SEO Score API vs Sitebulb
Desktop SEO crawler with prioritized issue reporting · Pricing: $13.50 – $35 / mo (Desktop) · $40+ / mo (Cloud)
Sitebulb and SEO Score API both touch SEO, but they are different shapes of product. Sitebulb is a Desktop + Cloud crawler; SEO Score API is a hosted REST API that returns a scored audit as JSON in about two seconds. This page is an honest side-by-side — including when you should pick Sitebulb over us. Still shopping around? See our roundup of Sitebulb alternatives organized by use case.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Sitebulb | SEO Score API |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $13.50 – $40+ / mo | $0 free, $5+ / mo |
| Shape | Desktop + Cloud crawler | Hosted REST API |
| Best at | Prioritized site-wide audits | On-demand per-URL audits via code |
| Run in CI/CD | Cloud has scheduling, no real CI hooks | GitHub Action ships ready |
| Run from a script | Limited | Any language with HTTP |
| AI readability score | No | Yes |
| Schema validation | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-site monitoring | Yes (Cloud tier) | Yes (with alerts) |
| Free tier | 14-day trial | 2 audits/day, no card |
| Output shape | PDF / web report | JSON |
When each tool wins
Pick Sitebulb when…
- You crawl entire sites and want issues prioritized by impact, not just listed.
- You produce branded PDF reports for clients from a desktop UI.
- You prefer a guided UX over Screaming Frog's spreadsheet-heavy approach.
Pick SEO Score API when…
- You want audits programmatically — in code, in CI, or from an agent.
- You audit on demand, not on a schedule, and need single-URL or batch JSON.
- You don't want to install a desktop app on every machine that runs an audit.
Sitebulb alternatives, by use case
Not sure an audit API is the right swap? Here are the strongest Sitebulb alternatives and Sitebulb competitors, grouped by what you actually need — so you pick on use case, not marketing budget.
If you want audits in code or CI
- SEO Score API. Hosted API, JSON in 2s, GitHub Action, free tier. — learn more
- Lighthouse CI. Free Google-maintained tool. Performance and a11y focused.
If you want a deeper desktop crawler
- Screaming Frog. $259/yr. The deepest desktop crawler — fewer guard rails, more raw data.
If you want a hosted scheduled crawler
- Ahrefs Site Audit. Bundled in $129+/mo Ahrefs plan. Polished UI.
- Oncrawl. Crawl + log-file analysis for technical SEO at scale.
Frequently asked
Can SEO Score API replace Sitebulb for a full-site crawl?
Not in one call. We audit one URL per call (or many in a batch). For full-site crawls of thousands of pages, Sitebulb is the better tool. Many teams pair the two — Sitebulb for periodic deep crawls, SEO Score API for per-URL automation.
Does SEO Score API give prioritized recommendations like Sitebulb?
Yes — every audit returns a `priorities` array sorted by what would lift the score most. Same idea, JSON shape.
Why is SEO Score API cheaper?
We run one focused product (audits via API). No desktop app, no PDF builder, no UI for non-developers. Different scope, different price.
Can I get JSON output from Sitebulb?
Sitebulb Cloud has limited API endpoints; the desktop product is GUI-first. SEO Score API is JSON-first by design.
Audit your site free — no Sitebulb subscription, no credit card.
Score any URL across 83 checks in one API call. Free tier, key in seconds.