If you have a WordPress website, you need SEO plugins. When it comes to SEO plugins, the two most popular are Yoast and Rank Math. Both promise to optimise your content for search engines, but which one is right for you? Read on to find the similarities and differences of each plugin. 

History into Yoast & Rank Math

• Yoast SEO has been around since 2010 and is the most popular SEO plugin for WordPress. It’s reliable, feature-rich and trusted by millions of website owners.
• Rank Math is the new kid on the block but has quickly gained popularity with its powerful features and user-friendly interface. Many users love it for offering advanced SEO features for free.

Pros and Cons of Yoast & Rank Math

Whilst both are solid options for a WordPress website if you are undecided about which plugin to download, here are some pros and cons of each: 

Rank Math Pros

• Rank Math offers more in its free version such as 404 detection, keyword analysis, local SEO and much more. 
• SEO Scoring – Gives your landing a score out of 100 (100 being the best) for content optimisation. 
• Website optimised – Rank Math is a smaller file to download not impacting the speed of your website. 
• Premium Version is not costly – The premium version of Rank Math is much cheaper than Yoast SEO. 
• Local SEO – Has advanced local SEO features for snippet support and integration with Google Maps. 

Rank Math Cons

• Less established – Rank Math is newer than Yoast SEO and therefore will not have gathered the same support as Yoast. 
• Too many new features – For beginners as Rank Math contains many new features it can potentially be overwhelming. 

Yoast Pros

• Readability – Yoast main focus is on readability and how content sounds with more detailed analysis tools available. 
• Reputation – Yoast being more established has a loyal fanbase with a large community of users. 
• Ease of use – Yoast’s interface is very user-friendly and good for beginners. 
• Premium – Yoast has premium features for advanced SEO content checks and internal and external link suggestions. 

Yoast Cons

 

• Fewer premium features than Rank Math
• Premium features – Some premium features require purchasing the premium plan or adding additional add-ons
• Larger file download – Yoast is a larger file size than Rank Math and could potentially perform slower. 

Which One to Choose?

If you prefer a tried and tested SEO plugin with a long history, Yoast SEO is the way to go. Great for beginners and has a huge support community.

If you want more free features, better performance and a modern interface, Rank Math is worth a look. Especially good for those who want everything in one plugin without extra add-ons.

In the end, both plugins are great choices—it comes down to personal preference and what fits your workflow.