AI article writer that builds linked content clusters, with WordPress and Webflow publishing
Balzac vs Machined
Machined lists Launch, Growth, Pro and Scale at $19, $49, $99 and $249 a month for 30 to 750 articles; Balzac researches, writes and publishes 30 articles a month for $79. Checked against machined.ai on 9 October 2026.
If you are comparing Machined alternatives, price will decide a lot of it. Everything about Machined below comes from its public pricing page and home page as of 9 October 2026; tell us if something has changed and we will fix it.
Machined builds interlinked content clusters: it runs keyword research, writes articles with deep research and citations, links them to each other, adds AI images, and publishes to WordPress or Webflow in one click or sends them to Zapier or Make by webhook. It lists four plans: Launch at $19 a month for 30 articles, Growth at $49 for 100, Pro at $99 for 250 and Scale at $249 for 750, all with unlimited websites. A BYOK plan at $99 a month offers 2,000 articles if you bring your own AI keys. Yearly billing saves 25 percent, which it puts at $14 a month for Launch.
Balzac works from your website instead of a cluster you set up: 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, and refreshes live articles that rank in positions 8 to 20 using your Search Console data.
On price, Machined is much cheaper: 30 articles for $19 a month against $79, and 100 articles for $49. We did not find Search Console, scheduling or a public API on the pages we read, so that is where Balzac differs, not on cost.
On trying it, Machined offers a 7-day free trial of Launch with no card, and says it does not refund a subscription once charged. 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
- Refreshes live articles that rank in positions 8 to 20 using your Search Console data
- A 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment, where Machined does not refund
- Publishes to Wix and GoHighLevel as well as WordPress and Webflow
- A CLI, an API and an MCP server on the one plan
Where Machined fits
- Much cheaper: 30 articles for $19 a month against $79, and 100 for $49
- Far larger allowances, up to 750 articles a month, or 2,000 on the BYOK plan
- Unlimited websites and CMS connections on every plan, and 2 to 10 team seats
- Interlinked content clusters with citations and automatic internal links
Side by side
Feature comparison
| Feature | Balzac | Machined |
|---|---|---|
| How you use it | Autopilot: researches, writes and publishes on a schedule | You set up clusters; it researches, writes, links and publishes |
| Articles per month | 30 per website | 30 / 100 / 250 / 750 by plan; 2,000 on BYOK |
| Price | $79 a month (30 articles, 1 website) | $19 / $49 / $99 / $249 a month; BYOK $99; yearly saves 25% |
| Try before paying | 3 free articles, no card | 7-day free trial of Launch, no card |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days, first payment | None: no refunds once a subscription is charged |
| Publishing | WordPress, Webflow, Wix, GoHighLevel, webhook | WordPress, Webflow, webhooks (Zapier, Make) |
| Google Search Console | Connection; refreshes articles ranking in positions 8 to 20 | Not mentioned on the pages we read |
| Picks the topics for you | Keyword research and clusters from the topic you give it | |
| Websites per plan | 1 per plan | Unlimited on every plan |
| CLI, API and MCP server | Not stated on the pages we read |
Why teams switch
Pick Balzac if you want it to run on a schedule and refresh articles from your Search Console data, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Pick Machined if price matters most: it lists 30 articles for $19 a month and 100 for $49, with unlimited websites.
FAQ
Balzac vs Machined, answered.
Is Balzac a good Machined alternative?
Only if you want what Balzac adds. Machined is far cheaper and lists much larger article allowances. Balzac is the one to pick if you want it to publish on a schedule and refresh articles using Search Console data, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How does Balzac pricing compare to Machined?
As of October 2026, Machined lists Launch at $19, Growth at $49, Pro at $99 and Scale at $249 a month for 30, 100, 250 and 750 articles, plus a $99 BYOK plan for 2,000 articles with your own AI keys. Balzac has one plan, Columnist, at $79 a month per website for 30 articles. Machined is cheaper.
Does Machined have a free trial?
Yes: a 7-day free trial of the Launch plan with no credit card. Its FAQ says it does not offer refunds once a subscription has been charged. Check machined.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.
Compare Balzac with other tools
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