WordPress SEO plugins · Updated August 2026
Yoast SEO vs Rank Math Which WordPress SEO plugin should you install in 2026?
A side-by-side look at Yoast SEO and Rank Math, built only from what each vendor publishes on its own site. Pricing, licensing and feature availability are quoted as documented — where a vendor does not state something, we say so rather than guess.
Yoast SEO 
Rank Math The quick verdict
Both are capable. They optimise for different things.
Every plugin here covers the SEO basics — titles, sitemaps, schema and analysis. The differences that actually decide it are licensing, how much you pay in year two, and whether AI is bundled or sold separately.
Yoast SEO Most installed
Yoast SEO is the safe default: the largest install base, the deepest readability tooling and a free tier its own site calls "free forever".
- You want the most widely installed option, on 13 million sites
- Readability and content analysis in 25+ languages matter to you
- You draft in Google Docs and want SEO checks there too
- You prefer one bundled plan over a stack of add-ons
Rank Math Feature-dense
Rank Math packs the most modules into the entry plan — its cheapest paid tier covers unlimited personal sites rather than one.
- Its PRO plan covers unlimited personal websites, not a single domain
- Rank tracking is built in, from 500 to 50,000 keywords by tier
- AI Link Genius and automated keyword linking are included
- 30-day money-back guarantee, the longest here alongside Yoast
At a glance
The scoreboard
Highlighted cells mark the stronger option on that metric. No highlight means the values are not directly comparable, or it is a tie.
Feature matrix
The full comparison
Every row reflects what Yoast SEO and Rank Math document on their own websites, checked on 16 August 2026. "Not stated" means the vendor does not publish the detail — not that the feature is definitely missing.
| Feature |
Yoast SEO
|
Rank Math
|
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & licensing | ||
| Free version | Supported. Free forever | Supported. Free plan |
| Entry paid price | $118.80/yr | €7.99/mo, billed annually |
| Sites on the entry plan | 1 site or domain | Unlimited personal sites |
| Highest tier | AI+ — $358.80/yr | Agency — 500 client sites |
| Renews at the same price | Not available. Not stated | Partial. Renews at list price |
| Money-back window | 30 days | 30 days |
| Separate AI subscription needed | Partial. AI+ tier at $358.80/yr | Partial. Content AI sold as its own plan |
| Core SEO | ||
| Title & meta templates | Supported. Included | Supported. Included |
| XML sitemaps | Supported. Automatic | Supported. Automated |
| Schema / structured data | Supported. Article, organisation, breadcrumb | Supported. Schema generator + templates |
| Breadcrumbs | Supported. With schema | Supported. Included |
| Redirect manager | Supported. Premium | Supported. Included |
| Broken link checker | Not available. Not stated | Supported. Included |
| Internal linking suggestions | Supported. Premium | Supported. AI Link Genius |
| Content & readability analysis | Supported. 25+ languages | Supported. SEO score |
| Instant indexing / IndexNow | Not available. Not stated | Not available. Not stated |
| Google Search Console integration | Partial. Via Site Kit by Google | Supported. Included |
| Keyword rank tracking | Partial. Via Wincher integration | Supported. 500–50,000 keywords by tier |
| Specialised modules | ||
| Local SEO | Supported. Included in Premium | Supported. Included |
| WooCommerce SEO | Partial. Separate $178.80/yr plan | Supported. Included |
| News sitemaps | Supported. News SEO, in Premium | Supported. Included |
| Video sitemaps | Supported. Video SEO, in Premium | Supported. Included |
| Image alt text automation | Partial. AI-assisted | Supported. AI image alt text |
| Page-builder integrations | Partial. Elementor, Gutenberg | Partial. Not detailed on site |
| White label | Not available. Not stated | Supported. Included |
| Multisite support | Not available. Not stated | Supported. Documented |
| Google Docs add-on | Supported. One seat in Premium | Not available. Not stated |
| AI features | ||
| AI meta titles & descriptions | Supported. AI-generated | Supported. Content AI |
| AI included on the free tier | Not available. Not stated | Partial. Content AI free tier, limited |
| Choice of AI provider | Not available. Not stated | Not available. Not stated |
| AI long-form content generation | Partial. AI-assisted drafting | Supported. One-click long-form |
| AI-assisted internal linking | Not available. Not stated | Supported. AI Link Genius |
| AI visibility / LLM tooling | Not available. Not stated | Supported. AI visibility tracking |
| Support & trust | ||
| Support channel | 24/7 support | 24/7 support |
| Priority support tier | Supported. Included in Premium | Supported. Business and Agency |
| Training academy | Supported. Yoast SEO Academy | Not available. Not stated |
| Migration from another plugin | Supported. Built-in migration tools | Not available. Not stated |
| Documented reach | 13 million sites | 4M+ users |
| Interface languages | 25+ analysis languages | Not stated |
Pricing
What you actually pay in year two
Entry pricing reads as Yoast SEO at $118.80, Rank Math at €7.99/mo. Those are not like-for-like: Rank Math prices per month in euros billed annually, while the others quote a yearly figure in dollars, and licences cover different numbers of sites.
The renewal is where they diverge. SEOPress states on its pricing page that it renews at the same price. AIOSEO's headline figures are promotional first-year rates against a higher list price, and Rank Math documents a renewal at its pre-discount rate. Yoast does not publish a renewal policy.
No clear edge: prices are quoted in different currencies
Licensing
How many sites one licence covers
Rank Math's cheapest paid tier covers unlimited personal websites, with client sites excluded until the Business tier at 100 sites. Everyone else starts at a single site: Yoast covers one site or domain, AIOSEO's Basic covers one, SEOPress PRO starts at one and moves to five for $59/year.
If you run a handful of your own sites, the licence maths matters more than the sticker price — a $49 single-site licence bought four times costs more than one unlimited plan.
Edge: Rank Math for multi-site owners
AI
Bundled AI versus a second subscription
Yoast SEO: AI+ tier at $358.80/yr. Rank Math: Content AI sold as its own plan.
That distinction is easy to miss when comparing headline prices. AIOSEO is the only one of the four that documents its AI optimisation as included on every plan, free tier included. SEOPress takes the opposite approach — you connect your own provider key, from OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek or Mistral, and buy credits separately if you want its hosted option.
Edge: depends on how you buy AI
Pricing
What each plan actually costs
List prices as published by each vendor. Several run promotional first-year rates, so the renewal price is the number worth comparing.
Yoast SEO - Analysis, sitemaps and schema
- Free forever, no paywalled essentials
- 1 site or domain (ex VAT)
- Includes Local, News and Video SEO plugins
- 1 Google Docs add-on seat
- Yoast SEO Academy + 24/7 support
- All Premium plugins included
- WooCommerce-specific product SEO
- Everything in Premium
- Expanded AI features
Rank Math - Core SEO modules at no cost
- Billed annually, ex VAT (was €8.99)
- Unlimited personal websites
- Track 500 keywords
- 24/7 support
- Billed annually, ex VAT (was €27.99)
- 100 client websites
- Track 10,000 keywords
- 24/7 priority support
- Billed annually, ex VAT (was €64.99)
- 500 client websites
- Track 50,000 keywords
- 24/7 priority support
Prices verified 16 August 2026. See vendor sites for current pricing.
Decision guide
Who should choose which
Choose Yoast SEO if…
- You want the most widely adopted plugin and the biggest pool of tutorials
- Your team writes in Google Docs and wants the add-on seat included
- Local, News and Video SEO in one Premium plan suits you better than separate purchases
- You are migrating from another plugin and want documented migration tools
Choose Rank Math if…
- You run several of your own sites and want them all on one licence
- Built-in rank tracking matters more to you than a separate tool
- You want the widest module list at the lowest entry tier
- Agency licensing for 100 or 500 client sites is on your roadmap
There is no single winner here. These are quoted in different currencies and billing cycles, so compare the annual total for the number of sites you actually run — Rank Math covers the most sites per licence, and the right pick is whichever one matches how many sites you run and whether you want AI included or bought separately.
From the AngleOut team
Picking the plugin is the easy part
A plugin sets your titles and schema correctly. It will not tell you which pages deserve the effort. If you want a content and technical plan built around where your rankings actually are, we can put one together.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which of Yoast SEO and Rank Math has the best free version?
All of them ship a free version. Yoast describes its free tier as "free forever" with no paywalled essentials and includes analysis, sitemaps and schema. AIOSEO's free Lite version is the only one of the four that includes its AI optimisation feature. Rank Math and SEOPress both offer free plans covering core SEO modules.
Which one is cheapest?
Among the plans quoted in dollars per year, Yoast SEO is lowest at $118.80. Rank Math is priced in euros per month billed annually, so it is not directly comparable without a currency conversion — but its entry plan covers unlimited personal sites rather than one, which can make it cheaper per site.
Do any of them include keyword rank tracking?
Rank Math includes rank tracking in its paid plans, from 500 keywords on PRO up to 50,000 on Agency. Yoast does not track rankings itself; its site points to a Wincher integration for that.
Do I need a second subscription for the AI features?
Yoast SEO: AI+ tier at $358.80/yr. Rank Math: Content AI sold as its own plan. If AI matters to your workflow, compare the combined cost rather than the plugin licence alone.
Can I switch between these plugins without losing my settings?
Yoast is the only one of the four that documents built-in migration tools for importing from another SEO plugin. The others do not publish a migration path on the pages reviewed here, so check their documentation before you switch.
Which should an agency managing client sites pick?
Rank Math sells explicit client-site licensing at 100 sites (Business) and 500 sites (Agency). Yoast sells one subscription per site or domain, with a bulk discount at checkout.