Head to head
Surfer SEO vs Frase
Short answer. Surfer SEO and Frase are both ai content optimization tools, so this is a like-for-like choice. Frase is the cheaper way in at from $39/mo (annual) against from $49/mo (annual). On AI search visibility Surfer SEO is ahead (Tracking against Partial). Choose Surfer SEO if you match its target profile: writers, content teams and agencies who write their own content and want it to match what the SERP rewards. Choose Frase if you match its: small content teams and freelancers who want SERP-driven briefs and optimization without a suite-level budget.
Surfer SEO
Content intelligence platform that scores drafts against the pages already ranking, and now tracks how often your brand appears in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI surfaces.
from $49/mo (annual)No free trial listed (7-day money-back terms on the pricing page)
Visit Surfer SEO (opens in a new tab)
Frase
Research, brief and optimization tool with a content agent that drafts and publishes FAQ, glossary and how-to pages, at the lowest entry price of the optimization category.
from $39/mo (annual)7-day free trial, no credit card
Visit Frase (opens in a new tab)
Side by side
| Surfer SEO | Frase | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI content optimization | AI content optimization |
| Entry price | from $49/mo (annual) | from $39/mo (annual) |
| Free trial | No free trial listed (7-day money-back terms on the pricing page) | 7-day free trial, no credit card |
| AI search (GEO) | Tracking | Partial |
| Best for | Writers, content teams and agencies who write their own content and want it to match what the SERP rewards. | Small content teams and freelancers who want SERP-driven briefs and optimization without a suite-level budget. |
| Integrations | WordPress, Google Docs, Jasper | WordPress, Webflow, Sanity, Wix, Google Docs |
| Languages | Multilingual | Multilingual |
Where they actually differ
Ten capabilities, same definition for both tools, taken from each vendor's published documentation. The rows below are only the ones where the two disagree, because those are the rows that decide the purchase.
| Capability | Surfer SEO | Frase |
|---|---|---|
| Writes content | Partial | Yes |
| Publishes to your CMS | No | Partial |
| Keyword research | Partial | Yes |
| Technical audit | No | Partial |
| Rank tracking | Partial | No |
| AI visibility tracking | Yes | No |
| Internal linking | Partial | Yes |
Pricing compared
Surfer SEO: Prices shown are annual billing. AI prompt tracking is included from the Standard tier up, and is also sold standalone as AI Search Analytics at $158/mo for 100 prompts.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | $49/mo | 120 documents, track 10 pages, AI SEO guidelines, Surfy assistant. |
| Standard | $99/mo | 360 documents, 25 AI prompts tracked with weekly refresh, ChatGPT tracking. |
| Pro | $182/mo | 360 documents, 50 AI prompts with daily refresh, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google and Gemini, 5 brand workspaces. |
| Peace of Mind | $299/mo | Unlimited documents, 100 AI prompts daily, all AI models, unlimited workspaces, API access, dedicated success manager. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom limits, white-label, SSO. |
Frase: Annual pricing is roughly 20% below monthly: Starter $39 vs $49, Professional $103 vs $129, Scale $239 vs $299. Extra seats on Professional cost $29/mo.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $39/mo annual ($49 monthly) | 1 seat, 1 site, 10 articles, 50 audit pages per month, Content Guard on 3 pages. |
| Professional | $103/mo annual ($129 monthly) | 3 seats, 5 sites, 40 articles, 250 audit pages, content calendar, internal linking, Content Guard on 15 pages. |
| Scale | $239/mo annual ($299 monthly) | 5 seats, 10 domains, 100 articles, 1,000 audit pages, client-ready reports, agent auto-publishing. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom limits, white-label portals, SSO/SAML, dedicated account manager. |
Entry price is the wrong number to compare on its own. Add seats, add the tier that unlocks the feature you came for, and the gap usually moves. Run both through the stack cost calculator to see the annual figure.
Surfer SEO in detail
Content intelligence platform that scores drafts against the pages already ranking, and now tracks how often your brand appears in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI surfaces. Tracks prompts across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Mode and AI Overviews, with mention-gap analysis, from the Standard tier upwards.
Strengths
- Best-in-class on-page optimization for human-led content
- AI visibility tracking now included from $99/mo rather than sold separately
- Entry tier at $49/mo is affordable for a solo writer
Limits
- You still write and publish: this is not automation
- No backlink index or technical crawl
- Prompt tracking refreshes weekly until the $182/mo tier
Read the full Surfer SEO review →
Frase in detail
Research, brief and optimization tool with a content agent that drafts and publishes FAQ, glossary and how-to pages, at the lowest entry price of the optimization category. Frase focuses on SERP research, briefs and on-page optimization. It ships a Frase Answers widget and drafts FAQ and glossary pages, which are useful AI-citation formats, but it is not a prompt-tracking product.
Strengths
- Cheapest credible entry point in the optimization category at $39/mo
- 7-day free trial with no card required
- Briefs are genuinely usable as writer handoffs
Limits
- No prompt or AI-visibility tracking
- Article and audit limits are tight on the Starter plan
- Interface covers a lot of ground, which takes some learning
How to choose between them
Go with Surfer SEO when
- Best-in-class on-page optimization for human-led content
- AI visibility tracking now included from $99/mo rather than sold separately
- Entry tier at $49/mo is affordable for a solo writer
Go with Frase when
- Cheapest credible entry point in the optimization category at $39/mo
- 7-day free trial with no card required
- Briefs are genuinely usable as writer handoffs
Whichever way you lean, run the trials on the same brief before you commit: Surfer SEO gives you no free trial listed (7-day money-back terms on the pricing page) and Frase gives you 7-day free trial, no credit card. Judging output on your own topic beats any comparison table, including this one.
Frequently asked questions
Surfer SEO vs Frase: which is better?
Neither is better in the abstract. Surfer SEO suits writers, content teams and agencies who write their own content and want it to match what the serp rewards. Frase suits small content teams and freelancers who want serp-driven briefs and optimization without a suite-level budget. Match the tool to the job you actually need done and the answer is usually obvious; if it is not, our tool finder narrows it in about a minute.
Is Surfer SEO cheaper than Frase?
Frase has the lower entry price: from $39/mo (annual) against from $49/mo (annual). Entry price is not total cost though, because both vendors gate features by tier. Compare full plan tables on the pricing comparison.
Which one is better for AI search visibility?
Surfer SEO. Tracks prompts across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Mode and AI Overviews, with mention-gap analysis, from the Standard tier upwards.
Can I use Surfer SEO and Frase together?
Yes, and plenty of teams do. The common stack pairs a tool that produces work with a tool that measures or researches it, because those two jobs rarely live in the same product. Before you stack, price the combined subscription in the stack cost calculator: two mid-tier tools often cost more than one plan that covers both.
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Last verified 2 August 2026. Prices, plans and features on this page were read on each vendor's own site on that date. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm before you buy. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.