growthbar vs outranking
GrowthBar vs Outranking — features, pricing, and which to choose for your SEO workflow in 2026.
Quick Verdict
Both GrowthBar and Outranking emerged in 2020 as AI-powered content optimization platforms, but they've evolved to serve different needs. GrowthBar positions itself as an all-in-one SEO toolkit with a standout Chrome extension, while Outranking focuses specifically on content creation with deep SERP analysis.
The core difference comes down to scope versus specialization. GrowthBar casts a wider net with keyword research, rank tracking, and site auditing alongside its content features. Outranking goes deep on content optimization, offering more sophisticated AI writing assistance and content briefs but fewer auxiliary SEO features.
Feature Comparison
GrowthBar's Chrome extension is its killer feature — you can analyze any webpage's SEO metrics, see keyword opportunities, and generate content outlines without leaving your browser. The platform includes traditional SEO tools like keyword research with search volumes, backlink analysis, and rank tracking. Its AI writer produces decent content but focuses more on speed than sophistication. Outranking takes the opposite approach with deeper content intelligence. Its SERP analysis is more comprehensive, extracting semantic keywords and content gaps from top-ranking pages. The AI writing assistant provides more detailed content briefs and can optimize existing content paragraph by paragraph. However, it lacks the broader SEO toolkit — no rank tracking, limited keyword research beyond content optimization, and no browser extension. Both platforms offer content scoring that analyzes on-page SEO factors, but GrowthBar's scoring is more straightforward while Outranking provides granular feedback on content structure and semantic optimization.
Pricing Comparison
Outranking starts at $19/month for the Starter plan, making it the more budget-friendly option. This includes basic AI writing, content optimization, and SERP analysis for up to 30 articles monthly. GrowthBar begins at $36/month but includes significantly more — unlimited keyword lookups, rank tracking for 1,000 keywords, site auditing, and the Chrome extension. At higher tiers, GrowthBar's Pro plan ($79/month) adds competitor research and advanced rank tracking, while Outranking's SEO Writer plan ($79/month) focuses on scaling content production with 100 optimized articles monthly. GrowthBar provides better value if you need comprehensive SEO tools; Outranking wins on pure content creation value.
Best For
GrowthBar works best for solo marketers and small agencies who need an all-in-one SEO solution. The Chrome extension alone makes it worthwhile for anyone doing regular competitive research or client work. It's ideal if you want one tool covering keyword research, content creation, and basic rank tracking without managing multiple subscriptions. Outranking is perfect for content-focused teams and publishers who prioritize writing quality over SEO breadth. Choose it if you're producing high-volume content, need sophisticated content briefs, or want AI assistance that understands semantic SEO deeply. It's also better for teams where different people handle content versus technical SEO.
The Verdict
GrowthBar wins for most users because of its broader feature set and practical Chrome extension. At $36/month, you're getting multiple tools that would cost significantly more separately. Outranking is the better choice only if you're purely focused on content production and don't need the additional SEO features that make GrowthBar more versatile.