3 Best Clearscope Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 10 min read
Clearscope is a popular tool for enterprise content teams wanting the most accurate content optimization. With pricing starting at $170/mo, it can be expensive for many teams. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 3 best Clearscope alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 3
- Free alternatives: 1 (MarketMuse)
- Best overall: Surfer SEO
- Best free: MarketMuse
Why Look for Clearscope Alternatives?
People commonly look for Clearscope alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: At $170/mo, Clearscope isn't cheap, especially for small teams and startups.
- Feature gaps: Very expensive and no free trial are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Clearscope overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Data ownership: Organizations wanting data sovereignty prefer open-source, self-hosted alternatives.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearscope | ✗ No | $170/mo | ⭐ 4.6 | No | Enterprise content teams wanting the most accurate content optimization |
| Surfer SEO | ✗ No | $99/mo | ⭐ 4.5 | No | Content teams focused on on-page SEO optimization |
| Frase | ✗ No | $15/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Budget-conscious content creators who need research and writing in one tool |
| MarketMuse | ✓ 10 queries/mo | $149/mo | ⭐ 4.2 | No | Content strategists planning comprehensive topic authority |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Surfer SEO
Data-driven on-page SEO tool that analyzes top-ranking pages and provides real-time content optimization scores.
Surfer SEO takes a unique approach to SEO by focusing on content optimization through data analysis. It analyzes the top-ranking pages for any keyword and gives you a real-time Content Score as you write, telling you exactly which terms to include, ideal word count, heading structure, and image count. The platform integrates with Google Docs and WordPress, making it seamless for content teams.
Pros
- ✓ Best-in-class content optimization
- ✓ Real-time scoring
- ✓ Easy to use
- ✓ Great Google Docs integration
Cons
- ✗ No backlink analysis
- ✗ Limited keyword research vs Ahrefs/SEMrush
- ✗ Content credits limited
- ✗ No free tier
Frase
AI-powered content research and writing tool for SEO
Frase helps you research, write, and optimize SEO content faster. It analyzes top search results, generates content briefs, provides an AI writer, and scores your content against competitors.
Pros
- ✓ Affordable entry price
- ✓ Fast content brief generation
- ✓ Good AI writing quality
- ✓ Question research feature
Cons
- ✗ AI credits limited on lower plans
- ✗ Interface can be clunky
- ✗ Slower SERP analysis than competitors
- ✗ Limited integrations
MarketMuse
AI-driven content strategy and optimization platform
MarketMuse uses AI to analyze your entire site, identify content gaps, plan topic clusters, and optimize individual pages. It provides content briefs, competitive analysis, and personalized difficulty scores.
Pros
- ✓ Holistic site-level analysis
- ✓ Excellent topic clustering
- ✓ Personalized keyword difficulty
- ✓ Content gap identification
Cons
- ✗ Expensive for what you get
- ✗ Steep learning curve
- ✗ Slow page analysis
- ✗ Free tier very limited
🏆 Our Recommendations
Best Overall Alternative:
Surfer SEO — Content teams focused on on-page SEO optimization
Best Free Alternative:
MarketMuse — 10 queries/mo
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Clearscope?
The best free alternative to Clearscope is MarketMuse, which offers 10 queries/mo.
Is there an open-source alternative to Clearscope?
There are no widely-used open-source alternatives to Clearscope at this time, but several affordable options exist.
What is the cheapest alternative to Clearscope?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: MarketMuse. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $15/mo.
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