Is Frase cheaper than Surfer?

Yes, at the entry price. Frase Starter is $49/month billed monthly ($39/month billed annually); Surfer Discovery is $59/month billed monthly ($49/month billed annually). Higher up, it depends on the scenario: Frase stays cheaper for a multi-client consultant, Surfer for a same-size content team.

Do Frase and Surfer both offer a free trial?

Yes, but on different terms. Frase gives 7 days with no card. Surfer also gives 7 days, but asks for a card upfront and auto-converts to a paid plan if you don't cancel. Neither has a free plan.

Which tool tracks AI search visibility better?

On the entry plan, only Frase does at all: Starter includes 50 prompts across ChatGPT, Google AI. Surfer only starts tracking from Standard, ChatGPT only, and its Pro plan then covers more engines than Frase's Professional does.

Which is better for a small content team of 3 writers?

Surfer, on price. Its Standard plan covers 3 seats for $119/month billed monthly; Frase's matching plan, Professional, is $129/month billed monthly. Pick Frase instead if the team also needs AI search tracking, which Surfer's Standard plan doesn't include.

Frase vs Surfer: solo writer or content team?

Content optimization · Verified 29 Sep 2026 · By Joonas Rotko

Frase

Desk research

From Starter, billed annually

$39/mo

$49/mo billed monthly

Surfer

Desk research

From Discovery, billed annually

$49/mo

$59/mo billed monthly

Quick answer

For a solo writer or a small consultancy, Frase is the better buy. Starter ($49/month billed monthly) already tracks AI search visibility and connects to WordPress; Surfer's matching plan, Discovery ($59/month billed monthly), has neither. Surfer becomes cheaper once you need 3 seats for a content team. Prices verified 29 Sep 2026.

Across the three setups below: Frase in 2 of 3 scenarios.

Which one fits you?

Small business or solo publisher, a few articles a month
Frase
My pick
$39/mo billed annually
Starter already tracks AI search visibility and connects to WordPress and Google Docs. Surfer's Discovery plan has neither, and costs more too.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Skip it if you write in a language Frase's AI tracking might not cover well yet; Surfer works in all languages.
See Frase plans
Consultant writing for 3 clients, needs AI-search tracking
Frase
My pick
$103/mo billed annually
Professional covers 3 client sites and AI tracking for $129/month billed monthly. Surfer needs Pro for 3 projects, at $219/month billed monthly, far more.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Skip it if you specifically want Google AI Mode or AI Overview tracking; Surfer's Pro plan covers more engines.
See Frase plans
Small content team of 3 users
Surfer
My pick
$99/mo billed annually
Three writers with no AI-tracking requirement is Surfer's Standard, $119/month billed monthly. Frase's matching plan, Professional, is $129/month billed monthly.
Why this pick, and when to skip it
Skip it if you still want AI search tracking bundled in without extra cost; Frase includes it, Surfer's Standard is ChatGPT-only.
See Surfer plans

Neither fits? See the alternatives, or take the 2-minute recommendation.

How are Frase and Surfer really different?

AI search tracking on the entry plan
Frase
Included: 50 prompts, ChatGPT, Google AI
Surfer
None on Discovery; starts at Standard
Surfer's cheapest plan can't check AI search visibility at all.
Room for a 3-client consultant
Frase
Professional: 5 projects, $129/month billed monthly
Surfer
Needs Pro: 5 projects, $219/month billed monthly
Surfer's Standard plan caps at 1 project, so 3 clients cost far more there.
WordPress and Google Docs
Frase
On every plan, including Starter
Surfer
Standard and above only, not Discovery
Frase publishes straight from the entry plan; Surfer does not.
Trial terms
Frase
7 days, no card
Surfer
7 days, card required, auto-converts
Forget to cancel on Surfer and you get charged automatically.

What will Frase or Surfer cost for your setup?

The cheapest plan that covers each setup, add-ons included. Prices exclude VAT.

Small business or solo publisher, a few articles a month

4 articles a month · 1 user

MonthlyYearly, per month

Frase

My pick

$49

$39

Starter

Above 10 articles a month: Professional (+$64/mo, billed annually).

Surfer

$59

$49

Discovery

Above 10 articles a month: Standard (+$50/mo, billed annually).

See Frase plans

Usage, limits and billing

Frase

Uses 4 of 10 articles a month.
On monthly billing: $588 a year.
On annual billing: $468 a year.
Starter holds at monthly limits; pay-as-you-go optional on Professional ($5/article, $0.50/audit page, $0.25/AI prompt) and Scale ($4, $0.40, $0.20).

Surfer

Uses 4 of 10 articles a month.
On monthly billing: $708 a year.
On annual billing: $588 a year.
Unlimited* documents and brand workspaces are subject to a fair usage policy; unused limits do not roll over; annual credits reset yearly.

Consultant writing for 3 clients, needs AI-search tracking

12 articles a month · 3 sites · 25 AI prompts · 1 user

MonthlyYearly, per month

Frase

My pick

$129

$103

Professional

Above 40 articles a month: Scale (+$136/mo, billed annually).

Surfer

$219

$182

Pro

Above 30 articles a month: Peace of Mind (+$117/mo, billed annually).

See Frase plans

Usage, limits and billing

Frase

Uses 12 of 40 articles a month, 3 of 5 sites, 25 of 200 AI prompts.
On monthly billing: $1,548 a year.
On annual billing: $1,236 a year.
Above 5 sites: Scale, $136/mo more.
Above 200 AI prompts: Scale, $136/mo more.
Starter holds at monthly limits; pay-as-you-go optional on Professional ($5/article, $0.50/audit page, $0.25/AI prompt) and Scale ($4, $0.40, $0.20).

Surfer

Uses 12 of 30 articles a month, 3 of 5 sites, 25 of 50 AI prompts.
On monthly billing: $2,628 a year.
On annual billing: $2,184 a year.
Above 5 sites: Peace of Mind, $117/mo more.
Above 50 AI prompts: Peace of Mind, $117/mo more.
Unlimited* documents and brand workspaces are subject to a fair usage policy; unused limits do not roll over; annual credits reset yearly.

Small content team of 3 users

20 articles a month · 3 users

MonthlyYearly, per month

Frase

$129

$103

Professional

Above 40 articles a month: Scale (+$136/mo, billed annually).

Surfer

My pick

$119

$99

Standard

Above 30 articles a month: Peace of Mind (+$200/mo, billed annually).

See Surfer plans

Usage, limits and billing

Frase

Uses 20 of 40 articles a month.
On monthly billing: $1,548 a year.
On annual billing: $1,236 a year.
Starter holds at monthly limits; pay-as-you-go optional on Professional ($5/article, $0.50/audit page, $0.25/AI prompt) and Scale ($4, $0.40, $0.20).

Surfer

Uses 20 of 30 articles a month.
On monthly billing: $1,428 a year.
On annual billing: $1,188 a year.
Unlimited* documents and brand workspaces are subject to a fair usage policy; unused limits do not roll over; annual credits reset yearly.

How I calculated this

For each tool I price every current plan plus the add-ons a setup needs, from the vendor's published prices only, and take the cheapest. Monthly and annual billing are priced separately. When a limit or price isn't published, the tool shows as not fitting instead of a guess.

Small business or solo publisher, a few articles a month: One writer publishing about one optimized article a week.
Consultant writing for 3 clients, needs AI-search tracking: Four articles a month for each of three clients, one project per client, and a small AI-search prompt set to show clients where they appear.
Small content team of 3 users: Three writers at about one to two articles a week each. Seats are the deciding limit, so extra-seat pricing is included.

Frase vs Surfer side by side

I compare content optimization tools on: Real cost per writer, both billing bases; Articles or documents per month; Content score and brief quality basis; AI search tracking: engines and prompts; Seats and seat price; WordPress and Google Docs workflow.

Frase and Surfer compared on the main buying criteria
Criterion	Frase	Surfer
Real cost per writer, both billing bases	Starter: $49/mo monthly, $39/mo annually	Discovery: $59/mo monthly, $49/mo annually
Articles or documents per month	10 on Starter, 40 on Professional	10 on Discovery, 30 on Standard
Content score and brief quality basis	SEO and GEO scores	Content Score from NLP and analysis of 500+ web and AI signals, competition-based
AI search tracking: engines and prompts	50 prompts from Starter, up to 500 on Scale	None on Discovery; 25 to 100 prompts from Standard up
Seats and seat price	1 seat on Starter; extra seats $29/user per month on Professional	1 seat on Discovery, 3 on Standard

All details, including automation and AI workflows

All compared details for Frase and Surfer
Criterion	Frase	Surfer
WordPress and Google Docs workflow	Both, every plan	Both, Standard and above
Real cost per writer, both billing bases (full detail)	Starter: $49/month billed monthly, or $39/month billed annually. Professional: $129/month billed monthly, or $103/month billed annually. Scale: $299/month billed monthly, or $239/month billed annually. Enterprise: talk to sales.	Discovery: $59/month billed monthly, or $49/month billed annually. Standard: $119/month billed monthly, or $99/month billed annually. Pro: $219/month billed monthly, or $182/month billed annually. Peace of Mind: $359/month billed monthly, or $299/month billed annually. Enterprise: talk to sales.
AI search tracking (full detail)	Included on every plan (daily monitoring and alerts); no add-on price	Included in Standard (ChatGPT only, 25 prompts weekly) and above; separate AI Search Analytics plan at $95/mo or $82/mo billed yearly
Internal linking	Professional and Scale only, not Starter	Pro and Peace of Mind only, not Discovery or Standard
Automation and AI workflows: API and MCP	API: 5,000 to 50,000 requests a month by plan. MCP on every plan.	API and MCP: Peace of Mind only, plus the standalone AI Search Analytics plan.
White label	Enterprise only	Enterprise only
Overages and fair use	Starter holds at monthly limits; pay-as-you-go optional on Professional ($5/article, $0.50/audit page, $0.25/AI prompt) and Scale ($4, $0.40, $0.20)	Unlimited* documents and brand workspaces are subject to a fair usage policy; unused limits do not roll over; annual credits reset yearly
Languages	70+	All languages
Trial and refunds	7-day trial, no card. Refund policy: unverified.	7-day trial, card required, auto-converts. Refund policy: unverified.
Support	Unverified	Customer Support (24h, Mon–Fri) on all plans; Dedicated Customer Success Manager on Peace of Mind

Who should pick Frase, and who should pick Surfer?

Frase

Desk research

Best for solo publishers
Best for consultants managing a few sites

Frase bundles AI search tracking into every plan, including Starter, and needs no card for its 7-day trial. It suits a solo writer or a consultant serving a few clients more than a larger content team.

Best for: Solo writers and consultants who want AI tracking from the entry plan.

Strengths

AI search tracking included on every plan, even Starter.
WordPress and Google Docs on every plan, no upgrade needed.
A 7-day trial, no card required.

Limits

Internal linking needs Professional or above.
Extra seats cost $29/user per month, and Starter has none.
White label is Enterprise-only.

Skip it if you're a larger content team that needs many seats; extra seats cost extra on every Frase plan.

Frase review Frase pricing Frase alternatives

Surfer

Desk research

Best for small content teams

Surfer's entry plan has no AI search tracking at all; that starts at Standard. It becomes the cheaper option once a team needs more documents than one writer produces, at 3 seats and up.

Best for: Small content teams of three or more who write in volume.

Strengths

Cheaper than Frase for a 3-writer team at the same seat count.
A standalone AI Search Analytics plan for $95/month billed monthly if you skip content tools.
Content Score built on over 500 web and AI signals.

Limits

Discovery has zero AI search tracking and no WordPress or Google Docs.
The 7-day trial needs a card and auto-converts to a paid plan.
API access and MCP are Peace of Mind only.

Skip it if you're a solo publisher who wants AI tracking on the cheapest plan.

Surfer review Surfer pricing Surfer alternatives

My pick: Frase in 2 of 3 scenarios.

See Frase plans See Surfer plans

Neither Frase nor Surfer? Try these

Clearscope
From $129/mo billed monthly
Pick it if you want a premium, established content-optimization tool and price is not the deciding factor.
Clearscope review Clearscope alternatives
NeuronWriter
From $19/mo billed annually
Pick it if you want SERP-based content briefs at a lower price than either Frase or Surfer.
NeuronWriter review NeuronWriter alternatives
Scalenut
Pick it if you want content planning and briefs bundled with a broader content-operations workflow.
Scalenut review Scalenut alternatives

Switching between Frase and Surfer

Neither tool offers free migration from the other, so plan to rebuild briefs and tracked keywords by hand. Frase's 7-day trial needs no card; Surfer's does and auto-converts, so set a reminder if you switch to test it.

What would change my pick?

Surfer adding AI search tracking to Discovery would remove the biggest reason to pick Frase for a solo writer.
Frase raising Professional above Surfer Standard would flip the content-team pick outright.
A price change on either side. The picks recalculate on their own.

Frase vs Surfer: questions people ask

Is Frase cheaper than Surfer?: Yes, at the entry price. Frase Starter is $49/month billed monthly ($39/month billed annually); Surfer Discovery is $59/month billed monthly ($49/month billed annually). Higher up, it depends on the scenario: Frase stays cheaper for a multi-client consultant, Surfer for a same-size content team.
Do Frase and Surfer both offer a free trial?: Yes, but on different terms. Frase gives 7 days with no card. Surfer also gives 7 days, but asks for a card upfront and auto-converts to a paid plan if you don't cancel. Neither has a free plan.
Which is better for a solo publisher, Frase or Surfer?: Frase. Starter costs less than Surfer's Discovery plan and already tracks AI search visibility and connects to WordPress; Discovery has neither of those until you upgrade.
Which tool tracks AI search visibility better?: On the entry plan, only Frase does at all: Starter includes 50 prompts across ChatGPT, Google AI. Surfer only starts tracking from Standard, ChatGPT only, and its Pro plan then covers more engines than Frase's Professional does.
Which is better for a small content team of 3 writers?: Surfer, on price. Its Standard plan covers 3 seats for $119/month billed monthly; Frase's matching plan, Professional, is $129/month billed monthly. Pick Frase instead if the team also needs AI search tracking, which Surfer's Standard plan doesn't include.

How I verified this

Every price and limit here comes from the vendors' own pages, last checked 29 Sep 2026. Frase: desk research. Surfer: desk research.

Sources and changelog

51 facts from 6 source pages, oldest checked 30 Sep 2026.

Frase plans and pricing (checked 29 Sep 2026)
Frase integrations (checked 29 Sep 2026)
Surfer plans and pricing (checked 29 Sep 2026)
Surfer free trial terms (checked 29 Sep 2026)

29 Sep 2026: Built to match the approved semrush-vs-se-ranking template and copy length. Corrected the old "No Free Plan vs Discovery" framing: both tools have a free trial (7 days each) and no free plan, and the real differentiator is that Frase tracks AI search on every plan while Surfer only starts at Standard.

Spot something out of date?Vendors and readers, send me the correct fact.

Software sites change almost every week, and I want every claim on this page to be factually correct. If you are a vendor or a reader, send me the correct fact and a link to the official page. I will check it and update the page. The opinions and rankings stay mine.

Frase vs Surfer: solo writer or content team?

Quick answer

Which one fits you?

How are Frase and Surfer really different?

AI search tracking on the entry plan

Room for a 3-client consultant

WordPress and Google Docs

Trial terms

What will Frase or Surfer cost for your setup?

Small business or solo publisher, a few articles a month

Consultant writing for 3 clients, needs AI-search tracking

Small content team of 3 users

Frase vs Surfer side by side

Who should pick Frase, and who should pick Surfer?

Frase

Surfer

Neither Frase nor Surfer? Try these

Switching between Frase and Surfer

What would change my pick?

Frase vs Surfer: questions people ask

Is Frase cheaper than Surfer?

Do Frase and Surfer both offer a free trial?

Which is better for a solo publisher, Frase or Surfer?

Which tool tracks AI search visibility better?

Which is better for a small content team of 3 writers?

How I verified this

Compare Frase or Surfer with another tool

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