# SE Ranking vs Screaming Frog SEO Spider

> Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a desktop crawler for technical audits that costs $279 per year per user, with a free version limited to 500 URLs; SE Ranking is a cloud SEO suite from $129 per month that includes a scheduled website audit (250,000 pages per month on Core) plus rank tracking and research. Technical SEO specialists often use both; everyone else can start with SE Ranking alone. Prices checked in October 2026.

Source: https://tools.getayka.com/se-ranking-vs-screaming-frog/ · Updated 2026-10-10

## Comparison

| | entry_price | free_option | keywords_tracked | projects | users_included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE Ranking | $129/mo (Core); $103.20/mo billed annually | 14-day trial, no card | 2,000 daily | 10 | 1 manager seat |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | $279/year per user | Free up to 500 URLs | – (no rank tracking) | unlimited crawls | per user |

- **Screaming Frog licence:** $279 per year per user
- **Screaming Frog free crawl limit:** 500 URLs
- **SE Ranking Core, monthly:** $129
- **SE Ranking Core audit pages:** 250,000
- **SE Ranking Growth audit pages:** 2,000,000
- **Screaming Frog 5+ licences:** $265 per year each
- **Screaming Frog volume tiers:** 5-9 licences $265, 10-19 licences $249, 20 or more $235

These tools overlap only in auditing. Screaming Frog runs on your computer and crawls exactly what you tell it to; SE Ranking runs in the cloud and audits on a schedule while also tracking rankings.

## Prices

- **Screaming Frog SEO Spider:** $279 per year per user (about $23.25 per month). Volume pricing: $265 for 5-9 licences, $249 for 10-19, $235 for 20 or more. The free version crawls up to 500 URLs.
- **SE Ranking:** Core $129 per month ($103.20 billed annually), Growth $279 per month ($223.20 annually).

## Crawling and auditing

Screaming Frog is the specialist: it crawls on your machine, handles very custom configurations and JavaScript rendering, and exports raw data for deep technical analysis. SE Ranking's audit runs in the cloud with a page budget (250,000 pages per month on Core, 2,000,000 on Growth) and turns issues into a prioritised report you can share.

## What only SE Ranking does

Rank tracking (2,000 keywords daily on Core), keyword and competitor research, backlink monitoring, client reporting and AI search tracking. Screaming Frog does none of these; it is a crawler.

## Weaknesses of each

- **Screaming Frog:** desktop-bound, one licence per user, and no tracking or research.
- **SE Ranking:** less configurable crawling than a dedicated desktop crawler.

## When to use both

Agencies doing technical SEO for large sites commonly run Screaming Frog for deep one-off crawls and a suite like SE Ranking for ongoing monitoring and reporting. If you only need one, start with SE Ranking. [Try SE Ranking free for 14 days](https://tools.getayka.com/go/se-ranking/default/).

## Verdict

Screaming Frog is the best-known specialist crawler; SE Ranking is the everyday SEO workspace. Most site owners and small agencies need SE Ranking first. [Start the SE Ranking trial](https://tools.getayka.com/go/se-ranking/default/).

**Is Screaming Frog free?**

The free version crawls up to 500 URLs. The paid licence costs $279 per year per user.

**Can SE Ranking replace Screaming Frog?**

For routine site audits, yes: Core audits up to 250,000 pages per month. For deep custom crawls, specialists still use Screaming Frog.

**Does Screaming Frog track rankings?**

No. It is a website crawler; SE Ranking tracks 2,000 keywords daily on Core.

**Which is cheaper?**

Screaming Frog at $279 per year, but it covers only crawling.

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