Skip to content

Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics

DataForSEO vs Frase

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

DataForSEO

4.0

From From $50 top-up

Frase

4.0

From $49/mo

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Best value

Pick it if: Anyone using Claude Code or building their own tools who wants real SEO data without a big monthly plan.

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Small marketing teams, freelancers and agencies who write SEO content and want research, briefs and drafts in one place.

Overview

AttributeDataForSEOFrase
In one lineRaw search, keyword and backlink data you pay for by the query, built for AI agents.Researches, briefs and drafts SEO articles, and tracks if AI search cites you.
Pricing modelPaidPaid
Starting priceFrom $50 top-up$49/mo
Free plan No No
Works with Claude Code Yes Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeDataForSEOFrase
Overall rating4.04.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
2.5
4.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
5.0
4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.5
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeDataForSEOFrase
Access & platform
Free plan No No
Mobile app No–
Desktop app No–
Browser extension No–
API access Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace– Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO No Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No
AI abilities
Works with your files No–
Understands images No–
Makes images No No
Makes video No No
Writes code No No
Runs agents or automations No Yes
Learns your brand or style No Yes
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score3/ 177/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeDataForSEOFrase
Plans

Pay as you goOur pick

From $50 top-up

Anyone who wants real data in Claude Code without a subscription.

Starter

$49/mo, or $39/mo billed yearly

One person writing a few articles a month.

ProfessionalOur pick

$129/mo, or $103/mo billed yearly

Small teams publishing weekly.

Scale

$299/mo, or $239/mo billed yearly

Agencies running several sites.

Enterprise

Custom

Large teams needing white-label and SSO.

Which plan to pickThere's only one way to pay. Use the $1 trial credit to test the MCP server, then top up $50 and set a daily limit of a dollar or two. Use the cheaper standard queue for bulk jobs and the live mode only when you need an answer now.Professional is the plan most teams settle on, because Starter's 10 articles a month runs out quickly. Try the 7-day trial on two or three real articles before paying.

Key features

AttributeDataForSEOFrase
Standout features
  • SERP API
  • Keywords Data
  • DataForSEO Labs
  • Backlinks API
  • MCP server
  • Spend controls
  • SERP research and briefs
  • AI drafting in your voice
  • Content scoring
  • Content Guard
  • AI visibility tracking
  • API, MCP and CLI

Pros and cons

AttributeDataForSEOFrase
Pros
  • Costs cents per lookup with no monthly fee
  • Official MCP server works well with Claude Code
  • Covers search results, keywords, backlinks and more in one account
  • Balance never expires and spending limits protect you
  • Live results for any location, including Australian cities
  • Fast, thorough content briefs
  • Cheaper than Clearscope and Surfer at the entry level
  • Covers Google and AI search in one tool
  • API, MCP and CLI on every plan
Cons
  • No friendly dashboard; you need Claude Code or a developer to use it
  • Per-request pricing is confusing until you've used it for a while
  • Keyword difficulty and traffic estimates are less polished than Ahrefs
  • No real free plan, just a $1 trial credit
  • AI drafts need editing to sound human and be accurate
  • Starter limits are tight
  • Rebuilt in 2026, so the newer features have little track record
  • Past complaints about slow replies on billing issues

Who each one is for

AttributeDataForSEOFrase
Best for
  • SEO research from Claude Code
  • Keyword volumes on demand
  • Live search result checks
  • Backlink data for custom reports
  • Building SEO content briefs fast
  • Drafting articles from a brief
  • Answering the questions searchers ask
  • Tracking citations in AI search
You'll find it used by
  • Claude Code users
  • Developers
  • Agencies
  • SEO tool builders
  • Content marketers
  • SEO freelancers
  • Agencies
  • Small business owners
  • B2B software teams

Questions people ask

Which is better, DataForSEO or Frase?

They tie on our overall rating (DataForSEO 4.0/5 and Frase 4.0/5). DataForSEO is best for SEO research from Claude Code and keyword volumes on demand. Frase is best for Building SEO content briefs fast and drafting articles from a brief.

Which is cheaper, DataForSEO or Frase?

DataForSEO: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at From $50 top-up. Frase: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $49/mo.

Which is easier to use, DataForSEO or Frase?

Frase rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Small marketing teams, freelancers and agencies who write SEO content and want research, briefs and drafts in one place.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

Swap in another tool

More tools from SEO & Analytics in the library.