Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics
DataForSEO vs Microsoft Clarity vs Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
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: Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.
Pick it if: Anyone who needs a thorough technical check of a site, especially before or after a redesign or migration.
Overview
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Microsoft Clarity | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Raw search, keyword and backlink data you pay for by the query, built for AI agents. | Free heatmaps and session replays that show where visitors get stuck. | Crawls your whole site the way Google does and lists what's broken. |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | From $50 top-up | Free | £199/user/yr |
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Microsoft Clarity | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.3Winner | 4.0 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 2.5 | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| 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.
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Microsoft Clarity | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | – | No |
| Desktop app | No | No | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes | No |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | – | Yes | No |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | No | No | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | No | No | Yes |
| Understands images | No | No | No |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | – | No |
| Learns your brand or style | No | No | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 3/ 17 | 5/ 17 | 5/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Microsoft Clarity | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Pay as you goOur pick From $50 top-up Anyone who wants real data in Claude Code without a subscription. | FreeOur pick Free Every website and online store. | Free Free Small sites and one-off checks. |
Paid licenceOur pick £199/user/yr Agencies and anyone with a site over 500 pages. | |||
| Which plan to pick | There'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. | 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. | The free version is enough for most small businesses because it includes every feature and only caps the crawl at 500 pages. Buy a licence when your site or your clients' sites go past that. The price is listed in pounds with dollar and euro options at checkout. |
Key features
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Microsoft Clarity | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Microsoft Clarity | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Microsoft Clarity | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, DataForSEO, Microsoft Clarity or Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
Microsoft Clarity scores highest overall in our ratings (DataForSEO 4.0/5, Microsoft Clarity 4.3/5 and Screaming Frog SEO Spider 4.0/5). DataForSEO is best for SEO research from Claude Code and keyword volumes on demand. Microsoft Clarity is best for finding checkout drop-offs and watching real user sessions. Screaming Frog SEO Spider is best for finding broken links and checking redirects after a migration.
Which is cheaper, DataForSEO, Microsoft Clarity or Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
DataForSEO: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at From $50 top-up. Microsoft Clarity: It's free to use. Screaming Frog SEO Spider: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at £199/user/yr.
Which is easier to use, DataForSEO, Microsoft Clarity or Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
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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