Rank Math
by Rank Math
The modern WordPress SEO plugin. Free tier matches Yoast Premium feature surface, faster release cadence.
- Lighthouse
- 89 / 100 Tested June 1, 2026
- Accessibility
- WCAG AA
- Open CVEs
- 0
- Last release
- May 28, 2026 v1.0.245
- WP.org rating
- 4.8
Rank Math launched in 2018 as the aggressive modern alternative to Yoast SEO. The free version matches features that Yoast charges Premium for: multiple focus keywords, redirect manager, internal linking suggestions, schema markup controls. Faster release cadence than Yoast. The most credible Yoast competitor by install count.
Pros
- Free tier matches Yoast Premium on many features (multiple keywords, redirects, schema controls)
- Modern admin UI with cleaner information hierarchy than Yoast
- Faster release cadence and more aggressive feature shipping
- Strong WooCommerce-specific SEO controls
Cons
- Newer codebase and smaller team mean slightly less battle-tested than Yoast
- Pro upsell flow is also aggressive (just in a different style than Yoast)
- Less independent education / training material than Yoast Academy
Pick Rank Math when you want maximum SEO feature surface in the free tier and you prefer a modern admin UI over a more battle-tested but older codebase.
Avoid for sites where decade-of-Yoast-experience integrations matter (e.g., legacy WP setups with custom Yoast hooks) or where you specifically want the Yoast educational ecosystem.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Rank Math better than Yoast?
- Depends on the axis. Rank Math wins on free-tier feature depth (multiple focus keywords, redirect manager, schema controls). Yoast wins on community support, educational resources, and battle-tested integration. Both are credible; for new sites in 2026 the editorial pick is Rank Math.
- Is Rank Math free?
- Yes. The free version is unusually generous. Rank Math Pro ($79/year) adds advanced schema, analytics, and more focus keywords; the free tier alone matches what Yoast charges Premium for in many cases.
- Rank Math vs All in One SEO?
- Rank Math has the more aggressive feature-shipping pace. AIOSEO benefits from Awesome Motive ecosystem integration. Rank Math is the editorial pick on raw feature surface; AIOSEO is the pick if you're already running other Awesome Motive products.
- Who owns Rank Math?
- MyThemeShop, an India-based WordPress products company. The vendor has run a portfolio of themes and plugins for over a decade and has a track record of consistent product launches.
Recent releases
- v1.0.245 May 28, 2026
AI title generation improvements, schema markup updates
- v1.0.244 May 10, 2026
WooCommerce 9.0 compatibility
- v1.0.243 April 22, 2026
Patch release for redirect manager
- v1.0.242 March 30, 2026
Schema generator UI improvements
- v1.0.241 March 8, 2026
Security patch
- v1.0.240 February 15, 2026
Internal linking algorithm tweaks
- v1.0.239 January 22, 2026
Maintenance release
- v1.0.238 December 18, 2025
Patch release
| Product | Category | Price | Lighthouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| | SEO | Free, Pro from $79 | 89 |
| | SEO | Free, Pro from $119 | 87 |
| | SEO | Free, Pro from $49 | 88 |
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Performance testing
Tested on Kinsta Starter (Google Cloud C3D, Iowa). Configuration: Rank Math default settings, Twenty Twenty-Four theme baseline, mobile, 4G simulated, cold cache. 5 runs, median reported. Raw Lighthouse JSON downloadable on request.
Vulnerability tracking
Open and recently closed CVE counts pulled from Patchstack and Wordfence Intelligence on every build. Last disclosure date reflects the most recent public CVE for this plugin, not necessarily the most recent vendor patch.