7 Managed SEO Services Compared, With Published Prices (2026)
Managed SEO means a provider runs your SEO for a monthly fee. Most lists rank agencies without saying what they cost, so this one starts from the price each service publishes on its own site.
For published, fixed monthly tiers, start with The HOTH (from $1,000/mo) or Boostability (from $299/mo for local SEO). For AI search work, MADX Digital publishes plans from $5,500/mo.
Links only: Loganix sells monthly link packages from $500/mo (2 guest post links) plus a $500 setup fee.
Bigger budgets: WebFX publishes tiers from $2,900/mo on a 6-month commitment. Thrive quotes only.
We checked seven managed SEO services on their own sites. Six publish a monthly price or price range. Starting prices ran from $299 to $5,500 a month, and the middle one was $875.
Checked 2 November 2026. Method.
Managed SEO prices compared
| Service | Published starting price | Top published tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The HOTH (HOTH X) | $1,000/mo | $10,000/mo | Dedicated SEO manager on every tier |
| Boostability | $299/mo | $3,600/mo | Local SEO entry plan |
| SEO.co | $750 to $2,500/mo | $20,000 to $75,000+/mo | Ranges, "not a quote". Services page says $2,000 to $3,000 minimum |
| Loganix | $500/mo + $500 setup | $1,000/mo + $500 setup | Monthly link packages |
| MADX Digital | $5,500/mo | $20,000+/mo | AI search focus, 12-month term price |
| WebFX | $2,900/mo | $9,200/mo | 6-month commitment |
| Thrive | Not published | Not published | Contact form budgets start at $2,500/mo |
The 7 managed SEO services
1. The HOTH (HOTH X)
Best for: a fixed monthly budget with a named contact.
- Four published tiers: Starter $1,000, Starter Plus $2,500, Business $5,000 and Enterprise $10,000 a month.
- Each tier lists a dedicated SEO manager, and the page says it will "work with whatever budget you give us".
2. Boostability
Best for: small local businesses.
- Local Search Starter from $299 a month. Professional Search from $600 a month on the plan card, though the same page's FAQ says Professional starts at $1,200. Ask which applies.
- Plans scale up to $3,600 a month for national and ecommerce campaigns. Business listings start at $49 a month.
3. SEO.co
Best for: seeing what each budget buys before you call.
- Four published ranges: Starter $750 to $2,500, Growth $2,500 to $7,500, Scale $7,500 to $20,000 and Enterprise $20,000 to $75,000+ a month. The page calls them "what to expect, not a quote".
- Its services page says managed engagements "typically start at $2,000–$3,000 per month minimum". The Starter range is labelled for local, single-location businesses.
- Each range lists monthly deliverables. Growth, for example, lists 4 to 8 articles and 6 to 15 editorial or niche-edit backlinks a month.
4. Loganix
Best for: sites that only want links handled each month.
- Standard Package: $500 setup, then $500 a month for 2 guest post links.
- Authority Package: $500 setup, then $1,000 a month for 2 authority links. Both start with a basic SEO review and a title and meta description update.
5. MADX Digital
Best for: brands that want to show up in AI answers.
- Authority $5,500, Growth $9,500 and Scale $14,500 a month at the 12-month rate. Enterprise is $20,000 and up.
- Rolling monthly plans cost more and have a 3-month minimum. The page says the 12-month term saves 15% on Authority.
6. WebFX
Best for: larger budgets that want a fixed tier.
- Five tiers on a 6-month commitment: Silver $2,900, Silver Plus $4,200, Gold $6,150, Platinum $7,400 and Diamond $9,200 a month.
- The tiers differ by scope, for example up to 150 target phrases on Silver and up to 300 on Diamond.
7. Thrive
Best for: companies spending $2,500 a month or more.
- No published price. The smallest budget its contact form offers is $2,500 to $5,000 a month.
What a month includes
Plan names do not compare. Deliverables do. Three published plans, as their own pages list them:
| Plan | Price | Listed each month |
|---|---|---|
| Loganix Standard | $500/mo + $500 setup | 2 guest post links, plus a one-time SEO review |
| SEO.co Growth | $2,500 to $7,500/mo | Site audit, on-page and technical fixes, 4 to 8 articles, 6 to 15 editorial or niche-edit links, reporting |
| WebFX Silver | $2,900/mo, 6-month commitment | Custom strategy, on-page SEO with copywriting and implementation, up to 150 target phrases |
Managed SEO or the alternatives
| Option | Who does the work | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Managed SEO | The provider, for a monthly fee | You want one team on strategy, content and links |
| In-house hire | Your own employee | SEO is a core channel and you can fund a salary |
| Do it yourself | You, with tools | A small site with time to learn: start with Google's SEO starter guide |
| One-off services | A specialist per job | One gap, such as an audit or links (see SEO outsourcing) |
If you only need the link building
Managed SEO bundles on-page work, content and links. If your site is in good shape and links are the gap, you can buy that part on its own. Loganix above is one option, and our managed link building page covers the rest.
MentionAgent runs the outreach side from $99/mo: it finds blog posts in your niche, looks up the authors, writes a pitch for each post and sends it from a separate sending domain. Emails can wait for your approval, or send on autopilot. It does not write your content, audit your site or pick your keywords.
Links are the gap? Run the outreach for $99/mo
MentionAgent finds the blogs in your niche, looks up the authors and writes each pitch. Check each email first, or let it send on autopilot.
Start Getting Mentioned On AutopilotHow to choose a managed SEO service
- Ask for the monthly deliverables in writing. Plan names differ. Pages fixed, articles published and links built a month do not.
- Ask about the term. WebFX prices on a 6-month commitment. MADX prices on a 12-month term, and its rolling plans have a 3-month minimum. Know your exit before you sign.
- Walk away from guarantees. Google's own advice: if an SEO guarantees "that their changes will give you first place in search results, find someone else" (Google Search Central). More in SEO guarantees.
- Keep your accounts in your name. For an audit, Google suggests granting read access to Search Console only. Own your analytics and site logins, so leaving costs nothing.
- Convert links to a per-link price. Loganix's Standard Package is $250 a link before setup. Compare against what backlinks cost elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
How much do managed SEO services cost?
Of the seven services we checked in November 2026, six publish a price or price range. Starting prices ran from $299 a month (Boostability, local SEO) to $5,500 a month (MADX Digital, on a 12-month term). The middle published starting price was $875 a month.
What is managed SEO?
A provider runs your SEO for a monthly fee instead of selling you a tool or a one-off audit. What that fee covers varies: compare the monthly deliverables, such as pages optimized, articles published and links built, rather than the plan name.
Is managed SEO the same as hiring an SEO agency?
Mostly, yes. Managed SEO is how agencies describe an ongoing monthly engagement. The differences that matter are the minimum term, what each month includes, and whether prices are published or only quoted.
Does managed SEO cover AI search?
Some plans are built for it: MADX Digital's pricing page pitches getting "your brand recommended by AI". Google says SEO best practices "remain relevant for AI features in Google Search (such as AI Overviews and AI Mode)", so a plan that does the basics well already covers most of it.
Can I manage my own SEO?
Yes, on a small site with time to learn. Google's SEO starter guide covers the basics, and you can buy single jobs such as an audit or links when you hit a gap. For cheaper options, see low-cost SEO.
Method
On 2 November 2026 we opened each service's own pricing or service page and recorded the prices it shows, in a browser so prices loaded with JavaScript were included. We took the services from the pages ranking in Google for "managed seo services" and kept the ones whose sites we could check. A "starting price" is the lowest monthly figure a service publishes for an ongoing plan. For SEO.co we used the low end of its lowest published range ($750), though its services page puts managed engagements at $2,000 to $3,000 a month. For WebFX we used its Silver tier, priced on a 6-month commitment. Prices change, so check the linked page before you buy.