8 Best WordPress SEO Plugins in 2025 (Free & Paid Reviewed)

If you’re not optimizing your WordPress website for SEO, you’re basically leaving traffic (not to mention money) on the table. But don’t worry. We’ll fix that in a couple of minutes. 

Let’s start with the good news—you don’t need to be an SEO wizard to start ranking for popular search terms. WordPress SEO plugins can help you deal with everything from meta tags and sitemaps to AI content and SEO suggestions. You won’t need to write a single line of code.

The bad news? There are dozens of plugins out there. Some are powerful but bloated, while others are lightweight but limited. And now, a new wave of AI SEO plugins is also here.

So how do you choose the right one? 

In this post, we’ll look at the best WordPress SEO plugins in 2025. I know you’re interested in what they offer for free, how they incorporate AI, and what each one is best for—so was I when I was making this selection. Ultimately, we want to find the right tool to boost your rankings. 

Let’s go. 

What to Look for in a WordPress SEO Plugin

What did I look for while researching WordPress SEO plugins for this post? 

In my experience, ease of use is a key aspect of SEO tools—and not only for beginners. But it’s not the only one. We’re looking for a tool that will actually help you climb higher in Google SERPs, so we need features that can make that possible. I consider these to be must-haves:

• Meta tags & descriptions—We’re interested in tools that will let you customize these fields with ease and give you recommendations for better titles and descriptions. 
• XML sitemap generation—Search engines must know which pages to focus on and which ones to avoid, and that’s what XML sitemaps are for. We want a tool that can generate your sitemap and automatically update it when you make changes to your pages.
• Schema markup support—Let’s help search engines understand your content better. A plugin that supports different schema types is very useful for SEO growth.
• Keyword suggestions—You can’t get ranked without the right keywords. That’s why we need an SEO plugin with smart keyword suggestions—the more, the merrier. 
• AI recommendations—AI is taking SEO to the next level. Plugins with AI-enhanced features can analyze content in real-time and give you suggestions for keywords, internal linking, readability, and more. Is this necessary? No. But it gives you a huge advantage.

This one goes without saying and is non-negotiable: great SEO must enhance your site’s performance, not slow it down. If you’re using Elementor or Gutenberg, you need to make sure the plugin integrates with your page builder for smooth SEO settings and on-page optimization. 

Finally, we’re eyeing SEO plugins that can offer reliable customer support. 

You’re not sure about plugins? Rankioz offers keyword and content optimization outside the SEO plugin ecosystem, enabling deeper keyword research and a strategic approach to content optimization. If you manage multiple sites and have complex SEO needs, you should check it out.

Best WordPress SEO Plugins (2025 Guide) 

Ready to dive in? 

These are the best WordPress SEO plugins in 2025.

Yoast SEO (Free + Premium)

You’ve probably heard about Yoast SEO before, maybe even downloaded it to your site. In reality, is it as good as the internet says it is? For the most part, yes. Yoast SEO, both free and premium, is one of the friendliest and most capable tools for improving content, on-page SEO, and rankings. 

Key Features

• Content optimization: Widely considered Yoast’s flagship tool, this feature tells you how long your paragraphs should be, when and where to use a focus keyword, how to make your posts easier to read, and more. 
•  Meta description & tags: Craft compelling meta descriptions and tags yourself, or use Yoast SEO variables to set templates and have AI generate them automatically. 
• XML sitemap generation: Yoast SEO automatically creates XML sitemaps and sends them to Google and Bing. Yoast Pro also includes the IndexNow feature that automatically notifies search engines of newly published, updated, or deleted pages. 
• AI-generated suggestions: Optimize meta descriptions, tags, and content with AI-generated suggestions in one click.
• Social cards and previews: Create social media posts and see how they will look on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X… 
• Internal linking suggestions: As you write, Yoast Pro gives you automatic suggestions for links to contextually relevant content, cornerstone content, and orphaned content. 
• Schema markup generator: Build specific types of content, such as FAQ pages and how-to articles, directly in the WordPress block editor. Yoast will automatically add structured data to your site and tell search engines what they can find on your pages. 
• Automatic redirects: Choose redirect types and automatically create and manage 301, 410, 302, 307, and 451 redirects when you move or delete pages. Yoast SEO also lets you set REGEX rules for bulk redirects. 

Pros

• Suitable for all SEO needs and experience levels.
• Easy traffic light system for content optimization. 
• Silent optimization for sitemaps, schema, etc…
• Many essential SEO features are available for free. 

Cons

• The free version is limited to a single focus keyword.
• Linking redirects are reserved for paid subscribers. 
• Some WP users are calling it “heavy and bloated”.

Ideal Use Case

Content creators and editors looking for smart in-editor guidance and reliable SEO tools.

Pricing 

Ratings

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 5/5 from Rankioz for clean UI and real SEO value

Rank Math

I admit that seeing Rank Math become more and more like Yoast SEO, only to eventually dethrone it, has been my guilty pleasure for the past few years. Many of my colleagues agree—right now, Rank Math has more features with less bloat, better schema templates, and a more attractive Pro price. 

Key Features

• Content optimization: RankMath offers real-time content optimization grading (from 0 to 100) and improvement suggestions in one of the best text editors I’ve seen in SEO plugins lately.
• Meta description & tags: Write and edit meta tags manually or use templates, then see how they look in RankMath’s snippet editor and preview tool.  
• Keyword performance: See keyword analysis for focus keywords and access search impressions, clicks, CTR, and average position for specific pages. You can also upgrade to Pro and integrate with Google Analytics for more metrics. 
• XML sitemap generation: Automatically creates and updates XML sitemaps. 
• The AI Content toolkit: New AI Content tools include AI-powered related keyword suggestions, links, and meta tags.
• Link-building suggestions: Automatically link to relevant posts on the site.
• Social media descriptions: Create engaging social media captions and shares. 
• Schema markup generator: This one truly makes Rank Math Pro worth it. It includes more than twenty presets for books, courses, events, job postings, recipes, FAQs, and more.
• Automatic redirects: Automatically create a redirect for every changed URL.

Pros

• Competitive tools for content optimization.
• Schema generator with over 20 templates. 
• More than 100 features in the Pro version. 
• Clapped for quick and efficient performance. 

Cons

• Upgrading to Pro means installing a new plugin.

Ideal Use Case

Advanced users and SEOs managing multiple sites. 

Pricing

Ratings

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 5/5 from Rankioz for advanced features and smooth performance.

All in One SEO (AIOSEO)

AIOSEO is a fully-packed SEO plugin for search engine and social media optimization but with a clever price model twist. It offers not one, not two, but four paid tiers with a gradually increasing number of sites they cover, including a special Elite version for professional SEO agencies. 

Key Features

• Content optimization: AIOSEO helps you create better content by scoring your writing out of 100 and providing a neatly organized and actionable SEO checklist. 
• Keyword suggestions: Integrates with Semrush for real-time keyword suggestions with search volume metrics and trends for each term. It also gives you free optimization tips for a single focus keyword. 
• Meta tag generator: Create meta descriptions and tags with dynamic values like current year, author bio, and other custom fields.
• AI writing assistant: Pick AI’s brain for creative and SEO-friendly writing suggestions directly in the editor with SEOBoost integration. 
• Schema (rich snippets): Comes with a built-in schema library, but only for paid users. 
• Smart XML sitemaps: A useful mix of automation tools and customization options. 
• Social media integration: Upload a custom title, description, and image for Facebook and X. 
• Link-building assistant: Access a linking report with total counts for internal, external, and affiliate links for each URL and link-building suggestions for new posts.
• Redirection manager: Set automatic redirects for URL changes. 
• SEO & search statistics: Track keywords, discover top-performing content, and see your CTR and other performance metrics before you make new content decisions.

Pros

• Insightful sitewide analysis and keyword rank tracking.
• Integrates with Semrush for deeper keyword research.
• Excellent sitemap options that I haven’t seen elsewhere.
• Flexible pricing models let you pay for what you need.

Cons

• There are not as many free features as with competitive tools.
• The full pack could feel overwhelming to beginners. 
• The agency license could be expensive for small businesses.

Ideal Use Case

Small business owners, bloggers, marketers, and agencies.

Pricing

Ratings

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 5/5 from Rankioz for ease of use and reliable optimization tools.

SEOPress

As something of an underdog, SEOPress tends to surprise you when you least expect it. It’s lightweight and built to resemble the likes of Yoast and RankMath, especially when it comes to content analysis, but it also offers powerful capabilities for SEO audit and competitive pricing. 

Key Features

• On-page content analysis: SEOPress provides a very detailed overview of your on-page content with red, yellow, and green indicators in a meta box below the page, similar to Yoast.
• Meta description & tags: Create custom meta descriptions and tags or use automatically generated ones to see how others see you in a built-in Google Snippet Preview. 
• XML sitemap generation: View the sitemap, ping Google, update it with permalinks, enable or disable it, determine whether to include images and author archives and more.
• AI suggestions and tools: SEOPress offers an AI-powered writing assistant, but this tool is still in beta (and available only to paid users). In other words, it’s a bit hit-and-miss. 
• Social media appearance: Manage social media posts for Facebook and Twitter. Add custom titles, descriptions, and thumbnails, customize site info, set default images, etc.
• Link-building suggestions: Get internal linking suggestions while editing an article.
• Schema markup generator: Use 10+ schema types (local business, product, job, video, service, event…) or create a custom schema template with advanced conditions.
• Automatic redirects: Create 301, 302, 307, 410, and 451 redirects or set automatic redirect notifications for deleted content or slug changes to confirm them in one click.

Pros

• SEO insights from Google Analytics and customizable tracking.
• SEOPress is very light compared to tools with the same features.
• Unlimited SEO analysis for focus keywords in the free version.

Cons

• The on-page SEO analysis meta box could be more intuitive. 
• Schema, redirects, and meta tag generation are paid.
• AI tools for content writing are somehow still in beta. 

Ideal Use Case

Agencies and developers who want full control over SEO without any bloat. 

Pricing

Ratings

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 5/5 from Rankioz for clean design and full control without bloat.

Squirrly SEO (AI-enhanced)

I have a soft spot for oddballs, so I love Squirrly SEO—even though it is far from perfect. It stands out as a plugin with one of the best SEO optimization assistants and a thorough keyword research and analysis module, but it will quickly make you struggle with its busy, exhaustive interface. 

Key Features

• On-page SEO analysis: Squirrly SEO makes you get a full site SEO audit—and lets you run your pages through an external audit that pulls info from Google Analytics, Search Console, and other sources—then gives you overall scores for your blogging, traffic, social, and more. 
• Deep keyword research: Find keyword alternatives and new search terms with complete optimization metrics and use the rank checker (fed by Google Console) to see your performance. 
• Meta description & tags: Customize and optimize meta tags and descriptions through the Squirrly SEO Snippet feature or automate them across your site to save time. 
• XML sitemap generator: Control content, crawl settings, and more for your sitemaps.
• AI-powered suggestions: Get a list of SEO goals based on your site audit and rely on AI-powered Live Assistant to guide you through optimization tasks until all indicators are green.
• Focus page optimization: Set focus pages for your site and get optimization tips, including a bulk SEO task list and internal linking suggestions.
• Social media appearance: Control how your posts look on Facebook and Twitter.
• Link-building opportunities: Grow inner links with new content supported by Keyword Research.
• Schema markup options: Add a semantic SEO markup by using JSON-LD and create multiple schema types for different pages. 
• Automatic redirects: Aside from automatic redirects at URL change, you also get custom 404 redirects, redirects in Bulk SEO and in the SEO Snippet for each page, and attachment page redirects options. 

Pros

• AI-generated suggestions and tips on every corner.
• A decent alternative to a keyword research tool. 
• Actionable SEO tasks for optimizing focus pages.

Cons

• The UI could feel cluttered and claustrophobic.
• Keyword research limitations in the free version.

Ideal Use Case

Beginners and self-made bloggers who need guided assistance. 

Pricing

Ratings

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — 4/5 from Rankioz for its AI-driven tips, though the interface can feel a bit overwhelming at times.

The SEO Framework

Originally a meta description generator tool, The SEO Framework has grown into a Swiss knife plugin that excels at automation and allows you to attach free and paid extensions when you need them. It’s praised for its fast and silent performance but criticized for not being advanced enough. 

Key Features

• On-page content analysis: The SEO Framework borrows Yoast’s color-coded SEO indicators, but it lacks a more detailed insight for users with advanced SEO needs. 
• Meta descriptions & tags: Generates meta descriptions and titles based on Google’s guidelines automatically, a feature that is both time-efficient and effective. 
• XML sitemap generator: Automatically creates a sitemap when you first launch it, as well as every time you make changes to pages and posts or update settings. 
• Social media appearance: Lets you plan your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Discord posts and control your image on any social media that uses OpenGraph tags. 
• Schema markup options: Offers customizable schema tagging settings, activation of rich snippets, and structured data support through Schema.org.
• Extension Manager: The possibility of adding features for focus keywords (Focus), structured data automation (Articles), page title configuration (Title Fix), and more.

Pros

• Great automation for meta tags and structured data.
• Simple and effective free plugin for SEO beginners. 

Cons

• The Pro version is designed for 2 sites minimum. 
• Some key features are only available through extensions. 

Ideal Use Case

Developers and other users who prioritize performance. 

Pricing

Ratings

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — 4/5 from Rankioz for being lightweight and privacy-focused, but with fewer built-in features than competitors.

SmartCrawl

Every time you make changes to your WordPress site, SmartCrawl tells Google to recrawl it. That’s how it started, and this is how it’s going: SmartCrawl is now a capable SEO suite that packs everything from sitewide audits and improvement suggestions to sitemap and schema support.

• On-page SEO analysis: SmartCrawl will analyze your site and recommend actions to improve SEO. It, too, has a meta box called Smart Page Analyzer, where you can see instant suggestions for readability and content optimization. 
• Keyword suggestions: In addition to the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, the Smart Page Analyzer also performs a keyword density check and lets you know how to better use your focus keywords and where to plug them in. 
• Meta descriptions & tags: Customize your meta tags and descriptions for search pages. 
• XML sitemap generator: The fact that SmartCrawl lets you decide which post types, archives, and taxonomies to include, exclude, or add to the XML sitemap makes it an exceptionally smart crawler. 
• Special media appearance: Personalize your social media title, description, and featured image for Facebook, X, Pinterest, and other OpenGraph sites. 
• Automatic link-building: Build inner links based on specific keywords.  
• Create & manage redirects: Check for broken URLs, 404s, and multiple redirects.
• Schema markup support: Includes the Schema Types Builder, where you can add and customize a range of schema markup types. 
• Integration with Moz: Connects existing Moz users with reports, comparison analysis, and links.

Pros

• Automatically tells Google to recrawl your site.
• SEO checkups are backed by Google Lighthouse. 
• Multiple subscription plans and competitive prices. 

Cons

• No content analysis and advanced reports for free.
• The premium version comes in a bundle of plugins.

Ideal Use Case

Users managing multiple WordPress sites. 

Pricing

Ratings

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — 4/5 from Rankioz for its easy setup and WPMU integration, but limited advanced features for power users.

Slim SEO (Lightweight)

If you’re still looking for something less intimidating to start with, you might think that Slim SEO is an attractive option for a beginner. It’s not. This plugin is intentionally stripped of unnecessary features to avoid bloat and ensure optimal performance while quietly running in the back. 

Key Features

• Content optimization: Slim SEO lets you optimize individual pages and posts by adding meta tags and descriptions, canonicals, and more. But if you’re looking for SEO checklists, color-coded indicators, or suggestion boxes, you won’t find them here. 
• Meta descriptions & tags: If you forget to add meta tags or descriptions to posts or pages, this plugin will automatically generate them based on content. 
• XML sitemap generator: In addition to an automatic sitemap generator, there are also sitemaps for images and Google News that you can customize. 
• Redirection manager: Easily set up redirection rules, even as a beginner, or rely on auto redirects and 404 link monitoring for automation. 
• Social media appearance: Prepare your posts for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Schema markup support: Automatically adds structured data to the website via JSON-LD.

Pros

• Highly automated, undemanding, and very lightweight.
• Flexible subscription gears and affordable price tags. 

Cons

• Minimal on-page content optimization functionality 
• There are no content analysis or readability tests. 

Ideal Use Case

Site owners looking for smart automation and optimal performance. 

Pricing

Ratings

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — 4/5 from Rankioz for its minimalist approach and speed, though it may lack flexibility for complex sites.

AI-Based WordPress SEO Plugins

If I had to guess which plugins from this list got your attention, I’d say Yoast SEO for its popularity and reputation or maybe RankMath for its truly powerful features. They are also the most talked about and used SEO plugins for WordPress sites, followed by AIOSEO and Squirrly. 

But do you know what other things these SEO plugins have in common? 

They all use AI to provide useful insights and automate repetitive tasks.

I’m sure you’d like to know—what is the best WordPress SEO AI plugin?

Here’s a quick overview to help you out: 

• RankMath—In addition to AI-driven content analysis, RankMath also uses AI for content scoring and offers AI-generated meta titles and descriptions. AI content enhancement is not for free, though. You must upgrade to Pro if you want to take advantage of it. 
• AIOSEO—Rather than its own AI, AIOSEO offers integration with OpenAI. It helps generate meta tags and descriptions, but it doesn’t do much beyond that. This is a paid feature as well, available in Pro and other paid plans. AIOSEO AI gets points for ease of use. 
• Squirrly SEO—The best WordPress SEO AI plugin, in my opinion. It offers real-time optimization with AI-driven suggestions for focus pages, advanced content scoring and step-by-step tasks, meta tags generation, keyword research, AI-powered audits, and more. 

What about other plugins on this list? Some, like Yoast SEO, SEOPress, and SmartCrawl, have limited AI capabilities. Yoast and SmartCrawl offer AI-enabled integrations with Semrush and Moz, respectively, which help automate and enhance keyword research, but nothing more. 

SEOPress Pro integrates with OpenAI to generate meta titles and descriptions, but it doesn’t have AI for content scoring or optimization—which is kind of the whole point, right?

Comparison Table

When You Might Need More Than a Plugin

WordPress SEO plugins are not made of magic. Sometimes, they are simply not enough. While tools on this list go above and beyond to improve rankability, they are still mainly focused on on-page SEO: things like meta tags, sitemaps, and content optimization. These are the SEO BASICS.

So, instead of talking some more about the many wonders that SEO plugins can do for your search engine and social media visibility, let’s discuss situations where they just aren’t enough.

Keyword Gap Analysis

SEO plugins do an incredible job of telling you how to make the content you already have better, but they don’t help you find new content ideas and opportunities. For this, you need keyword gap analysis. And in order to analyze keyword gaps, you need a tool that looks at your competitors.

Look for tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest. 

Identifying keywords that your competitors rank for but you don’t is super-important if you plan to grow your site. It allows you to tap into interesting topics that no one is talking about.

Backlink Monitoring

Backlinks are a major ranking factor, but most SEO plugins don’t analyze them. 

Some of the best tools for backlink analysis are Ahrefs, Majestic, and Moz.

These tools can help track backlinks to your site and analyze their performance. They also spy on your competitors to find out where they are getting backlinks, expanding your pitch list.

Competitor Analysis

WordPress SEO plugins offer optimization scores and suggestions for sites in isolation without comparing them to better-ranking competitors. But SEO success is about competition. You must monitor, analyze, and outperform other sites in order to outrank them for high-volume keywords. 

Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and SpyFu specialize in SEO competitors, especially their traffic and content strategies. They can help you stand out with relevant and engaging content. 

Technical SEO Audits

SEO plugins could also fall short when it comes to technical SEO audits. True, SmartCrawl and some other plugins have these capabilities, but they lack in-depth diagnostics, speed audits, and Core Web Vital checks, all of which are crucial if you want a healthy site without indexing issues.

What do you need, then? Google Search Console and Screaming Frog, for starters. 

SEO crawlers and other tools that run performance audits can tell you exactly why your site is slow or why Google isn’t crawling and indexing the pages you’ve worked so hard on. 

Pick Your Plugin and Start Ranking Today

That concludes our quest. From feature-rich SEO favorites like Yoast and Rank Math to developer-friendly underdogs like SEOPress and Slim SEO—whether you’re a beginner looking for your first WordPress SEO plugin for free or a performance-obsessed pro—there’s a tool here just for you. 

If you want to know which WordPress SEO plugin is best for this or that, I hope I answered your question. I used all my SEO wisdom and experience. But remember—there’s no one-size-fits-all here. The best SEO plugin for WP sites is the one that fits your specific needs and the size of your site. 

My suggestion? Pick one or two plugins that align with your goals and try them out. 

Do you ever feel like you need smarter insights beyond your plugin? Rankioz brings together keyword tools, SEO audits, and AI-powered recommendations — no bloated code, just results.