Free Tool list · Updated 2026-10

15 Free SEO Tools That Replace a $100+/Month Subscription

Semrush starts at $139/month and Ahrefs Lite at $129/month. These 15 free tools cover most of what a small business actually uses.

Fifteen free SEO tools, each checked live, with what it does, its real free limit and when to use it. Set up the first three today and you have better data than most paid dashboards give you.

For: Founders and small teams who pay for an SEO subscription they barely open, or who want to start SEO without paying anything.

  • Set these up first: your real data · 3
  • Free keyword research · 4
  • Free speed and mobile checks · 3
  • Free technical audits · 2
  • Free schema and rich results checks · 2
  • Free local and AI visibility · 1
  • My 10-minute starter setup · 4

Free. You also get my weekly newsletter on SEO + AI search. Unsubscribe anytime.

How to use it
  1. Set up the 3 Google and Bing tools in section 1 first. They give you your real data.
  2. Pick one tool from each later section only when you hit that problem.
  3. Do the 10-minute starter setup at the end today.

Set these up first: your real data

Paid tools estimate your traffic. These show what actually happened. Every other tool on this list is less important than these.

  1. Google Search ConsoleFree · needs a Google account and site verification

    Google's own report on your site: the searches you show up for, clicks, impressions, average position, indexing problems and who links to you.

    Best for: Finding which pages Google indexed and which searches already bring clicks.

    Ritik's note: Pick a Domain property (DNS verification). It covers http, https, www and subdomains in one place.

  2. Bing Webmaster ToolsFree · import your sites from Search Console in a few clicks

    Bing's version of Search Console, plus an AI Performance report (public preview) that shows how often Copilot and Bing AI summaries cite your pages.

    Best for: Bing data and the only free first-party AI citation report I know of.

    Ritik's note: Use the Import option on My Sites. It verifies your site through Search Console, so there is nothing to paste.

  3. Google Analytics 4Free (Analytics 360 is the separate enterprise product)

    Tracks what visitors do after they land: pages viewed, where they came from, sign-ups and sales.

    Best for: Seeing which traffic turns into leads or sales.

    Ritik's note: Link it to Search Console so you see search queries and on-site behavior together.

Free keyword research

You don't need exact volumes to start. You need to know what people type and whether interest is rising.

  1. Google TrendsFree · no account needed

    Shows how interest in a search changes over time and by region, scaled 0 to 100 (relative, not raw searches).

    Best for: Comparing two ways of saying the same thing and spotting seasons.

    Ritik's note: Compare up to five terms side by side and set the region to your city or country.

  2. Google Keyword PlannerFree to use · needs a Google Ads account with setup completed (billing details)

    Google Ads' keyword tool: keyword ideas and monthly search estimates straight from Google.

    Best for: Rough search volume and new keyword ideas from a seed word or a competitor URL.

    Ritik's note: Accounts that aren't spending often see volume ranges, not exact numbers. Ranges are fine for picking topics.

  3. Ahrefs Free Keyword GeneratorFree · no account · shows a limited set of ideas per search

    Type one word, get keyword ideas and questions for Google, Bing, YouTube or Amazon.

    Best for: Fast question ideas for blog posts and FAQs.

    Ritik's note: Switch to the 'Questions' tab. Those make the best FAQ sections.

  4. Semrush Free planFree · 10 reports per day · 1 project · no card needed

    The free tier of Semrush: keyword, domain and site audit reports with caps.

    Best for: A quick look at a competitor's top keywords once in a while.

    Ritik's note: 10 reports a day is plenty if you plan what you'll check before you log in.

Free speed and mobile checks

  1. PageSpeed InsightsFree · no account

    Paste any URL and get real-user Core Web Vitals (when Google has enough data) plus a lab test with fixes.

    Best for: Checking LCP (good under 2.5s), INP (under 200ms) and CLS (under 0.1) on your key pages.

    Ritik's note: Look at the Mobile tab first. Most local customers find you on a phone.

  2. Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools)Free · built into desktop Chrome

    Built into Chrome. Audits performance, accessibility, best practices, SEO and agent-readiness for any page you open.

    Best for: Testing pages before they go live, including staging sites PageSpeed can't reach.

    Ritik's note: Right-click > Inspect > Lighthouse tab > Analyze page load. Takes about a minute.

  3. Microsoft ClarityFree · Microsoft says no traffic limits

    Heatmaps and session recordings that show where people click, scroll and leave.

    Best for: Finding out why a page that ranks doesn't convert.

    Ritik's note: Watch 10 recordings of your money page. You'll find a problem in the first five.

Free technical audits

  1. Screaming Frog SEO SpiderFree · up to 500 URLs per crawl (paid licence £199/year)

    Desktop crawler that finds broken links, missing titles, duplicate pages, redirects and noindex tags.

    Best for: Small sites. 500 URLs covers most local business and early SaaS sites.

    Ritik's note: Sort the 'Page Titles' tab by 'Missing' and 'Duplicate'. Fix those first.

  2. Ahrefs Webmaster ToolsFree for verified sites · 5,000 crawl credits per project per month · up to 1,000 backlinks/keywords shown

    Free Site Audit (170+ checks), Site Explorer for your own backlinks and keywords, and cookie-free web analytics.

    Best for: Seeing your own backlinks and a monthly health score.

    Ritik's note: Connect it with Search Console to verify fast.

Free schema and rich results checks

  1. Rich Results TestFree · test a live URL or paste code

    Google's test for which rich results (stars, FAQs, products and so on) your structured data can earn.

    Best for: Checking schema after any template change.

    Ritik's note: Run it on smartphone mode, which is the default Google crawls with.

  2. Schema Markup ValidatorFree · no account

    Schema.org's own validator. Checks all schema types, not only the ones Google uses for rich results.

    Best for: Catching errors in Organization, LocalBusiness or Person markup that the Rich Results Test ignores.

    Ritik's note: Use both tools. They answer different questions.

Free local and AI visibility

  1. Google Business ProfileFree · only for businesses with face-to-face customer contact (not online-only)

    Your free listing on Google Maps and the local map pack: hours, reviews, photos, posts.

    Best for: Local businesses. Often the fastest way onto page one for 'near me' searches.

    Ritik's note: Use the exact same name, address and phone number as on your website.

My 10-minute starter setup

  1. Minute 0 to 4: Search Console

    Add a Domain property, add the DNS TXT record at your domain provider, then submit /sitemap.xml under Sitemaps. DNS can take time to update, so come back later if verification fails.

  2. Minute 4 to 6: Bing Webmaster Tools

    Sign in, choose Import from Google Search Console, pick your site. Done.

  3. Minute 6 to 8: PageSpeed Insights

    Test your homepage and your main service page on mobile. Write down the three Core Web Vitals.

  4. Minute 8 to 10: Rich Results Test

    Test your homepage. If no structured data is found, that goes on your to-do list.

Unlock the full tool list

Everything above, plus the branded PDF to keep.

Free. You also get my weekly newsletter on SEO + AI search. Unsubscribe anytime.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can free SEO tools really replace Semrush or Ahrefs?
For most small businesses, mostly yes. Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools give you real data about your own site, which paid tools only estimate. What you give up is deep competitor research and large keyword databases.
What is the best free SEO tool?
Google Search Console. It is the only place to see the actual searches, clicks and indexing problems Google has for your site.
Is Google Keyword Planner free?
It costs nothing to use, but you need a Google Ads account with setup and billing details completed. Accounts that don't run ads often see search volume as ranges.
Is there a free tool to track AI search visibility?
Bing Webmaster Tools has a free AI Performance report (public preview) showing Copilot and Bing AI citations. Google counts AI Overviews and AI Mode traffic inside the normal Search Console Performance report.

Sources

More free resources

ChecklistThe 30-Point SEO Launch Checklist for New WebsitesA 30-point SEO launch checklist for new websites: setup, indexing, pages, trust, speed and launch week. Every check backed by Google's docs.Cheat sheetHow Google Search Works: 1-Page NotesHow Google Search works in plain English: crawling, indexing, ranking and AI Overviews, with your first 3 moves. Free 1-page notes from Google's docs.Cheat sheetMy First-Week SEO PlanA first-week SEO plan for beginners: 7 days, one hour a day. Set up Search Console, fix your key pages, answer real questions and track results.