Yoast SEO alternatives: six plugins measured on the same site
If you are leaving Yoast SEO because of weight, The SEO Framework is the strongest alternative we measured: +8.0 ms of PHP time and zero extra queries, against Yoast's +39.0 ms, with a meta description and a 9-type schema graph by default. If you want to keep a fuller sitemap and a dashboard, Hydrogen SEO and Rank Math are the closer matches.
Every number here comes from our seven-plugin benchmark: WordPress 7.1, one plugin active at a time, database restored between runs, free versions at defaults. We build Hydrogen SEO, one of the six options below, so we have ranked it where the numbers put it rather than first.
Why people look for an alternative
Yoast is the most complete plugin we tested, and that is also why people leave it. The reasons that show up in the data:
- Editor weight. Yoast loaded 48 files and 4,160 KB of its own assets into the block editor, the heaviest figure we recorded. Every alternative below loads less.
- Server cost. +39.0 ms of PHP time, +10.5 MB of memory and 187 registered hooks, the largest hook surface in the field. Its query count is low (+3), thanks to its indexables tables.
- Six custom tables that remain after deactivation, plus 13.6 KB of autoloaded options, 2.6 KB of which stayed after we deactivated it.
- No meta description by default. On a post with no description typed and no template set, Yoast prints no description tag. Every other plugin here generates one.
Reasons to stay: Yoast printed the richest schema graph (12 JSON-LD types) and the most complete sitemap (75 URLs, 40 images, lastmod on 74) we measured. It has the longest track record, the most documentation and the traffic-light content analysis many teams rely on. If those matter to you and your hosting absorbs the cost, staying is a reasonable choice. Setting a description template fixes the biggest default gap.
The SEO Framework
Measured on 5.1.4: +8 ms front-end, +0 queries, 9 JSON-LD types, 0 custom tables
The lightest plugin we measured: +8.0 ms, +2.0 MB, zero queries and 8 hooks, with 77.6 KB of editor assets against Yoast's 4,160 KB. It prints a meta description, the same 10 Open Graph and 5 X tags as Yoast, and 9 schema types. The trade is its sitemap: a flat 51-URL file with posts and pages only and no images. See Yoast vs The SEO Framework.
Hydrogen SEO
Measured on 0.0.18: +12.9 ms front-end, +1 queries, 10 JSON-LD types, custom tables in 0.0.31: 1 (2 with the 404 Monitor on)
Our plugin, so weigh this accordingly. It added +12.9 ms, 1 query and no tables in the version we benchmarked (0.0.31 has two of its own: one holding link counts, one for 404 hits that exists only after you enable the monitor), and it keeps most of what Yoast users expect from output: 10 schema types in 2,071 bytes, a 72-URL sitemap with all 40 images and
lastmodon every URL, and a description by default. Its editor is 700.4 KB, far below Yoast but heavier than the lightest plugins, and it is Beta software. It imports Yoast and Yoast Premium data, including redirects, with a dry run and an Undo; see Hydrogen SEO vs Yoast SEO.Slim SEO
Measured on 4.10.1: +10 ms front-end, +2 queries, 10 JSON-LD types, 0 custom tables
Nearly Yoast-sized schema (10 types in 3,828 bytes) and a 73-URL sitemap with images, for +10.0 ms, a 1.4 MB package and no tables. It adds no admin menus and has very little to configure, so it suits sites that want to stop thinking about SEO settings. Its gaps are 2 X tags and 23 of 73 sitemap URLs without
lastmod. See Yoast vs Slim SEO.Rank Math
Measured on 1.0.278: +36.1 ms front-end, +16 queries, 6 JSON-LD types, 6 custom tables
The closest in spirit: feature-dense, highly configurable, with a generous free tier. It is only slightly cheaper on PHP time (+36.1 ms) and adds more queries (+16), but its editor is less than half of Yoast's at 1,792 KB and it prints the fullest social tags we measured. Its sitemap omits featured images and tag and author archives at defaults, and it prints nothing until you finish or skip its setup wizard.
SEOPress
Measured on 10.2: +24.5 ms front-end, +1 queries, 0 JSON-LD types, 1 custom tables
Much lighter than Yoast (+24.5 ms, 1 query, 217 KB in the editor) with a restrained admin and a sitemap that includes images. The catch for Yoast users is schema: the free version printed no JSON-LD at defaults, so you would need its paid version or another tool to replace what Yoast prints. See Yoast vs SEOPress.
All in One SEO
Measured on 5.0.1.1: +53.5 ms front-end, +22 queries, 8 JSON-LD types, 9 custom tables
Only worth it if you want a guided, polished interface and a large product family. It is heavier than Yoast on nearly every server metric (+53.5 ms, 22 queries, nine tables) and its dashboard measured 511 KB, though its editor is somewhat lighter at 3,543 KB. It does print a meta description by default.
All seven, measured
| Measured | Yoast SEO 28.4 | The SEO Framework 5.1.4 | Hydrogen SEO 0.0.18 | Slim SEO 4.10.1 | Rank Math 1.0.278 | SEOPress 10.2 | All in One SEO 5.0.1.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front-end PHP time added | +39 ms | +8 ms | +12.9 ms | +10 ms | +36.1 ms | +24.5 ms | +53.5 ms |
| Peak memory added | +10.5 MB | +2 MB | +4.5 MB | +2 MB | +8.5 MB | +6.5 MB | +14.5 MB |
| Database queries added | +3 | +0 | +1 | +2 | +16 | +1 | +22 |
| Hooks registered | +187 | +8 | +22 | +51 | +155 | +114 | +100 |
<head> bytes added | +5,656 | +3,821 | +4,259 | +1,649 | +4,965 | +2,380 | +6,668 |
| Meta description by default | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| JSON-LD types printed | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Open Graph / X tags | 10 / 5 | 10 / 5 | 10 / 5 | 11 / 2 | 11 / 8 | 10 / 6 | 6 / 3 |
| Sitemap URLs listed | 75 | 51 | 72 | 73 | 59 | 58 | 73 |
| Sitemap image entries | 40 | 0 | 40 | 40 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
lastmod coverage | 74 / 75 | 51 / 51 | 72 / 72 | 50 / 73 | 59 / 59 | 50 / 58 | 73 / 73 |
| Custom database tables | 6 | 0 | 1 (2 with the 404 Monitor on) | 0 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| Autoloaded options added | +13.6 KB | +4.2 KB | +0.4 KB | -0.2 KB | +11.6 KB | +3.6 KB | +14.6 KB |
| Plugin package size | 21 MB | 2.9 MB | 4.6 MB | 1.4 MB | 15.1 MB | 11.7 MB | 24.4 MB |
| Block editor assets | 48 files, 4,160 KB | 25 files, 77.6 KB | 2 files, 700.4 KB | 14 files, 187.7 KB | 24 files, 1,792 KB | 17 files, 217 KB | 130 files, 3,543 KB |
| After deactivation | +2.6 KB left autoloading, 6 tables remain | Releases everything (exact baseline) | +0.2 KB left autoloading | Releases everything | +11.0 KB still autoloading | No reduction at all | No reduction: 14.5 KB still autoloading |
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.
Hydrogen SEO's figures were measured on 0.0.18 and have not been re-run on later versions. The custom tables row is the exception: it is counted from the 0.0.31 source. A default install has one table, for the internal link counter. Switching on the 404 Monitor, which is off by default, creates a second for its log. Deleting the plugin removes both.
Features: free, paid or not offered
| Feature | Yoast SEO 28.8 | The SEO Framework 5.2.1 | Hydrogen SEO 0.0.31 | Slim SEO 4.11.5 | Rank Math 1.0.282 | SEOPress 10.4 | All in One SEO 5.0.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search engine verification codes | Free | Free | Free | — | Free | Free | Free |
| IndexNow instant indexing | Paid | — | Free | — | Free | Free | Paid |
| Redirect manager | Paid | — | Free | Free | Free | Paid | Paid |
| 404 monitor | — | No | Free | Free | Free | Paid | Paid |
| SEO column on the Posts screen | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| SEO fields in Quick Edit | — | Free | Free | Free | Paid | Free | — |
| Attachment page redirects | Free | — | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Author and date archive controls | Free | Free | Free | — | Free | Free | Free |
| RSS feed text | Free | — | Free | — | Free | — | Free |
| max-snippet and preview controls | — | Free | Free | — | Free | — | Free |
| Primary category | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Paid |
| Internal link counts on the Posts screen | Free | — | Free | — | Free | Free | — |
| Automatic image alt attributes | — | — | Free | Free | Free | Free | Paid |
| Table of contents block | Paid | — | Free | — | Free | — | Free |
| HTML sitemap | — | — | Free | — | Free | Free | Free |
| Pillar or cornerstone content flag | Free | — | Free | — | Free | — | Paid |
| Crawl cleanup switches | Free | — | Free | — | — | Free | — |
| Video sitemap | Paid | — | Free | — | Paid | Paid | Paid |
| Google News sitemap | Paid | — | Free | Free | Paid | Paid | Paid |
| llms.txt | Free | — | Free | — | Free | Paid | Free |
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.
Common questions
What is the lightest alternative to Yoast SEO?
The SEO Framework, in our benchmark: +8.0 ms and 0 queries against Yoast's +39.0 ms and 3. Slim SEO was close behind at +10.0 ms with the smallest package.
Which Yoast alternative keeps the most output?
Hydrogen SEO and Slim SEO came closest on schema and sitemap images. Hydrogen SEO also stamped lastmod on every sitemap URL. Neither matched Yoast's 12 schema types or 75 URLs exactly.
Will I lose data switching from Yoast?
Not if you use an importer and verify afterwards. Several alternatives can import Yoast data. Yoast's six tables stay in the database after deactivation until Yoast is uninstalled.