AI content agents for SEO and AI search, sold by article tier
Balzac vs ContentPen
ContentPen lists plans from $49 a month for 12 articles up to $449 for 150, with Autopilot from the $99 Growth plan; Balzac researches, writes and publishes 30 articles a month for $79. Checked against contentpen.ai on 8 October 2026.
If you are comparing ContentPen alternatives, the first question is how many articles you need. Everything about ContentPen below comes from its public home and pricing pages as of 8 October 2026; tell us if something has changed and we will fix it.
ContentPen sells four tiers by monthly article allowance. At month-to-month prices, Starter is $49 for 12 articles, Growth is $99 for 40, Scale is $249 for 75 and Agency is $449 for 150; paying yearly is about 20% lower. Autopilot and its Search Console-based SEO opportunities (quick wins, content decay, CTR gaps) start on Growth, not Starter. Every plan includes AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Google AI and other engines, with the number of engines and prompts rising by tier. It publishes to WordPress, Webflow, Wix, Shopify and Ghost.
Balzac is built to run the whole loop with one plan: you give it your website, and it researches the searches you could win, writes the articles and publishes them on a schedule you set, in a fixed allowance of 30 articles a month per website on the Columnist plan.
On price, it depends on the tier. ContentPen Starter is cheaper at $49, but it is 12 articles with no Autopilot. For roughly Balzac's volume, ContentPen Growth is $99 for 40 articles, which is $2.48 an article against $2.63 for Balzac ($79 for 30, our arithmetic), so ContentPen is cheaper per article, while Balzac is $20 cheaper per month at 30 articles. ContentPen also includes AI visibility tracking, which Balzac does not sell as a feature.
On trying it, ContentPen gives a 7-day free trial on every paid plan with a credit card required, and the pages we read do not state a refund policy. Balzac writes 3 full articles for free with no card, and paid plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment.
Balzac
- Autopilot is part of the one plan; ContentPen leaves it out of the $49 Starter
- $79 for 30 articles is $20 less a month than ContentPen Growth at $99 for 40
- Refreshes live articles that rank in positions 8 to 20 using your Search Console data
- A CLI, an API and an MCP server, a 30-day money-back guarantee and 3 free articles without a card
Where ContentPen fits
- Cheaper per article on Growth ($99 for 40 articles) and a lower entry price on Starter ($49 for 12)
- AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Google AI and other engines, plus competitor tracking
- Tiers up to 150 articles a month with workspaces and seats for agencies, and bulk generation
- Publishes to Shopify and Ghost as well as WordPress, Webflow and Wix
Side by side
Feature comparison
| Feature | Balzac | ContentPen |
|---|---|---|
| How you use it | Autopilot: researches, writes and publishes on a schedule | AI agents and an editor; Autopilot on Growth and above |
| Articles per month | 30 per website | 12 / 40 / 75 / 150 by tier |
| Price | $79 a month (30 articles, 1 website) | $49 / $99 / $249 / $449 month to month |
| Try before paying | 3 free articles, no card | 7-day free trial, card required |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days, first payment | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Publishing | WordPress, Webflow, Wix, GoHighLevel, webhook | WordPress, Webflow, Wix, Shopify, Ghost |
| Google Search Console | Connection; refreshes articles ranking in positions 8 to 20 | Connection; SEO opportunities (quick wins, decay, CTR gaps) from Growth |
| AI visibility tracking | – | Included, engines and prompts by tier |
| Unused articles roll over | – | No, allowance resets each cycle |
| CLI, API and MCP server | Custom API on enterprise plans; CLI and MCP not stated |
Why teams switch
Pick Balzac if you want one plan at $79 that researches, writes and publishes 30 articles a month with Autopilot included, refreshes ranking articles from your Search Console data, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and no card for the free articles. Pick ContentPen if you want AI visibility tracking, more articles or workspaces for agencies, or a lower entry price for a handful of articles.
FAQ
Balzac vs ContentPen, answered.
Is Balzac a good ContentPen alternative?
It depends on volume and extras. ContentPen lists more tiers, up to 150 articles a month, and AI visibility tracking. Balzac is the one to pick if you want one plan that researches, writes and publishes 30 articles a month on autopilot, refreshed from your Search Console data, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How does Balzac pricing compare to ContentPen?
As of October 2026, ContentPen lists Starter at $49 a month for 12 articles, Growth at $99 for 40, Scale at $249 for 75 and Agency at $449 for 150, month to month, with yearly billing about 20% lower. Balzac has one plan, Columnist, at $79 a month per website for 30 articles. ContentPen is cheaper per article on Growth and cheaper per month on Starter; Balzac is cheaper per month at 30 articles.
Does ContentPen have a free trial?
Yes, its pricing page lists a 7-day free trial on every paid plan, with a credit card required and payment taken after the trial. The pages we read do not state a refund policy. Check contentpen.ai for its current terms.
Can I try Balzac before paying?
Yes. Balzac writes 3 full articles for your site for free, with no card. When you subscribe, the first payment is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee: cancel within 30 days and get it back in full from the cancel page.
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