bisibility is an open-source SEO platform that can be self-hosted or run in the cloud, focused on letting users control their own data and costs. It helps track Google rankings, discover keywords worth targeting, check backlinks, and allows connecting users' own data providers.
Purpose and positioning bisibility is aimed at teams or individuals who need to manage search engine rankings and keyword data. Unlike hosted SEO services, it emphasizes that ranking history belongs to the user - ranking history is stored in the user's own Postgres database, rather than within the storage limits of a hosted service. The official statement says the hosted service and the self-hosted app share the same functionality, and features already available in the open app will not be removed from the open-source part.
Main capabilities
- Keyword ranking tracking: fetch Google rankings daily, provide trend charts and a #1-100 distribution; you can set a target ranking for each keyword and receive alerts when rankings drop.
- Keyword research: discover keyword ideas, search demand, and provider costs. The official example says up to 300 ideas can be generated from one seed keyword, at a cost of about $0.06.
- Backlink checking: view referring domains, linked pages, and new or lost backlinks.
- Competitor benchmarking: see which competitor domains appear in tracked results and how often they rank ahead of you.
- Bring your own data: connect your SERP provider (DataForSEO, SerpApi) and Search Console.
- Custom refresh schedules: choose how often each keyword is rechecked, with the user controlling provider spending.
- Cost visibility: every query shows an estimated cost in advance and is cached for several hours; results can be filtered, sorted, and pushed into tracking. The official example says the tracking cost for daily checks is about $0.30/month.
- Natural language ranking queries: one command can connect bisibility to Claude Code, Codex, or any MCP client, through browser-authorized, scoped access, with no copy-pasting required.
How to use Cloud-hosted version: free during the open beta, with usage limits, and no payment method required. Users must provide their own SERP provider account for ranking checks and research. The official documentation states that the hosted beta does not yet include a production-grade uptime SLA or recovery guarantee, that data remains portable through full history export, and that it can be migrated to self-hosting. Self-hosted version: the self-hosted build does not include data sources by default, and you must configure providers yourself (DataForSEO, SerpApi)And fill in the key—without a key there is no ranking data. The official statement says the production installation includes the web app, worker, PostgreSQL, Valkey, and Temporal, all started with one command, with no license server and no mandatory telemetry. Self-hosting can run on your own infrastructure, with unlimited keywords, projects, and seats. Reference flow: enter the domain to track; connect DataForSEO or SerpApi with your own API credentials (or skip and connect later); paste a keyword list or import from Search Console; first run one keyword validation, then open the dashboard. The official statement says it takes about 5 minutes from sign-up to the first rank check.
Costs When using your own key, you pay DataForSEO or SerpApi directly at the provider's prices, and bisibility does not charge for or resell these requests. Official example running costs: about $12.00 per month in provider usage (corresponding to 100 keywords checked daily, DataForSEO Live, 1 location, 1 device, Top 20, 30 days). The official statement says planned bisibility credits will include a publicly disclosed usage markup, and says credits and subscriptions are coming soon, with specific plan prices subject to the plans page.
Use cases Suitable for SEO practitioners, growth teams, or developers who want to control the storage of their ranking data themselves, control API costs, and are willing to configure the data provider themselves; also suitable for scenarios that need to keep ranking data in their own Postgres and export it via API or CSV.
Limitations and notes
- The self-hosted build does not include a data source; you must configure the provider key yourself.
- The provider uses the user's own account and billing; SerpApi currently supports Google rank checks, but does not yet support bisibility's keyword or backlink research.
- The hosted beta does not currently provide an uptime SLA or recovery guarantee.
- After the hosted beta period ends: the official statement says paid Cloud plans begin on October 23, 2026 (announced on September 23, 2026), new users get a 7-day trial with no card required, recurring charges require an explicit subscription, and no account will automatically convert to a paid subscription. Users can choose to subscribe to the hosted service, self-host for free, or export the full history and leave.
- Data export: keywords and completed ranking history can be downloaded from the hosted project package,then restored to a self-hosted project; provider keys, analytics tokens, and user passwords are intentionally excluded. Project ranking history can also be exported as CSV through the app or REST API.
- License: AGPL-3.0. You may use, inspect, modify, and self-host the released app. If you provide a modified version as a network service to others, the license generally requires providing those users with the corresponding source code; running an unmodified bisibility deployment for your own team or company requires publishing nothing. The official statement says versions already released under AGPL-3.0 remain available under those terms, the license text is authoritative, and the FAQ is only a practical summary and not legal advice.
- Other: by joining, you agree to receive product emails.
