Best keyword research tools
Which keyword research tool should you use? 8 compared, free and paid
Each card says who the tool suits, what it costs today and where another tool on the list does the job better. Prices come from each vendor's own page.
Disclosure: SearchBlueprint makes this page and is one of the 8 tools on it, listed first. Every other tool's price and features come from its own website, read on September 29, 2026, and each card says when another tool is the better pick.
- The shortlist
- 1SearchBlueprintTurning keyword research into a plan for the site you have.
- 2Google Keyword PlannerAdvertisers building keyword lists and budgets for Google Search ads.
- 3SemrushTeams that want keyword, competitor and AI search research in one large suite.
- 4AhrefsMarketers who want keyword and backlink data from one index.
- 5Moz ProSmall businesses that want core SEO metrics at a modest price.
- 6SE RankingAgencies and marketing teams that want SEO and AI search tracking with room for clients.
- 7Mangools (KWFinder)Beginners and freelancers who want easy keyword research at a low price.
- 8UbersuggestSmall businesses that want keyword research with a one-time price.
How we chose and compared them
We compared published facts only: what each vendor's own pages say the tool does and costs. We did not score or rate the tools.
- Where the numbers come from, and how many searches you can run a day.
- What you get free, and what the first paid plan costs.
- Whether the tool helps you decide which page targets which keyword, or stops at the list.
- Whether it also tracks keyword positions, AI answers or backlinks, for teams that want one tool.
At a glance
Prices as each vendor states them on September 29, 2026, in US dollars. Check their site before you buy.
| Tool | Best for | Entry price | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| SearchBlueprint | Turning keyword research into a plan for the site you have. | Free first plan, then $150/mo (Base) | Your first strategy run free, plus 61 free tools with no signup |
| Google Keyword Planner | Advertisers building keyword lists and budgets for Google Search ads. | Free | Free, inside a Google Ads account once billing details are entered |
| Semrush | Teams that want keyword, competitor and AI search research in one large suite. | $139/mo (SEO), or $117.33/mo billed annually | Free plan with 10 reports a day; 7-day free trial on paid plans |
| Ahrefs | Marketers who want keyword and backlink data from one index. | $29/mo (Starter); core plans from $129/mo (Lite) | Ahrefs Free account, plus free tools such as a keyword generator and an AI visibility checker |
| Moz Pro | Small businesses that want core SEO metrics at a modest price. | $49/mo for one website; Standard $99/mo, or $79/mo paid yearly | Free trial; a free Moz Community account gives limited Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer and MozBar access |
| SE Ranking | Agencies and marketing teams that want SEO and AI search tracking with room for clients. | $129/mo (Core), or $103.20/mo billed annually | 14-day free trial, no credit card |
| Mangools (KWFinder) | Beginners and freelancers who want easy keyword research at a low price. | $37.70/mo (Basic), billed annually | Free account with 5 KWFinder lookups a day; 48-hour money-back guarantee |
| Ubersuggest | Small businesses that want keyword research with a one-time price. | $39/mo (Individual), or $390 once for lifetime access | Free limited features; free trial on monthly plans |
The tools, one by one
1.SearchBlueprint
Our productBest for: Turning keyword research into a plan for the site you have.
One run on your URL gives you a keyword map (which page on your site targets which search, with two pages chasing one search flagged), a site structure and a list of pages to write next. The free tools check volume, difficulty and intent for any keyword with no signup.
- Entry price
- Free first plan, then $150/mo (Base)
- Free option
- Your first strategy run free, plus 61 free tools with no signup
Pick another tool if: It is not a data suite: no backlink index, no historical data and no daily tracking of keyword positions. If that is the job, a suite on this list does it.
2.Google Keyword Planner
Best for: Advertisers building keyword lists and budgets for Google Search ads.
Google calls it a free keyword search tool for advertisers. It shows how often people search for terms and how that has changed over time, suggests bid estimates for each keyword, and forecasts clicks and impressions for a plan.
- Entry price
- Free
- Free option
- Free, inside a Google Ads account once billing details are entered
Pick another tool if: You need a Google Ads account with a campaign created before you can open it, and it is built for ad campaigns, not for mapping keywords to pages.
3.Semrush
Best for: Teams that want keyword, competitor and AI search research in one large suite.
The SEO plan covers 5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily, with keyword research and competitor analysis. The Starter plan at $199/mo ($165.17 billed annually) adds 50 AI prompts tracked daily.
- Entry price
- $139/mo (SEO), or $117.33/mo billed annually
- Free option
- Free plan with 10 reports a day; 7-day free trial on paid plans
Pick another tool if: The free plan stops at 10 reports a day, and extra users start at $45/mo each, per their pricing page.
Semrush's homepage says Adobe has completed its acquisition of Semrush.
4.Ahrefs
Best for: Marketers who want keyword and backlink data from one index.
Starter at $29/mo covers keyword and competitor research. Lite at $129/mo adds 5 projects, 750 tracked keywords, 5 tracked AI prompts and 6 months of history, with API and MCP access on core plans.
- Entry price
- $29/mo (Starter); core plans from $129/mo (Lite)
- Free option
- Ahrefs Free account, plus free tools such as a keyword generator and an AI visibility checker
Pick another tool if: Brand Radar, their AI prompt database, is priced separately from $199/mo.
5.Moz Pro
Best for: Small businesses that want core SEO metrics at a modest price.
Keyword Explorer gives volume, Keyword Difficulty and suggestions, and a free Moz Community account opens a limited version. Standard adds 300 tracked keywords and 50 AI prompts checked weekly across GPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode and Perplexity.
- Entry price
- $49/mo for one website; Standard $99/mo, or $79/mo paid yearly
- Free option
- Free trial; a free Moz Community account gives limited Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer and MozBar access
Pick another tool if: AI prompts are checked once a week, per their pricing page.
6.SE Ranking
Best for: Agencies and marketing teams that want SEO and AI search tracking with room for clients.
Core includes unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research, 10 projects, 2,000 keywords and 100 AI prompts tracked daily across 5 AI models, and 250,000 audit pages a month.
- Entry price
- $129/mo (Core), or $103.20/mo billed annually
- Free option
- 14-day free trial, no credit card
Pick another tool if: White-label reporting sits in the Agency Pack, an add-on, per their pricing page.
7.Mangools (KWFinder)
Best for: Beginners and freelancers who want easy keyword research at a low price.
KWFinder is the keyword tool in the Mangools bundle, with more than 65,000 locations for local keyword research. Basic allows 100 keyword lookups a day and tracks 200 keyword positions, with API and MCP access on every plan.
- Entry price
- $37.70/mo (Basic), billed annually
- Free option
- Free account with 5 KWFinder lookups a day; 48-hour money-back guarantee
Pick another tool if: Basic has no extra seats; a team needs Premium at $52.70/mo billed annually.
8.Ubersuggest
Best for: Small businesses that want keyword research with a one-time price.
Individual allows 150 searches a day for one project and 125 tracked keywords, with ChatGPT and Gemini in keyword research. You can pay once, $390, for lifetime access.
- Entry price
- $39/mo (Individual), or $390 once for lifetime access
- Free option
- Free limited features; free trial on monthly plans
Pick another tool if: The yearly price shown is a limited-time offer, per their pricing page.
Which one to pick
- You want to know which page on your site should target each keywordSearchBlueprint
- You run Google Ads and want bid estimates for freeGoogle Keyword Planner
- You want every kind of search data in one subscriptionSemrush or Ahrefs
- You manage several client sites and track their positionsSE Ranking
- You want the lowest paid price, or a one-time paymentMangools or Ubersuggest
Questions people ask
What is the best free keyword research tool?
For advertisers, Google Keyword Planner, which is free inside a Google Ads account. For SEO, the free tiers of Moz, Mangools and Ahrefs give limited lookups, and our free keyword checker shows volume, difficulty and intent with no signup.
Do I need a paid keyword tool?
Not to start. Free tools cover volume and ideas. A paid tool earns its price when you research every week, track positions or work on several sites.
Why do keyword tools show different search volumes?
They use different data sources, group close variants differently and round differently. Compare phrases inside one tool rather than mixing numbers between tools.
Is SearchBlueprint a keyword research tool?
It does keyword research, but its job is the plan: which page on your site targets which search, and what to write next. For a keyword database with history and backlinks, a suite on this list does more.
Before you pick a tool, see what your own site needs.
Start with the plan for your own site: which page targets each search, and what to write next. The first one is free.
- Free first plan
- No credit card
- Keep your plan