# SE Ranking vs Frase: which do AI models recommend for SEO, September 2026

GTM AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, SEO and content optimization platforms. Zero of twelve models named SE Ranking first on the direct prompt; zero named Frase. Page: https://gtm-ai-index.com/marketing/seo-content-optimization/se-ranking-vs-frase/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE Ranking | 6% | #5 of 16 | 8% | 24 | 11 of 12 |
| Frase | 4% | #7 of 16 | 7% | 41 | 12 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Semrush, Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, SE Ranking)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Frase, MarketMuse, Semrush)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Ahrefs, Semrush) (alternatives: Clearscope, HubSpot, SE Ranking, Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, Surfer SEO)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Sight AI) (alternatives: Intero Digital, Stratabeat, Ubersuggest, Virayo, Writesonic)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Conductor)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Surfer SEO)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: HubSpot Content Hub, HubSpot Marketing Hub) (alternatives: Clearscope, MarketMuse, Semrush, Surfer SEO)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, MarketMuse, Surfer SEO)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named (first choices: Keygrip) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, Screaming Frog, Semrush, Surfer SEO)
- Kimi K2: neither named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, MarketMuse, Screaming Frog, Surfer SEO)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither named (first choices: Semrush) (alternatives: Ahrefs, Clearscope, NeuronWriter, Surfer SEO)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Surfer SEO) (alternatives: Ahrefs, MarketMuse)

## What the models said about SE Ranking

- "SE Ranking is solid for agencies and cost-conscious teams, but may fall short for enterprises needing deeper backlink analysis or more advanced SEM integration" (Perplexity Sonar, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "SE Ranking jumped significantly (now ~$103+/mo)" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "The best SEO and content optimization platform for a company with a limited budget is SE Ranking, which costs $55/month" (Llama 4 Maverick, budget prompt, first choice)
- "or SE Ranking ($44/month) if you want a complete SEO platform including content optimization features" (Mistral Small, budget prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Frase

- "Frase - Low-cost option with user reports of inaccurate recommendations" (Mistral Small, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Criticized as "dead" in 2026—doesn't account for LLMs" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "excellent tools when used correctly, but they are highly dangerous when misused" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Frase gives you content briefs and optimization at a fraction of the cost... it offers the most functionality per dollar" (Claude Haiku 4.5, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Frase is the best starting point for most small companies" (GPT-5.4 mini, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Budget-conscious | Frase | $15/month" (Kimi K2, negative prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.