SE Ranking vs Surfer
Surfer uniquely has 2 features · SE Ranking uniquely has 1 feature.
| SE Ranking | Surfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2013 | 2017 |
| HQ | San Francisco, USA | Wrocław, Poland |
| AI model | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| User base | 1M+ users (SE Ranking platform overall) | 150,000+ |
| Platforms | Web, Google Docs integration | Web, Chrome Extension, WordPress, Google Docs |
| Languages | 25+ | Multiple (used across Southeast Asia and multiple markets per scrape) |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | Yes — free trial available | Yes — free account available (Start for Free) |
| Starting price | $129.00/mo (Core plan) | $59/mo, Discovery |
| Enterprise | Custom (contact sales) | $999/mo+ (tailored/custom) |
| All plans | Core$129/moGrowth$279/moAgency Pack (add-on)$69/mo (up to $129/mo)AI Search (add-on)$89/mo (up to $345/mo)API (add-on)$45/mo (up to $555/mo) annual billing only | Discovery$59/moStandard$119/moPro$219/moPeace of Mind$359/moEnterpriseCustom |
| Positioning | ||
| Best for | SEO specialists, content marketers, and copywriters seeking full-cycle AI-assisted content creation and optimization | Marketers, SEO specialists, agencies, and content teams wanting data-driven content optimization and AI search visibility |
| Differentiator | SE Ranking Content Editor combines full-cycle brief creation, NLP keyword analysis, real-time SEO scoring, grammar/readability checks, and competitor outline review in one platform with native Google Docs integration at a significantly lower price than Semrush or Ahrefs. | Surfer is the only closed-loop AI Visibility OS that combines content scoring, real-time optimization, and multi-LLM brand mention tracking (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI, Gemini) in one unified workflow. |
| Competitors | Surfer SEO, Clearscope, MarketMuse, Semrush Writing Assistant, Frase | Clearscope, MarketMuse, Semrush, Ahrefs, Frase, NeuronWriter |
| Features | ||
| AI Copywriting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Backlink Analysis | ✓ | ✕ |
| Content Brief | ✓ | ✓ |
| Content Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| GSC Integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keyword Clustering | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keyword Research | ✓ | ✓ |
| Long Form Writing | ✓ | ✓ |
| On Page SEO | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rank Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| SERP Analysis | ✓ | ✓ |
| Topic Clusters | ✓ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chrome Extension | — | ✓ |
| CMS | Google Docs confirmed; others not publicly stated | WordPress, Google Docs, Contentful (listed on Pro+) |
| Google Docs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Key Integrations | Google Docs, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Data Studio, Matomo, SE Ranking API | WordPress, Google Docs, Contentful, Chrome Extension, Surfer API |
| Wordpress | — | ✓ |