6 Best Yoast SEO Alternatives For WordPress (2026)

Yoast SEO is widely known as a top plugin for WordPress, but it isn’t always the best choice. Many site owners look for tools that are easier to use or offer better features for less money.

We faced this exact situation at WPBeginner. After we used Yoast for a long time, we realized that we needed a tool that innovated faster and gave us more control over our content.

We eventually switched to All in One SEO, and our workflow improved immediately. Since then, I have researched and tested the top competitors to help you find the right match for your needs.

Here are the best Yoast SEO alternatives to help you grow your traffic.

Quick Picks: Best Yoast SEO Alternatives

If you are in a hurry, then you don’t need to read the full review.

I have created a quick comparison of the top Yoast SEO alternatives below to help you make a decision:

Rank	SEO Plugin	Best For	Price
🥇	All in One SEO	Overall Best (Editor’s Choice)	Free, from $49.50/yr
🥈	SEOPress	White Labeling	Free, from $49/yr
🥉	Rank Math	Advanced Schema	Free, from $8.99/mo
4	Slim SEO	Simplicity & Automation	Free, from $59/yr
5	Squirrly SEO	AI Guidance	Free, from $9.99/mo
6	SEOBoost	Content Optimization	Free Trial, from $22.50/mo

How I Tested the Best Yoast SEO Alternatives

Here are the specific criteria I used to evaluate each tool:

• Import Capabilities: I tested how easily each plugin could import data from Yoast SEO. This is critical because you don’t want to lose your existing rankings when you switch.
• Schema Support: I checked if the plugins automatically add the correct schema markup (like Article, Product, or FAQ) to help you get rich snippets in Google.
• Ease of Use: I looked for setup wizards that explain settings in plain English, rather than complicated technical jargon.
• Feature Set vs. Price: I compared which features are included in the free versions versus which ones require a paid upgrade, ensuring you get the best value.

If a plugin was difficult to set up, slowed down the site, or failed to import Yoast data correctly, then I removed it from this list.

Why Look for a Yoast SEO Alternative?

You should consider a Yoast SEO alternative if you want to save money or need modern features like AI content generation and automated link assistants. While Yoast is a solid tool, many site owners find that competitors now offer more functionality for a single price.

While Yoast SEO used to be the industry standard, many users (including us at WPBeginner) have switched away from it. The two main reasons are high costs and a slow pace of innovation.

While it is great that Yoast SEO Premium now includes Local, Video, and News features, there is still a major catch for online store owners. You are still required to purchase the separate Yoast WooCommerce SEO addon to get essential features like product schema and XML sitemaps for your store.

This pricing model means eCommerce websites often have to pay significantly more just to optimize their products.

If you run an agency or have multiple sites, then this becomes expensive very quickly compared to competitors that include these features in a single plan.

The other issue is that Yoast has simply fallen behind. Competitors are adding modern tools much faster, such as AI integration, automated internal linking, and content decay analysis.

This lack of modern features was one of the biggest reasons why we switched away from Yoast.

Now, let’s take a look at the best Yoast SEO alternatives that you can install. Simply use the quick links below to jump straight to the plugin you want to learn about:

1. AIOSEO

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is the overall best Yoast SEO alternative because it offers a comprehensive toolkit with TruSEO On-Page Analysis, Smart Tags, rich snippet schema, and automated internal linking. It’s also the best SEO plugin for optimizing your content for the AI search age.

We use All in One SEO on WPBeginner for our site optimization. To read more about our experience, see our complete All in One SEO review.

To help you optimize your blog posts, AIOSEO adds the TruSEO On-Page Analysis section to your editor. It gives your content a clear score out of 100, unlike Yoast’s vague traffic light system.

It also creates an actionable SEO checklist. Simply work your way through the red ‘errors’ to turn them into green ‘good’ scores, giving your content the best chance of ranking.

I love the Smart Tags feature. It lets you add dynamic variables (like the current month or year) to your SEO titles, so your headlines automatically look fresh in search results.

Plus, AIOSEO sets itself apart by bringing OpenAI (ChatGPT) integration directly into the WordPress editor. This complete AI SEO Suite can instantly generate engaging titles and meta descriptions for you if you ever get writer’s block.

It also features a powerful AI Content Generator. This tool can automatically write optimized FAQ blocks (complete with schema markup) and generate ‘Key Points’ summaries for your articles, saving you hours of writing time.

Plus, its AI assistant can create outlines and content for blog posts, generate images, and even turn your blog posts into social media posts.

AIOSEO even helps you rank in the new era of AI search. The llms.txt Generator automatically creates a special file that guides AI bots (like ChatGPT and Gemini) to your most important content. This increases your chances of being cited in AI-generated answers.

AIOSEO comes with powerful rich snippet schema markup built in. I rely on the specific block for HowTo schema, which helps you take up more space in the search results and drive more clicks.

If you use WooCommerce, then the premium version includes built-in WooCommerce SEO tools.

You can easily optimize product titles and slugs to drive more sales. In contrast, Yoast requires you to buy a separate and expensive eCommerce addon.

Do you have a physical store? You can set up local business schema in just a few clicks to help you rank in Google Maps.

AIOSEO also includes a Broken Link Checker. Unlike other plugins that slow down your site, this one is cloud-based (SaaS), scanning your site for dead links without impacting performance.

Finally, AIOSEO includes a Link Assistant to automate internal linking, a content decay analyzer to spot dropping rankings, and SEO revisions for better version control.

What I Like About All in One SEO:

• It offers a complete SEO toolkit with a TruSEO score that is much more actionable than a simple traffic light.
• The ChatGPT AI integration helps you generate click-worthy headlines automatically when you have writer’s block.
• It includes Smart Tags to keep your titles evergreen (for example, automatically updating the year).
• Features like WooCommerce SEO and Local SEO are included in the plans, not sold as expensive separate addons.
• The automated Link Assistant saves hours of time building internal links.
• Integrates with SEOBoost to add a writing assistant in the WordPress editor
• More affordable for agencies compared to other premium plugins

What I Don’t Like About All in One SEO:

• You can perform essential tasks with the free plugin, but you will need to upgrade to unlock the most powerful features.

Why I Recommend AIOSEO: Overall, AIOSEO is the most comprehensive WordPress SEO plugin on the market. It allows you to optimize every part of your site, even if you are new to SEO.

Because it is so feature-packed, you don’t need to install extra plugins. This saves you money and keeps your site fast.

To learn more, see our full AIOSEO review.

Pricing: AIOSEO plans start at $49 per year. If you have multiple websites, the Pro plan covers 10 sites for a fraction of the cost of Yoast, making it a much better deal for agencies.

2. SEOPress

SEOPress is the best choice for white labeling. It offers essentials like meta titles and XML sitemaps along with agency features.

What sets it apart is its focus on agencies. It includes white-labeling features that allow you to replace the SEOPress branding with your own logo in the WordPress dashboard.

This is perfect if you are building websites for clients and want to maintain a professional brand image. It allows you to send SEO reports featuring your agency’s logo instead of the plugin’s branding.

SEOPress also offers a setup wizard that helps you optimize your site quickly. It can automatically generate specialized sitemaps for videos and images (including WooCommerce product photos) to help you rank in rich search results.

Moving away from Yoast?

SEOPress includes an easy import tool to bring over all your metadata, so you don’t lose your previous work.

It also uses AI to automate basic tasks.

For example, it can generate meta titles and descriptions based on your content.

What I Like About SEOPress:

• White-label tools let you use your own custom logo and branding
• Unlimited redirects included
• Shows Google Search Console data in the dashboard
• Supports many schema types, including local business, product, video, and recipe schema
• Integrates with Easy Digital Downloads, AMP, and BuddyPress

What I Don’t Like About SEOPress:

• The free version is quite limited compared to AIOSEO or Rank Math. For example, you need the Pro version just to edit your robots.txt file.

Why I Recommend SEOPress: While the free version is a bit light on features, the premium version is a fantastic value for agencies. The white-labeling feature allows you to present a professional, branded SEO solution to your clients without building your own tool.

Pricing: SEOPress Pro starts at $49 per year.

3. Rank Math

Rank Math is another popular SEO plugin. It offers a fast setup wizard and allows you to easily add meta titles, descriptions, and Open Graph data to your WordPress blog.

The plugin is built with a modular design, allowing you to disable features you don’t use to keep the interface clean. It also connects directly to Google Search Console to show keyword rankings and index status right inside your WordPress dashboard.

It even integrates with Google Trends to help you research search volume for keywords.

Rank Math also excels at Schema markup. Its advanced generator lets you import schema from any other URL on the internet, which is a unique feature. You can also build your own custom schemas without writing code.

What I Like About Rank Math:

• Advanced schema generator with ‘Import from URL’ feature
• Check your markup against Google’s Rich Results validation tool
• Build custom schemas without writing code
• Integrates with Google Trends to show search trends for keywords
• Shows Google URL Inspection API data to track crawling issues

What I Don’t Like About Rank Math:

• You must upgrade to the more expensive Business plan to use Rank Math on client websites.
• The Pro plan tracks a limited number of keywords compared to other tools.

Why I Recommend Rank Math: Rank Math is a solid choice if you need specific, advanced schema configurations. It is also useful if you want to see basic tracking data inside your dashboard without installing a separate analytics plugin.

To learn more, see our detailed Rank Math review.

Pricing: Rank Math Pro licenses start at $8.99 per month (billed annually). However, if you want to use it on client websites, then you will need the Business license ($27.99 per month).

There is also a free Rank Math plugin available.

4. Slim SEO

Slim SEO is a lightweight alternative to Yoast SEO designed for users who want simplicity.

It automatically configures most SEO settings for you, handling meta tags, XML sitemaps, schema markup, and Open Graph tags without you lifting a finger.

Unlike other plugins that have dozens of tabs, Slim SEO keeps things minimal. It even includes a simple header/footer code inserter, allowing you to add Google Analytics or other tracking scripts without installing an extra plugin.

It also helps protect your rankings by discouraging content scrapers. It automatically shows excerpts (instead of full content) in your RSS feed and adds a link back to your original post, ensuring you get credit for your work.

While the free version is great for automation, upgrading to Slim SEO Pro unlocks advanced features. This includes a visual schema builder, internal link suggestions, and the ability to monitor broken links, making it a stronger competitor to Yoast Premium.

What I Like About Slim SEO:

• Automatically configures meta tags, sitemaps, and schema
• Very lightweight and fast compared to heavier plugins
• Includes a simple redirect manager
• Features a Header/Footer code inserter for tracking scripts
• Integrates with AffiliateWP, the best affiliate management plugin for WordPress, WooCommerce, and WPForms, the best drag and drop form builder for WordPress.

What I Don’t Like About Slim SEO:

• Because it is so automated, you have less control over specific settings compared to AIOSEO or Yoast.

Why I Recommend Slim SEO: If you want an SEO plugin that you can ‘set and forget’, then this is a good option. It handles the basics automatically, so you don’t need to learn technical SEO skills.

See our full Slim SEO review for more details.

Pricing: The core plugin is free. Paid plans start at $59 per year and include local SEO, schema builder, and link manager features.

5. Squirrly SEO

Squirrly SEO feels less like a traditional plugin and more like an AI consultant. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze your content and give you actionable advice on how to rank better.

Unlike other plugins where you have to do your own research, Squirrly includes a built-in keyword research tool. It shows you search volume and competition data right inside your WordPress dashboard, helping you find the best topics to write about.

My favorite feature is the Live Assistant.

As you type your blog post, Squirrly gives you real-time feedback. The optimization bar turns green when your content is perfectly optimized for both search engines and human readers, warning you if you are overusing keywords.

It also tracks your rankings accurately. You can see detailed audits and performance scores, and it integrates directly with Google Search Console and Google Analytics to give you a complete picture of your traffic.

What I Like About Squirrly SEO:

• Complete toolkit with built-in keyword research
• Live Assistant optimizes content as you write
• ‘Master Control Board’ lets you quickly check your optimization status
• Built-in Google rank checker to track your progress
• Works with popular page builders like Divi and Thrive Architect

What I Don’t Like About Squirrly SEO:

• It has a steeper learning curve than simple plugins like SEOPress.
• The keyword research tool is good, but sometimes misses long-tail opportunities found in dedicated tools.

Why I Recommend Squirrly SEO: This is a powerful tool if you want an all-in-one assistant that handles research, writing guidance, and analytics without leaving WordPress.

Pricing: Squirrly SEO plans range from $10 to $72 per month. There is also a free version.

6. SEOBoost

SEOBoost is a content optimization tool that helps you outrank your competitors by analyzing their top-performing pages. It tells you exactly which keywords they are using, their word count, and their readability score, so you can create content that is objectively better.

You can use it directly in your browser, but my favorite way to use it is by integrating it with AIOSEO. This adds the SEOBoost writing assistant right inside your WordPress editor, giving you real-time feedback as you write.

The ‘Optimization Wizard’ is a standout feature. It scans your draft and suggests semantically related keywords that search engines expect to see for your topic.

When you add these terms, it helps Google understand your search intent and can boost your rankings significantly.

SEOBoost also makes team collaboration easy. You can create detailed content briefs, assign topics to specific writers, and manage your entire editorial calendar from a single dashboard.

What I Like About SEOBoost:

• Analyzes top competitors to give you a winning content strategy
• Suggests relevant LSI keywords to improve relevance
• Integrates directly into WordPress via AIOSEO
• Excellent editorial workflow tools for teams

What I Don’t Like About SEOBoost:

• To use the tool directly inside the WordPress editor, you need to have both AIOSEO and a separate SEOBoost account.

Why I Recommend SEOBoost: It takes the guesswork out of writing. Instead of hoping your content is good enough, SEOBoost gives you data-driven proof that your article is optimized to beat the current top results.

Pricing: SEOBoost starts at $22.50 per month (billed annually). There is a free 14-day trial available.

Alternative: Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

Bonus: Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO

Broken links are inevitable as your site grows, but they frustrate visitors and hurt your rankings. If you try to click every link manually, it is impossible. That is where the Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO, the best broken link checker plugin for WordPress, comes in.

Unlike older plugins that run on your web hosting and slow down your site, this is a cloud-based tool (SaaS). Because the scanning happens on their servers, not yours, it won’t drain your website’s resources or slow down your page load speeds.

When it finds a broken link, it alerts you immediately.

You can fix it directly from the dashboard by updating the URL or removing the link, all without opening the post editor.

What I Like About Broken Link Checker:

• Cloud-based engine ensures your site stays fast (zero bloat)
• Automatically scans internal and external links
• Fix links inline without opening the post editor
• Completely free to use

What I Don’t Like About Broken Link Checker:

• It is a specialized utility tool, so you still need a main SEO plugin for other tasks.

Why I Recommend Broken Link Checker: Many main SEO plugins (including Yoast) don’t include broken link checking because it is resource-intensive. This tool solves that problem without slowing down your site, making it the perfect add-on to any SEO setup.

Pricing: The core Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO is free for up to 250 internal links per month. Paid plans for more links start at $4.99 per month.

Final Verdict: Which is the Best Yoast SEO Alternative?

After extensively testing every plugin on this list, I am confident that AIOSEO is the best overall Yoast SEO alternative.

It is the most comprehensive toolkit, offers the smoothest migration from Yoast, and includes advanced features like a complete AI SEO suite that Yoast simply lacks.

But the best choice may depend on your specific needs:

• For Beginners & Business Owners: AIOSEO is the clear winner. It balances power with ease of use and handles WooCommerce SEO out of the box.
• For Advanced Schema Users: Rank Math is a strong contender if you need highly specific schema configurations and don’t mind a steeper learning curve.
• For Content Optimization: SEOBoost is the perfect companion to AIOSEO. While AIOSEO handles the technical side, SEOBoost helps you write better content than your competitors.
• For Agencies: SEOPress is a great option if you need a white-label solution to present to clients under your own brand.

In the end, the right SEO plugin should save you time, not waste it. That is why I personally use AIOSEO on WPBeginner. It handles the technical heavy lifting behind the scenes so I can focus on creating great content, and I believe it will do the same for you.

FAQs About Yoast SEO Alternatives

I have tested every major SEO plugin on the market to help you make the right choice. Here are the answers to the most common questions I get about finding the best Yoast SEO alternative.

1. What are the best Yoast SEO alternatives?

The best alternatives to Yoast are All in One SEO (AIOSEO), Rank Math, and SEOPress. I recommend AIOSEO as the top choice because it is the easiest to use for beginners and offers the most comprehensive set of features, such as the Link Assistant and AI tools.

2. Is All in One SEO (AIOSEO) better than Yoast SEO?

Yes, in my experience, All in One SEO is more powerful than Yoast SEO. It includes modern features like a Link Assistant, Redirection Manager, and ChatGPT integration that Yoast simply does not have. It also gives you more control over your on-page SEO settings.

3. What is the best Yoast SEO alternative for WooCommerce?

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is the best choice for online stores. It includes advanced WooCommerce SEO tools, such as automatic Product Schema markup, right out of the box.

In contrast, Yoast SEO requires you to purchase a separate, expensive extension to get these same eCommerce features.

4. Is Rank Math better than Yoast?

Yes, Rank Math generally offers more features in its free version than Yoast SEO does. However, while Rank Math is a strong contender with advanced data, I still find that All in One SEO beats both plugins in terms of innovation, ease of use, and support.

5. Can I use two SEO plugins at the same time?

No, you should never use two WordPress SEO plugins (like Yoast and AIOSEO) simultaneously. This will cause plugin conflicts, duplicate meta tags, and errors that can hurt your search rankings. You must deactivate Yoast SEO before activating your new alternative.

Additional Resources for WordPress SEO

I hope this article helped you find the best Yoast SEO alternative for your WordPress website.

You may also want to see these additional resources:

• Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners (Step by Step)
• How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress (For Beginners)
• Best Keyword Research Tools for SEO (Compared)
• Beginner’s Guide: How to Choose the Right WordPress Plugin

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