openseo: Open Source Miscellaneous

What is openseo?

What it is

OpenSEO is an open-source SEO tool written in TypeScript under the MIT license. It is an alternative to paid SEO platforms such as Semrush and Ahrefs, and it lives in the open-source SEO tooling ecosystem. The project provides a hosted option, self-hosting paths, and an MCP server for agent use.

The concrete problem it addresses is the cost and complexity of SEO suites. OpenSEO presents focused workflows for keyword research, rank tracking, competitor insights, backlinks, site audits, and AI visibility. It also makes SEO data usable by AI agents through MCP and reusable skills, so agents such as Claude Code, OpenClaw, and Hermes can operate on the same data.

Key capabilities

Keyword research, rank tracking, competitor insights, backlink analysis, site audits, and AI visibility are listed as main SEO workflows.
An MCP server exposes SEO data to AI agents, including Claude Code, OpenClaw, and Hermes.
Agent Skills provide reusable workflows that guide an agent through SEO tasks using the MCP server.
Bring-your-own DataForSEO API key lets users pay for SEO data usage directly when self-hosting.
A hosted version is available at openseo.so, with a free trial and a $10/month subscription option.
Self-hosting is supported through Docker for personal use and Cloudflare for internet-facing deployments across devices or teams.
The MIT license lets users fork the project and build a custom tool.

Who uses it and how

Individual SEO users can run OpenSEO locally with Docker for personal testing and use.
Teams or users who need internet access can deploy it on Cloudflare, including the free plan, for multi-device or team use.
AI-agent users can connect Claude Code, OpenClaw, or Hermes to the MCP server and use Agent Skills for SEO workflows.
Developers can fork the TypeScript codebase and adapt the UI or workflows to a custom SEO tool.

Getting started

Users can try the hosted version at openseo.so, self-host with Docker for personal use, or deploy on Cloudflare for internet-facing use. A DataForSEO API key is required for SEO data, and local development instructions are in docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md.

When to use it — and when not to

OpenSEO suits users who want an open-source alternative to Semrush or Ahrefs and can supply a DataForSEO API key. Self-hosters must operate the chosen deployment and pay DataForSEO directly, while hosted users pay a 28% markup over DataForSEO request costs. The README notes Docker is a simple path for testing and that Railway, Coolify, and Dokploy support is planned to become simpler, so users needing immediate team hosting may prefer Cloudflare or the hosted service.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

OpenSEO

Open source alternative to Semrush and Ahrefs

OpenSEO is an SEO tool for the people. If tools like Semrush or Ahrefs are too expensive or bloated, OpenSEO is a pay-as-you-go alternative that you actually control.

All-in-one SEO tool for you and your AI agent.

Connect with any agent like Claude Code, OpenClaw or Hermes. We have pre-built skills, but you can build your own to tailor OpenSEO to your needs.

Hosted Version

Try OpenSEO for free on our website. If you want to support the project, a hosted subscription is $10/month.

openseo.so

Why use OpenSEO?

Best in class MCP and AI Skills.
Modern, simple UI.
- Focused workflows instead of a bloated, complex SEO suite.
No subscriptions.
- Bring your own DataForSEO API key and pay only for what you use.
Fork and vibe code your own custom tool.

Main SEO Workflows

Keyword research
Rank tracking
Competitor Insights
Backlinks
Site Audits
AI Visibility

OpenSEO MCP & Agent Skills

OpenSEO exposes an MCP server so AI agents like Claude Code, OpenClaw, and Hermes can use your SEO data directly. Agent Skills are reusable workflows that guide your agent through SEO tasks using the MCP.

Self-Hosting

OpenSEO supports two self-hosting paths:

Simple: Docker (Best for testing it out) - For personal use on your own machine. See docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md.
- Unless you already are self-hosting other apps and are confident doing so, we recommend self-hosting with Cloudflare as opposed to Railway, Coolify or Dokploy.
- We plan to make it simpler to host on those platforms in the next few months.
Recommended: Cloudflare - For internet-facing self-hosting across multiple devices or with your team (works on the free plan). See docs/SELF_HOSTING_CLOUDFLARE.md.

Either way, you need a DataForSEO API key to get SEO data. See docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md.

Costs

OpenSEO needs a DataForSEO API key so that you can get SEO data. You pay them directly when self hosting.

See openseo.so/pricing

When you self host, your costs will be slightly lower than the estimates on our website. The way the hosted service makes money is by charging 28% extra for every request we make to DataForSEO.

Local Development

See docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md.

Contributing

Creating clear issues is the best way to contribute.

Community

Join Discord to chat: Discord

Follow along for updates:

Follow on X: https://x.com/bensenescu
Sign up for the mailing list on our website: openseo.so

Frequently asked questions

Is openseo free to use?

openseo is open source under the MIT licence. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does openseo do?

Open source alternative to Semrush and Ahrefs

What is openseo written in?

openseo is primarily written in TypeScript. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/every-app/open-seo, and it has 19,046 GitHub stars.