All in One SEO vs SEOPress: output against weight, measured
SEOPress is less than half the server cost of All in One SEO: +24.5 ms and 1 query per request against +53.5 ms and 22. All in One SEO's advantage is structured data: it printed 8 schema types at defaults, where SEOPress free printed none.
Both are full-featured plugins with paid versions, and both are aimed at people who want a lot in one place. We tested only the free downloads, left every setting as shipped and took the median of 13 requests per URL; the method is in the benchmark post. Hydrogen SEO is our plugin, not one of these two.
The numbers
| Measured | All in One SEO 5.0.1.1 | SEOPress 10.2 |
|---|---|---|
| Front-end PHP time added | +53.5 ms | +24.5 ms |
| Peak memory added | +14.5 MB | +6.5 MB |
| Database queries added | +22 | +1 |
| Hooks registered | +100 | +114 |
<head> bytes added | +6,668 | +2,380 |
| Meta description by default | Yes | Yes |
| JSON-LD types printed | 8 | 0 |
| Open Graph / X tags | 6 / 3 | 10 / 6 |
| Sitemap URLs listed | 73 | 58 |
| Sitemap image entries | 0 | 40 |
lastmod coverage | 73 / 73 | 50 / 58 |
| Custom database tables | 9 | 1 |
| Autoloaded options added | +14.6 KB | +3.6 KB |
| Plugin package size | 24.4 MB | 11.7 MB |
| Block editor assets | 130 files, 3,543 KB | 17 files, 217 KB |
| After deactivation | No reduction: 14.5 KB still autoloading | No reduction at all |
Measured on one WordPress 7.1 install (PHP 8.2, MySQL 8.0, Twenty Twenty-Five, 40 posts), each plugin alone with default settings, against a no-plugin baseline. Bold marks the better number in each row. Full method: how we tested.
What the numbers mean
The cost comparison is one-sided. Memory rose +14.5 MB for All in One SEO and +6.5 MB for SEOPress; the <head> gained 6,668 bytes versus 2,380; and the packages weigh 24.4 MB and 11.7 MB. It creates nine custom tables, SEOPress one. Autoloaded options grew by 14.6 KB against 3.6 KB. SEOPress registers slightly more hooks (114 against 100), the only cost row it loses.
The admin gap is the widest in this pair. All in One SEO's dashboard was 511 KB and its block editor pulled in 130 files totaling 3,543 KB. SEOPress's dashboard was 185.5 KB, with 17 editor files (217 KB). If your editors spend all day in wp-admin, that difference is felt.
Output favors All in One SEO in two places and SEOPress in two. All in One SEO printed 8 JSON-LD types in 4,544 bytes; SEOPress free printed no structured data. All in One SEO's sitemap listed 73 URLs with full lastmod, against SEOPress's 58 URLs with 8 unstamped. SEOPress's sitemap included all 40 featured images, where All in One SEO's free sitemap had none, and SEOPress printed fuller social tags (10 Open Graph and 6 X against 6 and 3). Both generate meta descriptions.
They share one weakness: deactivation. Neither released a single byte of its autoloaded options when deactivated in our test, so on both, deactivating is not the same as removing. The practical summary: All in One SEO gives more free output and a guided, polished setup at the highest cost we measured. SEOPress is lean and restrained and leaves schema to its paid version.
Choose All in One SEO if
- You want schema from the free plugin (8 types at defaults).
- You want archives in the sitemap and
lastmodon every URL. - You value a guided setup and polished, approachable screens.
- Server cost and admin weight are not a concern on your hosting.
Choose SEOPress if
- You want less than half the PHP time and 1 query instead of 22.
- You want a far lighter admin: 217 KB of editor assets against 3,543 KB.
- You want featured images in the sitemap and fuller social tags.
- You plan to use its paid version for schema, or add schema elsewhere.
Switching between them
Both vendors ship importers: All in One SEO can import SEOPress data, and SEOPress's migration tool can import from All in One SEO. Check each plugin's documentation for current coverage. Since All in One SEO's per-post values live in its own custom tables, do the import while it is still installed. After any move, compare titles, canonicals and robots on a handful of pages. Hydrogen SEO can also take data from either one, All in One SEO Pro and SEOPress PRO included, and prints schema without a paid tier; its import docs list every field.
Common questions
Is SEOPress lighter than All in One SEO?
Yes, on nearly every cost: +24.5 ms, +6.5 MB and 1 query against +53.5 ms, +14.5 MB and 22 queries, with one custom table against nine.
Does either clean up on deactivation?
Neither reduced its autoloaded options at all when deactivated in our test. All in One SEO left 14.5 KB loading on every request; SEOPress left its 3.6 KB.
Which prints schema for free?
All in One SEO printed 8 JSON-LD types at defaults. SEOPress free printed none on a standard post.