Best Content Marketing Software for Content Planning, Briefs, and AI Writing (September 2026)
This ranking looks at platforms that help marketing teams plan content calendars, build structured writing briefs, and generate or edit copy using AI assistance. Placement was determined by breadth of workflow coverage, quality of collaboration and editing tools, and how well each platform integrates AI writing support into existing content processes.
At a glance
All 9 tools in this ranking, in order.
| # | Tool | Best for | Free plan | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marketing teams outsourcing content writing | n/a | Details ↓ | |
| 2 | SEO-focused content teams and writers | Free trial | Details ↓ | |
| 3 | Small marketing teams and freelancers | Free plan | Details ↓ | |
| 4 | SEO teams and content marketers optimizing articles | Free trial | Details ↓ | |
| 5 | Bloggers and small marketing teams | Free trial | Details ↓ | |
| 6 | Marketing teams scaling content production | Free trial | Details ↓ | |
| 7 | SEO content teams and agencies | Free trial | Details ↓ | |
| 8 | SEO content teams and agencies | Free trial | Details ↓ | |
| 9 | Enterprise marketing and content teams | Free trial | Details ↓ |
The 9 best Content Marketing tools
Content planning, briefs and AI-assisted writing.
Scripted is a content creation platform that connects businesses with a network of freelance writers for blog posts, articles, and other marketing content. It provides tools for briefing writers, managing content orders, reviewing drafts, and handling revisions within a single workflow. Companies can search writer profiles by industry or expertise to find suitable matches for their content needs. The platform is generally used by marketing teams and agencies that need to outsource writing work without managing individual freelancer relationships directly.
- Freelance writer marketplace
- Content order management
- Draft review and revisions
Ranked #1 of 9 in Content Marketing · Scripted profileVisit scripted.com ↗INK is a content optimization platform that combines AI writing assistance with SEO scoring to help users create search-optimized content. It analyzes drafts against ranking factors and competitor content, offering suggestions to improve readability, keyword usage, and topical relevance. The platform includes tools for generating and rewriting text, along with an SEO grader that scores pages before publishing. INK is used by content writers, SEO specialists, and marketing teams who produce web content aimed at improving organic search visibility while maintaining editorial quality.
- AI writing assistant
- SEO content scoring
- Competitor content analysis
Ranked #2 of 9 in Content Marketing · INK profileVisit inkforall.com ↗Simplified is an all-in-one content creation platform that combines AI writing, graphic design, and video editing tools with social media scheduling and publishing features. It allows users to generate marketing copy, create graphics from templates, edit short videos, and manage posting across multiple social channels within a single workspace. The platform also includes basic team collaboration features such as shared brand kits and content calendars. It suits small businesses, marketing teams, and freelancers who need to produce and distribute varied content formats without switching between separate design, writing, and scheduling applications.
- AI copywriting
- Graphic and video design
- Social media scheduling
Ranked #3 of 9 in Content Marketing · Simplified profileVisit simplified.com ↗Surfer SEO is a content optimization platform that analyzes top-ranking pages for a target keyword and generates data-driven guidelines for word count, headings, and keyword usage. Its Content Editor scores drafts in real time against these benchmarks, while additional tools cover keyword research, content planning, and existing-page audits. The platform integrates with Google Docs and WordPress and is often used alongside AI writing tools. It suits SEO specialists, content marketers, and agencies producing search-optimized articles at scale.
- SERP-based content scoring
- Keyword research tool
- Content audit and planning
Ranked #4 of 9 in Content Marketing · Surfer SEO profileVisit surferseo.com ↗GrowthBar is an SEO and content writing tool that uses AI to help users generate blog outlines, articles, and meta descriptions. It provides keyword research, keyword difficulty scores, and competitor website analysis, including data on backlinks and top-ranking pages. A browser extension overlays search volume and keyword data directly on Google search results. The tool is aimed at bloggers, small marketing teams, and agencies looking to plan and produce SEO-oriented content without switching between multiple research and writing platforms.
- AI content generation
- Keyword research
- Competitor site analysis
Ranked #5 of 9 in Content Marketing · GrowthBar profileVisit growthbarseo.com ↗Jasper is an AI writing platform designed to help marketing teams generate content such as blog posts, social media copy, product descriptions, and ad text. It offers templates for common content formats, brand voice customization, and integrations with tools like Grammarly and SEO plugins. Jasper also includes a browser extension and campaign-building features for scaling content production across channels. It is used by content marketers, agencies, and businesses seeking to speed up drafting and ideation, though outputs typically require human editing for accuracy, tone, and originality before publishing.
- AI content generation
- Brand voice customization
- Template library
Ranked #6 of 9 in Content Marketing · Jasper profileVisit jasper.ai ↗Frase is a content marketing tool that helps teams research, outline, and optimize articles using AI. It analyzes top-ranking search results for a target query and generates content briefs highlighting common topics, questions, and headings competitors use. Writers can draft content within the platform and receive optimization scoring against SERP benchmarks. Frase also includes an AI writing assistant to help generate outlines and paragraphs. It is used by content teams, SEO specialists, and agencies looking to streamline research and produce search-optimized content more efficiently.
- SERP content briefs
- AI writing assistant
- Content optimization scoring
Ranked #7 of 9 in Content Marketing · Frase profileVisit frase.io ↗Outranking is a content optimization platform that combines SEO research with AI-assisted writing. It generates content briefs and outlines based on top-ranking pages, offering keyword and topic recommendations, readability scoring, and on-page optimization guidance as users draft content. The tool includes collaborative editing features, allowing teams to work together within a single document. It is designed to help content marketers and SEO specialists plan, write, and optimize articles aimed at improving search rankings, streamlining the workflow from research through publication for organizations producing SEO-driven content regularly.
- AI content briefs
- SEO optimization scoring
- Collaborative editing
Ranked #8 of 9 in Content Marketing · Outranking profileVisit outranking.io ↗Writer is an enterprise-focused generative AI platform for content creation and brand governance. It allows teams to build custom style guides, terminology rules, and brand voice settings that AI-generated content must follow, helping maintain consistency across marketing, product, and communications materials. The platform includes writing assistance, content generation tools, and integrations with common workplace applications. It is designed for larger organizations that need to scale content production while enforcing style and compliance standards across multiple writers and departments.
- Brand style guide enforcement
- AI content generation
- Terminology and compliance controls
Ranked #9 of 9 in Content Marketing · Writer profileVisit writer.com ↗
Frequently asked
- What is the best Content Marketing tool right now?
- Scripted tops this ranking, followed by INK and Simplified. The full order, with what each tool is for, is on this page.
- How many Content Marketing tools does this ranking cover?
- 9 tools are ranked here, from 1 to 9: Scripted, INK, Simplified, Surfer SEO, GrowthBar, Jasper, Frase, Outranking, Writer.
- How does SaaS Criteria decide the order?
- Position reflects our editorial read of how well a tool fits the mainstream buyer in this category. SaaS Criteria is funded by listings, so companies can pay to appear or to upgrade how their entry is shown.
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