Cut Costs by $169: 6 Best Budget SEO Software for Agencies

SEO software for agencies can get pretty expensive fast, and too many agencies end up overinvesting in tools they barely use—or don’t use at all.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though.

With a little smart planning and the right tool selection, you can keep your SEO budget well under $250 per month without either quality or effectiveness taking a hit.

6 SEO Software Categories Every Agency Should Have

No need to load up on a ton of SEO software for agencies when you’re aiming to run a successful SEO campaign in 2025.

In reality, you only need six types of SEO tools to cover all your bases. Stick to one solid option in each category, and you will have everything you need to get the job done without breaking the bank.

Here’s what every agency should focus on having:

• Technical Audits
• Keyword Research & Content Discovery
• Local SEO Management
• Content Creation & Management
• Link Building
• General Project Management

With these six categories, you’re set to approach just about any SEO task with confidence and efficiency—from handling keyword data and SEO optimization to managing search engine rankings and backlink analysis.

The Perfect SEO Stack for Agencies on a Budget

Here’s how you could piece together a powerful and relatively inexpensive SEO stack, one tool per category.

Project Management: Google Workspace ($12/month)

It’s safe to assume Google Workspace is the default project management SEO software for agencies—as it holds 50% of the project management market share, according to Ninja One—and it contains everything essential for project management and collaboration.

You have Sheets, Docs, Slides, Gmail, and Meet—all in one place, basically.

You can even use Google Sheets as a makeshift project management tool if you’re not ready to jump into a dedicated project management tool like Asana or ClickUp.

Cost Efficiency: It provides everything, from document handling to team communication on the cheap for $12 per month, perfect for coordinating and tracking various SEO performance metrics.

Local SEO: BrightLocal ($59/month)

BrightLocal offers all the functionality you may need to address local SEO questions — at a fraction of what some of the larger platforms charge.

It’s designed with many local-focused features, including keyword tracking, citation audits, and local rank tracking, among others.

Cost Efficiency: BrightLocal covers the fundamentals of local SEO for just $59 per month and will help your clients rank well in the search engines.

Technical Audits: Screaming Frog (Free for up to 500 URLs)

For technical audits, you can count on Screaming Frog.

The free version crawls up to 500 URLs, which is typically plenty for smaller or mid-sized projects. If your needs grow, its paid version is affordable and lets you increase that limit as needed

Value for Money: You can get away with the free version for smaller projects, but even if you need to upgrade to the paid version, it is well worth the money.

Screaming Frog enables deep technical SEO audits to ensure better visibility in search engines.

Comprehensive SEO Platform: SEMrush ($119.95/month)

The price might seem a bit high, but it covers a lot—keyword research, competitor analysis, content research, link building, and more.

It’s an awesome all-in-one SEO software for agencies, enabling you to manage several SEO functions in one tool and save money on extra subscriptions.

Cost Efficiency: By covering several needs, SEMrush saves you from needing many tools, reducing the overall expenditure.

It’s a multi-tool for agencies dealing with lots of clients and requiring in-depth keyword research and competitor analysis.

In-House SEO Audits: Custom Google Sheet Templates (Free)

To save even more, consider building an SEO audit setup in Google Sheets.

You can pull data from SEMrush, Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics to build a quality audit for your client’s website.

Try this Free SEO audit sheet—one of many templates available at no cost.

Cost-Effective: Pay only for any API integrations you add. For all practical purposes, it’s free and covers your in-depth audit needs.

It’s ideal for agencies aiming to simplify SEO reporting tools for custom SEO audits and site audits.

Content Creation: ChatGPT Pro ($20/month)

Surprisingly, ChatGPT Pro is very affordable as a content tool and a great alternative to pricey writing platforms.

If you are creative with prompts, this tool can be put to work on everything from brainstorming topics to creating drafts of SEO-friendly content, saving time and money.

Cost Efficiency: At just $20 per month, ChatGPT Pro is an excellent value, helping agencies avoid a variety of other, more expensive content solutions.

It supports SEO strategy through keyword-rich content for better search results.

Total Monthly Cost: $210.95

With this simplified stack, you’re looking at a monthly SEO cost of about $210.95—a price achievable for agencies of all sizes.

Here’s a quick recap:

But is there a way to reduce this cost by more than 50% without sacrificing the quality of your output or SEO tools?

Is such SEO Software for Agencies available? Yes, there is.

SEO Modify: A Smarter, All-in-One SEO Software for Agencies ($9/month)

SEOModify brings all these necessary SEO tools into a single platform, designed to provide high-impact SEO features at a fraction of the cost.

Unlike other SEO software for agencies, SEOModify hosts all the essential SEO features you need in one place, from CTR optimization and page audits to keyword tracking and local SEO—starting at only $9.

And with a pay-as-you-use model, you pay only for what you use, making it a better option than pricier all-in-one solutions like SEMrush and Ahrefs.

Why Choose SEOModify?

• AI-Powered Optimization: SEOModify’s AI offers insights for key SEO tasks, from CTR optimization to backlink management, highlighting impactful improvements instantly.

• Unified Functionality: SEOModify covers the entire SEO functionality, reducing dependencies on multiple tools.

• Affordable, Pay-As-You-Use Pricing: Starting at $9, SEOModify’s model is budget-friendly and scalable with your needs.

With SEOModify, agencies can achieve high-quality SEO results without the budget strain, freeing up time and reducing hassle while maximizing each dollar spent.

Instead of $210.95 every month for various subscriptions, SEOModify could save you up to $169.95 per month.

Imagine handling all your SEO needs for as low as $41 a month with SEOModify!

Closing Thoughts

SEO software for agencies doesn’t have to be expensive or overly complicated.

By focusing on what truly supports your service delivery, it’s possible to keep your SEO costs controlled without sacrificing output quality.

If you’re currently spending thousands every month on tools, take a step back, assess what you really need, and consider an affordable stack that delivers powerful results.

What are some of your go-to SEO tools? Share some of the best SEO Software for agencies in the comments!

Looking for a way to pay only for what you use and save up to $169.95/month or even more compared to other SEO software?

Try SEOModify today and experience the difference.