Cookie settings

Necessary cookies keep the site working. Analytics helps us see which pages are useful. Change your choice at any time from the footer.

Cookie policy on this site — full details: cookie categories, how we store your choice in the browser, and how to withdraw consent.

Necessary

Core site functions and your consent choice. Always on.

Analytics

Helps us understand how the site is used. Loaded only after you allow it.

GitHubDownload ZIP

Screaming Frog vs LibreCrawl

Screaming Frog (SEO Spider desktop crawler) and LibreCrawl (Open-source web-based SEO crawler (self-hosted)) on the same 24 capabilities, with a source for every cell and charts counted from the table.

Checked 21 October 2026 against each vendor's own public pages. Sources below.

Screaming Frog

SEO Spider desktop crawler

Paid licence $279 per user per year (1-4 licences)Runs on your machine

LibreCrawl

Open-source web-based SEO crawler (self-hosted)

Free, $0; donations requestedRuns on your machine

Compatibility at a glance

Screaming Frog scores 92 on coverage and 75 on automation; LibreCrawl scores 29 and 50. Both out of 100, counted from the table.

Out of 24 capabilities we compare for every tool.

11both have
11only Screaming Frog
2only LibreCrawl

Market map

Crawl, audit and data coverage / Automation and AI agents: SpiderHead 71·83, Screaming Frog 92·75, Sitebulb 88·58, Ahrefs Site Audit 75·75, Semrush Site Audit 63·75, SEOnaut 8·25, LibreCrawl 29·50, advertools 21·2500252550507575100100Crawl, audit and data coverage →Automation and AI agents →SpiderHeadScreaming FrogSitebulbAhrefs Site AuditSemrush Site AuditSEOnautLLibreCrawlAadvertools
Scores are counted from the table: yes = 1, partly = ½, no or not found in public docs = 0, as a share of the rows on each axis. Horizontal: Crawl, audit and data coverage (12 rows). Vertical: Automation and AI agents (6 rows). Hover or focus a marker for the breakdown; click to keep it open.

Coverage by group

Share of rows each tool covers in a group, 0–100, counted from the table below.

70Price and setup5 rows90
100Interfaces2 rows25
50AI agents and integrations2 rows50
100Crawl3 rows33
100Audit5 rows50
75Data sources4 rows0
83Reports and follow-up3 rows50
83Overall24 rows46

Side by side

CapabilityScreaming FrogLibreCrawl
Price and setup
Free to usePartly: Paid licence $279 per user per year (1-4 licences)Yes: Free, $0; donations requested
Open sourceNo: Proprietary; free version is closed sourceYes: Yes, MIT licence
Runs on your machineYes: Crawls run on your own machineYes: Self-hosted; Local mode on 127.0.0.1
Works without an accountYes: Licence key only; free version needs no sign-upPartly: Not in Local mode; login in Standard mode
Free tierYes: Free version crawls up to 500 URLsYes: No URL cap stated; guests 3 crawls/24h
Interfaces
Desktop appYes: Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon/Intel), LinuxNo: Web UI in browser (Docker or Python)
Command lineYes: Command-line crawling and exportsPartly: python main.py --local; no crawl CLI
AI agents and integrations
MCP server for AI agentsYes: Official MCP server since v24.0; paid licence onlyNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
APINo: No public REST API found; it consumes third-party APIsYes: Session-auth HTTP API, 19 endpoints
Crawl
JavaScript renderingYes: Integrated headless Chromium renderingYes: Yes, via Playwright (Chromium)
Scheduled crawlsYes: File > Scheduling with intervals and auto-exportsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Custom extractionYes: XPath, CSS Path, regex, custom searchNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Audit
Audit checksYes: Over 300 issues, warnings, opportunities (issues list)Not found in public docs: No count; 13 check areas listed
HreflangYes: Missing return tags, bad codes, non-200 URLsYes: Listed among audit checks
Structured dataYes: Schema.org and Google rich result validationPartly: Schema listed among audit checks
Core Web Vitals / LighthouseYes: PageSpeed Insights API: Lighthouse and CrUX dataYes: PageSpeed Insights Core Web Vitals
AccessibilityYes: Automated WCAG checks using axe rulesNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Data sources
Google Search ConsoleYes: Search Analytics and URL Inspection APIsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Google Analytics 4Yes: GA4 API connection during a crawlNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Backlink dataPartly: Link metrics via Majestic, Ahrefs, Moz APIsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Keyword dataPartly: Only GSC query/position data per URLNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
Reports and follow-up
Report exportsYes: Spreadsheets, XML sitemaps, Google Sheets, Looker StudioYes: CSV, XLSX, JSON, XML (site: CSV/JSON/XML)
Task list and fix recheckPartly: Re-crawl and compare crawls; no task tracker foundPartly: Issue filtering; no task tracking found
Reads Screaming Frog exportsYes: Native: opens .seospider and .dbseospider crawlsNot found in public docs: Not found in public docs
yespartlynonot found in public docs

Where each one is stronger

Screaming Frog

  • Mature, widely used crawler with a very large built-in issue list (over 300 as published).
  • Built-in headless Chromium rendering with raw-versus-rendered HTML comparison.
  • Direct API connections to Google Search Console, GA4, PageSpeed Insights, Majestic, Ahrefs and Moz inside the crawl.
  • Axe-based accessibility checks and Schema.org/rich result validation.
  • Saved crawl files, scheduling with auto-exports, and crawl comparison, with a free tier of 500 URLs.

LibreCrawl

  • Fully open source under MIT, so the code can be modified and self-hosted.
  • Multi-user mode with isolated sessions and tiers for teams sharing one server.
  • Browser plugin system: JavaScript files add custom tabs reading crawl data.
  • Documented HTTP API with crawl start, stop, pause, resume and export endpoints.
  • Built-in PageSpeed Insights and JavaScript rendering via Playwright.

Questions

Which is cheaper, Screaming Frog or LibreCrawl?
Screaming Frog: Paid licence $279 per user per year (1-4 licences). LibreCrawl: Free, $0; donations requested. Prices as published on 21 October 2026; check the vendors' pricing pages before you buy.
Does Screaming Frog or LibreCrawl run on my own machine?
Screaming Frog: crawls run on your own machine. LibreCrawl: self-hosted; Local mode on 127.0.0.1.
Can AI agents use Screaming Frog or LibreCrawl?
MCP server — Screaming Frog: official MCP server since v24.0; paid licence only; LibreCrawl: not found in public docs. API — Screaming Frog: no public REST API found; it consumes third-party APIs; LibreCrawl: session-auth HTTP API, 19 endpoints.
How much does Screaming Frog SEO Spider cost?
The pricing page on the check date lists $279 per licence per year for 1-4 licences, with lower per-licence prices from 5 licences. A free version crawls up to 500 URLs. Licences are per user.
Is LibreCrawl free?
Yes. The README and website state it is free and MIT-licensed; the author asks for optional donations.

How we compared

  • Every cell comes from the vendor's own public pages (product, documentation, pricing, release notes, repository) on 21 October 2026.
  • “Not found in public docs” means we could not confirm it from an official source, not that the feature is missing. Charts count it as 0.
  • Prices and plans change. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
  • Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.

Sources

Screaming Frog is a trademark of Screaming Frog Ltd. LibreCrawl is a trademark of LibreCrawl project (open source). Names and icons identify the products compared; SpiderHead is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Screaming Frog Ltd or LibreCrawl project (open source). Owners can ask us to remove an icon via contact.

Compare with SpiderHead

SpiderHead vs Screaming FrogSEO Spider desktop crawlerSpiderHead vs LibreCrawlOpen-source web-based SEO crawler (self-hosted)All tools, one table8 SEO crawlers and audit tools

Try SpiderHead on your own site

Download ZIPAll features