What Is Sitebulb?
Also known as: Sitebulb Pro, Sitebulb Cloud
Sitebulb is a visual SEO crawler that combines technical auditing with clear, client-friendly visualisations. Founded in 2017 by former Screaming Frog team members, it differentiates itself through its Hints system — over 300 prioritised audit checks explained in plain English.
Last reviewed: 26 August 2026 · Reviewed by iNet Ventures SEO Team
In plain English
Sitebulb crawls your website and instead of just dumping raw data into a spreadsheet, it tells you what matters and why. Each issue it finds comes with a plain-English explanation of what the problem is, why it matters for SEO, and how to fix it. It also draws visual crawl maps — diagrams showing how your pages link to each other — which are brilliant for explaining site architecture to clients who glaze over at spreadsheets.
Technical definition
Sitebulb is a desktop and cloud SEO crawler that performs technical website audits with a focus on actionable reporting. Its Hints system categorises over 300 audit checks by severity (high, medium, low, positive) and provides plain-English explanations for each. The platform supports JavaScript rendering, visual crawl maps, automated PDF report generation, and built-in accessibility checks. Desktop plans start at approximately £13.50/month (Lite) to £29.50/month (Pro) per seat. A Cloud edition is available for team collaboration and large-scale crawling.
Quick example
An agency runs a Sitebulb crawl on a new client site. The Hints dashboard shows 12 high-priority issues, including "broken internal links" (47 found), "missing H1 tags" (23 pages), and "redirect chains" (15 instances). Each hint includes a plain-English explanation and a list of affected URLs. The agency exports a branded PDF report and sends it to the client — who understands the issues without needing an SEO translator.
Quick facts
| Meaning | A visual SEO crawler with prioritised hints and client-friendly reporting |
|---|---|
| Main category | Technical SEO tools |
| Used by | SEO agencies, consultants, freelancers, in-house SEO teams |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Importance | High |
| Common examples | Technical site audits, visual crawl maps, client reporting, accessibility checks, JavaScript rendering |
| Still relevant? | Yes. Sitebulb is one of the two leading desktop SEO crawlers alongside Screaming Frog. Its Hints system and visual reports make it the best choice for agencies that need to communicate technical findings to non-technical clients. Desktop plans start at approximately £13.50/month (Lite) to £29.50/month (Pro). |
Why Sitebulb matters
Sitebulb matters because technical SEO audits are only valuable if the findings get understood and acted upon. A perfect crawl that produces a spreadsheet nobody reads is worthless.
The Hints system makes findings actionable
Instead of raw data, Sitebulb presents findings as Hints — each with a severity level, a plain-English explanation, and a list of affected URLs. This means a junior SEO or even a content team member can understand what needs fixing without needing a senior SEO to interpret the data.
Visual crawl maps communicate architecture
The crawl map visualisation shows how pages link to each other — making orphaned pages, deep architecture, and broken clusters immediately visible. For client presentations, this is far more effective than a list of URLs.
PDF reports are client-ready
Sitebulb generates branded PDF reports with charts, hint summaries, and visual maps. This eliminates the manual report-building step that consumes hours of agency time after every audit.
Accessibility checks are built in
Unlike most SEO crawlers, Sitebulb includes WCAG accessibility checks alongside SEO checks. This is increasingly important as accessibility becomes both a legal requirement and a ranking consideration.
Pricing is accessible for small teams
At approximately £13.50/month (Lite) to £29.50/month (Pro), Sitebulb is affordable for freelancers and small agencies. This makes it a viable alternative to Screaming Frog (£199/year) for teams that value the Hints system and visual reporting.
How it works
Sitebulb crawls websites from a desktop application, extracts technical signals, and presents them through its Hints system.
- 1
You configure the crawl
Set the starting URL, crawl limits, user-agent, rendering mode, and exclusion patterns. Sitebulb's configuration is simpler than Screaming Frog's — it guides you through with presets and explanations, making it more accessible for beginners.
- 2
The crawler fetches and renders pages
Sitebulb fetches each URL, records response codes and headers, and optionally renders JavaScript using a headless Chromium browser. The rendering engine sees what Googlebot sees, not just the raw HTML.
- 3
Technical signals are extracted
From each page, Sitebulb extracts on-page elements, response codes, redirect chains, internal links, structured data, Core Web Vitals signals, accessibility attributes, and hundreds of other technical checks.
- 4
Hints are generated and categorised
The platform analyses the extracted data and generates Hints — each representing a specific issue type. Hints are categorised by severity (high, medium, low, positive) and include plain-English explanations of what the issue is, why it matters, and how to fix it.
- 5
Reports and visualisations are produced
Sitebulb generates visual crawl maps, charts, and branded PDF reports. These outputs are designed for client communication — they explain technical issues without requiring the recipient to understand SEO jargon.
Types and variations
The platform is available in two editions with distinct use cases.
Sitebulb Desktop (Lite)
The entry-level desktop plan. 1 user, 10,000 URLs per audit, core Hints system, visual crawl maps, PDF reports. At approximately £13.50/month (annual billing), it is the most affordable professional SEO crawler available.
Sitebulb Desktop (Pro)
The professional desktop plan. 1 user (extra users from £7/month), 500,000 URLs per audit, all Hints, JavaScript rendering, scheduled crawls, data studio integration. At approximately £29.50/month (annual billing), it is the recommended plan for agencies.
Sitebulb Cloud
The cloud edition. Runs in the browser, supports team collaboration, no project limits, automated recurring crawls, JavaScript crawling at no extra cost. Plans start from approximately £95/month and scale up for large teams. Includes Pro desktop licences.
Real examples
How Sitebulb is used in practice, particularly by agencies.
Pitching a new client with a visual audit
An agency runs a Sitebulb crawl on a prospect's site before a pitch. The crawl map shows a clearly broken internal linking structure — dozens of orphaned pages with no internal links pointing to them. The agency presents the visual map in the pitch meeting, and the prospect immediately understands the problem without needing SEO knowledge. The agency wins the account.
Training a junior SEO with Hints
A junior SEO team member runs their first audit. Instead of being overwhelmed by raw data, they see Hints with explanations: "This page has no meta description. Meta descriptions do not directly affect rankings but influence click-through rate from search results." The junior learns SEO concepts while auditing — the Hints system doubles as a training tool.
Using Sitebulb for a 2-million-URL site
An enterprise team tries to crawl a 2-million-URL site with Sitebulb Desktop Pro (500K URL limit). The crawl stops at 500K, missing 75% of the site. For sites at this scale, Sitebulb Cloud or an enterprise tool like Lumar is required. Desktop tools have hardware and licence limits that make them unsuitable for enterprise-scale crawling.
Sending raw exports instead of PDF reports
An agency exports Sitebulb data to CSV and emails it to the client. The client cannot interpret the data and asks for a meeting to explain it. The agency has wasted the platform's reporting capability — the PDF reports with Hints and visual maps are what make Sitebulb valuable for client communication.
Best practices
Sitebulb is designed for agencies and consultants who need to communicate findings. These habits maximise its value.
What to do
- Use the PDF report feature for client deliverables — it saves hours of manual report building
- Present the crawl map in client meetings — visual communication is more effective than spreadsheets
- Use the Hints system as a training tool for junior team members
- Run the accessibility audit alongside the SEO audit — it adds value without extra effort
- Configure crawl exclusions for large sites to keep audit data focused and manageable
- Use the Pro plan for agency work — the 500K URL limit and JavaScript rendering are worth the upgrade
What to avoid
- Sending raw CSV exports to clients — use the built-in PDF reports instead
- Using the Lite plan for agency work — the 10K URL limit is too restrictive for most client sites
- Ignoring the Hints explanations — they are the platform's core differentiator
- Trying to crawl enterprise-scale sites (millions of URLs) on Desktop — use Cloud or Lumar instead
- Skipping the visual crawl map — it is the most persuasive tool for client communication
Common mistakes
Choosing the wrong edition
The Lite plan (10K URLs) is too restrictive for most agency work. The Pro plan (500K URLs, JavaScript rendering, scheduled crawls) is the right choice for professional use. The Cloud edition is for teams that need collaboration or crawl sites beyond desktop limits.
Not using the PDF reports
The branded PDF report is Sitebulb's most time-saving feature. Agencies that export raw data and build their own reports in Excel are wasting the platform's value. The built-in reports are professional, branded, and ready to send.
Comparing Sitebulb to Screaming Frog on raw features
Screaming Frog has more configuration options and a lower absolute price (£199/year vs ~£354/year for Pro annual). But Sitebulb's value is in communication, not configuration. The Hints system, visual maps, and PDF reports are what justify the price difference for agencies.
Not enabling JavaScript rendering
Modern sites increasingly rely on JavaScript. Without rendering enabled, Sitebulb sees only the raw HTML — missing content that appears after JavaScript execution. Always enable rendering for sites built with React, Vue, Angular, or other JavaScript frameworks.
Sitebulb vs Screaming Frog in the SEO crawler market
Sitebulb and Screaming Frog are the two leading desktop SEO crawlers, and the choice between them depends on how you work. Screaming Frog is the power tool — more configuration options, lower price, raw data output. Sitebulb is the communication tool — Hints system, visual maps, PDF reports. For agencies that need to explain technical findings to clients, Sitebulb is the better choice. For technical SEOs who want maximum control and raw data export, Screaming Frog is the better choice. Many agencies use both — Screaming Frog for deep technical work and Sitebulb for client-facing reports.
- Hints system with plain-English explanations is the core differentiator
- Visual crawl maps are the best client communication tool in any SEO crawler
- PDF reports eliminate manual report building — a significant time saver for agencies
- Pricing (~£13.50–£29.50/month) is accessible but higher than Screaming Frog (£199/year)
- Founded by former Screaming Frog team members in 2017
- Cloud edition available for team collaboration and large-scale crawling
How iNet Ventures approaches sitebulb
We use Screaming Frog for our internal technical audits — the raw data export and configuration options suit our workflow. However, we recommend Sitebulb for agencies that prioritise client communication over technical depth. The Hints system and PDF reports are genuinely time-saving for teams that deliver regular audit reports to clients. For enterprise clients with millions of URLs, we recommend Lumar.
Audit workflow
We run Screaming Frog for the technical crawl, then use the findings to build custom reports. For clients who prefer visual communication, we recommend Sitebulb and help them set up branded PDF report templates.
Tool selection advisory
When clients ask which crawler to use, we assess their needs: Screaming Frog for technical depth and budget, Sitebulb for client communication and visual reporting, Lumar for enterprise scale and CI/CD integration.
Continue learning
Sitebulb vs Screaming Frog Comparison
Detailed comparison of the two leading desktop SEO crawlers.
SE Ranking vs Lumar Comparison
How an all-in-one platform compares to an enterprise crawler.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Sitebulb cost?
Sitebulb Desktop starts at approximately £13.50/month (Lite, annual billing) for 1 user and 10,000 URLs per audit. The Pro plan is approximately £29.50/month (annual billing) for 1 user and 500,000 URLs per audit, with extra users from £7/month. Sitebulb Cloud starts from approximately £95/month for team collaboration and large-scale crawling. A 14-day free trial is available.
Sitebulb vs Screaming Frog — which is better?
It depends on your workflow. Screaming Frog (£199/year) is cheaper and offers more configuration options and raw data export — better for technical SEOs. Sitebulb (~£13.50–£29.50/month) has the Hints system, visual crawl maps, and PDF reports — better for agencies that need to communicate findings to clients. Many agencies use both: Screaming Frog for technical work, Sitebulb for client reporting.
Is Sitebulb suitable for enterprise sites?
Sitebulb Desktop Pro handles up to 500,000 URLs per audit, which covers most mid-to-large sites. For sites with millions of URLs, Sitebulb Cloud is required. For enterprise-scale crawling with CI/CD integration, a dedicated enterprise tool like Lumar is more appropriate.
Does Sitebulb render JavaScript?
Yes. Sitebulb can render JavaScript using a headless Chromium browser, capturing the rendered DOM just as Googlebot does. This is essential for modern sites built with JavaScript frameworks. JavaScript rendering is available on the Pro plan and above.
What are Sitebulb Hints?
Hints are Sitebulb's system for presenting audit findings. Instead of raw data, each issue is categorised by type (e.g., "broken internal links", "missing H1"), assigned a severity level (high, medium, low, positive), and explained in plain English. There are over 300 Hint types covering SEO, accessibility, and technical performance.
Written from research into the platform's public documentation, pricing page (verified August 2026), and feature set. Pricing was verified against sitebulb.com. Comparisons with Screaming Frog are based on hands-on experience with both tools.
- Written by:
- iNet Ventures Editorial Team
- Reviewed by:
- iNet Ventures SEO Team
- Published:
- 26 August 2026
- Last reviewed:
- 26 August 2026
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