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JetOctopus vs Screaming Frog SEO Spider for Agencies (2026): Which Is Better?
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 8 min read
Summary
Choose Screaming Frog for low cost and flexibility. Choose JetOctopus for cloud scale, logs and agency pricing. Prices and ratings were checked in October 2026.
JetOctopus vs Screaming Frog SEO Spider: which is better for agencies in 2026?
JetOctopus and Screaming Frog are technical SEO crawlers. JetOctopus runs in the cloud with logs and agency pricing. Screaming Frog is a desktop tool with a per-user licence.
We compared price, scale, and evidence.
| Tool | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetOctopus | 4.2 / 5 | No review-site rating found | Agencies price list, annual billing: Growth $409, Pro $809 and Ultra $1,729 a month. Quarterly billing is $549, $1,089 and $2,299. An Unlimited plan is custom. The In-house price list is lower for Growth and Ultra. | Agencies to enterprise teams |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | 4.5 / 5 | G2 4.7 | Free version up to 500 URLs. Paid licence $279 per licence per year, with discounts from 5 licences. | Freelancers to large agencies |
How do JetOctopus and Screaming Frog SEO Spider compare on price?
JetOctopus agency plans cost $409, $809 or $1,729 a month billed yearly. Screaming Frog has a free version and a paid licence at $279 a year.
| Tool | Plan | Price | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| JetOctopus | Growth | $409 per month (annual billing); regular $549 | 500K crawled URLs a month, 2M log lines, unlimited projects and seats |
| JetOctopus | Pro | $809 per month (annual billing); regular $1,089 | 2M crawled URLs a month, 6M log lines, 1 tech SEO audit a year |
| JetOctopus | Ultra | $1,729 per month (annual billing); regular $2,299 | 5M crawled URLs a month, 12M log lines, 2 tech SEO audits a year |
| JetOctopus | Unlimited | Custom | Custom crawl volume and unlimited logs |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Free | $0 | Crawl up to 500 URLs, core features |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Paid licence | $279 per licence/year (annual billing) | Unlimited crawl, JavaScript rendering, scheduling, custom extraction and advanced configuration, full technical support |
Which costs less?
Screaming Frog, by a wide margin. A single licence costs less than one month of JetOctopus Growth.
JetOctopus has no per-seat fees, which matters for large teams.
Run a short side-by-side test before you decide. Give both tools the same real task, time how long each takes, and ask a colleague who did not set them up to try them. The result is usually clearer than any feature table.
Also check how each vendor handles renewal. Yearly plans are often billed in advance, price rises are common at renewal, and cancelling late can lock you into another term. Put the renewal date in the team calendar the day you buy, and decide a month earlier whether the tool earned its place.
Ask for a written statement of plan limits when you buy, because caps on seats, credits, or locations change from time to time, and a record of what you were promised is useful if a limit moves.
Which handles larger crawls?
JetOctopus crawls in the cloud with 500K to 5M URLs a month and no local machine load. Screaming Frog is limited by your hardware.
JetOctopus also joins logs, Search Console and GA4.
Remember that you can start small. Most vendors offer a trial or a free tier, so begin with the cheapest plan that covers your real work, and upgrade only when a specific limit blocks you.
Which has stronger evidence?
Screaming Frog shows a G2 score of 4.7 from a large base. JetOctopus showed no score in the snippet we read.
Neither stated SOC 2 or SSO.
Finally, think about exit costs. Check how easily you can export your data, and keep notes on how your setup is built, so a later switch does not mean starting from scratch.
How do JetOctopus and Screaming Frog SEO Spider compare on integrations, security, and support?
Beyond price, agencies ask about connections to their other tools, what to tell clients about security, and how quickly they can get help. This is what each vendor states publicly, as checked in October 2026.
| Area | JetOctopus | Screaming Frog SEO Spider |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Google Search Console, GA4 and Looker Studio on the Agencies plans; an integrations page lists the data sources | Google Analytics, Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Majestic, Ahrefs and Moz APIs; Looker Studio crawl reports, Google Sheets exports, and AI prompts through OpenAI, Gemini, Ollama and Anthropic |
| Security | The vendor says it complies with GDPR and does not collect, process or store users' personal data from logs; SOC 2, SSO and 2FA were not stated | Runs locally by default and stores crawl data on disk; robots.txt compliant with basic, digest and form authentication; Annual licence tied to an account and key; no SSO or compliance certifications apply or were stated |
| Support | Online support chat for everyone, even after a trial ends, in business hours Monday to Friday (EST), with SEO experts answering at no extra fee and 24/7 support on Enterprise; demo-led onboarding and a 7-day trial | Email support and a support page, with full technical support for licensed users; Response times are not stated |
| Apps | A mobile app was not stated; it is a cloud crawler used in the browser | Windows, macOS and Linux desktop; no mobile app |
What are the pros and cons of JetOctopus and Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
Here is where each tool helps agencies and where it can get in the way, based on plan details and public feedback.
JetOctopus pros
- The Agencies tab costs $409 a month on Growth, $809 on Pro and $1,729 on Ultra, billed yearly.
- Unlimited projects and unlimited seats on every plan.
- Agency plans add a Google News and Discover report and a Looker Studio integration, with all clients in one workspace.
- Log analysis, Search Console and GA4 integrations sit alongside the crawler.
JetOctopus cons
- Entry pricing is hundreds of dollars a month, far above desktop crawlers.
- Crawl volume is capped by plan: 500K, 2M or 5M URLs a month.
- The free trial of 7 days is arranged through a demo.
- SOC 2, SSO and 2FA were not stated, and a mobile app was not stated.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider pros
- Free for up to 500 URLs, then one annual licence for unlimited crawling.
- JavaScript rendering, custom extraction, and scheduled crawls with automatic exports.
- Pulls data from Google Analytics, Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Ahrefs, Majestic and Moz.
- Volume discounts from 5 licences.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider cons
- Licences are per user, so a team pays for every seat.
- White-label client reports are not stated, so agencies build reports elsewhere.
- It runs on your computer, so large crawls need a powerful machine.
- Support response times are not stated.
What do reviewers say about JetOctopus and Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
G2 shows Screaming Frog at 4.7 from 187 reviews. JetOctopus showed no score in the snippet we read.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | G2 | 4.7 / 5 | 187 |
Reviewer themes for JetOctopus
- G2 users praise fast crawling and comprehensive technical insights, though the score was not shown in the snippet we read.
- Reviewers value data accuracy and the log analyzer.
Reviewer themes for Screaming Frog SEO Spider
- G2 shows Screaming Frog at 4.7 from 187 reviews.
- A G2 reviewer uses it to run technical audits of client sites in bulk.
- Reviewers value the comprehensive data it pulls for pinpointing issues.
How does setup differ between JetOctopus and Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
Getting value from either tool depends on how you set it up, and the first steps differ. Here is the practical starting point for each.
JetOctopus: Book a demo and use the 7-day trial on one large client site.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Start with the free version on a small client site, and connect Google Analytics and Search Console through their APIs.
What should agencies check before choosing between JetOctopus and Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
Small details in plans and limits decide whether a tool works in practice. Check these points for each tool during a trial on a real client account.
Before you buy JetOctopus
- Read the Agencies tab.
- Estimate monthly crawled URLs.
- Ask about the trial.
- Ask for security documents.
Before you buy Screaming Frog SEO Spider
- Count the people who need a licence.
- Check your computer can handle your largest crawl.
- Decide how you will build client reports.
- Test the free version on a real site first.
How should you test JetOctopus and Screaming Frog SEO Spider before deciding?
The fairest test is to run both tools on the same real client account for two weeks, with the same people, and compare the results rather than first impressions.
What to measure
- How long it takes a new team member to be productive in JetOctopus versus Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
- How often people open each tool without being reminded.
- Whether the plan you need includes the features you tested, not just the entry price.
- How a client reacts if you invite them to either tool.
- How much time the team spends on notifications, setup, and cleanup each week.
Which should you choose: JetOctopus or Screaming Frog SEO Spider?
Choose Screaming Frog for low cost and flexibility. Choose JetOctopus for cloud scale, logs and agency pricing.
Many agencies use both.
Choose JetOctopus if
- You crawl large sites.
- You want logs, GSC and GA4 in one place.
- You want unlimited seats and projects.
Skip JetOctopus if
- You crawl small sites.
- You want a low entry price.
- You need stated security certifications.
Choose Screaming Frog SEO Spider if
- You run technical audits and want the deepest configuration.
- You want a low-cost annual licence and a free version to test.
- You are comfortable exporting data and building your own reports.
Skip Screaming Frog SEO Spider if
- You need white-label client reports out of the box.
- You want a cloud tool with no installation.
- You have many users and want flat pricing.
Frequently asked questions
- Is JetOctopus or Screaming Frog better?
- Screaming Frog for cost, JetOctopus for scale and logs.
- Which is cheaper?
- Screaming Frog.
- Which analyses logs?
- JetOctopus.
- Which has a free version?
- Screaming Frog, up to 500 URLs.
- Can I use both?
- Yes.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- JetOctopus pricing page
- Screaming Frog pricing page
- G2