The price gap between Surfer SEO vs. Clearscope tells a clear story – $89 for Surfer SEO and $170 for Clearscope’s basic plans.
Surfer SEO reaches 15,000 businesses in 140 countries, offering 500+ ranking factor checks and content scoring. Clearscope brings its own strength with a 4.9/5 user rating and IBM Watson technology for content suggestions.
This guide shows you the exact costs, features, and savings between these tools. You’ll see which one fits your budget and needs best. The right choice depends on what your website needs to rank better.
Pricing Breakdown: Surfer SEO vs Clearscope
Surfer SEO’s Essential plan costs $89 monthly with 15 Content Editor credits and basic SEO tools. Clearscope starts at $189 monthly, giving you 50 keyword finds and 20 content reports.
Basic Plan Features
Surfer SEO’s Essential plan lets you write 30 articles, create 5 AI pieces, and add 5 team members.
You’ll also get 200 pages to track and optimize. The Scale plan jumps to $219 monthly but handles 100 articles and fits 10 team members.
Clearscope’s basic plan tracks 100 pages and works with unlimited users. The tool runs on credits for content checks. Watch out though – you might hit limits when checking old reports.
Surfer SEO vs. Clearscope: Enterprise Options
Big teams get special features with both tools. Surfer SEO adds API access, white-label options, and SEO experts to help you. Clearscope matches this with custom credits, crawler settings, and single sign-on.
Surfer SEO’s Scale plan tracks 1000 pages, runs 100 daily SERP checks, and includes setup help. Clearscope’s Business plan costs $399 monthly, watches 300 pages, and gives you a dedicated helper.
Extra Costs to Watch
The basic price isn’t everything. Surfer SEO charges extra for AI articles. Some features cost more on top of your monthly fee.
Clearscope uses a credit-based pricing system. You might need more credits if you run out. The big jump from $189 to $399 hits growing teams hard.
Both tools pack some useful extras. Surfer SEO connects with WordPress and Google Docs, showing SEO scores as you write.
Clearscope throws in training and fast support. You can switch plans anytime – no long contracts are needed.
Key Features That Impact ROI
Surfer SEO and Clearscope pack different features that boost your website’s performance. Here’s what makes each tool worth your money.
Surfer SEO vs. Clearscope: Content Optimization Tools
Surfer SEO checks over 500 data points to score your content.
The editor watches your keywords while you write and gives you a score between 0 and 100. You’ll see exactly what needs fixing to rank better.
Clearscope uses IBM Watson to understand how words connect. The tool scores an impressive content creation tool rating of 9.6, beating Surfer SEO. You get quick feedback on SEO and readability through their report card system.
Surfer SEO shows you what matters:
- Text structure
- Heading placement
- Meta descriptions
- Content sentiment
- Page speed
- Data markup
Keyword Research Tools
Clearscope wins at keyword research with a 9.1 score versus Surfer SEO’s 8.5.
The tool sorts keywords into headers, unused words, and priority levels. This helps writers use keywords naturally in their content.
Surfer SEO lets you check multiple keywords at once, showing search numbers and related terms. The Content Planner stands out by building topic groups from your keywords.
Both tools help you make more money:
Clearscope watches your content and tells you when to update it. This keeps traffic steady, which matters since 91.5% of clicks go to first-page results.
Surfer SEO looks deeper at:
- Hidden content
- Above-fold content
- Backlinks
- Site speed
These features matter more when you know organic search brings over 50% of website visits. Using these tools right means spending less on ads and saving money long-term.
Cost Per Content Piece Analysis
The real numbers show exactly what you’ll pay with each tool. Let’s break down the costs per article and what you get monthly.
Single Article Production Cost
Surfer SEO’s Essential plan costs $5.93 per article, based on 15 monthly articles at $89. Clearscope charges $8.50 per article with 20 report credits at $170 monthly.
Big content teams get better deals with Surfer SEO’s Business plan at $2.78 per article, letting you write 70 pieces monthly. Clearscope’s Business plan costs more but adds unlimited users and 100+ content credits.
Surfer SEO vs. Clearscope: Monthly Content Output vs Price
Each plan handles different content amounts:
- Surfer SEO Essential: 30 articles plus 5 AI pieces
- Surfer SEO Scale: 100 articles with better features
- Clear scope Essentials: 20 content reports monthly
- Clear scope Business: Custom credits with extra features
Watch out for credit limits. Clearscope might block old report access when you run low. Surfer SEO’s AI articles cost extra, adding to your monthly bill.
Time Savings Calculator
The money saved shows up in time. Teams write faster with these tools, cutting 1.5-3 hours per article. A normal 15-hour article becomes 10-20% quicker.
Here’s how to find your savings:
- Regular writing time (15 hours) × Your rate
- Faster writing time (12-13.5 hours) × Your rate
- Times your monthly article count
Think about this – writing 30 articles saves 45-90 hours monthly. That saving alone pays for Surfer SEO’s Scale plan, which tracks 1000 pages and runs 100 SERP checks daily.
Both tools use credits differently. Surfer SEO charges extra for AI content. Clearscope might need more credits if you use too many. Plan your content volume carefully to avoid surprise costs.
Team Size and Scaling Costs
Surfer SEO and Clearscope serve different team sizes.
Surfer SEO fits small teams better – 93.2% of its users run businesses under 50 people. Clearscope splits differently: 72.4% small business users and 27.6% bigger companies.
Small Team Requirements
Small teams save money with Surfer SEO’s Essential plan. Solo writers and new teams get content planning tools that work weeks ahead. Writers and editors see content without needing full account access.
Small teams get these features:
- Quick plan changes without contracts
- Google Docs SEO tools
- Grow Flow task tracking
- Writer guidelines section
Enterprise Team Needs
Big teams need different things. Clearscope shines here, working with names like IBM, Deloitte, and Adobe. The tool gives enterprise teams:
- Custom data setup
- Single sign-on options
- Safe crawler access
- No domain limits
Enterprise costs change based on team setup. SEO analysts earn $40,000-$85,000, while SEO managers make $60,000-$150,000 yearly. Teams without SEO staff pay consultants $500-$750 monthly for site checks.
Clearscope works better for bigger teams that need lots of content. Basic plans limit growing teams, but expensive plans hurt small team budgets.
Big content teams spend more than just tool costs. Full SEO tools cost $2,500-$3,000 monthly, depending on domains and keywords. Pick between Surfer SEO and Clearscope based on your team size and content goals.
Integration Costs and Compatibility
The right tool connects smoothly with your writing setup. Both Surfer SEO and Clearscope work differently with popular writing tools.
WordPress Integration Expenses
Surfer SEO gives you seamless WordPress integration at no additional cost with every plan. You’ll see SEO scores right in WordPress as you write, fixing problems before publishing. Teams get:
- Live SEO tracking
- Quick fixes while writing
- Client progress sharing
- Real-time content scores
Surfer’s API lets teams build custom WordPress setups. The Grow Flow tool adds weekly SEO tasks, showing you what links and content need work.
Google Docs Setup Costs
Both tools plug into Google Docs for free. Clearscope lets writers:
- Move content to their editor
- Share SEO reports easily
- Pick language settings
- See keyword data
Surfer SEO does all this plus live SEO checking in Google Docs. Perfect for teams using freelance writers – no extra tools needed.
Watch for hidden costs when setting up these tools. Moving old content costs extra. Other costs pop up too:
- Team training time
- Computer setup needs
- Regular fixes
- System updates
Big companies get extra features. Surfer SEO works with Zapier to connect other tools. Clearscope adds safe crawling and single sign-on.
Your long-term costs change based on picking yearly, monthly, or open-source options. Most people pick monthly plans but check what you can use and store before paying.
Quick Comparison: Surfer SEO vs. Clearscope
| Feature | Surfer SEO | Clearscope |
| Basic Plan Cost | $89/month (Essential) | $170/month (Essentials) |
| Monthly Credits | 15 Content Editor credits | 20 content reports |
| Monthly Articles | 30 + 5 AI articles | Not listed |
| Team Size (Basic) | 5 users | No limit |
| Page Tracking | 200 pages | 100 pages |
| Pro Plan Cost | $219/month (Scale) | $399/month (Business) |
| Keyword Tool Score | 8.5 | 9.1 |
| Content Score | Not rated | 9.6 |
| Main Users | 93.2% small teams (<50 people) | 72.4% small teams, 27.6% big teams |
| Tools That Work With It | WordPress, Google Docs, Zapier | WordPress, Google Docs |
| Special Features | – 500+ ranking checks- Content Planner- SEO insights- Grow Flow | – IBM Watson tech- Word relationship tools- Report cards- Content tracking |
| Cost Per Article | $5.93 | $8.50 |
| Big Team Features | – API use- White-label options- SEO help desk | – Custom credits- Safe crawling- Single sign-on |
| Extra Costs | Pay more for AI articles | Might need more credits |
The Bottom Line: Surfer SEO vs. Clearscope
Surfer SEO wins the price battle at $89 monthly. You get 500+ ranking checks and technical SEO tools. Clearscope costs more at $170 monthly but packs IBM Watson tech and better content suggestions.
The numbers tell a clear story – Surfer SEO charges $5.93 per article while Clearscope asks $8.50. Small teams love Surfer SEO’s basic plan.
Big companies pick Clearscope for unlimited users and enterprise features. Both tools plug right into WordPress and Google Docs at no extra cost.
Pick your tool based on what matters to you. Want to save money and get solid SEO insights? Surfer SEO fits the bill.
Need top-tier content tools and enterprise features? Clearscope makes sense. Both tools cut writing time by 10-20% and boost your search rankings.
Surfer SEO works best for most users, especially small teams watching their budget. But Clearscope earns its higher price tag if you need premium content tools and run a bigger operation.
