Updated November 6, 2026
AnswerThePublic: Find the questions people ask around any keyword. People look for alternatives when they need a lower price, a free plan or a better fit for a specific job.
These 8 tools cover similar ground. Each entry explains who it suits, how pricing works and what to watch out for.
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frase | Writers who want fast research and briefs | Free trial | No |
| Ahrefs | Link building, competitor research and agencies that need reliable backlink data | Paid | No |
| Bing Webmaster Tools | Getting extra free audit and link data, and visibility in Bing | Free | Yes |
| Google Keyword Planner | Free keyword ideas from Google | Free | Yes |
| Google Trends | Spotting seasonality and rising topics | Free | Yes |
| Mangools | Bloggers and small businesses who want easy keyword research | Free trial | No |
| Moz Pro | Beginners and small teams who value clear explanations and simple reports | Free trial | No |
| SE Ranking | Freelancers and agencies who need solid features at a lower price | Free trial | No |
Frase pulls the top search results for a keyword, summarises their headings and questions, and helps you build a content brief and optimise the draft. It is a lower-cost option for content optimization.
Paid plans with a trial.
Who it suits: Writers who want fast research and briefs.
Ahrefs combines a backlink database, keyword research, site audits, rank tracking and content research. It is one of the two most widely used SEO suites, and its link data is a common reference point in the industry.
Paid plans. Free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for sites you own.
Who it suits: Link building, competitor research and agencies that need reliable backlink data.
Bing Webmaster Tools reports how your site performs in Bing and gives you a free site scan, keyword research and backlink data. It can import your sites from Google Search Console in a few clicks.
Free from Microsoft.
Who it suits: Getting extra free audit and link data, and visibility in Bing.
Keyword Planner is built for advertisers but is useful for SEO too. It suggests keywords and shows search volume ranges and competition straight from Google.
Free with a Google Ads account.
Who it suits: Free keyword ideas from Google.
Google Trends shows the relative popularity of search terms over time and by region. Use it to spot seasonal patterns, rising topics and to compare keywords.
Free from Google.
Who it suits: Spotting seasonality and rising topics.
Mangools bundles KWFinder (keywords), SERPChecker, SERPWatcher (rank tracking), LinkMiner (backlinks) and SiteProfiler. It is known for being easy to use and is a favourite of bloggers and small site owners.
Paid plans with a free trial.
Who it suits: Bloggers and small businesses who want easy keyword research.
Moz Pro offers keyword research, link analysis, site crawls and rank tracking. Moz created the Domain Authority metric, which is still widely used to compare websites, and its learning resources are some of the best in SEO.
Paid plans with a free trial. Free MozBar extension and limited free tools.
Who it suits: Beginners and small teams who value clear explanations and simple reports.
SE Ranking started as a rank tracker and grew into a full suite with audits, keyword research, backlinks and white-label reporting. It is a popular lower-cost alternative to the biggest suites, especially for agencies and freelancers.
Paid plans with a free trial.
Who it suits: Freelancers and agencies who need solid features at a lower price.
Keyword research tools show what people type into search engines, how often, and how competitive each term is. Use them to plan content, find quick wins and understand what your competitors already rank for.
Prices and features change often. Check each vendor’s website for current plans before you buy.
