The best free BeamUsUp alternative
Crawly is a free, native macOS SEO crawler. No Java runtime. No page cap. Actively maintained - with features BeamUsUp has never had.
Why look beyond BeamUsUp?
BeamUsUp was a useful free SEO crawler in its time. It is written in Java, primarily targets Windows, and has a UI that reflects when it was built. More importantly, development has been largely inactive for years - it has not kept pace with what modern technical SEO audits require.
Crawly is built and actively maintained by Limely Ltd. It is a native macOS application - no Java, no JVM overhead, no Windows-only quirks. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs and feels at home on a modern Mac.
Beyond the basics, Crawly includes things BeamUsUp does not have at any version: crawl comparison for tracking changes over time, security header auditing, hreflang validation, and a Claude Code MCP server that lets you query your crawl data in plain English from your terminal.
Crawly vs BeamUsUp
Both free. Very different in what they can do.
| Feature | Crawly Free | BeamUsUp |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Platform | Native macOS | Windows (Java) |
| Java required | No | Yes |
| Apple Silicon native | Yes | No |
| Active development | Yes | No |
| Claude Code MCP | Yes | No |
| Crawl comparison (diff) | Yes | No |
| Issues dashboard | Yes | Limited |
| Image audit | Yes | No |
| Security header checks | Yes | No |
| hreflang audit | Yes | No |
| Saved crawl history | Yes | No |
Based on publicly available feature documentation. BeamUsUp last known version assessed May 2026.
See it in action
Native macOS. Fast. Modern. Free.
Frequently asked questions
- Is BeamUsUp still maintained?
- BeamUsUp has not received active development for a number of years. While it still functions as a basic crawler, it has not kept pace with modern SEO auditing requirements and lacks features like crawl comparison, security header checks, hreflang auditing, and any form of AI integration.
- Does Crawly work on Windows?
- Crawly is currently a native macOS application for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Windows support is planned for a future release. If you are on Windows and need a free crawler, BeamUsUp remains an option in the meantime.
- Is Crawly really free with no page limit?
- Yes. Crawly is completely free to download and use with no URL cap, no licence fee, and no paid tier required to unlock features. There is no trial period - it is simply free.
- What does Crawly detect that BeamUsUp misses?
- Crawly checks security headers (HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options, Referrer-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options), hreflang errors, near-duplicate content, and crawl-over-crawl diffs. It also includes a built-in Claude Code MCP server for querying your crawl data in plain English - none of which BeamUsUp has.
- How does Crawly compare to Screaming Frog or Sitebulb?
- Screaming Frog costs £259 per year and Sitebulb starts at £13.50 per month. Crawly is free with no page cap. It covers the core technical SEO audit workflow and includes features - like Claude Code MCP integration and security header auditing - that neither paid tool offers.
Also comparing? Crawly vs Screaming Frog · Crawly vs Sitebulb · Crawly vs SEO Tracer · Crawly vs LibreCrawl · Crawly vs SEOnaut
Want to use Crawly with Claude Code? Read the Claude Code MCP setup guide
Start crawling smarter
Download Crawly for free. Connect to Claude Code via MCP and start auditing your site in minutes.
Download free