Yoast SEO vs SEOPress: complete output against a lighter build
Choose on structured data. Yoast SEO printed 12 JSON-LD types, the richest graph we measured, while SEOPress free printed none at default settings. SEOPress is cheaper almost everywhere else: +24.5 ms of PHP time against +39.0 ms, a fifth of the memory growth, and roughly a twentieth of Yoast's editor weight.
Figures are from our seven-plugin benchmark, free versions at defaults on one WordPress 7.1 install. We build Hydrogen SEO, which is not in this pair.
The numbers
| Measured | Yoast SEO 28.4 | SEOPress 10.2 |
|---|---|---|
| Front-end PHP time added | +39 ms | +24.5 ms |
| Peak memory added | +10.5 MB | +6.5 MB |
| Database queries added | +3 | +1 |
| Hooks registered | +187 | +114 |
<head> bytes added | +5,656 | +2,380 |
| Meta description by default | No | Yes |
| JSON-LD types printed | 12 | 0 |
| Open Graph / X tags | 10 / 5 | 10 / 6 |
| Sitemap URLs listed | 75 | 58 |
| Sitemap image entries | 40 | 40 |
lastmod coverage | 74 / 75 | 50 / 58 |
| Custom database tables | 6 | 1 |
| Autoloaded options added | +13.6 KB | +3.6 KB |
| Plugin package size | 21 MB | 11.7 MB |
| Block editor assets | 48 files, 4,160 KB | 17 files, 217 KB |
| After deactivation | +2.6 KB left autoloading, 6 tables remain | 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
SEOPress is the lighter plugin by a clear margin. It added +6.5 MB of memory against Yoast's +10.5 MB, 1 query against 3, 114 hooks against 187, and ships 11.7 MB against 21.0 MB. Its autoloaded options grew by 3.6 KB against Yoast's 13.6 KB. It creates one custom table; Yoast creates six. In the editor the gap is the widest of any pair: SEOPress loaded 17 files and 217 KB, Yoast 48 files and 4,160 KB.
SEOPress's <head> grew by 2,380 bytes against Yoast's 5,656, but most of that saving is the schema it does not print. Its meta and social coverage is good: it prints a meta description by default (Yoast does not when nothing is typed and no template is set), 10 Open Graph and 6 X tags against Yoast's 10 and 5. SEOPress offers schema in its paid version; we tested free versions only.
Sitemaps favor Yoast. Both include all 40 featured images. Yoast listed 75 URLs with 74 stamped with lastmod; SEOPress listed 58 with 50 stamped, and uses /sitemaps.xml rather than the more common filename. It is declared in robots.txt, so crawlers find it, but submit the right URL in Search Console.
On deactivation neither is clean. Yoast left 2.6 KB autoloading plus six tables; SEOPress released none of its autoloaded options, though at 3.6 KB there is less to release. The trade in one sentence: Yoast gives the most complete free output and charges for it in weight; SEOPress is lean and restrained and expects you to pay for, or add, schema.
Choose Yoast SEO if
- You want rich schema out of the free plugin (12 types at defaults).
- You want the most complete sitemap we measured, 75 URLs with images.
- You want the longest track record and the deepest documentation.
- Editor weight and server cost are not your constraint.
Choose SEOPress if
- You want a much lighter editor (217 KB against 4,160 KB) and lower server cost.
- You want meta descriptions generated by default.
- You plan to buy its paid version, or you add schema another way.
- You manage many sites and value a restrained admin.
Switching between them
SEOPress includes a migration tool that imports from Yoast among other plugins, so moving to SEOPress is straightforward; check its documentation for the current source list. Moving from SEOPress to Yoast has less vendor tooling, so plan to verify titles and descriptions by hand on key pages. Either way, keep the old plugin installed but deactivated until you have checked the output. Hydrogen SEO imports from both if you want a third option with schema in the free plugin; see switch from another SEO plugin.
Common questions
Does SEOPress free output schema?
Not at default settings. It printed no JSON-LD on a standard post in our benchmark. Yoast printed 12 schema types on the same post.
Which is lighter, Yoast or SEOPress?
SEOPress, on every cost we measured: +24.5 ms against +39.0 ms, +6.5 MB against +10.5 MB, one table against six, and 217 KB of editor assets against 4,160 KB.
Which sitemap is more complete?
Yoast's: 75 URLs, 40 image entries and lastmod on 74. SEOPress listed 58 URLs, 40 images and lastmod on 50.