CompareSurfer vs Frase
Surfer vs Frase: what each one costs a content site
Surfer and Frase both start at $49 a month, and both are editors: you choose a keyword, and the tool scores or drafts against it. Surfer's Discovery plan allows far more output, 120 documents a month against Frase Starter's 10 articles, but its competitor-gap feature, Content Ideas and Coverage Gap, sits on the $182 Pro plan; Frase's pages list no gap feature at any price. Frase bills lower yearly ($39 a month) and can publish a draft through its own agent; Surfer has no publishing step of its own.
Surfer and Frase compared
| Surfer | Frase | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan | Discovery, $49/mo | Starter, $49/mo ($39/mo billed yearly) |
| Keywords on that plan | Track 10 pages; 120 documents a month | 1 site; 10 articles and 50 audit pages a month |
| Rank checks | Not listed | Content Guard watches 10 pages; frequency not listed |
| Keywords competitors rank for and you don't | Content Ideas and Coverage Gap, from Pro ($182/mo) | Not listed |
| Scheduled competitor email | Not listed | Not listed |
| Tells you what to write | Yes, 120 documents a month, on demand | Yes, 10 articles a month, on demand or published by its agent |
| Backlink index and site audit | No | No |
| Free plan or trial | Not listed | 7-day trial, no card |
Figures from surferseo.com and surferseo.com and www.frase.io and www.frase.io, checked September 2026. "Not listed" means the vendor's pages don't say. Check their sites for current prices.
Where GapDigest fits
Neither tool tells you which keyword to write next; both wait for you to bring one. GapDigest picks it first, from the keywords a named competitor already ranks for that the site doesn't, and sends the post plan for it every week, with daily rank tracking and Search Console alongside, for $19.
- $19/mo ($190/yr)
- 200 tracked keywords
- Yes, on every plan: up to 10 per competitor
- Yes, on every plan: a post plan or refresh plan for each gap worth writing, 4 to 60 a month
When Surfer is the better choice
Stay with Surfer if you write inside its editor, want a term-by-term score while you draft, or publish for clients. GapDigest has no editor and never scores a draft; the post plan is a plan, and the writing happens wherever you write.
When Frase is the better choice
Choose Frase if you want the draft written and published for you, or you host on its CMS. GapDigest writes the post plan, not the post, and leaves the writing and the publishing to you.
Run the check on your own site
Your domain against one competitor, up to 20 keywords with searches, difficulty, and intent (the weekly report itself lists up to 10 per competitor). No login.
Questions
Which is cheaper, Surfer or Frase?
Surfer's cheapest paid plan is Discovery at $49/mo. Frase's is Starter at $49/mo ($39/mo billed yearly). Neither figure includes tax, and both are the vendor's own listed price as of September 2026.
Does Surfer or Frase show the keywords a competitor ranks for that you don't?
Surfer: Content Ideas and Coverage Gap, from Pro ($182/mo). Frase: not listed on its pricing pages. GapDigest includes that list on every plan, including the free one.
Where does GapDigest fit next to both?
Neither tool tells you which keyword to write next; both wait for you to bring one. GapDigest picks it first, from the keywords a named competitor already ranks for that the site doesn't, and sends the post plan for it every week, with daily rank tracking and Search Console alongside, for $19.
Are these prices still current?
Checked directly on Surfer's and Frase's own pricing pages in September 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so verify on their sites before you buy.