I tested 6 of the best Rank Math AI alternatives in 2026

Rank Math’s Content AI is a popular choice for WordPress users, mixing SEO help with AI writing right in the editor. It’s a helpful tool for on-page adjustments, and there are many other options available. As AI content tools improve, many powerful platforms have emerged, each with its own unique way of creating blog posts that rank.

If you're looking for more advanced automation, different writing capabilities, or a tool that works outside of WordPress, this guide can help. We’ve explored the world of AI writers to find the best Rank Math AI alternatives. Whether you need a tool that generates complete, publish-ready posts with visuals like the eesel AI blog writer or one that’s all about deep SERP analysis, this guide will help you find the right match for your content strategy.

What is Rank Math Content AI?

Before diving into the alternatives, let's quickly cover what Rank Math Content AI actually does. Imagine an AI assistant that lives inside the Rank Math SEO plugin. Its main purpose is to help you research, write, and optimize content without ever leaving your website’s backend.

It comes with over 40 AI tools, including a Content Editor for brainstorming and a chat assistant called RankBot for quick research. One of its features is suggesting fixes for SEO tests with a single click, like generating a meta description or changing a title. The whole system is based on credits, so every word you generate or keyword you research uses them up. While it’s convenient for quick optimizations within WordPress, the credit system and being tied to one ecosystem may be a limitation for those looking to scale a large content strategy. This is often when users start exploring more specialized tools.

How we chose the best Rank Math AI alternatives

Finding the right tool really comes down to what you’re trying to do. To build this list, I looked for platforms that not only match Rank Math's main features but also offer different strengths. My criteria were pretty simple.

First, I considered content quality. Does the tool produce well-researched, readable content, or generic AI-generated text? I focused on tools that understand search intent and create articles people actually want to read.

Next was a strong SEO focus. The tool had to be built for SEO, with features for keyword optimization, content structure, and SERP analysis. There’s no point in writing content if nobody can find it.

I also prioritized tools with a solid feature set and automation. This means going beyond just generating text to include things like creating images and tables, pulling in external data, and automating as much of the content creation process as possible.

Ease of use was another key factor. A great tool shouldn't require a manual to figure out. I looked for intuitive interfaces and clear workflows that take you from a keyword to a published post without any major headaches.

Finally, I looked at value for money. I examined both free and paid plans to see which tools offer the best return on investment, whether you're a blogger, marketer, or running an agency. The following visual breaks down our 5-point checklist.

Comparison of the top Rank Math AI alternatives

Feature	eesel AI blog writer	Surfer SEO	Frase	Squirrly SEO	Semrush SEO Writing Assistant	ChatGPT
Best For	Automated, publish-ready blogs	SERP-driven content optimization	AI-powered research & briefs	Guided SEO inside WordPress	Real-time content scoring	General purpose writing
Automatic Assets	Yes (Images, videos, quotes)	No	No	No	No	No
WordPress Integration	No (Platform agnostic)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Free Plan/Trial	Free to try	No	Yes (2 free articles)	Yes (Free version)	Yes (Part of Semrush trial)	Yes (Free version)
Starting Price	$99 for 50 blogs	$79/month (billed annually)	$38/month (billed annually)	$9.99/month	$165.17/month (billed annually)	Free ($20/month for Plus)

A closer look at the 6 best Rank Math AI alternatives

Here are the tools that made the list, each tested for its ability to create high-quality, SEO-optimized content.

eesel AI blog writer

The eesel AI blog writer is designed to address a common challenge with AI writers by producing more than just text. eesel AI takes you from a single keyword to a fully-formed, SEO-optimized, and media-rich blog post that's ready to go live. It's the same tool we used to grow our own blog impressions from 700 to over 750,000 per day in just three months.

Instead of only generating text, it builds a complete content asset. It automatically adds AI-generated images, finds relevant YouTube videos, pulls real quotes from Reddit for social proof, and includes internal links. Its context-aware research pulls in current data, like pricing for comparison posts or specs for reviews, which can add more depth and value to the content compared to a standard AI generator.

Pros: The biggest advantage is the end-to-end automation. It doesn't just write; it researches, structures, adds visuals, finds relevant media, and optimizes for both SEO and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). The tone is designed to be human-like, which helps avoid a generic AI writing style that readers and search engines may disfavor.

Cons: Since it’s a standalone platform, it doesn't integrate directly into the WordPress editor like Rank Math. This means you'll generate the content on the eesel AI platform and then copy it over to your CMS. This makes it platform-agnostic, so you can use it for any website, not just WordPress.

Pricing:

• Free Trial: You can generate your first few blogs for free to see the quality for yourself.
• Paid: It starts at $99 for 50 blog posts, with the option to buy more credits as you need them.

Surfer SEO

Surfer SEO is a favorite among SEO professionals because of its data-first approach. It's less of an "AI writer" and more of a content intelligence platform. Surfer analyzes the top-ranking pages for your target keyword and provides a detailed blueprint to follow. Its Content Editor gives you real-time feedback, scoring your content based on things like keyword density, word count, and structure, all based on what's already ranking. Pros: Surfer's main strength is its analysis. It gives you a clear, actionable plan for creating content that can compete. The integration with WordPress and Google Docs is very smooth, letting you optimize content where you're already working. Its Topical Map tool is also great for planning content clusters and building your site's authority.

Cons: Surfer can be expensive, especially for smaller teams. It also leaves the writing to you (or another AI tool), since its primary job is to guide you, not generate the content from scratch. If suggestions are followed too closely, the writing can sometimes sound unnatural.

Pricing:

• Essential: Starts at $79 per month (billed annually).
• Scale: Starts at $175 per month (billed annually).
• Enterprise: Custom pricing is available if you need it.

Frase

Frase is a powerhouse for the research and planning stage of content creation. It automates the tedious process of creating detailed content briefs by analyzing the top SERP results for you. It pulls out topics, headings, and questions that your competitors cover and organizes it all into a workable outline. This can save hours of manual research and helps make sure your content is thorough. A nice feature is its focus on both traditional SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), helping you get cited in AI answers.

Pros: Frase is excellent for streamlining content workflows. The automated briefs are incredibly detailed and provide a solid foundation for any article. The integration with Google Search Console is a huge plus, helping you find content decay and new opportunities for your ongoing SEO efforts.

Cons: The AI-generated content may sometimes require editing to match a specific brand voice. It also doesn't automatically create media assets like images or videos, so you'll have to source those yourself.

Pricing:

• Starter: Starts at $38 per month (billed annually).
• Professional: Starts at $98 per month (billed annually).
• Enterprise: Custom pricing is available.

Squirrly SEO

Squirrly SEO is an all-in-one SEO suite for WordPress that, like Rank Math, offers real-time guidance directly in your editor. Its key feature is the "SEO Live Assistant," which acts as an AI-powered coach, giving you step-by-step instructions as you write. It goes beyond basic on-page checks by offering keyword research, rank tracking, and site audits all in the same interface. Squirrly's "Focus Pages" feature is particularly useful, as it creates a custom to-do list for your most important pages to help them move up in the rankings.

Pros: Squirrly's educational style is great for beginners still learning about SEO. The real-time guidance is thorough, and having keyword research, rank tracking, and auditing in one plugin is very convenient. It also offers multilingual keyword research, which is a big benefit for international websites.

Cons: The extensive features and interface may require a learning period for new users. The constant notifications and suggestions may be distracting for some users.

Pricing:

• Free Version: Available with limited features.
• PRO Plan: Starts at $9.99 per month.

Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

For anyone already using the Semrush ecosystem, the SEO Writing Assistant is a very powerful Rank Math AI alternative. This tool provides real-time recommendations to help you optimize content based on your top 10 rivals in Google. It scores your content on readability, SEO, tone of voice, and originality. It works directly with Google Docs, WordPress, and Microsoft Word, making it easy to fit into your existing workflow. It's not a standalone AI writer, but an optimization layer that leverages Semrush's massive keyword and competitor data.

Pros: The biggest benefit is its deep integration with Semrush's powerful SEO data. The recommendations are based on real-time competitor analysis, which is much more effective than a static checklist. The tone-of-voice checker is also a unique feature that helps you maintain a consistent brand voice.

Cons: This tool is only available as part of a Semrush subscription, which makes it one of the most expensive options on this list. It doesn't generate content for you; it just helps you optimize what you've already written.

Pricing:

• Included with Semrush subscriptions, which start at $165.17 per month (billed annually).

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is the AI chatbot that brought AI writing into the mainstream. While it’s not a specialized SEO tool, it's incredibly versatile for a wide range of content tasks. You can use it for brainstorming blog topics, creating outlines, writing drafts, and creating meta descriptions. With the right prompts, you can guide it to include keywords and structure content in an SEO-friendly manner. It's a flexible tool that can supplement your content creation process, especially for generating ideas and getting a first draft done.

Pros: ChatGPT is extremely flexible and easy to use. The free version is quite capable for basic tasks, and the paid "Plus" version gives you access to more advanced models. It's great for overcoming writer's block and quickly generating ideas or outlines.

Cons: It has no built-in SEO intelligence. It won't analyze SERPs or give you data-driven recommendations. The content it produces may be generic and may not have the same depth as content from a specialized tool that researches your competitors. It requires detailed prompting to produce SEO-friendly content, and it won't create any visuals or other assets for you. As one user points out, these general tools have their limits.

Pricing:

• Free Version: Available to everyone.
• ChatGPT Plus: $20 per month.
• ChatGPT Team: $25 per user/month (billed annually).

How to choose the right Rank Math AI alternatives for you

The best alternative to Rank Math's Content AI really depends on your specific needs and workflow.

• If you want to automate the entire blog creation process, from research and writing to adding visuals and media, the eesel AI blog writer is a strong choice. It's designed for people who want a final, publish-ready product with minimal effort.

• If your priority is data-driven optimization based on top SERP results, Surfer SEO is a suitable choice. It's perfect for SEOs who want a clear blueprint to outrank the competition.

• If you manage a content team and need to streamline research and briefs, Frase is a good option for creating comprehensive, well-structured outlines quickly.

• If you're a beginner and want a WordPress plugin that coaches you through SEO, Squirrly SEO provides the guidance and all-in-one features you need.

Ultimately, think about the biggest bottleneck in your content process. Is it the initial writing, the research, the optimization, or creating that final polished asset? Answering that question will help you choose the right tool.

To get a better sense of how Rank Math compares to other major players in the WordPress ecosystem, it's helpful to see it side-by-side with another popular tool like Yoast. The following video breaks down the features, pros, and cons of both, which can provide valuable context when deciding which suite of tools, including AI features, is the best fit for your site.

A video from WPGIZ comparing Yoast vs. Rank Math, providing context for users exploring Rank Math AI alternatives.

Moving beyond the basics with Rank Math AI alternatives

Rank Math Content AI is a useful tool for WordPress users, and the field of AI-powered SEO content creation is evolving quickly. Tools like Surfer SEO and Frase offer deep, data-driven insights, while platforms like the eesel AI blog writer automate the entire content lifecycle.

Instead of just getting a text draft, you can now generate a complete, media-rich, and SEO-optimized blog post from a single keyword. If this aligns with your content strategy needs, you can try eesel AI for free to evaluate its features.