WordPress SEO plugins · Updated August 2026
Yoast SEO vs AIOSEO Which WordPress SEO plugin should you install in 2026?
A side-by-side look at Yoast SEO and AIOSEO, 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 
AIOSEO 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
AIOSEO All-round toolkit
AIOSEO bundles the broadest set of on-page tooling, and is the only one here whose AI optimisation is included on every plan, free tier included.
- Optimize with AI is included on every plan, including the free version
- TruSEO analysis, Link Assistant and Redirection Manager in one plugin
- Deep page-builder coverage for Elementor, Divi and others
- Translated into 54+ languages
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 AIOSEO 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
|
AIOSEO
|
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & licensing | ||
| Free version | Supported. Free forever | Supported. Lite on WordPress.org |
| Entry paid price | $118.80/yr | $99/yr |
| Sites on the entry plan | 1 site or domain | 1 site |
| Highest tier | AI+ — $358.80/yr | Elite — 100 sites |
| Renews at the same price | Not available. Not stated | Partial. Promotional first-year pricing |
| Money-back window | 30 days | 14 days |
| Separate AI subscription needed | Partial. AI+ tier at $358.80/yr | Supported. No — included on every plan |
| Core SEO | ||
| Title & meta templates | Supported. Included | Supported. Included |
| XML sitemaps | Supported. Automatic | Supported. Smart XML sitemaps |
| Schema / structured data | Supported. Article, organisation, breadcrumb | Supported. Schema generator |
| Breadcrumbs | Supported. With schema | Supported. Custom breadcrumbs |
| Redirect manager | Supported. Premium | Supported. Redirection Manager |
| Broken link checker | Not available. Not stated | Supported. 200 internal links/mo on free |
| Internal linking suggestions | Supported. Premium | Supported. Link Assistant |
| Content & readability analysis | Supported. 25+ languages | Supported. TruSEO analysis |
| Instant indexing / IndexNow | Not available. Not stated | Supported. IndexNow |
| Google Search Console integration | Partial. Via Site Kit by Google | Supported. Search Statistics |
| Keyword rank tracking | Partial. Via Wincher integration | Supported. Keyword Rank Tracker |
| Specialised modules | ||
| Local SEO | Supported. Included in Premium | Supported. Local SEO module |
| WooCommerce SEO | Partial. Separate $178.80/yr plan | Supported. Included |
| News sitemaps | Supported. News SEO, in Premium | Supported. Google News sitemaps |
| Video sitemaps | Supported. Video SEO, in Premium | Supported. Video SEO sitemaps |
| Image alt text automation | Partial. AI-assisted | Supported. Image SEO addon |
| Page-builder integrations | Partial. Elementor, Gutenberg | Supported. Documented builder support |
| White label | Not available. Not stated | Not available. Not stated |
| Multisite support | Not available. Not stated | Partial. Mentioned |
| Google Docs add-on | Supported. One seat in Premium | Not available. Not stated |
| AI features | ||
| AI meta titles & descriptions | Supported. AI-generated | Supported. Included |
| AI included on the free tier | Not available. Not stated | Supported. Optimize with AI on all plans |
| Choice of AI provider | Not available. Not stated | Not available. Not stated |
| AI long-form content generation | Partial. AI-assisted drafting | Supported. AI Content Generator |
| AI-assisted internal linking | Not available. Not stated | Supported. Link Assistant |
| AI visibility / LLM tooling | Not available. Not stated | Supported. AI Suite, LLMs.txt generator |
| Support & trust | ||
| Support channel | 24/7 support | Priority support on Pro & Elite |
| Priority support tier | Supported. Included in Premium | Partial. Pro and Elite only |
| 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 | 3M+ users |
| Interface languages | 25+ analysis languages | 54+ translations |
Pricing
What you actually pay in year two
Entry pricing reads as Yoast SEO at $118.80, AIOSEO at $99. Those are not like-for-like: 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.
Edge: AIOSEO on entry price
Licensing
How many sites one licence covers
All three start at a single site. SEOPress moves to five sites for $59/year and unlimited for $149/year, AIOSEO steps up in tiers to 100 sites on Elite, and Yoast sells one subscription per site or domain with a bulk discount at checkout.
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: SEOPress for multi-site owners
AI
Bundled AI versus a second subscription
Yoast SEO: AI+ tier at $358.80/yr. AIOSEO: No — included on every 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: AIOSEO for bundled 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
AIOSEO - Free version on WordPress.org
- 1 site
- Currently promoted at $49.50 for the first year
- Up to 3 sites
- Currently promoted at $99.50 for the first year
- Up to 10 sites
- Priority support
- Currently promoted at $199.50 for the first year
- Up to 100 sites
- Priority support
- Currently promoted at $299.50 for the first year
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 AIOSEO if…
- You want AI optimisation without a second subscription on top
- Internal-link suggestions and redirect management should live in the SEO plugin
- You build in page builders and need SEO controls inside them
- A 100-site Elite licence fits how you work with clients
There is no single winner here. AIOSEO is the cheapest way in at $99, 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 AIOSEO 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?
On documented entry price, AIOSEO is lowest at $99.
Do any of them include keyword rank tracking?
AIOSEO offers a Keyword Rank Tracker alongside its Search Statistics module. 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. AIOSEO: No — included on every 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?
AIOSEO tops out at 100 sites on Elite with priority support. Yoast sells one subscription per site or domain, with a bulk discount at checkout.