review management: Collect customer reviews from multiple sources, monitor sentiment, and respond to reviews from one unified dashboard.
- Landing pages: Create location-specific landing pages for multi-location businesses without coding.
- Automated consistency checks: Ensure business information (NAP—Name, Address, Phone) is consistent across all directories.
- Performance reporting: Track local visibility metrics and generate reports showing local search performance.

Pricing, pros and cons for BrightLocal
Pricing tiers:
Software plans: From €29/month (~$30 USD)
Managed services: From €799/month (~$850 USD) for fully managed local SEO services
Free trial: 14 days
Pros
✅ Purpose-built for local SEO—far superior to general SEO tools for location-based businesses
✅ Citation management at scale saves agencies enormous amounts of time
✅ Geo-specific ranking precision is essential for local marketing
✅ Unified review management keeps customer reputation in one place
✅ Flexible pricing with both software and managed service options
Cons
❌ Highly specialised—only useful for agencies/businesses focused on local SEO
❌ Not suitable if you need general website SEO auditing beyond local rankings
❌ Steep learning curve for teams unfamiliar with local SEO workflows
❌ Limited features for non-location-based businesses
❌ Pricing increases significantly with multiple locations
8. So Connect
Best for: Local businesses like restaurants, retail stores, hospitality, and service providers wanting simple online visibility and reputation management.
So Connect is ideal if you're a small local business wanting to improve your online presence and reputation without technical expertise. It's also perfect for agencies reselling local SEO and reputation services to SMBs through a white-label model.
What does So Connect do?
So Connect is a local business platform combining listings management, review collection, and reputation management into one simple dashboard. It's designed specifically for location-dependent businesses that live or die by their local search visibility.
Key differences between So Connect and other auditing tools:
- White-label B2B2B focus: Heavy emphasis on partnerships where agencies and service providers resell So Connect under their own brand.
- Local business specialisation: Every feature is built for businesses that depend on local visibility—restaurants, retailers, service providers, and hospitality.
- Simplicity first: Designed for business owners without marketing or tech backgrounds; focus is on ease of use.
- All-in-one reputation: Combines listings, review collection, and reputation management so you don't need multiple tools.

Features
- Local business listings management: Ensure your business appears consistently across local directories and search platforms.
- Review collection: Automatically collect reviews from customers and direct them to Google, Yelp, and other key platforms.
- Reputation monitoring: Monitor what's being said about your business online and respond to reviews from one dashboard.
- White-label platform: Fully rebrand So Connect as your own for seamless client delivery and partnership integration.
- Competitor tracking: See how you're performing against local competitors in your area.
Pricing, pros and cons for So Connect
Pricing: Custom / not advertised publicly
Free trial: None listed
Pros
✅ Excellent for local businesses that need simple, all-in-one reputation management
✅ White-label capabilities perfect for agencies offering local SEO services
✅ Designed with non-technical business owners in mind; very user-friendly
✅ Strong focus on review collection and reputation management
✅ All-in-one solution reduces tool sprawl
Cons
❌ Not suitable for general website SEO auditing or technical analysis
❌ Pricing not transparent; requires custom inquiry
❌ No free trial to test before committing
❌ Limited information available on advanced features
❌ Highly specialised—only useful for local businesses and their agencies
❌ May lack advanced analytics compared to specialist platforms
9. Ahrefs
Best for: SEO professionals and specialists needing comprehensive, advanced SEO analysis and competitive intelligence.
Ahrefs is the go-to tool for in-house SEO managers, SEO consultants, and SEO analysts who work on complex optimisation strategies. If you're doing deep competitive analysis and need the most comprehensive backlink database in the industry, Ahrefs is worth the investment.
What does Ahrefs do?
Ahrefs is an enterprise-grade SEO platform built for professionals who need the deepest possible insights into SEO, backlinks, and competitive strategy. It maintains one of the largest and most frequently updated backlink databases in the world.
Key differences between Ahrefs and other auditing tools:
- Professional-grade only: Not designed for SMBs or non-experts; assumes deep SEO knowledge and sophisticated workflows.
- Unmatched backlink data: One of the largest backlink databases, frequently updated, providing insights competitors miss.
- Advanced competitor analysis: Detailed insights into competitors' organic traffic sources, keywords, content strategies, and backlink profiles.
- Complex optimisation strategies: Built for analysing nuanced ranking factors and developing sophisticated, multi-faceted SEO strategies.that
Features
- Comprehensive backlink database: One of the industry's largest backlink databases with frequent updates; explore link profiles in unprecedented detail.
- Advanced competitor analysis: Discover competitors' entire organic traffic sources, keywords they rank for, content strategies, and backlink profiles.
- Professional keyword research: Analyse keywords with search volume, difficulty, intent, and opportunity metrics for complex campaigns.
- Site auditing: Comprehensive technical audits identifying content gaps, duplicate content, redirect chains, and technical SEO issues.
- Organic search insights: Understand the "why" behind rankings—see which factors contribute to competitors' success.
- Content gap analysis: Identify keywords competitors rank for that you don't, revealing content opportunities.

Pricing, pros and cons for Ahrefs
Pricing tiers:
Lite: €99/month (~$105 USD)
Standard: Custom pricing
Advanced: Custom pricing
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Free trial: None
Pros
✅ Unmatched backlink database depth and quality
✅ Most comprehensive competitor analysis in the industry
✅ Exceptional for complex, strategic SEO work
✅ Frequent updates to data and algorithms keep insights current
✅ Industry standard for professional SEO work
Cons
❌ Expensive ($99+ minimum, custom plans much higher)
❌ Steep learning curve; requires significant SEO expertise to use effectively
❌ Not suitable for SMBs, freelancers, or non-experts
❌ No free trial—significant investment before you can test
❌ Overkill for simple website audits or basic SEO needs
❌ Pricing does not include tools to make fixes; analysis only
10. Semrush
Best for: SEO professionals and marketers requiring advanced keyword research, competitor analysis, and technical SEO capabilities for complex campaigns.
Semrush is ideal if you need an all-in-one digital marketing platform that goes beyond SEO to include PPC, social media, content marketing, and PR. It's the choice for sophisticated marketers who want all their tools in one place and can handle platform complexity.
What does Semrush do?
Semrush is a comprehensive digital marketing platform, not just an SEO tool. It combines SEO, PPC, content marketing, PR, and social media management into one integrated suite. It's built for professionals managing complex, multi-channel marketing campaigns.
Key differences between Semrush and other auditing tools:
- All-in-one platform: Combines SEO, PPC, content, PR, and social in one place—the most comprehensive platform available.
- Advanced keyword research: Billions of keywords with advanced filtering, intent analysis, and search trend data.
- Competitive playbook: Uncover competitors' entire digital marketing strategy—keywords, ads, content, backlinks, and more.
- Professional workflow integration: API access, CRM integrations, team collaboration tools, and automated reporting built in.
Features
- Competitor insights: Uncover competitors' entire digital marketing playbook, including keywords, ad copy, backlinks, content gaps, and PPC strategies.
- Keyword Magic Tool: Access billions of keywords with advanced filtering and search intent analysis; find long-tail opportunities easily.
- Technical SEO audits: Comprehensive website analysis identifying technical issues, crawlability problems, and on-page optimisation opportunities.
- Rank tracking: Monitor rankings across multiple countries, devices, and search engines; see how changes impact visibility.
- Backlink analysis: Explore backlink profiles, find new link-building opportunities, and identify bad links to disavow.
- Content marketing suite: AI writing tools, content calendar, and optimisation recommendations for organic reach.
- PPC advertising tools: Keyword research, ad copy analysis, and budget optimisation for Google Ads and Bing.
- Social media management: Schedule posts, monitor mentions, and track social performance across platforms.
- Professional workflow integration: API access, CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot), team collaboration, and custom reporting.
- Brand monitoring: Track brand mentions across web, news, and social media to manage reputation.

Pricing, pros and cons for Semrush
Pricing tiers:
Pro: From €199/month (~$210 USD)
Business: Custom pricing
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Free trial: Available (duration not specified in current information)
Pros
✅ Most comprehensive all-in-one digital marketing platform available
✅ Excellent for managing complex, multi-channel marketing campaigns
✅ Advanced keyword research with billions of keywords and intent analysis
✅ Superior competitor analysis across all marketing channels, not just SEO
✅ Professional workflow integrations (API, CRM, team tools, reporting)
✅ Includes PPC, content, social, and PR tools in one subscription
Cons
❌ Expensive starting at €199/month for entry-level access
❌ Steep learning curve; platform complexity can overwhelm newcomers
❌ Overkill if you only need SEO auditing (not worth it for basic website checks)
❌ Pricing increases quickly as you add users and more advanced features
❌ Minimum commitment and no month-to-month options for lower plans
❌ Not ideal for SMBs or freelancers on tight budgets
Where do you go from here?
Well, that's up to you! There are many powerful auditing tools out there to help you optimise your sales or auditing processes. To recap, we covered:
- Top 3 reasons why people might look for alternative websites or SEO auditing tools — from limited functionality to poor value for money and frustrating user experiences
- A deep dive comparison of 10 leading SEO and website auditing platforms — from sales-focused solutions to comprehensive enterprise tools
- Which audience each tool is best suited for — whether that's enterprise sales teams, solopreneurs, small agencies, local business owners, or specialist SEO professionals
Whether a sales and marketing tool like Insites would tick all your boxes, or whether the tailored insights from other top contenders like Ahrefs, Semrush, BrightLocal, or SE Ranking would be the best fit, choosing the right tool ultimately depends on your agency's unique needs, budget, and growth ambitions.
So now you have all the essential information, it's time to take it a step further and check them out for yourselves. Most offer free trials or demos, so there's no excuse not to get hands-on experience before making your decision.
Ready to streamline your agency's sales process with a tool designed for scaling teams? If you're a digital marketing agency with a sales team of 3 or more looking to generate more qualified leads, close deals faster, and maintain consistency across your pipeline, Insites might be your answer. Our platform turns website audits into sales conversations, helping your team sell with confidence and turn prospects into customers. Get in touch with our team to explore a partnership or start your free strategy call today.
Happy auditing! 👋 The Insites team


























