OpenSEO or bisibility?
OpenSEO and bisibility overlap more than they used to, so the choice is now about scope and control rather than about which one has research.
OpenSEO is a broad, agent-first SEO toolkit: keyword research, rank tracking, domain overview, backlinks, site audits, AI visibility, and a Prompt Explorer, driven primarily through MCP and agent skills.
bisibility covers keyword research, backlinks, domain overview, and rank tracking. It adds the operational layer around them: a versioned REST API with SDKs and a CLI, signed webhooks, alerts, audit logs, team roles, per-keyword schedules, provider choice with fallback, spend caps, and a PostgreSQL database you can query directly.
Last verified: 2026-08-20
The short version
Which one fits your work?
OpenSEO is a better fit when you want site audits, AI visibility, and an agent-first workflow in one product. bisibility is a better fit when rank history is operational data: something you query, automate against, alert on, and control the provider and cost of.
OpenSEO makes sense if
You want site audits and AI visibility, an MIT license, and an MCP-first workflow.
bisibility makes sense if
You want research plus a REST API, alerts, team roles, provider choice, spend caps, and your own PostgreSQL data.
bisibility, OpenSEO, or DataForSEO?
The first two are ready-to-use products. DataForSEO is an API you build around.
| Capability | bisibility | OpenSEO | DataForSEO directly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data access | Rank-tracking UI + REST API + MCP | UI + MCP + workflows | Raw API |
| Ready-made interface | Yes | Yes | No |
| Keyword research | Yes | Yes | Build it yourself |
| Backlink research | Yes | Yes | Build it yourself |
| Site audit | No | Yes | Build it yourself |
| Rank history in your own database | PostgreSQL | D1/SQLite by default; optional PostgreSQL on self-host | Build it yourself |
| SERP provider choice | DataForSEO or SerpApi, with automatic fallback | DataForSEO only | Your own integration |
| Markup on provider data | None; you pay the provider directly | None on self-host; 28% on the hosted plan | None; you are the customer |
| Alerts and automations | Email + signed webhooks | Not publicly documented | Build it yourself |
| Minimum data spend to start | Self-host: $50 DataForSEO increments, or SerpApi plan | Hosted: $10/mo incl. $10 credits; self-host: $50 DataForSEO increments | $50 DataForSEO top-up increments |
Hosting and ownership
QuestionbisibilityOpenSEO
Self-hosting
Yes
Docker or Cloudflare
Database you operate
Yes - self-hosted
Self-hosted
Direct SQL access
Yes - self-hosted
Self-hosted
Self-hosted license
$0 / AGPL-3.0
$0 / MIT
Infrastructure operator
You, or bisibility on the hosted beta
You, or OpenSEO on the hosted plan
Hosted plan
Open beta
$10/mo incl. $10 usage credits
Audit log
Yes
Not compared
Data access and export
QuestionbisibilityOpenSEO
Full history export
Project package, CSV, and REST API
Rank-tracking CSV export
Raw SERP payload
Yes - self-hosted
Not compared
SERP data billing
Paid directly to provider
Direct to DataForSEO on self-host; +28% on hosted
Provider spend controls
Per-check cost tracking and monthly spend cap
Monthly credit balance
Automation and integrations
QuestionbisibilityOpenSEO
API access
REST API v1, OpenAPI, SDKs, CLI, MCP
MCP and agent skills; no public REST API
SERP provider choice
DataForSEO or SerpApi, with fallback
DataForSEO only
Team seats
Owner, Admin, Editor, Viewer
Single user; multi-user requested (issue #87)
Alerts and webhooks
Email alerts, weekly digest, signed webhooks
Not publicly documented
Provider fallback
Automatic DataForSEO to SerpApi fallback
No
Per-keyword schedules
Manual, daily, weekly, monthly, or custom cron
Per-tracker only; spec stage (issue #37)
Analytics connections
Search Console and Google Analytics 4, opt-in
Search Console; Analytics at spec stage (issue #30)
Product scope
QuestionbisibilityOpenSEO
Keyword research
Yes
Yes
Backlink research
Yes
Yes
Domain overview
Yes
Yes
Site audit
No
Yes
AI search visibility
On the roadmap
AI Visibility and Prompt Explorer
Before choosing OpenSEO
- No public REST API is documented. MCP and agent skills are the documented interfaces.
- The hosted service adds a 28% margin on top of each DataForSEO request, per the project README.
- Rank tracking relies on DataForSEO alone, with no alternative-provider fallback.
- User alerts and outbound webhook delivery are not publicly documented.
- Self-hosted multi-user access is an open request (issue #87), not a committed plan.
- Per-keyword tracking intervals are at spec stage (issue #37, PR #40 open).
What bisibility adds
- Research keywords, backlinks, and domain visibility through your own DataForSEO account.
- Automate with a versioned REST API, OpenAPI, TypeScript SDK, CLI, and MCP.
- Send email alerts, weekly digests, and signed webhooks on ranking and URL changes.
- Choose DataForSEO or SerpApi, with automatic fallback and a monthly spend cap.
- Give each keyword its own schedule, from manual to custom cron.
- Correlate rankings with deploys, CMS events, Search Console, and Google Analytics 4 on one timeline.
- Run Owner, Admin, Editor, and Viewer roles with an audit log.
- Store and query the full rank history in a PostgreSQL database you operate.
What you lose by switching
- Site audits and AI visibility.
- The built-in SEO agent and OpenSEO's broader MCP workflow.
- The MIT license and current hosted plan.
What you gain
- Keyword, backlink, and domain-overview research through your own DataForSEO account.
- REST API, OpenAPI, TypeScript SDK, CLI, and MCP access.
- Email alerts, signed webhooks, weekly digests, and spend caps.
- Provider choice, automatic fallback, and per-keyword schedules.
- Team roles, audit log, analytics connections, and your own PostgreSQL data.
Moving from OpenSEO
Export your keywords from OpenSEO, then import them into bisibility by CSV or API. Past ranking positions do not move with them. Keep the OpenSEO export if you need the old history.
Common questions
What is the main difference?
Scope and control. Both do keyword research, backlinks, domain overview, and rank tracking. OpenSEO adds site audits and AI visibility and is driven mainly through MCP. bisibility adds a REST API, alerts, webhooks, team roles, per-keyword schedules, provider choice with fallback, spend caps, and direct SQL access to your history.
Does OpenSEO have a public API?
OpenSEO does not document a public REST API. MCP is its documented interface. bisibility provides a REST API, OpenAPI, TypeScript SDK, CLI, and MCP access.
Can I migrate from OpenSEO to bisibility?
You can move your keyword list by CSV or API. Historical positions do not transfer, so keep the OpenSEO export if you need the old history.
What should teams know?
bisibility has team roles, alerts, and schedules for each keyword. OpenSEO's self-hosted multi-user support is still open in issue #87.
Will bisibility track AI visibility?
AI Overview and LLM visibility tracking is on the roadmap. When it lands, it writes to the same PostgreSQL database you already own, next to your rank history.
Operate rank history as your own data.
Run the app, PostgreSQL database, and scheduled-check worker on your own infrastructure. You operate upgrades, backups, monitoring, and provider secrets.