A WordPress SEO plugin adds the settings WordPress leaves out: an SEO title and meta description for each page, schema and an XML sitemap. Most of the big ones now add AI features too. Ten free plugins from the WordPress.org plugin directory follow, in no particular order, with install and rating numbers as of Oct 2026.
Every WordPress site needs somewhere to write its search titles and descriptions, and that's the first job an SEO plugin does. After that they split. Some guide you as you write, some automate the lot and keep out of your way, and a newer group is built around being cited by AI search tools as well as ranking on Google.
The ten below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and each description comes from the plugin's own WordPress.org directory page. If you're setting up a brand new site, start with my guide to which SEO plugins to install first on a new WordPress site, then come back here to compare the options.
Ten WordPress SEO plugins at a glance
Every plugin here is free to install from the WordPress.org plugin directory, as of Oct 2026, so the free plan column reads Yes. Some makers sell extra features on their own sites, so check the plugin's page before you count on a feature.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| All in One SEO | WordPress plugin | SEO rankings with AI tools | Yes |
| Rank Math SEO | WordPress plugin | SEO tools with AI features | Yes |
| SEOPress | WordPress plugin | AI metadata, schema and sitemaps | Yes |
| SiteSEO | WordPress plugin | Simple, fast SEO | Yes |
| Slim SEO | WordPress plugin | Lightweight automated SEO | Yes |
| SmartCrawl | WordPress plugin | SEO checker and content analysis | Yes |
| Squirrly SEO | WordPress plugin | SEO, AEO and GEO in one plugin | Yes |
| The SEO Framework | WordPress plugin | Fast, automated SEO for professionals | Yes |
| Xagio SEO | WordPress plugin | AI meta, clustering and rank tracking | Yes |
| Yoast SEO | WordPress plugin | Real-time SEO guidance and schema | Yes |
The SEO plugins, one line each
All in One SEO
Best for: Site owners who want AI SEO tools, schema, meta descriptions, XML sitemaps and rank tracking handled inside one plugin.
Rank Math SEO
Best for: Growing organic traffic and AI visibility with XML sitemaps, schema automation and built-in AI SEO, all in one place.
SEOPress
Best for: Privacy-minded sites and agencies wanting AI metadata, schema, sitemaps, redirections and Search Console in a white-label plugin.
SiteSEO
Best for: Owners who want an easy, fast SEO plugin and would rather keep their WordPress settings simple.
Slim SEO
Best for: Keeping things light: it generates meta tags, sitemaps and schemas automatically, with AI features and no bloat.
SmartCrawl
Best for: Checking and analysing your content for SEO, with 301 redirects, XML sitemaps and a one-click setup included.
Squirrly SEO
Best for: Brands that want to rank on Google and be cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and AI Overviews, using SEO, AEO and GEO.
The SEO Framework
Best for: Professional WordPress sites that want secure, fast, unbranded and automated SEO with very little to configure.
Xagio SEO
Best for: Anyone wanting AI-powered meta, clustering, content, schema and rank tracking, with an AI website builder included too.
Yoast SEO
Best for: Writers who like real-time SEO guidance as they work, with schema and the AI tools built in.
What an SEO plugin can't write for you
Google Search Central's SEO Starter Guide describes a good meta description as short, unique to one particular page, and including the most relevant points of the page. Read that with a plugin in mind. A plugin gives you the title and description fields, not the writing, and no plugin can write that description for your business.
That's the part people skip. They install the plugin, see the fields filled with something, and move on. Whichever plugin you choose, writing a short, specific description for each page that matters stays with you. The AI features several of these carry can draft one, but you still read it and decide whether it says the most relevant thing about that page.
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Big install numbers, small rating counts
The directory numbers, as of Oct 2026, are worth reading together rather than one at a time. Yoast has 10,000,000+ installs and 27,820 ratings (96/100). SiteSEO has 400,000+ installs but only 8 ratings (80/100), the lowest rating here.
A score built on a handful of reviews tells you very little either way, so weigh how many people rated a plugin as well as the score itself. An install count shows how many sites run it, and a rating count shows how many of those people cared enough to say what they thought.
AI and GEO in the directory titles
Rank Math, AIOSEO, SEOPress, Slim SEO and Squirrly put AI or GEO in their directory titles. That's the plugin makers chasing AI search as well as Google, and it's why the descriptions now talk about AI visibility, AEO and being cited by ChatGPT or Perplexity.
Treat those features as a writing assistant, not a strategy. They can draft metadata or schema faster than you can, but they can't decide which pages deserve your effort or what your customers are searching for.
Once your SEO plugin is sorted, moving or deleting pages is where redirect plugins do the heavy lifting.
Matching the plugin to how you work
- You'd like guidance while you write: Yoast SEO, with real-time SEO guidance on each post.
- You want it automated and out of the way: The SEO Framework, built for fast, automated SEO.
- You want a checker that reads your content: SmartCrawl, which describes itself as an SEO checker and content analyser.
- You track rankings as well as metadata: Xagio SEO or All in One SEO, as both name rank tracking.
- You want schema handled for you: Rank Math SEO, which names schema automation.
Do you make a WordPress SEO plugin? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on picking an SEO plugin
Pick one SEO plugin, not two, and choose it by how you like to work: guided, automated or AI-assisted. Then spend your time where the plugin can't help, writing a short, specific title and description for every page that earns traffic. The plugin is the form. You still fill it in.
If you want the bigger picture beyond plugins, my guide on how to improve SEO on a WordPress website covers the rest.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What does a WordPress SEO plugin do?
It adds the SEO settings WordPress doesn't have on its own, such as a search title and meta description for each page, schema and an XML sitemap. Many now add AI features as well.
Do I need more than one SEO plugin?
No. Pick one that covers titles, descriptions, schema and sitemaps. Running two that do the same job means two sets of settings to keep in step.
Can an SEO plugin write my meta descriptions?
Several here have AI features that can draft them, but Google's advice is that a good meta description is short, unique to the page and covers its most relevant points, so read and edit every one.
Are WordPress SEO plugins free?
All ten here are free to install from the WordPress.org plugin directory, as of Oct 2026. Some makers sell extra features separately, so check the plugin page.
Is the most installed SEO plugin the right one for me?
Not necessarily. Install counts show how many sites use it, and rating counts show how many people reviewed it. Read both, then choose by the features you'll use.
