Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Technical SEODesktop crawler that audits technical SEO issues across unlimited pages
Overview
Screaming Frog SEO Spider has been the default technical SEO auditing tool since 2010. Built by a small UK team, it remains the most widely used desktop crawler among SEO professionals for one simple reason: it works consistently and finds the issues that matter. Unlike cloud-based alternatives, it runs locally on your machine and can crawl unlimited URLs with a paid license.
The tool excels at fundamental technical audits — broken links, redirect chains, missing meta tags, duplicate content, and server response codes. Its strength lies in comprehensive data extraction and flexible configuration options that let experienced users dig deep into specific technical issues. While newer tools like Sitebulb offer prettier reporting and Botify provides enterprise-scale log analysis, Screaming Frog remains the reliable workhorse for day-to-day technical auditing.
The freemium model makes it accessible to solo practitioners and small agencies, while the £149 annual license removes URL limits and adds advanced features like custom extraction and API connectivity. For most technical SEO work, especially on sites under 100,000 pages, Screaming Frog provides everything needed without the ongoing subscription costs of cloud alternatives.
Key features
Comprehensive Crawling
Desktop crawler that follows internal links to audit entire websites, identifying technical issues like broken links, redirect chains, and server errors.
Duplicate Content Detection
Finds exact and near-duplicate content across pages using page title, meta description, and content analysis to identify cannibalization issues.
Schema Markup Validation
Extracts and validates structured data markup, identifying missing or malformed schema across pages with detailed error reporting.
Custom Data Extraction
Uses CSS selectors and XPath to extract specific page elements like H1 tags, custom attributes, or any HTML element for analysis.
Log File Analysis
Separate Log Analyzer tool combines crawl data with server logs to identify crawl budget issues and pages that aren't being discovered.
Bulk Export Options
Exports audit results to Excel, CSV, or direct integrations with Google Sheets and Google Analytics for further analysis and reporting.
JavaScript Rendering
Renders JavaScript-heavy sites to crawl single-page applications and dynamic content that traditional crawlers miss.
Configuration Flexibility
Extensive crawl settings including custom user agents, crawl speed controls, authentication, and excludes/includes patterns for precise audits.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 500 URLs, basic crawling, core technical audits |
| Paid License | £149/year | Unlimited URLs, advanced exports, custom extraction, API access |
FAQ
How many URLs can Screaming Frog crawl for free?
The free version crawls up to 500 URLs per project. The paid license removes this limit and adds advanced features like custom extraction and API connectivity.
Does Screaming Frog work with JavaScript websites?
Yes, it includes JavaScript rendering capabilities to crawl React, Angular, and other single-page applications. You can toggle JS rendering on/off per crawl.
Can I crawl password-protected websites?
Yes, it supports HTTP authentication, form-based login, and can maintain session cookies to crawl protected areas of websites.
How does it compare to cloud-based crawlers like Sitebulb?
Screaming Frog is desktop-based with unlimited crawls but requires local processing power. Cloud crawlers like Sitebulb offer automated scheduling and team collaboration but have usage limits.
What's the difference between SEO Spider and Log Analyzer?
SEO Spider crawls your website from the outside-in like Googlebot. Log Analyzer examines server logs to see what search engines actually crawled, helping identify crawl budget issues.
How does Screaming Frog SEO Spider compare?
View all comparisons →Review Sentiment
427 reviews across 2 sources
Bottom line
A free tool that actually delivers: Screaming Frog SEO Spider stands out for industry standard desktop crawler for technical SEO auditing. The trade-off is desktop-only — large site crawls consume, but at zero cost it's a must-have for technical SEOs.
People love
- +Industry standard desktop crawler for technical SEO auditing — trusted by agencies worldwide
- +Free version crawls up to 500 URLs — sufficient for small site audits
- +Comprehensive extraction of meta data, headings, structured data, and redirect chains
Common complaints
- –Desktop-only — large site crawls consume significant local RAM and CPU resources
- –Interface is powerful but unintuitive — steep learning curve for beginners
- –Paid license at $259/yr required for sites over 500 URLs and advanced features
Last updated Feb 2026