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Moz vs Surfer: SEO suite or article editor?

Content optimization · Verified · By Joonas Rotko

Moz logo

Moz

Hands-on

From Starter, billed monthly

$49/mo
Surfer logo

Surfer

Desk research

From Discovery, billed annually

$49/mo

$59/mo billed monthly

Quick answer

These two do different jobs, so this is a tie with a clear tiebreaker. To write and optimize articles, buy Surfer: Discovery ($59/month billed monthly) includes 10 documents a month. For keyword research, rank tracking, link research or site audits, buy Moz: Standard ($99/month billed monthly) tracks 300 keywords. Moz publishes no document allowance, so no Moz plan fits a writing brief. Prices verified 1 Oct 2026.

Across the three setups below: Surfer in 3 of 3 scenarios.

Which one fits you?

  1. Small business or solo publisher, a few articles a month

    Surfer logo

    Surfer

    My pick

    $49/mo billed annually

    One writer publishing about one optimized article a week fits Discovery at $59/month billed monthly, or $49/month billed annually. It includes 10 documents a month. Moz has no plan with a document allowance, because it is a keyword, ranking and link suite, so no Moz plan fits this brief.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if your articles are already planned and the gap is finding keywords worth writing about or tracking where you rank. Moz Standard ($99/month billed monthly) tracks 300 keywords across 3 campaigns.

    See Surfer plans

  2. Consultant writing for 3 clients, needs AI-search tracking

    Surfer logo

    Surfer

    My pick

    $182/mo billed annually

    Three clients at four articles each, one workspace per client and a small AI prompt set needs Pro at $219/month billed monthly, or $182/month billed annually. Pro includes 5 brand workspaces, 30 documents a month and 50 AI prompts. Moz has no document allowance, so no Moz plan fits this brief.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if your clients mainly need rank tracking and reports rather than new articles. Moz Standard ($99/month billed monthly) covers 3 campaigns with 300 tracked keywords.

    See Surfer plans

  3. Small content team of 3 users

    Surfer logo

    Surfer

    My pick

    $99/mo billed annually

    Three writers at about twenty articles a month fits Standard at $119/month billed monthly, or $99/month billed annually, with 3 seats and 30 documents a month. Moz has no document allowance to size a writing team against, so no Moz plan fits this brief.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if the team's work is keyword research, tracking and site audits rather than article writing. Moz Medium ($179/month billed monthly) has 10 campaigns and 1,500 tracked keywords.

    See Surfer plans

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

How are Moz and Surfer really different?

  • What each tool is for

    Moz
    An SEO suite: keyword tracking, site crawls, AI search visibility and reports for your own sites
    Surfer
    A content editor: scores and guides each article against what ranks, priced by documents per month

    A buyer comparing them is choosing between tracking and writing help. Many small teams end up wanting one of each.

  • Entry price, monthly billing

    Moz
    Standard: $99/month billed monthly; Starter at $49/month billed monthly tracks 50 keywords on one campaign
    Surfer
    Discovery: $59/month billed monthly, with 10 documents a month

    The prices are close, but they buy different things. Moz's price covers tracked keywords and crawls; Surfer's covers a document quota, and Moz has no document quota to compare it with.

  • AI search visibility

    Moz
    Google AI Overview flags on every plan; 150 prompts across 4 models from Standard
    Surfer
    None on Discovery; 25 prompts from Standard (ChatGPT only), 50 on Pro across more engines

    Moz starts tracking AI prompts at Standard, the same plan that tracks your keywords. On Surfer it only starts once you pay for Standard or above, and then it is ChatGPT only.

  • Help with writing the page

    Moz
    2 AI content briefs on Standard, 10 on Medium; no document editor allowance published
    Surfer
    Content Score and editor on every plan; WordPress and Google Docs from Standard

    If most of your time goes into writing and rewriting pages, Surfer's editor is the stronger half. Moz's briefs are a small add-on to its suite.

  • Trying first and refunds

    Moz
    A trial on Medium only, monthly billing, card required, no published day-count. Moz does not offer refunds of any kind.
    Surfer
    A 7-day trial, card required, auto-converts to a paid plan; no free plan

    Neither is a no-card trial. Set a reminder either way, and note that with Moz what you pay stays paid.

What will Moz 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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Moz

Fit unconfirmed
Fit unconfirmed

Starter is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published

Surfer

My pick
$59
$49

Discovery

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

See Surfer plans
Usage, limits and billing

Moz

The plan's price is published, but a limit this setup needs isn't, so the fit can't be confirmed.

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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Moz

Fit unconfirmed
Fit unconfirmed

Standard is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published

Surfer

My pick
$219
$182

Pro

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

See Surfer plans
Usage, limits and billing

Moz

The plan's price is published, but a limit this setup needs isn't, so the fit can't be confirmed.

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

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Moz

Fit unconfirmed
Fit unconfirmed

Starter is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published

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

Moz

The plan's price is published, but a limit this setup needs isn't, so the fit can't be confirmed.

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.Moz, monthly billing: Starter is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published. Articles a month limit isn't published.Moz, annual billing: Standard is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published. Articles a month limit isn't published.
  • 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.Moz, monthly billing: Standard is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published. Articles a month limit isn't published.Moz, annual billing: Standard is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published. Articles a month limit isn't published.
  • 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.Moz, monthly billing: Starter is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published. Articles a month limit isn't published.Moz, annual billing: Standard is priced, but articles a month limit isn't published. Articles a month limit isn't published.

Moz 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.

Moz and Surfer compared on the main buying criteria
Real cost per writer, both billing basesNot a content-optimization price. Standard: $99/mo monthly, $79/mo annually, for the SEO suiteDiscovery: $59/mo monthly, $49/mo annually
Articles or documents per monthNo document allowance published10 on Discovery, 30 on Standard
Content score and brief quality basisNo content score; 2 AI content briefs on Standard, 10 on MediumContent Score from NLP and analysis of 500+ web and AI signals, competition-based
AI search tracking: engines and promptsGoogle AI Overviews per keyword on every plan; 150 prompts across 4 models on Standard, 300 on MediumNone on Discovery; 25 prompts on Standard (ChatGPT only), 50 on Pro
Seats and seat price1 user on Standard; extra seats $49/user per month1 seat on Discovery, 3 on Standard; Surfer doesn't publish an extra-seat price
All details, including automation and AI workflows
All compared details for Moz and Surfer
WordPress and Google Docs workflowNot listed on the Moz Pro plan tableBoth, Standard and above
Plan prices (full detail)Starter: $49/month billed monthly, no annual option. Standard: $99/month billed monthly or $79/month billed annually. The first yearly bill for Standard is $950/year. Medium: $179/month billed monthly or $143/month billed annually. Large: $299/month billed monthly or $239/month billed annually.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: custom. Surfer's plans are priced by documents per month, not by tracked keywords.
AI search visibility (full detail)AI Overviews by Keyword on every plan, Starter included. Prompt tracking across 4 models (GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Perplexity) from Standard: 150 prompts on Standard, 300 on Medium, 600 on Large. Starter tracks no prompts.Included in Standard (ChatGPT only, 25 prompts weekly) and above; separate AI Search Analytics plan at $95/mo or $82/mo billed yearly
Documents and content helpMoz publishes no documents-per-month allowance. AI content briefs: 2 on Standard, 10 on Medium, 50 on Large.Documents a month, billed monthly: 10 on Discovery, 30 on Standard and Pro, Unlimited (fair use) on Peace of Mind. Billed annually the allowance is yearly: 120 on Discovery. Content Score: Content Score from NLP and analysis of 500+ web and AI signals, competition-based.
Site audit and crawl depth100,000 pages crawled a week on Standard, up to 1,250,000 on Large.10 pages a month on Discovery, 200 on Pro. This is a small crawl for content analysis, not a site audit suite.
Automation and AI workflows: MCP and APIMoz API is a separate product; the Moz Pro plan table lists no API access.API access on Peace of Mind only. MCP access on Pro and Peace of Mind, and on the standalone AI Search Analytics plan.
Internal linkingMoz doesn't list internal-linking suggestions on the Pro plan table.Pro and Peace of Mind only, not Discovery or Standard.
Overages and fair useExtra campaigns, keyword rankings, pages crawled and seats are sold as add-ons; an extra seat is $49/user per month.Unlimited* documents and brand workspaces are subject to a fair usage policy; unused limits do not roll over; annual credits reset yearly
Trial and refundsTrial on the Medium plan, monthly billing, card required, no published day-count. Moz does not offer refunds of any kind.7-day trial, card required, auto-converts to a paid plan. Surfer has no free plan.

Who should pick Moz, and who should pick Surfer?

Moz logo

Moz

Hands-on

Moz tracks Google AI Overviews and up to 150 AI prompts across 4 models starting at $99/month billed monthly. Moz does not offer refunds. It suits a small team that wants AI visibility bundled in from Standard rather than paying extra to unlock it.

Best for: AI Overview and prompt tracking from the entry plan.

Strengths

  • AI Overviews by Keyword on every plan, and prompt tracking from Standard up.
  • 4 tracked AI models (GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Perplexity) from Standard up.
  • A separate free Moz Community tier to start with.

Limits

  • Moz does not offer refunds of any kind.
  • Starter ($49/mo) has no prompt tracking and tracks 50 keywords on one campaign.
  • The 7-day free trial only applies to the Medium plan on monthly billing, so it can't be used to try the Standard plan.

Skip it if you need a stated refund window before committing.

Moz reviewMoz alternatives

Surfer logo

Surfer

Desk research
  • Best for solo publishers
  • Best for consultants managing a few sites
  • 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 reviewSurfer pricingSurfer alternatives

My pick: it depends on the job.

See Moz plansSee Surfer plans

Neither Moz nor Surfer? Try these

  • Semrush logo

    Semrush

    From $117.33/mo billed annually

    Pick it if you want the suite and a content toolkit from one vendor, and price is not the deciding factor. It costs more than either of these two.

    Semrush reviewSemrush alternatives

  • SE Ranking logo

    SE Ranking

    From $103.20/mo billed annually

    Pick it if you want a full site audit and AI prompt tracking on the same entry plan, with a no-card trial to test first.

    SE Ranking reviewSE Ranking alternatives

  • Frase logo

    Frase

    From $39/mo billed annually

    Pick it if the writing job is the point and you want a dedicated content-optimization tool to weigh against Surfer.

    Frase reviewFrase alternatives

Switching between Moz and Surfer

Because these are different jobs, most people add one rather than replace the other, and nothing needs migrating. If you do swap, neither vendor publishes a migration service, so you re-add keywords, sites and prompts, or rebuild briefs and documents, by hand. Surfer's trial lasts 7 days, needs a card and auto-converts. Moz's trial covers only Medium on monthly billing and needs a card, and Moz does not refund, so test before you pay.

What would change my pick?

  • Moz publishing a documents-per-month allowance for its content briefs, or a full article editor, would let it fit the writing briefs and be priced against Surfer.
  • Surfer publishing a tracked-keyword count and a report allowance would let it be priced against Moz for the tracking job.
  • A price change on either side. The picks recalculate on their own.

Moz vs Surfer: questions people ask

Is Moz or Surfer better for optimizing articles?

Surfer. It is built around a Content Score and an editor, with 10 documents a month on Discovery at $59/month billed monthly. Moz includes 2 AI content briefs on Standard and 10 on Medium, which helps plan a page but is not an editor, and it publishes no document allowance.

Is Moz or Surfer better for keyword research and rank tracking?

Moz. Standard ($99/month billed monthly) tracks 300 keywords across 3 campaigns. Surfer publishes no tracked-keyword count, so it is not built for that job.

Which is better for a consultant with three clients, Moz or Surfer?

It depends on the work. If the clients mainly want articles, Surfer Pro ($219/month billed monthly) includes 30 documents a month, and no Moz plan fits that brief. If they mainly want tracking and reports, Moz Standard covers 3 campaigns.

Which tracks AI search visibility better, Moz or Surfer?

Moz, on the entry plan. It flags Google AI Overview appearances on every plan and tracks 150 prompts across 4 models from Standard. Surfer tracks nothing on Discovery, and its Pro plan ($219/month billed monthly) tracks 50 prompts across more engines.

Why does a Moz plan not fit the writing scenarios?

Those scenarios are sized in documents a month, and Moz publishes no document allowance. Moz is a different job, an SEO suite for keywords, rankings and links, so it shows as not fitting rather than as losing on price. Surfer is priced by documents: 10 on Discovery and 30 on Standard, billed monthly.

Do Moz and Surfer have a free trial or refunds?

Surfer has a 7-day trial that needs a card and auto-converts. Moz has a trial on the Medium plan only, monthly billing, with a card and no published day-count, and it does not offer refunds of any kind. Moz also has a free Moz Community tier, which is not the Pro suite.

How I verified this

Every price and limit here comes from the vendors' own pages, last checked . Moz: hands-on. Surfer: desk research.

Sources and changelog

57 facts from 9 source pages, oldest checked 29 Sep 2026.

  • : Moved from the SEO suites category to content optimization, like the other Surfer comparisons. The scenarios now size writing setups in documents a month, so Surfer is priced and Moz shows no plan fits; the verdict is a tie with a tiebreaker by job.
  • : New page. Compared as an SEO suite against a content editor: Moz is priced for the suite scenarios, Surfer is priced by documents and does not publish a tracked-keyword count.
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