Affordable SEO Tools That Actually Work: Our Tried-and-Tested Tech Stack

Struggling to compete with bigger brands in Google rankings while managing SEO on a shoestring budget? You’re not alone.

For most startups and small businesses, SEO can feel like a chess game you’re forced to play without the fancy pieces. You know how important it is that organic traffic brings the kind of qualified leads that ads just can’t, but the tools and software that promise top rankings often come with price tags that make you cringe.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to break the bank to win at SEO.

Over the past 13+ years, working with dozens of clients at different growth stages, we at Mavlers built and battle-tested a lean but powerful stack of affordable SEO tools, including a few gems that are completely free. 

These tools cover everything from keyword research and content planning to technical audits and performance tracking without draining your marketing budget.

So, whether you’re a founder bootstrapping your business, a digital marketer wearing multiple hats, or simply tired of expensive software that under-delivers, this blog will walk you through the exact budget SEO tools we recommend to maximize results without maxing out your credit card.

Keyword research & content ideation tools

Let’s be real, if SEO is the engine that drives organic traffic, keywords are the fuel. But you don’t need to blow your budget on flashy tools to get your keyword game right. Some of the best keyword research tools are either completely free or ridiculously affordable. Here’s our go-to lineup of cost-effective SEO tools for keyword magic.

1. Google Keyword Planner

Cost: Free

Best for: Discovering relevant keywords based on Google’s real-time data.

Google Keyword Planner is the granddaddy of keyword research tools, and yes, it’s still very much alive and kicking. Originally designed for Google Ads, this tool offers valuable insights that every SEO pro can tap into: average monthly search volume, competition level, keyword trends, and CPC data. Best part? It’s totally free SEO software.

Want to know what your audience is searching for in real time? This tool has you covered. Whether you’re targeting high-volume head terms or long-tail gems, Keyword Planner is the budget SEO tool that doesn’t disappoint.

Pro tip: Pair this with Google Trends to get a pulse on seasonal search trends or to compare regional search interests, especially useful for local SEO strategies.

2. Ubersuggest

Cost: Free (limited) | Paid plans start at $20/month

Best for: Keyword ideas, SEO audits, and competitive research.

Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest is a popular choice for SEO tools for startups, a nice mix of keyword research, backlink data, and basic site audit features in one dashboard. For many small businesses, even the free version provides plenty of actionable data.

3. AnswerThePublic

Cost: Free (limited searches/day) | Paid starts at $5/month

Best for: Finding long-tail keywords and content ideas based on what real people search.

If Google Keyword Planner tells you what people are searching for, AnswerThePublic tells you how they’re thinking about it. It scrapes autocomplete data from search engines to surface question-based and intent-driven keywords, those golden nuggets perfect for blog posts, how-tos, and FAQ content.

It visualizes keyword data in this quirky, mind-map format that makes content planning feel less like a chore and more like a creative brainstorm. For just a few bucks a month, this affordable SEO tool is a goldmine for content creators.

Use case: Planning your next blog post series? Use this to uncover every question your audience is asking about your niche.

Technical SEO & Site Audits

While keywords get you in the door, technical SEO keeps your website standing strong. Thankfully, you don’t need to hire an IT department to spot crawl errors, slow load times, or indexing issues. These low-cost SEO tools do the job just fine, sometimes even better than the pricey ones.

4. Google Search Console

Cost: Completely free

Best for: Monitoring site health, crawl issues, and search performance.

If you’re not using GSC yet, stop everything and connect your site. It’s one of the few SEO software (free and paid) platforms that gives direct insights from Google itself, like how often your site appears in search, what queries bring users in, and what’s broken that’s holding you back.

5. Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Cost: Free (up to 500 URLs) | Paid at £239/year

Best for: Deep technical audits

This is the SEO nerd’s dream tool. While the interface looks dated, don’t be fooled, it’s incredibly powerful. Screaming Frog crawls your website like a search engine and surfaces issues like broken links, duplicate content, and redirect chains. The free SEO tool version is enough for small sites.

6. Seobility

Cost: Free (basic) | Paid plans start at $50/month

Best for: On-page SEO audits and monitoring

Simple interface, great reports, and clear to-dos make Seobility a favorite for non-techy marketers. It’s one of those low-cost SEO tools that punches well above its price point.

Backlink monitoring & competitive analysis

When it comes to SEO, backlinks are like digital votes of confidence. The more high-quality websites linking back to yours, the more credible your site looks in Google’s eyes. But keeping track of these links and seeing how your competitors are doing can feel like detective work. That’s where these free and affordable tools come in handy.

7. Ahrefs Backlink Checker

Cost: Free 

Best for: Quick backlink audits and domain ratings

While full Ahrefs access is pricey, their free SEO tool gives you a solid peek into your (or a competitor’s) backlink profile. For quick checks or to see if a campaign is moving the needle, it’s a great freebie.

8. BacklinkGap

Cost: Free plan available, paid upgrades optional

Best for: Finding backlink gaps vs. competitors

True to its name, BacklinkGap helps you identify backlink opportunities by comparing your domain to others in your niche. This tool is ideal for small businesses trying to build authority one link at a time.

Site speed & performance optimization

Let’s face it, nobody likes a slow website, not your visitors, and definitely not Google. Site speed directly affects your SEO rankings, bounce rates, and even conversions. Luckily, there are some excellent tools (many of them free!) that can help you figure out what’s slowing your site down and how to fix it, without needing a full-on development team.

9. Google PageSpeed Insights

Cost: Free

Best for: Diagnosing site speed issues

No frills, no fees, just honest performance data directly from Google. Run your site through it and see how it performs on mobile and desktop, with tips for fixes.

10. GTmetrix

Cost: Free (limited), pro starts at $4.25/month

Best for: Waterfall breakdowns of site load time

GTmetrix is ideal for developers and SEOs alike. It gives you a visual waterfall chart of what’s slowing down your site, along with practical advice to speed it up. It’s a solid, affordable SEO tool if site performance is a concern.

Analytics & reporting

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by spreadsheets and endless metrics, you’re not alone. Tracking your website’s performance is like trying to read a complex map, it takes a bit of time to learn, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes an essential tool to guide your SEO strategy. Let’s chat about two fantastic tools that make this process not only manageable but also surprisingly enjoyable.

11. Google Analytics (GA4)

Cost: Free

Best for: Tracking user behavior and measuring SEO ROI

GA4 might feel overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes an essential dashboard for understanding which pages perform best, where users drop off, and how your organic traffic stacks up.

12. SE Ranking

Cost: 14-day free trial, paid starts at $52/month

Best for: Keyword rank tracking, site audits, and backlink analysis

If you’re ready to graduate from spreadsheets and juggle multiple SEO tasks in one place, SE Ranking is a great entry-level SEO software that offers pro-level features at small-business-friendly prices.

Content strategy & optimization

Creating content that resonates with your audience doesn’t have to be a painful slog. In fact, the right tools can help you not only generate ideas but also turn those ideas into impactful content faster than ever before. 

Whether you’re a scrappy startup trying to carve out your niche or a seasoned marketer juggling multiple projects, these tools can bring a breath of fresh air to your content strategy.

13. Frase.io

Cost: Free trial available, paid starts at $45/month

Best for: Creating optimized content briefs and improving existing content

Frase helps you write smarter, not harder. It pulls data from top-performing SERP results and gives you an outline that’s SEO-ready. It’s especially helpful for startups and content marketers who need to move fast.

14. Wix AI Blog Writer

Cost: Included in Wix plans (starting at £3.06/month)

Best for: Generating blog drafts that are SEO-friendly

If you’re already on Wix, this built-in tool can be a real time-saver. While it won’t replace a content strategist, it’s handy for generating first drafts based on target keywords and topics.

Bonus tools worth bookmarking

Here are some other tools you might want to consider. 

The road ahead 

In case you are looking to partner with Mavlers for your digital marketing needs and are curious about our tech stack, we recommend reading ~ What Does Mavlers’ Tech Expertise and Tool Stack Look Like?