Yoast SEO vs. Rank Math: Let’s compare features
So, you want to get going with SEO and have heard about Yoast SEO and Rank Math. But not sure which one is the best choice for you? In this blog post, we’ll look at the most important features in both plugins and the differences between them. That way, you can figure out which one fits your needs best.
Let’s start with a short introduction to these plugins and what they can do for you. Both Yoast SEO and Rank Math are SEO plugins, tools that help you with the visibility of your website. They are both popular among beginners and people who already have some experience with SEO. Their focus lies on analyzing your website and providing you with feedback that’s specifically tailored to your needs.
As there is quite some overlap in the audience and features, it’s not surprising that many people ask themselves: Should I use Rank Math or Yoast SEO?
Time to compare the key features
Both plugins are popular because they offer a wide variety of features that cater to beginners and SEO veterans. Below, we’ve listed the key features of Yoast SEO and/or Rank Math.
As you can see from the table above, both plugins come with a lot of features that help you work on content optimization and technical SEO. Rank Math and Yoast SEO both offer a free version of their plugin, allowing you to get your SEO on track. But they also have a paid version. Yoast SEO offers Premium, and Rank Math has three different paid versions (Pro, Business, Agency). For the sake of this comparison, we focused on Pro, but the other paid plans mainly offer the same features as Pro (just with other limits).
AI features comparison
Both plugins have started integrating AI tools to keep up with modern SEO demands. Yoast SEO Premium now includes unlimited AI-generated meta descriptions, AI-powered content optimization and AI summaries without extra charges. Rank Math Pro also supports AI descriptions and keyword recommendations, but access is limited and tied to their Content AI credit system.
So, if AI support is something you want to use regularly, Yoast gives you more freedom out of the box, while Rank Math provides a limited credit-based approach.
Yoast’s historic preference and authority
Yoast SEO has been a cornerstone of WordPress SEO for over 15 years. With over 13 million active installs, it’s widely recognized by content creators, SEO professionals, and web developers alike. It has a proven track record of reliability, frequent updates, and a transparent approach to best practices.
This longevity means Yoast is also the default recommendation in many online guides, training programs, and WordPress tutorials. If you’re looking for something that’s widely supported and time-tested, Yoast’s authority gives it a major edge.
Plugin integrations
Both plugins offer useful integrations, but Yoast’s ecosystem is more tightly woven with established platforms:
- Yoast SEO Premium offers a free seat for the Yoast SEO Google Docs Add-on, so you can get real-time SEO and readability suggestions when you draft your content. Site Kit by Google, including Search Console, Analytics and more, is directly embedded in the Yoast Dashboard, making it easy to track SEO performance
- Yoast SEO also supports Video SEO, Local SEO and News SEO, and has a dedicated WooCommerce SEO plugin.
- Yoast SEO integrates with rank trackers and keyword research tools, Wincher and Semrush
- Rank Math, on the other hand, integrates with Google Analytics 4 and Search Console and supports modular plugin extensions with some Local, News, and Video features.
If you’re looking for a plugin that plays well with your existing content creation or ecommerce stack, Yoast SEO’s compatibility and modular tools might make the difference.
Advanced crawl settings
When it comes to controlling how search engines and AI models crawl and understand your site, Yoast SEO Premium includes advanced settings tailored for modern search behavior. This includes:
- llms.txt signals large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini into your content so it can present your content better. Yoast SEO Bot Blocker offers crawl optimization settings, so you stay in control of which ethical bots crawl your website
- Advanced control over canonical URLs, breadcrumbs, noindex tags, and more
- Auto-generated XML sitemaps and structured data to guide crawlers through your website
- Rank Math offers similar controls, but no bot blocking option for specific AI crawlers
Schema framework comparison
Both plugins support schema markup, which helps search engines better understand the context of your content. However, their approach differs:
- Yoast SEO automatically includes essential schema types like Article, WebPage, and Product, ensuring a clean, accurate output. Yoast SEO also provides a great structured data framework to build and expand your schema integration on
- Rank Math gives you more granular control, letting you customize schema on a per-post basis, including templates for custom post types and JSON-LD editing
If you want a fire-and-forget solution, Yoast SEO handles schema with minimal input.
Yoast SEO Academy
A significant advantage of Yoast is its educational platform, Yoast SEO Academy. It offers courses covering SEO fundamentals, technical SEO, content writing, and ecommerce SEO, making it ideal for newcomers and those looking to train their teams. The platform provides both free and premium learning tracks, along with certificates of completion for team members. This added feature supports long-term SEO knowledge growth while you use the plugin. Yoast SEO Academy is included in the price of Yoast SEO Premium.
A bit more about pricing
To help you choose based on cost:
- Yoast SEO Premium: $118.80/year — all features included, no hidden tiers or content limits
- Rank Math Pro: $7.99/month → $95.88/year
- Rank Math Business: $24.99/month → $299.88/year
- Rank Math Agency: $59.99/month → $719.88/year
- Rank Math has additional costs for its Content AI feature, plus you need to buy AI credits
Rank Math’s free version is generous in features, but Yoast SEO’s Premium plan offers everything in one tier, without usage caps, hidden fees, or complicated licensing.
The most important pros & cons
We can imagine that you might need some more information to decide which plugin is best. So, let’s make it easy by listing the pros and cons for both.
Rank Math
Pros:
- There are a few more features available in the free version: for example, the multiple keyword analysis and redirects
- Advanced schema support, with control per page
- Modularity
- Strong analytics and keyword tracking in Pro with the Google Analytics 4 integration
Cons:
- Rank Math is relatively newer: first launched in 2018, it has around 3 million active installs at the moment. Meaning that the long-term track record is a lot shorter than that of Yoast SEO
- Some advanced features are locked behind the Pro tier
- AI features have a usage limit, with extra fees for more usage
Yoast SEO
Pros
- Highly reputable and battle-tested with a huge install base of more than 13 million users
- The plugin has been around for over 15 years and is the most popular WordPress SEO plugin out there
- It’s a user-friendly plugin with guidance for beginners and customization for more advanced users
- A strong readability tool with detailed tips, the separate checks help you understand what can be improved right away
- UI design is intuitive and beginner-friendly
- Multiple AI features in Premium without any limit on usage
- The Google Docs add-on gives you the possibility to get feedback on your content while working in Google Docs
- In addition to a free and Premium version with video, news, and local SEO plugins included, Yoast SEO also offers an additional extension for WooCommerce SEO
- Yoast SEO is also available for Shopify, providing SEO guidance for online merchants
- Yoast SEO Premium comes with a broad range of learning materials in the Yoast SEO Academy
Cons
- Some features are only available in Premium
- Less control over Schema markup on an individual page level
Built for marketers, content creators, and ecommerce teams
So, you’re interested in SEO and need a tool to help streamline your work? Yoast SEO is built with marketers, content creators, and ecommerce teams in mind. But how exactly does it help different users? Let’s show what Yoast SEO can do, so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
For marketers and in-house teams, SEO Workouts make tasks easy to handle without needing an expert. The built-in documentation and support promise consistency, while smart AI tools help speed up content creation.
If you’re a content creator or blogger, Yoast SEO lets you concentrate on writing. It takes care of optimization in the background. Built-in link suggestions and readability feedback in your editor help improve your content. Plus, share-ready social previews cut down extra steps and save you time. The Google Docs add-on also helps you deliver client-ready content without access to their CMS!
For ecommerce stores, Yoast SEO offers complete product and category optimization. Structured data and metadata make managing your store easier. AI-generated product descriptions help speed up publishing. The platform includes advanced tools for WooCommerce, offering improved sitemap options, image data, and canonical controls.
So, which plugin is the one for you?
Both plugins are powerful tools to start or level up your SEO journey. If you’re new to SEO and want a guided, easy setup, Yoast SEO (free or Premium) offers a friendly interface and strong readability tools to help you optimize your content. So, if you prioritize ease of use, reliability, and clear, actionable readability insights, Yoast SEO is the way to go. Rank Math, on the other hand, can be a good choice if you’re looking to get insights into sitewide SEO analytics. As it also offers more modular features, this can also be your preferred plugin if you want to handle more of the technical side yourself.
The free version allows you to try them out and use the features that are available without having to pay. If you’re more serious about your SEO and are looking into the paid options, it’s good to know what the investment is.
Yoast SEO Premium will cost you $118.80 per year, which gives you access to all the features (without any limits or extra purchases needed). Rank Math Pro will cost you $7.99 per month, which comes down to $95,88 per year. Rank Math Business is $24.99 per month ($299.88 per year) and Rank Math Agency costs $59.99 per month ($719.88 per year).
Final take: Yoast vs Rank Math
To summarize what’s been discussed above, both Yoast SEO and Rank Math have their pros and cons. Even though it seems that there’s a lot of overlap, there are differences that you should consider when making your choice. It really depends on your needs.
While Rank Math offers many features, Yoast stands out with its proven reliability, intuitive interface, and seamless WordPress integration. These make it the smarter choice for users who value stability, ease of use, and trusted SEO performance.
Just remember, no matter which plugin you pick, you will still need to put in work yourself. The best SEO results come from quality content, technical SEO that’s been set up properly, maintenance, and a proper site structure. It’s not just about activating plugin features and waiting for your page to climb to the top of the search results. Good luck!
