SEOPress vs The SEO Framework: two restrained plugins, measured
The SEO Framework is lighter and prints structured data where SEOPress free does not: +8.0 ms and 9 schema types against SEOPress's +24.5 ms and none. SEOPress is ahead on social tags and on a sitemap that includes archives and images, and it has a paid version that adds schema and more.
Both plugins are known for restrained admins without heavy upselling, which makes this a closer call on experience than on numbers. Every number below is a median of 13 requests per URL after 6 warm-up requests, taken with only the free edition of one plugin active; see the benchmark results. Hydrogen SEO is ours and stays out of this pair.
The numbers
| Measured | SEOPress 10.2 | The SEO Framework 5.1.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Front-end PHP time added | +24.5 ms | +8 ms |
| Peak memory added | +6.5 MB | +2 MB |
| Database queries added | +1 | +0 |
| Hooks registered | +114 | +8 |
<head> bytes added | +2,380 | +3,821 |
| Meta description by default | Yes | Yes |
| JSON-LD types printed | 0 | 9 |
| Open Graph / X tags | 10 / 6 | 10 / 5 |
| Sitemap URLs listed | 58 | 51 |
| Sitemap image entries | 40 | 0 |
lastmod coverage | 50 / 58 | 51 / 51 |
| Custom database tables | 1 | 0 |
| Autoloaded options added | +3.6 KB | +4.2 KB |
| Plugin package size | 11.7 MB | 2.9 MB |
| Block editor assets | 17 files, 217 KB | 25 files, 77.6 KB |
| After deactivation | No reduction at all | Releases everything (exact baseline) |
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. Each column heading names the version that was measured. Bold marks the better number in each row. Full method: how we tested.
What the numbers mean
On cost, The SEO Framework wins nearly every row. The SEO Framework's memory grew +2.0 MB to SEOPress's +6.5 MB, it added no queries against 1, registered 8 hooks against 114, and its package is 2.9 MB next to 11.7 MB. SEOPress creates one table; The SEO Framework creates none. In the editor it loaded 77.6 KB against SEOPress's 217 KB, both light by the standard of this field. SEOPress's <head> was smaller (2,380 bytes against 3,821), but mostly because it prints no JSON-LD. Autoloaded options were close (4.2 KB for The SEO Framework, 3.6 KB for SEOPress).
Deactivation separates them clearly. The SEO Framework restored the exact baseline. SEOPress released none of its autoloaded options.
Output splits by category. Schema goes to The SEO Framework: 9 JSON-LD types in 1,881 bytes against nothing from SEOPress free at defaults. Social tags go to SEOPress, narrowly: 10 Open Graph and 6 X against 10 and 5. The sitemap is the interesting row. SEOPress listed 58 URLs including archives with all 40 featured images, but left 8 URLs without lastmod, and it uses the unusual /sitemaps.xml path. The SEO Framework's flat sitemap listed 51 URLs, posts and pages only, with no images and lastmod on every URL.
Both generate meta descriptions and canonicals. Neither has the dense module layout of the biggest plugins. SEOPress has more settings and a paid tier for schema and extras, which suits agencies. The SEO Framework prefers automatic defaults, has no AI features, and asks you to change very little.
Features: free, paid or not offered
| Feature | SEOPress 10.4 | The SEO Framework 5.2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Search engine verification codes | Free | Free |
| IndexNow instant indexing | Free | — |
| Redirect manager | Paid | — |
| 404 monitor | Paid | No |
| SEO column on the Posts screen | Free | Free |
| SEO fields in Quick Edit | Free | Free |
| Attachment page redirects | Free | — |
| Author and date archive controls | Free | Free |
| max-snippet and preview controls | — | Free |
| Primary category | Free | Free |
| Internal link counts on the Posts screen | Free | — |
| Automatic image alt attributes | Free | — |
| HTML sitemap | Free | — |
| Crawl cleanup switches | Free | — |
| Video sitemap | Paid | — |
| Google News sitemap | Paid | — |
| llms.txt | Paid | — |
This table is not benchmark data. It is based on each plugin's WordPress.org listing, the code of its free version there, and its official documentation and pricing pages, checked on 12 November 2026, for the version in each column heading. Free means the feature is in the plugin's own free version. Paid means it needs that plugin's paid version or a paid add-on. No means the plugin's listing says it does not offer it. A dash means we could not confirm it either way; it does not mean the feature is missing. A row says a feature exists, not how complete it is. Plugins change, so check the plugin's own site before relying on a cell. If a cell is wrong, tell us and we will correct it.
Choose SEOPress if
- You want featured images and archives in your sitemap.
- You want more settings and a paid tier to grow into.
- You manage client sites and want a restrained, configurable admin.
- You will get schema from SEOPress PRO or a dedicated schema plugin.
Choose The SEO Framework if
- You want schema from the free plugin (9 types at defaults).
- You want the lowest cost we measured and zero extra queries.
- You want a clean deactivation that leaves nothing behind.
- You prefer automatic defaults to settings screens.
Switching between them
SEOPress's migration tool can import from The SEO Framework among other plugins; check its documentation for current coverage. For the other direction, check The SEO Framework's documentation for migration options, and note that SEOPress's title templates have no equivalent syntax in The SEO Framework, so verify titles afterwards. Hydrogen SEO imports from both, including each one's per-page redirects, as the importer documentation explains.
Common questions
Which is lighter, SEOPress or The SEO Framework?
The SEO Framework: +8.0 ms, +2.0 MB and 0 queries against SEOPress's +24.5 ms, +6.5 MB and 1 query in our benchmark.
Does The SEO Framework print schema?
Yes, 9 JSON-LD types in 1,881 bytes at defaults. SEOPress free printed none on the same post.
Whose sitemap is more complete?
SEOPress includes archives and 40 featured images across 58 URLs. The SEO Framework's flat sitemap has 51 URLs, posts and pages only, with no images but full lastmod.