Find search terms worth targeting. 5 tools in this list, 2 with a free plan.
How this list is ranked. Tools are ordered by how strongly they are built for this job (as tagged in VERILO’s catalogue), then by editorial score and editor rating. Affiliate relationships and featured status are never inputs.
Keyword research is where the big suites differ most in their data. Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool works from a very large database with strong filtering and clustering, and Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer covers YouTube, Amazon and Bing as well as Google. SE Ranking and Moz Pro cover the same ground from smaller keyword databases.
Surfer SEO is on this list for a different reason: it plans content around topics and keyword clusters rather than researching a market from scratch. If you already know what you want to write about, that may be all you need.
Watch how usage is metered. Some tools limit research by credits or daily requests rather than by feature, and those limits run out faster than people expect on lower tiers.
Common questions
Which keyword research tools have a free plan?
Semrush and Ahrefs have a free plan, with limits on usage, users or features. SE Ranking (14 days) and Moz Pro (7 days) offer a free trial instead.
How much does keyword research software cost?
The entry paid plans as each vendor lists them, checked against its pricing page: Ahrefs Starter at $29 a month, Moz Pro Entry-level at $49 a month, Surfer SEO Discovery at $49 a month, SE Ranking Core at $129 a month and Semrush SEO at $139 a month. Some vendors quote the annual-billing rate, and seat minimums, higher tiers and add-ons all change the real cost, so price the plan you actually need.
Can I do keyword research for free?
To a point. A free Semrush account allows a limited number of requests a day, and Google Search Console shows the queries your own site already appears for. Neither replaces a paid tool for researching new topics at volume.
Do I need a full SEO suite for keyword research?
Not always. If keyword research mainly feeds content you write yourself, a content tool such as Surfer SEO alongside Search Console can be enough. A suite earns its price when you also need competitor research, site audits and rank tracking in the same account.
Choosing between the top two?
See Semrush and Ahrefs side by side on pricing, free plans, ease of use and features.