Checkbot

Checkbot is a Chrome extension for auditing technical SEO, speed, and security issues across websites. It suits solo site owners and developers who want to crawl public or development sites from their own machines. Its broad checks and staging-site access are appealing, but the lack of JavaScript execution is a significant constraint.

Overview

Checkbot runs more than 50 best-practice checks and can crawl hundreds of pages in minutes. It flags problems including broken links, duplicate content, invalid HTML, and insecure forms, while mapping linked pages, images, JavaScript and CSS files, non-indexable pages, and redirects. That makes it useful for both finding common issues and understanding how a site is put together.

Crawling runs locally rather than through a web service. Checkbot can inspect staging and local development sites, password-protected pages, and private networks, which lets developers audit before a site is public. But it does not execute JavaScript during crawls, so it is a weak fit for sites where important content or links appear only after scripts run.

Key features

Audits and crawl controls

Both plans allow unlimited crawls and unlimited sites; the per-crawl URL limit is the practical dividing line. Basic allows 100 URLs, enough for small sites or focused checks but restrictive for larger audits. Professional raises the limit to 10,000 and adds URL-skipping rules, HTTP authentication support, and the ability to crawl localhost URLs.

Reports and privacy

Professional includes PDF summary reports and CSV and bulk export, useful when audit findings need to be shared or handled outside the extension. Usage analytics and crash reports are opt-in. Checkbot says it does not track crawled URLs or personally identifiable information through extension usage tracking, and its privacy policy describes reasonable precautions for protecting personal information.

Email and chat support are available for questions, with a separate form for suspected bugs. A subscription covers one individual on as many of that person's devices as desired and can be cancelled at any time.

Pricing

Basic is the sensible starting point for small sites, but its 100-URL ceiling can make a full audit impractical as a site grows. Professional is aimed at larger crawls or users who need exports and reports. The yearly option costs $120 per year, while monthly billing offers the same features without an annual term at a higher monthly price.

Platforms

Checkbot is a Chrome extension that runs on Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and Linux. Its local processing is useful for development and private-network sites, but its browser-extension format and lack of JavaScript execution may not suit every audit workflow.

Who it's for

Checkbot is a good fit for solo developers and site owners who want broad technical checks, local crawling, and access to staging or password-protected pages. It is less suitable for teams needing multiple subscription seats, sites that depend on JavaScript-rendered content, or anyone whose public-site crawl exceeds the free plan's 100-URL limit and does not need Professional's added capacity and reporting.

Pros and cons

• Pro: More than 50 checks cover SEO, speed, and security, alongside a map of site structure and resources.
• Pro: Local crawling reaches staging, localhost, password-protected pages, and private networks.
• Pro: Unlimited sites and crawls avoid a monthly crawl quota on both plans.
• Con: The free plan's 100-URL crawl limit is restrictive for larger sites.
• Con: Crawls do not execute JavaScript, limiting the picture for script-dependent pages.
• Con: A subscription is for one individual, so it is not a multi-seat team plan.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see SEO Audit Software.

Choose Screaming Frog SEO Spider if its free plan's 500-URL crawl allowance better suits your site; its paid licence has unlimited URLs.

WebSite Auditor is another freemium option, with a free plan capped at 500 URLs and one project, and no paid report exports.

Netpeak Spider is another freemium crawler for Windows and macOS; its free plan permits 500 URLs, five threads, and two devices per user.

Choose Open SEO Crawler if you want a free, MIT-licensed, self-hosted crawler with unlimited URLs and no account or API key.

A1 Website Analyzer is another freemium alternative.

OxideSEO is a free, open-source desktop app with no URL limits or subscription.

TechSEO360 is another freemium option, with a 30-day fully functional trial followed by a free plan capped at 500 pages.

Website Crawler offers a free basic plan capped at 10 pages per day and a $10 a month Starter plan with 2,000 pages per month.

Verdict

Choose Checkbot if you are a solo site owner or developer who wants broad checks on public and development sites, with local crawling and a clear upgrade path beyond 100 URLs. Its main reason to look elsewhere is equally clear: sites that rely on JavaScript-rendered content need a crawler that executes scripts.