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Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics

DataForSEO vs Frase vs Microsoft Clarity

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

Best overall

Microsoft Clarity

4.3

Free to start

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

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

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

Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.

Overview

AttributeDataForSEOFraseMicrosoft Clarity
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.Free heatmaps and session replays that show where visitors get stuck.
Pricing modelPaidPaidFree
Starting priceFrom $50 top-up$49/moFree
Free plan No No Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes Yes Yes

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeDataForSEOFraseMicrosoft Clarity
Overall rating4.04.04.3Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
2.5
4.0
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
4.5
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
3.5
4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
5.0
4.0
5.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.5
4.0
4.0

Feature comparison

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

AttributeDataForSEOFraseMicrosoft Clarity
Access & platform
Free plan No No Yes
Mobile app No––
Desktop app No– No
Browser extension No– No
API access Yes Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace– Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO No Yes No
Connects to other apps Yes Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files No– No
Understands images No– No
Makes images No No No
Makes video No No No
Writes code No No No
Runs agents or automations No Yes–
Learns your brand or style No Yes No
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score3/ 177/ 175/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeDataForSEOFraseMicrosoft Clarity
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.

FreeOur pick

Free

Every website and online store.

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.There's one plan and it's free. Microsoft says it's free forever with no traffic limits. Install the tag through Shopify, WordPress or Google Tag Manager and it starts recording within minutes.

Key features

AttributeDataForSEOFraseMicrosoft Clarity
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
  • Session recordings
  • Heatmaps
  • Copilot
  • Smart events and funnels
  • AI visibility
  • MCP server

Pros and cons

AttributeDataForSEOFraseMicrosoft Clarity
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
  • Completely free with no traffic or team limits
  • Session replays and heatmaps that match the paid tools
  • Copilot turns piles of recordings into plain findings
  • Easy installs for Shopify, WordPress and Tag Manager
  • MCP server for Claude
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
  • Your visitor data goes to Microsoft, which some businesses won't accept
  • Recordings keep for 30 days, so you can't go back far
  • The interface is rougher than Hotjar and filters take some learning
  • Can slow a page slightly if it's already heavy with scripts

Who each one is for

AttributeDataForSEOFraseMicrosoft Clarity
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
  • Finding checkout drop-offs
  • Watching real user sessions
  • Scroll and click heatmaps
  • Spotting broken buttons
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
  • Store owners
  • Marketers
  • Product teams
  • Agencies

Questions people ask

Which is better, DataForSEO, Frase or Microsoft Clarity?

Microsoft Clarity scores highest overall in our ratings (DataForSEO 4.0/5, Frase 4.0/5 and Microsoft Clarity 4.3/5). 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. Microsoft Clarity is best for finding checkout drop-offs and watching real user sessions.

Which is cheaper, DataForSEO, Frase or Microsoft Clarity?

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. Microsoft Clarity: It's free to use.

Which is easier to use, DataForSEO, Frase or Microsoft Clarity?

Microsoft Clarity rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.

How we compare

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

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