Reviewed by Amit KumarOpenSEO is an open-source SEO workspace that gives people and AI agents keyword, backlink, rank, audit and AI-visibility data over MCP. The hosted Base Plan is $10 a month with $10 of included usage, and you can self-host the MIT-licensed app for $0 if you bring your own DataForSEO key. We checked the prices on openseo.so and the OpenSEO pricing page on 9 October 2026.
Fact-checked reviewSEO
OpenSEO Review: Pricing, Free Trial and Self-Hosting
Open-source SEO data and MCP tools for AI agents
Quick verdict
This is a cheap, agent-first way to get outside SEO data into Claude, Cursor, Codex or ChatGPT, and the pricing is easy to follow. There is one plan, no seat fee and a published estimator. The catches are two. The only free hosted path is a $0.50 trial, and hosted use needs an active subscription even if you hold top-up credits. The data comes from DataForSEO at a 28% markup, so this is not an Ahrefs-sized crawl index.
Best forSEO inside Claude or CursorSmall business keyword researchSelf-hosted SEO data
How we reviewed OpenSEO
We read the OpenSEO homepage, pricing page, features overview, keyword research feature page, MCP setup docs, AI Visibility docs, self-hosting docs, OpenSEO vs DataForSEO, Ahrefs alternative page, About, Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, the every-app/open-seo GitHub repository, the Y Combinator company page and the Product Hunt product page on 9 October 2026.
Every OpenSEO plan, price and limit in this review comes from OpenSEO's own pages, checked on , and links to the page it came from. All 8 sources are listed at the end. A review cannot be bought. How these reviews are written
On this page
OpenSEO at a glance
One Base Plan covers keyword research, backlinks, rank tracking, site audits and AI Visibility. Google Search Console reads do not spend your included credits, and top-up credits do not expire. You can cancel from the billing portal, or self-host the app and pay DataForSEO directly, skipping the hosted markup.
What OpenSEO does
The homepage positions OpenSEO as SEO data and tools built for the AI agents you already use. You connect a compatible MCP client to app.openseo.so/mcp, pick a project, and ask the agent to research keywords, inspect SERPs, pull domain or backlink overviews, read Search Console, track ranks, or check how AI answers mention a brand. The same workspace runs in the browser app.
The classic SEO side covers keyword research (volume, difficulty, CPC, intent and live SERPs), saved keywords, domain overview, backlinks and referring domains, rank tracking and site audits. AI Visibility adds Prompt Research, Prompt Explorer and Prompt Tracking, so you can study questions, compare model answers and schedule mention or citation checks. The AI Visibility documentation names ChatGPT and Gemini as default tracking engines, with Google AI Overviews, Claude and Perplexity also supported.
OpenSEO states that paid SEO index data comes from DataForSEO. On top of that the hosted product trims API responses for agents, prices tools before they run, and adds shared project context, a research log, scheduled tracking and HTML reports your agent can save and share. Google Search Console (and Google Analytics, per the comparison page) connect on the hosted plan without you standing up your own Google Cloud OAuth client.
Homepage skills and MCP docs describe guided workflows such as SEO coach, site audit, keyword research and competitor analysis. Reports and project context do not spend credits, and the Ahrefs-alternative pricing examples describe re-opening data you already fetched as free of credit spend too.
Who OpenSEO is for, and who should skip it
It fits you if you run SEO for one business or a small client set, already work in Claude, Cursor, Codex or ChatGPT, and want keyword, backlink and AI-answer data without a $100-plus monthly suite. The included $10 is aimed at light-to-moderate monthly research, and the pricing estimator's sample business-owner month stays inside it. Agencies can use projects and invite teammates with no per-seat fee, per the Ahrefs-alternative FAQ.
Skip it in three cases:
- You want a free continuous tracker with no subscription. The free path is a $0.50 trial, then the Base Plan, or self-hosting with your own DataForSEO spend.
- Link building is your full-time job. The vendor itself says DataForSEO's backlink index is smaller and points heavy link builders back to Ahrefs.
- You refuse third-party data and AI processors. The privacy policy names DataForSEO, OpenRouter, OpenAI, Stripe, Cloudflare and PostHog among its vendors.
How much does OpenSEO cost?
USD, checked 9 October 2026, from OpenSEO pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial | $0 | $0.50 of credits to test the product; no credit card required | Credits are a one-time trial balance; not a permanent free hosted plan |
| Base Plan | $10/mo | Keyword research, backlinks, rank tracking, site audits; AI visibility, prompt research and tracking; MCP use inside Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT; $10 of usage included each month; GSC data free of credit spend; buy extra usage anytime | Included $10 usage resets each billing cycle; paid research pauses when credits run out unless you top up; active subscription required to use the hosted product |
| Usage top-ups | Pay as needed | Extra usage credits that roll over indefinitely | Still need an active Base Plan subscription to spend them on hosted OpenSEO |
| Self-hosted (MIT) | $0 for the app | Run OpenSEO yourself (Docker or Cloudflare paths in docs); bring your own DataForSEO API key; skip the hosted 28% data markup | You pay DataForSEO (and optional OpenRouter) directly; DataForSEO documents a $1 test credit and $50 minimum top-up; you operate hosting, updates and Google OAuth yourself |
The estimator on the pricing page gives these examples (checked 9 October 2026): about $0.05 per keyword search, about $0.08 per backlink domain overview with one year of history, and about $0.002 per AI prompt check on one platform. The Ahrefs-alternative page adds that tracking 100 keywords weekly is about $1.09 a month and that a standard site audit is included. The vs-DataForSEO page states that hosted OpenSEO adds a 28% fee on DataForSEO requests. The Terms (revised 23 August 2026) describe a 30-day money-back guarantee on the most recent subscription charge; consumed usage and top-up credits are excluded.
Is OpenSEO free?
Partly. The pricing FAQ states a free trial with $0.50 of credits and no card. Self-hosting the MIT app is free as software if you pay DataForSEO yourself. Ongoing hosted use is the $10/mo Base Plan.
Does OpenSEO work with Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT?
Yes. Add app.openseo.so/mcp in a compatible client. The OpenSEO MCP docs cover Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex and bearer-token setups. Research tools spend credits; project context and saved reports do not.
Who makes OpenSEO?
About OpenSEO and the terms name Every App, Inc. Founder and CEO Ben Senescu is listed on the Y Combinator OpenSEO company page (Fall 2026, Boston, team size 2). The contact email published across the legal pages is support@openseo.so.
What happens to my data?
The Privacy Policy (updated 24 August 2026) says Every App does not sell personal information for marketing. Hosted processing may involve Cloudflare, Stripe/Autumn, DataForSEO, OpenRouter and OpenAI when you use AI features. Google Search Console and Analytics scopes are described as read-only, Google user data is not used to train generalized AI/ML models, and GSC/GA report data is fetched on demand and not stored in OpenSEO databases. PostHog session replay on the hosted app masks form inputs and designated sensitive text. Self-hosted deployments fall under the operator's own privacy controls.
OpenSEO vs Ahrefs or Semrush: the vendor's framing
OpenSEO's comparison page sets its $10/mo against Ahrefs Lite at $129/mo. That page is vendor marketing, so check Ahrefs's current price yourself. In practice OpenSEO is a DataForSEO-powered research and MCP layer with AI Visibility, and it does not claim identical index coverage. Re-read OpenSEO's Ahrefs alternative page before you switch a professional link-building stack.
How OpenSEO compares with other tools reviewed here
FlexQueries is the closest peer: pay-as-you-go SEO research and AI search visibility with MCP, reviewed on 6 October 2026. It has no monthly subscription; you preload a balance from $5 after an eligible $1 start. OpenSEO charges $10/mo with $10 included and adds the agent project context, skills and report layer. Choose FlexQueries for pure prepaid metering with idle months at $0. Choose OpenSEO when a small flat plan plus MCP project memory fits how you already work in Claude or Cursor.
CrawlRaven turns your own Search Console, optional GA4 and imported keyword lists into a ranked SEO to-do list, with a free forever plan for one site and lifetime licences from $39 one-time (our check, 30 September 2026). It is not a rented keyword or backlink index. Use CrawlRaven for first-party prioritisation and OpenSEO when you need outside keyword, SERP, backlink and AI-answer data for agents.
Prefer is an AEO platform that tracks prompts across five answer engines from $24/mo Starter (our check, 3 October 2026). It focuses on continuous AI-answer visibility, action ranking and article drafts, while OpenSEO bundles thinner AI Visibility with classic SEO research in one $10 plan. Pick Prefer for deeper AEO work; pick OpenSEO for agent-ready SEO data plus lighter prompt tracking.
Browse more SEO tools to compare further.
OpenSEO screenshots
More of OpenSEO's own website, captured . Each caption says which page it shows.
Sources
- OpenSEO pricing page: Base Plan $10/mo, included usage, trial credits, estimator
- OpenSEO MCP documentation: endpoint, clients, tool list
- AI Visibility docs: engines, credit behaviour
- Self-hosting guide: MIT app cost $0, DataForSEO key, 28% hosted markup note
- OpenSEO vs DataForSEO: data source and fee
- About OpenSEO, Privacy and Terms: Every App, Inc, refunds, Google data rules
- GitHub every-app/open-seo: MIT open source
- Product Hunt: OpenSEO: product page, read 9 October 2026
OpenSEO pros and cons
Pros
- Clear public USD Base Plan at $10/mo with $10 included usage and a published usage estimator
- Free trial credits ($0.50) without a card, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee on subscription fees in the terms
- Agent-first MCP path documented for Claude, Cursor, Codex and ChatGPT
- Classic SEO research and AI-answer visibility share one workspace and credit pool
- Google Search Console data is free of credit spend on the hosted plan
- MIT open source with a documented self-host path that skips the hosted 28% DataForSEO markup
Cons
- Hosted use requires an active subscription even if you hold leftover top-up credits
- Free trial is only $0.50 of credits: not a permanent free hosted plan
- SEO and AI-visibility data quality depends on DataForSEO (and model APIs); not an Ahrefs-sized proprietary crawl index
- Hosted data calls include a 28% markup over DataForSEO list prices
- Heavy research or high-frequency rank/prompt tracking can exceed the included $10 and needs top-ups
The bottom line on OpenSEO
Best for
- SEO inside Claude or Cursor
- Small business keyword research
- Self-hosted SEO data
Not the right fit? Compare
Facts checked
Visit OpenSEOOpenSEO FAQ
Is OpenSEO free?
Partly. The free trial includes $0.50 of credits with no card. Self-hosting the MIT open-source app costs $0 for the software if you bring your own DataForSEO key. The hosted Base Plan is $10/mo (checked 9 October 2026).
How much does OpenSEO cost?
The hosted Base Plan is $10 per month and includes $10 of usage. Extra top-up credits can be bought anytime and do not expire. Example vendor estimates: about $0.05 per keyword search and about $0.08 per backlink domain overview. You need an active subscription to use the hosted product.
Does OpenSEO work with Claude or ChatGPT?
Yes. The hosted MCP endpoint is https://app.openseo.so/mcp. Docs cover Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex CLI/Desktop and API-key clients. MCP research calls use your OpenSEO credits.
What is OpenSEO used for?
Keyword research, competitor and domain overview, backlinks, rank tracking, site audits, Google Search Console insights, and AI Visibility (prompt research, explorer and tracking) for brands watching ChatGPT and related answer engines.
How does OpenSEO handle privacy and Google data?
Every App, Inc’s privacy policy (updated 24 August 2026) says Google Search Console and Analytics access is read-only, Google user data is not sold and is not used to train generalized AI/ML models, and GSC/GA report rows are fetched on demand rather than stored in OpenSEO databases. Hosted analytics may include PostHog session replay with form inputs masked.
OpenSEO vs FlexQueries: which should I pick?
Pick FlexQueries for pure prepaid metering and OpenSEO for a flat entry plan plus agent workspace features. Both sell DataForSEO-style research with MCP and AI visibility. FlexQueries is pay-as-you-go with no subscription; OpenSEO is $10/mo with $10 included usage, project context, reports and an MIT self-host option.
Can I cancel OpenSEO anytime?
Yes. Cancel from the billing portal; access continues through the end of the current billing period. Terms also describe a 30-day money-back guarantee on the most recent subscription charge (not consumed top-up credits).
Who is OpenSEO for?
Business owners, freelancers and marketers who want SEO and AI-visibility data inside Claude/Cursor/ChatGPT without a $100-plus suite. Skip it if you need Ahrefs-scale proprietary backlink history as a full-time link builder, or if you refuse any subscription and prefer pure pay-as-you-go only.
Alternatives to OpenSEO
OkaraFree plan + paid upgradesAI CMO that drafts SEO, social and content daily
OmniaPaid onlyGEO agent for AI search visibility
CrawlRavenFree plan + paid upgradesSearch Console and GA4 turned into a ranked SEO plan
FlexQueriesFree plan + paid upgradesPay-as-you-go SEO research and AI search visibility
PreferPaid onlyAEO platform for AI search visibility
Reviewed by
Amit Kumar
Full Stack AI Strategist
Amit Kumar runs MPAT, where he reviews AI tools and writes its guides. When he covers a tool he checks its pricing, credits and plan limits against the vendor's own pages, so readers know what a plan includes before they pay. He also leads the site's SEO and AI-focused content strategy.
