SEO Score API vs OpenSEO
Open-source, pay-as-you-go SEO suite built on DataForSEO · Pricing: $10 / mo (includes $10 usage) + usage
Short answer: OpenSEO is an open-source, pay-as-you-go alternative to Ahrefs and Semrush, built around DataForSEO data for keyword research, backlinks, and rank tracking. SEO Score API is an audit engine: it tells you why a page won't rank, won't pass accessibility, or won't get cited by AI, and it gates those problems in your CI/CD pipeline. Many teams use a keyword tool alongside us. If you need to find, fix, and prevent on-site problems, start here.
Comparison reflects both products' public websites as of September 24, 2026. OpenSEO ships fast; check their site for changes.
This page is an honest side-by-side — including when you should pick OpenSEO over us. Still shopping around? See our roundup of OpenSEO alternatives organized by use case.
Side-by-side
| Feature | OpenSEO | SEO Score API |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Open-source SEO suite (web app + MCP) on DataForSEO data | Hosted REST API for SEO, accessibility, and AI-readiness audits |
| Starting price | $10/mo, includes $10 of usage | Free tier; paid from $5/mo |
| Per-URL audit | Crawl of page-level signals | 83 checks, JSON in about 2 seconds |
| Deep site audit | Crawl + optional Lighthouse | 14,000+ checks across 9 dimensions (private beta) |
| JavaScript rendering | Listed as not planned on their roadmap | Yes — rendered DOM in Deep Audit |
| WCAG / ADA audits | Via optional Lighthouse accessibility | Dedicated ADA audits on every paid plan |
| AI readability / GEO | Not offered today | 26 AI readability checks + SXO, AEO, AIO scores |
| AI visibility engines | ChatGPT, Google AI Overview | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity (Deep Audit) |
| Exposed-secret scanning | No | Yes (AWS, Stripe, Google, GitHub keys and more) |
| CI/CD | — | Official GitHub Action, score thresholds, webhooks |
| SDKs & integrations | MCP server, agent skills, plugins | Python, Node, n8n node, MCP server |
| Keyword research, backlinks, rank tracking | Yes | Not our focus |
| Self-hosting | Yes, MIT license | No (managed API) |
When each tool wins
Pick OpenSEO when…
- Keyword research, backlinks, and rank tracking are your main job. That's OpenSEO's core, and we don't do it.
- You want to self-host. OpenSEO is MIT-licensed and runs on your own infrastructure with your own DataForSEO key.
- You want a point-and-click dashboard more than an API.
Pick SEO Score API when…
- You need to know what's broken, not just what ranks — 83 scored checks per URL in about two seconds, plus a Deep Site Audit of 14,000+ checks across 9 dimensions.
- Your site runs on JavaScript. Deep Audit renders the DOM before it checks; OpenSEO's roadmap lists JS rendering as not planned.
- Accessibility and ADA risk matter — every paid plan includes dedicated ADA audits, from 5/month on Starter to 500/month on Ultra.
- You care whether AI can read and cite your pages: 26 AI readability checks plus SXO, AEO, and AIO scores.
- SEO belongs in your pipeline — a GitHub Action, score thresholds, and webhooks so a regression fails the build.
Where SEO Score API is the better fit
You need to know what's broken, not just what ranks
Our per-URL audit returns 83 scored checks with a prioritized fix list in about two seconds. Deep Site Audit goes further: 14,000+ checks across technical foundation, crawlability, content and entities, Core Web Vitals, structured data, security, media, and off-site signals.
Your site runs on JavaScript
Modern React, Next.js, and Vue sites often ship content that a plain HTML crawl never sees. Deep Audit renders the DOM before it checks, so you audit what users and Googlebot actually get. OpenSEO's roadmap lists JS rendering as not planned.
Accessibility and ADA risk matter
Every paid plan includes dedicated ADA audits, from 5/month on Starter to 500/month on Ultra. That's why ADA defense attorneys and compliance-minded agencies use us, not just SEO teams.
You care whether AI can read and cite your pages
Our AI readability score runs 26 checks: server-side rendering, AI-bot allow-lists, llms.txt, JSON-LD, answer-first sections, fact density, E-E-A-T signals, and more. Paid audits also return SXO, AEO, and AIO scores. It answers the question before "am I cited?": can AI engines even parse me?
SEO belongs in your pipeline
Fail a build when the SEO score drops below a threshold. Our GitHub Action works with Vercel, Netlify, and any preview-URL setup, and webhooks notify you when async audits finish. Most pages return in about two seconds, fast enough to run on every pull request.
You're an agency reporting to clients
Shareable HTML reports at /report/{domain}, SVG score badges, historical score tracking (up to unlimited on Ultra), and batch audits across client portfolios.
Pricing compared
SEO Score API uses flat monthly tiers, so your bill doesn't move with usage:
| Plan | Price | Audits / month | ADA audits / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 / day | — |
| Starter | $5/mo | 200 | 5 |
| Basic | $15/mo | 1,000 | 20 |
| Pro | $39/mo | 5,000 | 100 |
| Ultra | $99/mo | 25,000 | 500 |
Deep Site Audit credits are also available without a subscription, from $29 for 3 audits.
OpenSEO charges $10/month, which includes $10 of usage, and bills extra usage on top. Their hosted service adds a markup to the DataForSEO data it resells. For light use that's inexpensive; for AI visibility it adds up fast, since their pricing page estimates about $1.09 per ChatGPT brand check.
Can I use both?
Yes, and they fit together well. Use OpenSEO (or Ahrefs, or Semrush) to decide which keywords and competitors to target. Use SEO Score API to make sure the pages you're betting on are technically sound, accessible, readable by AI engines, and don't regress when you ship.
OpenSEO alternatives, by use case
Not sure an audit API is the right swap? Here are the strongest OpenSEO alternatives and OpenSEO competitors, grouped by what you actually need — so you pick on use case, not marketing budget.
If you want audits in code, CI, or AI agents
- SEO Score API. $0 free, $5+/mo. 83 checks as JSON in ~2s, rendered-DOM Deep Audit, ADA audits, GitHub Action, MCP server and Python/Node SDKs. — learn more
- DataForSEO. The raw data OpenSEO resells. Pay-as-you-go APIs for SERP, on-page, and backlinks — you assemble the workflow.
If keyword research and backlinks are the job
- Ahrefs. $129+/mo. Largest backlink index, keyword and content tooling. — learn more
- SEMrush. $139+/mo. SEO plus paid-search platform with strong competitor analysis. — learn more
- Moz Pro. $99+/mo. Domain Authority, link tracking, on-page audits. — learn more
If you want to self-host or own the stack
- OpenSEO. MIT-licensed, run it on your own infrastructure with your own DataForSEO key.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider. $259/yr desktop crawler. Best-in-class for deep, local site-wide crawls. — learn more
Frequently asked
Is SEO Score API an OpenSEO alternative?
For site audits, accessibility, and AI readiness, yes, and it goes deeper: rendered-DOM audits, 14,000+ deep checks, dedicated ADA audits, and CI/CD gating. For keyword research, backlinks, and rank tracking, OpenSEO covers ground we don't.
Which is cheaper?
Our paid plans start at $5/month with flat pricing; OpenSEO starts at $10/month with usage-based billing. For audit-heavy workloads we're typically cheaper and more predictable. For light keyword research, OpenSEO's included usage may cover you.
Does SEO Score API render JavaScript?
Yes. Deep Site Audit renders the DOM before running checks, so single-page apps and client-rendered content are audited as users see them.
Does SEO Score API work with AI agents?
Yes. We publish an MCP server, plus Python and Node SDKs and an n8n node, so Claude, Cursor, and other agents can run audits directly.
Is there a free tier?
Yes. 2 audits per day with 55 core checks, no credit card. Sign up with your email and get a key in under 30 seconds.
Audit your site free — no OpenSEO subscription, no credit card.
Score any URL across 83 checks in one API call. Free tier, key in seconds.