Yoast SEO vs SEOPress (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org SEO Plugins top 10: Yoast SEO at #1 and SEOPress at #5. Yoast SEO leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI
Real-time SEO guidance, schema, and AI built in. Help search engines and AI systems understand your content. All AI tools included, no hidden fees.
SEOPress
SEOPress – AI SEO Plugin & On-site SEO
WordPress SEO plugin with AI SEO metadata, schema, XML sitemap, redirections & Search Console. Privacy-first, white-label SEO. Now AI-ready.
Who leads on what
Yoast SEO leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Yoast SEO ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in SEO Plugins.
Yoast SEO has more users: 10 million+ active installs against 300,000+.
Both are rated 4.8 out of 5 (27,819 and 1,252 reviews).
Yoast SEO has more reviews behind its score: 27,819 against 1,252.
SEOPress was updated more recently, on September 2, 2026; Yoast SEO on September 1, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Yoast SEO
Pick Yoast SEO if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run or you want the score backed by more reviews.
SEOPress
Pick SEOPress if you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Yoast SEO vs SEOPress side by side
| Yoast SEO | SEOPress | |
|---|---|---|
| SEO Plugins ranking | #1 | #5 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 27,819 | 1,252 |
| Active installs | 10 million+ | 300,000+ |
| Total downloads | 996,319,208 | 20,359,584 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 11, 2010 | Aug 22, 2016 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free + paid version |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Yoast SEO ratings
SEOPress ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Yoast SEO nor SEOPress can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the SEO Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Yoast SEO vs SEOPress: common questions
Is Yoast SEO better than SEOPress?
Yoast SEO leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Yoast SEO ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in SEO Plugins.
Which has more users, Yoast SEO or SEOPress?
Yoast SEO ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in SEO Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Yoast SEO or SEOPress?
Yoast SEO has more users: 10 million+ active installs against 300,000+.
Are Yoast SEO and SEOPress free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Yoast SEO is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. SEOPress is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to Yoast SEO and SEOPress
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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