ShortlyAI vs Surfer
Comprehensive comparison for 2026 — features, pricing, and expert verdict
Overview
ShortlyAI and Surfer are two of the most talked-about solutions in the AI writing space. Whether you are a small business owner, a growing startup, or an established enterprise, picking the right tool can significantly impact your workflow and results. Let us break down how these two platforms compare across the metrics that matter most.
Ratings Comparison
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ShortlyAI | Surfer |
|---|---|---|
| Long Form | Yes | Yes |
| Short Form | Yes | No |
| Seo Tools | No | Yes |
| Templates | No | No |
| Tone Control | No | No |
| Plagiarism Check | No | No |
| Multilingual | No | Yes |
| Api Access | No | Yes |
| Team Collaboration | No | Yes |
| Browser Extension | No | Yes |
| Free Plan | No | No |
| Starting Price | $79/mo | $89/mo |
| Founded | 2020 | 2017 |
Feature Analysis
Both ShortlyAI and Surfer share a solid foundation of core features including Long Form. Where ShortlyAI pulls ahead is with exclusive access to Short Form, which can be a deciding factor for teams that rely on this capability. On the other hand, Surfer uniquely offers Seo Tools and Multilingual and Api Access and Team Collaboration and Browser Extension, giving it an edge for users who prioritize these areas. Looking at user ratings, ShortlyAI holds an overall score of 5/10 and an ease of use score of 9/10, while Surfer scores 8/10 overall and 6/10 for ease of use. These ratings reflect real user experiences and can indicate differences in usability, support quality, and overall satisfaction.
Pricing Breakdown
When it comes to pricing, ShortlyAI offers a more budget-friendly entry point at $79/mo, compared to Surfer's starting price of $89/mo. Neither platform offers a free plan, so you will need to budget for at least the starting tier from the beginning. Be sure to take advantage of any trial periods they may offer.
Pros & Cons
ShortlyAI
- Clean distraction-free interface
- Good at continuing your writing naturally
- Simple /write command makes it intuitive
Cons
- -Very expensive for limited features
- -No templates, SEO tools, or team features
- -Acquired by Jasper, future uncertain
Surfer
- Best-in-class content scoring against SERP competitors
- Excellent keyword clustering and content planning
- Google Docs and WordPress integrations
Cons
- -Expensive for small teams or solo writers
- -AI writer is add-on, not included in base plan
- -Over-optimization risk if blindly following scores
Who Should Choose Which?
The ideal user for each platform differs considerably. ShortlyAI is best suited for blog posts, long form articles, stories, distraction free writing, making it a strong choice if you fall into any of these categories. Surfer, meanwhile, shines for SEO optimization, content scoring, keyword research, content strategy, which means it may be the better pick if your needs align with those use cases. Founded in 2020, ShortlyAI describes itself as "Distraction-free AI writing tool focused on long-form content." Surfer, established in 2017, positions itself as "Data-driven SEO content optimization and writing platform." Both platforms have been in the market for a similar duration, giving each ample time to refine their offerings and build a loyal user base.
Our Verdict
After analyzing all the data, **Surfer** comes out slightly ahead in this comparison, thanks to higher user ratings (8.0 vs 5.0), more features (6 vs 2). However, this does not mean ShortlyAI is a poor choice — far from it. ShortlyAI excels in its own right, particularly for blog posts and long form articles. Our recommendation: if you value best-in-class content scoring against serp competitors, go with Surfer. If clean distraction-free interface matters more to you, ShortlyAI is the way to go. Either way, both are solid platforms that have earned their place in the market.