The 11 Best Free WordPress SEO Plugins in 2026, Ranked by Data
Yoast SEO is the best free WordPress SEO plugin on our data (96.5/100), just ahead of Rank Math (94.1). SEOPress (88.5) is third.
The best free WordPress SEO plugin on our data is Yoast SEO, with 96.5 out of 100. Rank Math is second on 94.1, close enough to call it a two-way race. SEOPress is third on 88.5, All in One SEO (AIOSEO) fourth on 86.7 and The SEO Framework fifth on 85.0. We scored 11 free SEO plugins on their WordPress.org record and on the server time each one added in our lab.
Yoast SEO and Rank Math are level in the lab: +10.6 ms and +16.0 ms per page, a gap inside our noise. Yoast’s lead comes from its WordPress.org record, 96.0 to 94.2, with 10M+ installs and 38 of 39 recent support threads resolved. Server time moved the order below them: AIOSEO has the second-best WordPress.org score, 94.7, but added +62.8 ms, the most of the 11, and drops to fourth.
Short answer: For most sites, install Yoast SEO or Rank Math; on our numbers you will not feel a difference in speed. Pick Rank Math if you want redirects and a 404 monitor in the free version. Pick The SEO Framework if you want your meta tags filled in with no setup; it also had the lowest median server time we measured. For the bare minimum of meta tags, SEO Simple Pack does that and little else.
Last updated: 21 October 2026. We re-run the numbers every month.
The top 11 at a glance
| # | Plugin | Score | Installs | Rating | Weight | Server time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoast SEO | 96.5 | 10M+ | 96% | +1.1 KB | +10.6 ms |
| 2 | Rank Math | 94.1 | 4M+ | 96% | +0.8 KB | +16.0 ms |
| 3 | SEOPress | 88.5 | 300,000+ | 96% | +0.4 KB | +37.6 ms |
| 4 | AIOSEO | 86.7 | 2M+ | 94% | +1.0 KB | +62.8 ms |
| 5 | The SEO Framework | 85.0 | 200,000+ | 98% | +0.7 KB | +5.9 ms |
| 6 | SureRank | 78.9 | 300,000+ | 96% | +0.9 KB | +22.3 ms |
| 7 | Slim SEO | 75.7 | 70,000+ | 94% | +0.9 KB | +19.1 ms |
| 8 | Squirrly SEO | 74.4 | 30,000+ | 92% | 0 KB | +10.1 ms |
| 9 | SmartCrawl | 72.8 | 10,000+ | 96% | +0.5 KB | +6.6 ms |
| 10 | SiteSEO | 70.8 | 400,000+ | 80% | +0.5 KB | +28.1 ms |
| 11 | SEO Simple Pack | 66.6 | 100,000+ | 92% | +0.2 KB | +8.7 ms |
How we scored them
An SEO plugin runs on every page, because every page needs a title, a description and the other tags it writes. Our test post uses none of the plugins’ extras: no custom title or description filled in, no breadcrumbs or FAQ block placed. So the lab number is each plugin’s idle cost with default settings on an ordinary post, which on most sites is almost every page. We did not measure pages that use those extras. None of the 11 added more than 1.1 KB to the page, so weight is not scored. The score:
- WordPress.org record, 85 points: our usual score out of 100, scaled to 85. Satisfaction 35 (rating blended with 25 imaginary votes at 80%), Adoption 25 (installs, log scale, 1,000 = 0 and 1,000,000 = full), Maintenance 20 (full within 30 days of an update, zero at 365), Support 20 (share of the last two months’ threads resolved; under 3 threads = half marks).
- Server time, 15 points: 10 ms or less added = 15, 100 ms or more = 0, in a straight line between.
Lab: fresh WordPress 7.1.3, PHP 8.5, Twenty Twenty-Five. Each plugin was installed from WordPress.org on 21 October 2026, activated alone with default settings and loaded by a logged-out visitor on a 1,500-word post. Weight is the HTML plus every CSS and JS file, gzipped, minus the same page with no plugin (19.8 KB). Server time is the median of 15 requests minus the no-plugin median, measured in three separate runs; we use the median of the three.
We also checked that each plugin was printing its tags on the test post: Rank Math prints none until its setup step is done, so we measured it after that step, and Squirrly and SmartCrawl printed only part of the set, as their entries say.
The no-plugin page took between 60.2 and 65.3 ms across the three runs, and server time on our box drifts between runs, so we read nothing into a gap under about 15 ms. The full method is on how we rank.
1. Yoast SEO, 96.5
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI checks each post as you write with an SEO analysis and a readability analysis, scored red, orange and green, and shows desktop and mobile search previews. In the background it writes meta tags, canonical URLs, XML sitemaps, breadcrumbs and Schema.org structured data, and it can manage an llms.txt file. A bulk editor for titles, meta descriptions and focus keyphrases is free.
It has the most installs here, 10M+, a rating of 96% (27,820 ratings) and 38 of 39 recent support threads resolved. Its WordPress.org score, 96.0, is the best of the 11. It added +1.1 KB and a median +10.6 ms (runs of +10.6 ms, +11.4 ms, +8.7 ms), worth 14.9 of 15.
The limit is what stays in Premium: its page lists the AI tools, the redirect manager, social previews and up to five keyphrases per post as paid features. It suits almost any site, and it is the safe default.
2. Rank Math, 94.1
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings lists a setup wizard, 16+ schema types, five focus keywords per post by default, Google Search Console and Analytics integration, XML sitemaps, breadcrumbs, a redirection manager and a 404 monitor. It is built from modules you switch on as needed, and it imports settings from Yoast, AIOSEO and SEOPress in one click.
With default settings it printed no SEO tags on our test post until its setup step was done: it holds its front-end modules back until the site is connected or registration is skipped. Unconfigured, it added 0 KB and a median +12.4 ms, but that measured a plugin doing nothing on the page. We skipped registration, completed the wizard on its defaults and measured it three more times.
Set up, it added +0.8 KB and a median +16.0 ms (runs of +12.6 ms, +37.3 ms, +16.0 ms), worth 14.0 of 15. One run was much slower than the other two, so the number is noisy. It has 4M+ installs and a rating of 96% (7,515 ratings). On the record, support is where it trails: 40 of 45 threads resolved, worth 17.8 of 20. We put the two side by side in Yoast vs Rank Math.
It suits anyone who wants redirects and a 404 monitor without a second plugin. Finish its setup wizard after installing, or it prints no tags.
3. SEOPress, 88.5
SEOPress – AI SEO Plugin & On-site SEO puts one SEO box in the block editor and in page builders including Elementor, Divi, Bricks and Oxygen. The free version has content analysis with unlimited target keywords, XML and HTML sitemaps, an image sitemap, redirects at the post level, Google Analytics 4 and Matomo, and llms.txt.
It resolved 5 of 5 threads and is rated 96% (1,266 ratings). Its 300,000+ installs earn 20.6 of 25, and server time cost it more: a median +37.6 ms (runs of +37.6 ms, +37.9 ms, +29.1 ms), worth 10.4 of 15.
A fourth check run gave +9.6 ms, and on 14 October we measured it at +8.8 ms on the same version, so its server time moves a lot between runs.
4. AIOSEO, 86.7
All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) is the lite version of AIOSEO Pro. Its FAQ says the free version covers SEO titles and meta descriptions, an XML sitemap, schema markup, Google Search Console integration and TruSEO content analysis. The same FAQ lists the redirection manager, local SEO, keyword rank tracking, automatic internal linking and WooCommerce SEO as Pro.
On WordPress.org data it is second, 94.7, with 2M+ installs, 94% (5,225 ratings) and all 22 recent support threads resolved. Server time pulled it down. Its three runs were +31.5 ms, +70.8 ms, +62.8 ms, so the number is noisy, but a fourth check run gave +68.9 ms. The median, +62.8 ms, is the highest of the 11 and worth 6.2 of 15.
Our 14 October comparison measured it at +29.9 ms on the same version, 5.0.3; today’s runs are higher. For how it compares with Rank Math and SEOPress on every number, see Rank Math vs SEOPress vs AIOSEO.
5. The SEO Framework, 85.0
The SEO Framework – Fast, Automated, Effortless. fills in titles, descriptions and other critical meta tags on activation, with no setup. It adds breadcrumb structured data, a sitemap, and Open Graph, Twitter Cards and Fediverse tags. Its page says it sends its developers no information and creates no cookies. Focus keyword analysis is not built in: it comes as an extension through its Extension Manager companion plugin.
It has the highest rating here, 98% (380 ratings), and the lowest median server time of the 11, +5.9 ms (runs of +5.9 ms, +12.7 ms, +2.0 ms), which is within noise. Two things hold it back: 200,000+ installs, worth 19.2 of 25, and support, 6 of 11 threads resolved.
6. SureRank, 78.9
SureRank SEO – Meta Tags, Social Preview, XML Sitemap, Schema & Open Graph lists the basics: templates for titles and descriptions, Open Graph and X card tags, canonical URLs, an XML sitemap and JSON-LD schema with a custom schema builder. It also has a robots.txt editor that explains what each rule does, and a Google Search Console connection.
It is the youngest plugin here, on WordPress.org since 16 April 2025, and already has 300,000+ installs. Its 96% rating comes from only 50 ratings, which our blend pulls toward 80%, and its one recent thread is unresolved. It added a median +22.3 ms.
7. Slim SEO, 75.7
Slim SEO – AI SEO Plugin, Lightweight, Fast & Automated sets itself up: meta tags, an XML sitemap with image and Google News sitemaps, breadcrumbs, linked JSON-LD schema and redirects with 404 monitoring. It can write titles and descriptions with AI, but you bring your own API key for OpenAI, Gemini, Claude or OpenRouter.
It was updated 20 October 2026, the day before our data pull, and added a median +19.1 ms. Its 70,000+ installs (15.4 of 25) and only 2 recent support threads, which earn half marks, keep it in the lower half.
8. Squirrly SEO, 74.4
GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO is Squirrly SEO under the name WordPress.org now lists. It aims at AI answer engines as well as search: an audit that scores pages for being cited by AI, control over AI crawlers, llms.txt files and IndexNow submission. Its audits, keyword research and rank tracking need a free Squirrly account.
With default settings it printed only a canonical link on our test post: no meta description and no Open Graph tags. So its light lab numbers, 0 KB and a median +10.1 ms, reflect a plugin that is not yet doing much on the page. It is rated 92% (682 ratings), has 30,000+ installs and lists WordPress 7.0.7 as tested, older than the 7.1.3 most plugins here list.
9. SmartCrawl, 72.8
SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer lists a one-click setup wizard, an SEO checkup with recommendations, titles and meta descriptions, a sitemap generator, readability and keyword analysis, a schema types builder, 301 redirects and breadcrumbs.
With default settings it printed a meta description and schema on our test post, but no Open Graph tags. It is rated 96% (171 ratings) and added a median +6.6 ms. Adoption is the problem: 10,000+ installs, the fewest here, earn 8.3 of 25.
10. SiteSEO, 70.8
SiteSEO – SEO Simplified offers, free, content analysis with unlimited keywords, titles and meta descriptions with dynamic variables, Open Graph and X cards, Google Knowledge Graph support and the Google Indexing and IndexNow APIs. Structured data, breadcrumbs, the robots.txt editor and 404 monitoring are listed as PRO.
It has 400,000+ installs but only 9 ratings, averaging 80%, the lowest satisfaction score of the 11 (17.5 of 35). It added a median +28.1 ms.
11. SEO Simple Pack, 66.6
SEO SIMPLE PACK outputs the basic meta tags and Open Graph tags, per page type and per post, and adds fields for a Google Analytics code and webmaster verification. By default it sets archives, the 404 page and search results to noindex.
It added a median +8.7 ms, full marks. Maintenance cost it: last updated 22 May 2026, 152 days before our data pull, and tested up to WordPress 7.0.7.
Every plugin we measured
| # | Plugin | Score | WordPress.org /100 | Server time /15 | Runs (ms added) | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoast SEO | 96.5 | 96.0 | 14.9 | +10.6, +11.4, +8.7 | 13 Oct 2026 |
| 2 | Rank Math | 94.1 | 94.2 | 14.0 | +12.6, +37.3, +16.0 | 6 Oct 2026 |
| 3 | SEOPress | 88.5 | 91.9 | 10.4 | +37.6, +37.9, +29.1 | 1 Oct 2026 |
| 4 | AIOSEO | 86.7 | 94.7 | 6.2 | +31.5, +70.8, +62.8 | 7 Oct 2026 |
| 5 | The SEO Framework | 85.0 | 82.4 | 15.0 | +5.9, +12.7, +2.0 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| 6 | SureRank | 78.9 | 77.5 | 13.0 | +22.3, +19.3, +29.8 | 5 Oct 2026 |
| 7 | Slim SEO | 75.7 | 73.2 | 13.5 | +20.5, +19.1, +15.0 | 20 Oct 2026 |
| 8 | Squirrly SEO | 74.4 | 69.9 | 15.0 | +5.5, +16.7, +10.1 | 16 Oct 2026 |
| 9 | SmartCrawl | 72.8 | 68.0 | 15.0 | +6.6, +17.6, +6.1 | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 10 | SiteSEO | 70.8 | 69.2 | 12.0 | +28.1, +32.5, +17.9 | 24 Sep 2026 |
| 11 | SEO Simple Pack | 66.6 | 60.7 | 15.0 | +13.4, +8.7, -0.4 | 22 May 2026 |
| – | WP Meta SEO | Closed | – | – | – | Closed 17 Jun 2026 |
| – | Platinum SEO | Closed | – | – | – | Closed 2 Feb 2024 |
What we left out, and why
WP Meta SEO is closed on WordPress.org. Its page says it was closed as of 17 June 2026 and is not available for download. Many lists still recommend it, but you cannot install it from WordPress.org, so we could not rank it.
Platinum SEO (platinum-seo-pack) is closed too, as of 2 February 2024.
How to choose the best free WordPress SEO plugin
- Install one SEO plugin, not two. They write the same tags, and SureRank’s page, for one, advises against running several at once.
- If you have no strong preference, pick Yoast SEO or Rank Math. They lead on the record and tie in the lab.
- Check what the free version includes. Redirects and a 404 monitor are free in Rank Math and Slim SEO, but listed as paid in Yoast SEO, AIOSEO and SiteSEO.
- If you want no setup at all, try The SEO Framework or Slim SEO; both fill in your tags on activation.
- Switching? Use the importer. Rank Math, SEOPress, AIOSEO, SureRank and Squirrly all list imports from the bigger plugins.
- Time a logged-out page before and after, then check your titles and descriptions in the page source.
Questions people ask
Which is the best free SEO plugin for WordPress?
On our data, Yoast SEO, with 96.5 out of 100. Rank Math is second on 94.1; the two are level in the lab, and Yoast leads on installs and support.
Is Yoast or Rank Math better?
On the numbers they are close: 96.5 to 94.1, and +10.6 ms to +16.0 ms of server time, a gap inside our noise (Rank Math measured after its setup step). Yoast has more installs (10M+ to 4M+) and resolved 38 of 39 threads to Rank Math’s 40 of 45. Rank Math’s free version includes redirects.
Do SEO plugins slow down WordPress?
Not the page visitors download: none of the 11 added more than 1.1 KB. Server time varied, from a median +5.9 ms for The SEO Framework to +62.8 ms for AIOSEO. Nine of the 11 stayed under +30 ms.
Is WP Meta SEO still available?
No. It was closed on WordPress.org on 17 June 2026 and cannot be downloaded there. If you still run it, it will get no updates from WordPress.org; plan a move to another plugin with an importer.
What happened to Squirrly SEO?
It is still at the same WordPress.org address, now listed as GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO, and was updated 16 October 2026.
