Agencies charge $500-$5000 per month. Freelancers charge $50-$150 per hour. Tools cost $0-$500 per month. Here is what you actually get at each level.
The Free Stack (Actually Works)
Google Search Console. Keyword Planner. AI blog writing (60 seconds per article). Submit to free directories. This stack brought my site 96 visitors in week 1. Cost: $0.
The $100/Month Stack
AI blog writer for consistent content. Basic SEO tool for tracking. Can get a small business ranking for dozens of keywords.