9 Best Keyword Research Tools of 2026

This list is for site owners and SEO freelancers comparing keyword research tools on monthly cost, from free options to full SEO suites. It mixes a browser extension, focused long-tail tools, full suites and Google's own planner. Tools are ranked by value first, then features, then ease of use. Prices are the cheapest paid plan in USD as shown on each vendor's pricing page; where the page showed euros to our checker or would not load, the price is marked pending.

1. 01Top value

   

   Keywords Everywhere

   8.6/10

   A browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge that shows search volume, CPC and competition next to search results on Google and 15+ other sites.

   Price

   $7per month, billed $84 yearly

   Free extension features; Bronze $84 per year ($7 per month), Silver $168, Gold $480, Platinum $1,440 per year

   “Price $84/year $7/mo $168/year $14/mo $480/year $40/mo $1,440/year $120/mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   9.6

   Features (35%)

   7.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best forSite owners and bloggers who want keyword volumes while they browse for the lowest monthly cost.

   Keywords Everywhere puts keyword data where research already happens: in the browser, next to Google results and on sites such as YouTube, Amazon and Etsy. The extension is free to install, and features like traffic and backlink data work without an API key. Search volume, CPC and competition need credits, sold in annual plans. Bronze costs $84 a year, which works out to $7 a month, and includes 100,000 credits for one user. One credit buys the metrics for one keyword, so a single Google search with related and long-tail widgets can use around 54 credits, according to the plan page. Every plan includes 12-month trend charts, historical volume back to 2004, keyword gap analysis and the REST API with an MCP server. Credits expire after 12 months, and the extension hides metrics once they run out. It lacks the rank tracking and site audits of a full suite. We compared documented features and published prices.

   • ✓Bronze costs $84 a year, the cheapest paid plan we verified
   • ✓Every plan includes the full extension and the API
   • ✓Free features such as traffic and backlink data work without an API key

   • ✕Search volume and CPC need paid credits
   • ✕Credits expire 12 months after purchase
   • ✕Website research is capped at the top 1,000 keywords per site on Bronze

   Free version:

   Yes, extension features without keyword metrics

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Bronze, $84 per year

   Credits:

   100,000 per year on Bronze, 1 credit per keyword

   User seats:

   1 on Bronze, 3 on Silver, 10 on Gold, 20 on Platinum

   Browsers:

   Chrome, Firefox and Edge

   Bottom line: Keywords Everywhere is the best value keyword tool for site owners who mainly need volumes and CPC, at $84 a year. Pair it with a free rank tracker if you also need position history.

   Visit keywordseverywhere.com ↗

2. 02

   

   Ahrefs

   8.5/10

   An SEO platform whose Keywords Explorer draws on a database of 28.7 billion filtered keywords across 217 locations.

   Price

   $29per month

   Ahrefs Free for site owners; Starter $29 per month; Lite $129, Standard $249, Advanced $449 per month

   “Starter See what people search and spy on competitors. Learn more ↗ $ 29 / mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.0

   Features (35%)

   9.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forFreelance SEOs who need keyword difficulty, traffic potential and competitor data in one place.

   Ahrefs Keywords Explorer is one of the deepest keyword databases a freelancer can buy. The product page lists 28.7 billion filtered keywords, 2.7 billion of them in the US, across 217 locations. Beyond volume, it shows Keyword Difficulty based on the links pointing to top-ranking pages, Traffic Potential for the No. 1 result and a Parent Topic that tells you whether a broader page could rank. Ideas can be clustered instantly, and AI helps read search intent across hundreds of keywords. Pricing starts with Starter at $29 a month for lookups; the full plans are Lite at $129, Standard at $249 and Advanced at $449. Lite adds 750 tracked keywords and six months of history for one user. The pricing FAQ says Ahrefs does not run discounts or free trials, though site owners can use Ahrefs Free on their own site. We compared documented features and published prices rather than running our own tests.

   • ✓Starter at $29 a month is a low entry point to Ahrefs keyword data
   • ✓Traffic Potential estimates the traffic of the No. 1 page, not just volume
   • ✓Ahrefs Free gives site owners limited Site Explorer and Site Audit access

   • ✕Lite at $129 a month is the first full plan
   • ✕No discounts or free trials, per the pricing FAQ
   • ✕Extra users cost $40 to $80 a month each

   Free plan:

   Ahrefs Free, limited access for your own site

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Starter, $29 per month

   Main plans:

   Lite $129, Standard $249, Advanced $449 per month

   Keyword index:

   28.7 billion keywords, 217 locations

   Lite limits:

   750 tracked keywords, 6 months of history, 1 user

   Bottom line: Ahrefs is the strongest research tool here, and Starter makes its keyword data reachable at $29 a month. Budget for Lite at $129 once you need rank tracking and history.

   Visit ahrefs.com ↗

3. 03

   

   Mangools KWFinder

   8.4/10

   A keyword tool focused on long-tail keywords with low SEO difficulty, sold in the Mangools package with SERP, backlink and rank tracking tools.

   Price

   Free plan

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending); free account with 5 lookups per 24 hours

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.4

   Features (35%)

   7.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.2

   Best forSolopreneurs and freelance SEOs who want a simple interface and local keyword data.

   KWFinder is built around one job: finding long-tail keywords that a small site can rank for. Each lookup shows search volume with historical trends and a keyword difficulty score, and you can also enter a competitor's domain to see the keywords it ranks for. Local research is a strength, with about 65,000 supported locations covering cities, districts and countries. A free account gets 5 lookups per 24 hours with 15 related and 5 competitor keywords per lookup, enough to judge the interface before paying. Paid plans are Basic for solopreneurs and freelancers, Premium for marketing teams and Agency for professional SEOs, and each one bundles SERPChecker, SERPWatcher rank tracking, LinkMiner and SiteProfiler. Rank tracking updates weekly except on Agency, which updates daily. The plans page did not show USD prices to our checker, so the price is pending. Mangools offers a 48-hour money back guarantee. We compared documented features and published prices.

   • ✓Free lookups: 5 per 24 hours with 15 related and 5 competitor keywords each
   • ✓Local research across about 65,000 cities, districts and countries
   • ✓48-hour money back guarantee

   • ✕USD prices did not load for our checker, so the price is pending
   • ✕Rank tracking updates weekly except on the Agency plan
   • ✕Free lookups are too limited for client work

   Free plan:

   Yes, 5 lookups per 24 hours

   Plans:

   Basic, Premium and Agency

   Locations:

   About 65,000

   Refund:

   48-hour money back guarantee

   Included tools:

   KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner, SiteProfiler

   Bottom line: KWFinder is the easiest full keyword tool to learn, with strong local data. Check the current USD price on the plans page before you compare it with Ahrefs Starter.

   Visit mangools.com ↗

4. 04

   

   LowFruits

   8.2/10

   A keyword tool that analyzes SERPs in bulk to find long-tail keywords where low authority sites already rank.

   Price

   $20.75per month, billed yearly

   Standard $20.75 per month billed yearly ($29.90 monthly); Premium $62.45 billed yearly; pay-as-you-go credits from $25

   “Standard $ 20.75 / month billed yearly $ 29.9 / month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   9.0

   Features (35%)

   7.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.2

   Best forNiche site owners and bloggers hunting for easy-to-rank long-tail keywords.

   LowFruits takes a different route from the big databases. Instead of trusting a single difficulty score, it pulls the live search results for your keywords in bulk and highlights weak spots, such as pages from low domain authority sites ranking near the top, along with word count, title relevance and site type. You can import your own keyword list or generate ideas from Google autocomplete, including wildcard searches, and the tool clusters keywords that share intent. Standard costs $20.75 a month billed yearly, or $29.90 month to month, with 3,000 credits a month, competitor keyword extractions, a 100-keyword rank tracker and the Domain Explorer. If you only research occasionally, pay-as-you-go credits start at $25 for 2,000 and last a year. Monthly plan credits do not roll over. LowFruits offers a full refund within 14 days if you used fewer than 100 credits. We compared documented features and published prices.

   • ✓Standard costs $20.75 a month billed yearly
   • ✓Pay-as-you-go credits from $25 for 2,000 credits, valid for a year
   • ✓14-day money back guarantee if fewer than 100 credits are used

   • ✕Monthly subscription credits do not roll over
   • ✕Standard tracks only 100 keywords
   • ✕Narrower than a full SEO suite, with no site audit

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Standard, $20.75 per month billed yearly

   Monthly billing:

   $29.90 per month

   Standard credits:

   3,000 per month

   Pay as you go:

   $25 for 2,000 credits

   Refund:

   14 days if under 100 credits used

   Bottom line: LowFruits is the best pick for finding long-tail keywords that small sites can win, from $20.75 a month. Use the $25 credit pack if you research a few times a year.

   Visit lowfruits.io ↗

5. 05

   

   Moz Pro

   8.2/10

   An SEO suite with Keyword Explorer, a 1.25 billion+ keyword index, link data, site crawls and AI search tracking.

   Price

   $49per month

   Entry-level plan $49 per month for one website; Standard $99 per month or $79 per month paid yearly

   “Our entry-level plan is available for $49/month.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   7.9

   Features (35%)

   8.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.4

   Best forIndividuals managing one website and small businesses that want a familiar suite.

   Moz Pro is a long-running SEO suite, and its Keyword Explorer draws on an index of more than 1.25 billion keywords. The pricing page lists an entry-level plan at $49 a month, designed for individuals managing a single website, which suits site owners who do not need multiple projects. Standard costs $99 a month or $79 a month when paid yearly, and includes one user, 3 tracked sites, 300 tracked keywords and 400,000 crawled pages a month, plus AI visibility features such as 150 tracked prompts. Medium, at $179 a month, adds a second user and 1,500 tracked keywords. Moz says a free Moz Community account gives limited access to MozBar, Keyword Explorer and Link Explorer, which is a useful way to test the data. The yearly discount is 20% on the base plan. Moz's keyword index is smaller than the Ahrefs and Semrush figures on their own pages. We compared documented features and published prices.

   • ✓$49 entry-level plan for people managing one website
   • ✓20% discount on yearly billing
   • ✓Free Moz Community account gives limited Keyword Explorer access

   • ✕Standard includes one user
   • ✕Standard tracks 300 keywords across 3 sites
   • ✕Medium, with 2 users, costs $179 a month

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Entry-level plan, $49 per month

   Standard:

   $99 per month, $79 paid yearly

   Standard limits:

   1 user, 3 sites, 300 tracked keywords

   Free access:

   Moz Community account with limited Keyword Explorer

   Keyword index:

   1.25 billion+ keywords

   Bottom line: Moz Pro is a sound choice for one-site owners at $49 a month. Agencies will find more keywords per dollar elsewhere.

   Visit moz.com ↗

6. 06

   

   SE Ranking

   8.2/10

   An SEO platform with keyword research across 188 locations, daily rank tracking, audits and AI visibility tracking.

   Price

   Check price

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending); 14-day free trial, no credit card required

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   14 days

   Value (40%)

   7.6

   Features (35%)

   8.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.5

   Best forFreelancers and small agencies who need rank tracking and keyword research for several clients.

   SE Ranking pairs keyword research with rank tracking, which suits freelancers who report positions to clients. Its keyword tool shows search volume, difficulty, intent and SERP data across 188 locations and sends research straight into client projects. The Core plan includes 10 projects, one manager seat, 2,000 keywords tracked daily, 250,000 audited pages a month, unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research, and 25,000 API credits with MCP access. Local and content marketing tools and AI visibility tracking across 5 AI engines are included. Growth raises the limits to 30 projects and 3 seats and adds historical data for the project lifetime. The pricing page showed euro prices to our checker, so we list the USD price as pending; check the US price before comparing. A 14-day free trial needs no credit card, and annual billing saves 20%. We compared documented features and published prices.

   • ✓14-day free trial with no credit card
   • ✓Core includes 10 projects and unlimited keyword research
   • ✓Free migration with an annual subscription

   • ✕Pricing showed euros to our checker, so the USD price is pending
   • ✕Core includes one manager seat
   • ✕Historical data across the project lifetime starts on Growth

   Free trial:

   14 days, no credit card

   Plans:

   Core, Growth, Enterprise

   Core limits:

   10 projects, 1 manager seat, 2,000 tracked keywords

   Annual discount:

   20%

   Keyword locations:

   188

   Bottom line: SE Ranking is a strong research and tracking platform for small agencies. Confirm the USD price, since our checker only saw euros.

   Visit seranking.com ↗

7. 07

   

   Semrush

   8.2/10

   A marketing suite whose Keyword Magic Tool searches 28B+ keywords across 142 regional databases.

   Price

   $117.33per month

   Free account with 10 reports a day; SEO plan $117.33 per month billed annually ($139 monthly); 7-day free trial

   “SEO For freelancers and small businesses looking to grow their online visibility with SEO $ 117 . 33 monthly $ 117 . 33 /mo billed annually instead of $ 139 monthly” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Free trial

   7 days

   Value (40%)

   7.2

   Features (35%)

   9.5

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.8

   Best forFreelancers and small businesses that want keyword research, SEO and AI visibility in one subscription.

   Semrush has the broadest feature set here. Its keyword toolkit lists 28B+ keywords and 142 regional databases, with the Keyword Magic Tool for ideas, Keyword Overview for single terms, keyword gap reports against competitors and a Keyword Strategy Builder that maps terms to topic clusters. The catch for budget buyers is price. The entry SEO plan costs $117.33 a month billed annually or $139 monthly, and the pricing page describes its research as basic keyword research and competitor analysis, with 5 websites and 500 keywords tracked daily. The Starter plan, at $165.17 a month billed annually, lists keyword research and optimization tools plus AI visibility tracking. A free account allows one demo project and 10 reports a day, and a 7-day free trial is available. For a site owner who only needs keyword ideas, much of the subscription goes unused. We compared documented features and published prices.

   • ✓Free account with 10 reports a day across core tools
   • ✓7-day free trial
   • ✓SEO plan covers 5 websites and 500 tracked keywords

   • ✕SEO plan costs $139 when billed monthly
   • ✕The SEO plan includes basic keyword research; fuller tools start on Starter at $165.17
   • ✕Most expensive entry plan on this list

   Free plan:

   Yes, 1 demo project and 10 reports a day

   Cheapest paid plan:

   SEO, $117.33 per month billed annually

   Monthly billing:

   $139 per month

   Keyword database:

   28B+ keywords, 142 regional databases

   Free trial:

   7 days

   Bottom line: Semrush is the most complete suite on this list, but at $117.33 a month it ranks lower on value. Pick it when you also need audits, competitor research and AI visibility.

   Visit semrush.com ↗

8. 08

   

   Serpstat

   8.2/10

   An all-in-one SEO platform with keyword research for 230 countries, rank tracking, site audits and backlink analysis.

   Price

   $50per month, billed annually

   Individual $50 per month on annual billing; Team $100 and Team x2 $169 per month; 7-day free trial

   “Individual $50 /mo SAVE $228 ANNUALLY” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   7 days

   Value (40%)

   8.6

   Features (35%)

   8.3

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.6

   Best forFreelancers who want a full SEO suite for about $50 a month.

   Serpstat is the cheapest full suite on this list with a verified USD price. The Individual plan costs $50 a month with annual billing and includes keyword research, site analysis, rank tracking, site audit and backlink analysis, with 5 projects, 100 searches a day, 10,000 keyword position checks and 30,000 pages to audit. Keyword research covers Google in 230 countries and shows difficulty, search volume and cost per click in one report, which helps when the same list feeds both SEO and ads. Competitor analysis also surfaces rivals' ads. Team, at $100 a month, adds unlimited projects, 500 searches a day, API access and an MCP integration for ChatGPT and Claude. The pricing page says annual billing saves up to 27%, so monthly billing costs more than the headline figure. A 7-day free trial is available. The interface packs many reports into each screen, which takes some learning. We compared documented features and published prices.

   • ✓Individual at $50 a month includes keyword research, rank tracking, audit and backlinks
   • ✓10,000 keyword position checks on the Individual plan
   • ✓7-day free trial

   • ✕Individual allows 100 searches a day
   • ✕API and MCP access start on Team at $100 a month
   • ✕The $50 price applies to annual billing

   Free trial:

   7 days

   Cheapest paid plan:

   Individual, $50 per month on annual billing

   Individual limits:

   5 projects, 100 searches a day, 10,000 position checks

   Keyword coverage:

   230 countries in Google

   Annual discount:

   Up to 27%

   Bottom line: Serpstat gives freelancers a full SEO suite for $50 a month on annual billing. The 100 searches a day on Individual are the limit to check first.

   Visit serpstat.com ↗

9. 09

   

   Google Keyword Planner

   7.9/10

   Google's free keyword tool inside Google Ads for keyword ideas, search trends, bid estimates and forecasts.

   Price

   Freefree

   Free with a Google Ads account

   “Google Keyword Planner is a free resource to help advertisers build keyword lists for search campaigns.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   9.6

   Features (35%)

   6.5

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.0

   Best forSite owners and advertisers who want keyword ideas from Google at no cost.

   Google Keyword Planner is the free baseline every other tool on this list is measured against. Google describes it as a free resource to help advertisers build keyword lists for search campaigns. You can enter keywords or a website to get keyword and ad group ideas, see how often people search for terms and how that has changed over time, and get suggested bid estimates. Saved plans include forecasts of clicks, impressions and conversions based on spend. Access takes setup: Google says you first need to complete your Google Ads account setup and create a campaign, and accounts in Smart Mode must switch to Expert Mode. It is an advertising tool, so it has no keyword difficulty score, competitor ranking data or rank tracking for SEO work. Site owners often use it alongside a cheap extension or a free tier from a suite. We compared documented features and published prices.

   • ✓Free to use
   • ✓Ideas can start from your own website
   • ✓Bid estimates help judge commercial value

   • ✕You must set up a Google Ads account and create a campaign first
   • ✕Accounts in Smart Mode must switch to Expert Mode
   • ✕Built for ads planning, with no rank tracking or SEO difficulty

   Price:

   Free

   Access:

   Google Ads account with a campaign, Expert Mode

   Location in Google Ads:

   Tools, then Planning, then Keyword Planner

   Main outputs:

   Keyword ideas, trends, bid estimates, forecasts

   SEO metrics:

   No keyword difficulty or rank tracking

   Bottom line: Google Keyword Planner is the right free starting point for keyword ideas and bid estimates. SEO freelancers will still need a paid tool for difficulty and ranking data.

   Visit ads.google.com ↗

Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.