SEO MCP (Delulu9) vs seo-mcp by cnych: Hosted Simplicity or Self-Hosted Power?

Same Name, Different Tools Entirely

The naming overlap is confusing, so let’s clear it up immediately. If you’ve searched for “seo mcp github alternative” or “seo mcp vs cnych seo mcp,” you’ve found two completely different tools that happen to share a name. One is a hosted service. The other is an open-source project you run yourself.

Here’s what actually matters when choosing between them.

What cnych’s seo-mcp Does

The seo-mcp project by cnych on GitHub is a free, open-source MCP server that connects to the Ahrefs API. It gives you keyword ideas, backlink data, keyword difficulty scores, and domain-level metrics – all powered by whatever Ahrefs plan you’re paying for separately.

The tool itself is free. But it requires an active Ahrefs subscription to function, and Ahrefs starts at $99/mo for their Lite plan. You also need to self-host the MCP server, which means cloning the repo, configuring your Ahrefs API key, and keeping the server running.

If you already pay for Ahrefs, this is a clever way to pipe that data into Claude Code. The Ahrefs dataset is massive and well-respected in the SEO industry.

What SEO MCP (Delulu9) Does

SEO MCP by Delulu9 is a hosted keyword research service. You sign up, get an API key, and connect via MCP or REST API. No self-hosting, no separate data subscriptions. It pulls from Google, Bing, and Reddit for keyword data, does intent categorization, and provides difficulty scoring.

It costs $12/mo with everything included. It ships with Claude and Cursor templates so the setup is basically: paste your API key and go.

Quick Comparison

Feature	seo-mcp (cnych)	SEO MCP (Delulu9)
Price	Free (requires Ahrefs)	$12/mo all-inclusive
True cost	$99+/mo (Ahrefs sub)	$12/mo
Data source	Ahrefs	Google, Bing, Reddit
Backlink data	Yes	No
Keyword research	Yes	Yes
Intent categorization	No	Yes
Difficulty scoring	Yes (Ahrefs KD)	Yes
Self-hosting required	Yes	No
Setup complexity	Medium (clone, configure, run)	Low (API key only)
Editor templates	No	Claude + Cursor
Open source	Yes	No

Where cnych’s seo-mcp Wins

If you’re already an Ahrefs customer, this is a no-brainer add-on. You’re paying for the data anyway – cnych just gives you an MCP interface to access it from your coding environment. The Ahrefs dataset includes backlink analysis, domain metrics, and content gap data that SEO MCP doesn’t provide.

For agencies and larger teams with existing Ahrefs subscriptions, the self-hosting overhead is minimal compared to the value of accessing that data inside Claude Code.

The open-source nature also means you can modify it. If you need custom behavior or want to extend the tool, you have the source.

Where SEO MCP (Delulu9) Wins

The math is straightforward. If you don’t already have Ahrefs, your real cost comparison is $12/mo versus $99+/mo. For indie developers, solo founders, and small teams, that’s not a close call.

No self-hosting means no server to maintain, no Docker setup, no updates to pull. You get an API key and you’re running in minutes. The intent categorization is a feature cnych’s tool doesn’t have at all, and it makes a real difference when you’re trying to prioritize keywords by commercial value.

The Claude and Cursor templates remove another friction point. You don’t need to figure out MCP configuration from scratch.

The Real Decision Point

This comparison comes down to one question: do you already pay for Ahrefs?

If yes, try cnych’s seo-mcp first. You have the data, and the tool is free. You might still want SEO MCP for its intent categorization and Reddit data, but start with what you’re already paying for.

If no, SEO MCP is the obvious choice. Paying $99+/mo for Ahrefs just to use an MCP server makes no sense when you can get solid keyword research for $12/mo with zero setup. As an seo mcp github alternative that just works out of the box, it’s hard to argue with the simplicity.

The Recommendation

For most developers doing keyword research as part of their SEO workflow, SEO MCP by Delulu9 is the practical pick. It’s affordable, hosted, and ready to use immediately. If you’re already deep in the Ahrefs ecosystem and want to bring that data into Claude Code, cnych’s open-source tool is a smart addition. But don’t buy Ahrefs just to use it – that’s solving a $12 problem with a $99 tool.