Buying guide

Best keyword research tools for a small site

By Joonas Rotko, ex-agency co-owner, 10+ years spending real marketing budgets

Prices verified 2 Oct 2026 · How I choose, and how I earn from this page

If you research keywords every week for a small site, I'd start with Mangools. Basic is $37.70/month billed annually and gives you a daily allowance of lookups, so you never ration a monthly pool. KeySearch costs less for daily research, and LowFruits finds keywords weak pages rank for. Semrush is for when you need the wider toolbox. Every price here was verified 2 Oct 2026.

Every price on this page is for

One small site
Weekly keyword research
One user

Who this is for. Small business owners and solo marketers who sit down with a keyword tool themselves each week to decide what the next page or post should target, on a limited budget. These are research dashboards, not autopilots: they hand you keywords, volumes and difficulty scores, and the judgment about which keywords fit your business stays with you.

Looking for something else?

Different job, different guide.

I want more than keyword research

I want to start without paying

Best free SEO toolsStart without a subscription.

I need keyword data inside my own tools

Best SEO APIsKeyword, SERP and backlink data for your own tools.

My picks for different needs

Find the line that sounds like you. Each pick links to the full reasoning below.

A friendly keyword tool I'll open every week
Keyword research is the main job, with a daily allowance and a free plan to try.
Why this one
Mangools
My default
$37.70/moannual
Next step up, Mangools Premium: $52.70/mo annual, 500 keyword research requests per day
See Mangools plansAffiliate link
The lowest price for daily keyword research
A daily search allowance with rank tracking and a site auditor bundled in.
Why this one
Keysearch
$20/moannual
Next step up, Pro: $40/mo annual, 500 keyword searches per day
See Keysearch plansAffiliate link
Keywords a new site can actually rank for
Looks for weak pages in the results, and sells pay-as-you-go credits as well as plans.
Why this one
LowFruits
$20.75/moannual
Next step up, Premium: $62.45/mo annual, 10,000 credits per month
See LowFruits plansAffiliate link
Blog topics from the questions customers ask
Question research and keyword clustering, with a free plan that needs no card.
Why this one
Answer Socrates
$15.83/moannual
Next step up, Seneca: $32.50/mo annual, 500 keyword lookups
See Answer Socrates plans
The big keyword database, and I'll pay for it
The widest toolbox here, with a limited free plan to look around first.
Why this one
Semrush
$117.33/moannual
Next step up, Pro+: $248.17/mo annual, 1,500 tracked keywords
See Semrush plansAffiliate link
To track the keywords I already picked
A rank tracker, priced by how many keywords you track. Not a research tool.
Why this one
Keyword.com
$3/moannual
See Keyword.com plansAffiliate link

The tools side by side

Each row is the cheapest paid plan for one person who researches weekly (Keyword.com: its smallest weekly package, and it only tracks keywords). Vendors count lookups per day, per month or in credits, so I don't line them up in one column. Each card gives the allowance in the vendor's own words.

weekly keyword research: plan priced, monthly and annual cost, Free start
Tool and plan	Cost per month	Free start
MangoolsBasic	$37.70annual $61 monthly Next step up, Mangools Premium: $52.70/mo annual, 500 keyword research requests per day	Free plan
KeysearchStarter	$20annual $24 monthly Next step up, Pro: $40/mo annual, 500 keyword searches per day	7-day trial
LowFruitsStandard	$20.75annual $29.90 monthly Next step up, Premium: $62.45/mo annual, 10,000 credits per month	Trial not published
Answer SocratesSocrates Lite	$15.83annual $19 monthly Next step up, Seneca: $32.50/mo annual, 500 keyword lookups	Free plan
SemrushSEO	$117.33annual $139.95 monthly Next step up, Pro+: $248.17/mo annual, 1,500 tracked keywords	Free plan and a 7-day trial
Keyword.comSearch Visibility	$3annual $4 monthly	14-day trial

Six picks, in the order I'd consider them

Each one says who it is for, what it costs for weekly keyword research, and what you give up.

Mangools

Easiest to use

Hands-on

Choose it if

You research keywords every week, want a tool built around that one job, and don't want to learn a full SEO suite.

Consider Keysearch instead if

Price decides it. KeySearch's Starter plan is $20/month billed annually and gives you a larger daily allowance, with less tracking included.

Why it fits weekly keyword research

Basic allows 100 keyword research requests a day, and the same for SERP analysis. It also tracks 200 keywords on weekly updates, so you can follow the terms you picked without a second tool. There is a free plan to try it before you pay.

The plan I priced

I priced Basic, the cheapest paid plan. The allowance resets every day instead of being a monthly pool. Premium raises it to 500 a day if you run bigger sessions.

Closest alternative

Keysearch becomes the better choice when you want the lowest price and a larger daily allowance, and a smaller tracked keyword list is fine.

Weekly keyword research: Mangools Basic

Billed annually

$37.70/mo

Billed monthly

$61/mo

Next step up, Mangools Premium: $52.70/mo annual, 500 keyword research requests per day

Move up if you run long research sessions and hit the daily allowance before you finish.

Above 100 keyword research requests per day: Mangools Premium (+$15/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Almost all of the saving needs a year's commitment: $61/month billed monthly against $37.70/month billed annually. The refund window is only 48 hours.

What my review says

Best for: Anyone who researches keywords every week and wants one friendly tool for it, with rank tracking on the same plan.

Skip it if you need a bigger daily allowance than Basic gives, or a deep site audit is the main job.

Strengths

A daily keyword research allowance that resets, plus 200 tracked keywords on Basic.
A free plan that needs no card, separate from the paid plans.
Rank tracking covers unlimited domains on every plan.

Limits

Most of the saving needs annual billing: $61/month billed monthly against $37.70/month billed annually.
Rank updates are weekly on Basic and Premium, daily only on Agency.
Refunds only within 48 hours of paying.

See Mangools plans My Mangools reviewAffiliate link

Keysearch

Low price, daily allowance

Desk research

Choose it if

You want to keep the bill low, research keywords most days, and like having tracking and an auditor in the same subscription.

Consider Mangools instead if

You want a bigger tracked keyword list or a free plan to try first. Mangools tracks 200 keywords on Basic, and its free plan needs no card.

Why it fits weekly keyword research

Starter allows 200 keyword searches a day, and the allowance resets daily instead of running down over a month. The same plan includes rank tracking, a site auditor, backlink checks and an AI content assistant, and there is a 7-day trial.

The plan I priced

I priced Starter: $24/month billed monthly, or $20/month billed annually. Pro raises the daily allowance to 500 searches and adds Foresight.

Closest alternative

Mangools becomes the better choice when keyword research is the whole job and you want the tool built around it, with a free plan.

KeySearch homepage — Keysearch homepage, captured 2 Oct 2026

Weekly keyword research: Starter

Billed annually

$20/mo

Billed monthly

$24/mo

Next step up, Pro: $40/mo annual, 500 keyword searches per day

Move up if you search most of the day. Pro also adds Foresight.

Above 200 keyword searches per day: Pro (+$20/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Tracked keywords are capped low: 80 on Starter, 200 on Pro. The pricing page states no refund terms, only the trial.

What my review says

Best for: A small business owner who wants weekly keyword research on a tight budget.

Skip it if you need to track a long keyword list.

Strengths

200 keyword searches a day on Starter, resetting daily.
Rank tracking, backlink checks and a site auditor in the same subscription.
A 7-day free trial before you pay.

Limits

Only 80 tracked keywords on Starter.
Foresight is only on the Pro plan.
No refund terms are stated, only the trial.

See Keysearch plans My Keysearch review Keysearch pricingAffiliate link

LowFruits

Finds weak SERPs

Desk research

Choose it if

Your site is new or small and you want keywords where the pages that rank are weak, and you research in bursts rather than every day.

Consider Mangools instead if

You want a tool you open every day for quick lookups, with a plain daily allowance instead of credits.

Why it fits weekly keyword research

On a subscription, searches are unlimited, and a credit is spent only when a keyword's results are analysed. Standard includes 3,000 credits a month. If you research in bursts, there are pay-as-you-go credit packs with no subscription.

The plan I priced

I priced Standard, the cheapest subscription: $29.90/month billed monthly, or $20.75/month billed annually. One credit buys one analysed keyword, so I don't turn credits into a searches-per-day number. Premium raises the pool to 10,000 credits. Free use is a few keyword finder searches a week, and only on pay-as-you-go credits.

Closest alternative

Mangools becomes the better choice when you want quick everyday lookups and a free plan, more than a deep read of the results.

Weekly keyword research: Standard

Billed annually

$20.75/mo

Billed monthly

$29.90/mo

Next step up, Premium: $62.45/mo annual, 10,000 credits per month

Move up if you analyse a lot of keywords every month and the credit pool runs out.

Above 3,000 credits per month: Premium (+$41.70/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Credits run down when you analyse a lot of keywords, and pay-as-you-go credits expire. The refund only applies within the first 14 days and only if you have used few credits.

What my review says

Best for: A small site owner hunting low-competition keywords, not tracking rankings.

Skip it if you want a free plan to live on, or you research a little every single day.

Strengths

Unlimited keyword searches on a subscription, with a credit spent only when a keyword's results are analysed.
Pay-as-you-go credits for people who research in bursts.
A stated refund window of 14 days.

Limits

Standard includes 3,000 credits a month, and analysing keywords uses them up.
Free use is a few keyword finder searches a week, on pay-as-you-go credits only.
The refund only applies within the first 14 days and only if you have used few credits.

See LowFruits plans My LowFruits review LowFruits pricingAffiliate link

Answer Socrates

Questions plus clustering

Desk research

Choose it if

You plan blog topics from the questions customers ask, and want a free plan to try before you spend anything.

Consider Mangools instead if

You want everyday keyword lookups with a daily allowance and rank tracking in the same plan.

Why it fits weekly keyword research

The free plan gives 3 keyword searches a day with no card, and clusters keywords on every plan. Paid plans add search volume, CPC and competition metrics, which the free plan doesn't show.

The plan I priced

I priced Lite: $19/month billed monthly, or $15.83/month billed annually. That is the plan card's figure, which matches its stated yearly total. The compare table on the same page shows lower yearly prices, so check the figure at checkout. Seneca allows 500 searches a month.

Closest alternative

LowFruits becomes the better choice when you care less about questions and more about finding keywords where the pages that rank are weak.

Answer Socrates homepage, captured 2 Oct 2026

Weekly keyword research: Socrates Lite

Billed annually

$15.83/mo

Billed monthly

$19/mo

Next step up, Seneca: $32.50/mo annual, 500 keyword lookups

Move up if you research most days, because the monthly allowance on Lite runs out sooner than a daily one would.

Above 100 keyword lookups: Seneca (+$16.67/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Paid allowances are quoted per month, not per day: Lite allows 100 keyword searches a month. If you research every day, that runs out sooner than the daily allowances on this list.

What my review says

Best for: A small business owner planning blog topics from the questions customers ask.

Skip it if you need search volume on a free plan, or you research every day on a monthly allowance.

Strengths

A real free plan that needs no card.
Keyword clustering credits on every plan, free included.
Paid plans add search volume, CPC and competition metrics.

Limits

The free plan shows no search volume, CPC or competition data.
Paid allowances are monthly: Lite allows 100 keyword searches a month.
The compare table shows lower yearly prices than the plan cards, so check the checkout figure.

See Answer Socrates plans My Answer Socrates reviewNo affiliate link: plain link

Semrush

The standard keyword database, at suite prices

Hands-on

Choose it if

You want keyword research plus competitor, content and ad research in one place, and the price doesn't bother you.

Consider Mangools instead if

Keyword research is the main job. Mangools Basic is $37.70/month billed annually, against $117.33/month billed annually here.

Why it fits weekly keyword research

The SEO plan covers 5 sites and 500 tracked keywords, and there is a 7-day trial and a limited free plan. It is the broadest toolbox here, so it pays off only when you use more than keyword research.

The plan I priced

I priced the SEO plan: $139.95/month billed monthly, or $117.33/month billed annually. Its published limits are sites and tracked keywords. Refunds are only available on annual plans.

Closest alternative

Mangools becomes the better choice when you want the same keyword research at a fraction of the price and can do without the wider suite.

Weekly keyword research: SEO

Billed annually

$117.33/mo

Billed monthly

$139.95/mo

Next step up, Pro+: $248.17/mo annual, 1,500 tracked keywords

Move up if you track a longer keyword list. Pro+ also adds historical data.

Above 500 tracked keywords: Pro+ (+$130.84/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

It costs $78.95/month more than Mangools Basic on monthly billing, for a tool where keyword research is one part of a bigger suite. That gap is why it sits below Answer Socrates for a small site on a budget.

What my review says

Best for: Small-site owners who want keyword research plus competitor, content and ad research in one suite, and are happy to pay suite prices for it.

Skip it if keyword research is the main job and the price matters. A keyword-first tool like Mangools covers weekly research for a fraction of the cost.

Strengths

Competitor, content and ad research in the same subscription as keyword research.
A limited free plan and a 7-day trial to look around first.
5 sites and 500 tracked keywords on the entry SEO plan.

Limits

The entry SEO plan is $117.33/month billed annually, well above the keyword-first tools here.
No AI prompt tracking on the SEO plan.
Refunds only on annual plans, within 7 days.

See Semrush plans My Semrush review Semrush pricingAffiliate link

Keyword.com

Tracks the keywords you pick, priced per keyword

Desk research

Choose it if

You have already chosen your keywords and want to watch where you rank for them, at a price that grows with the list.

Consider Mangools instead if

You want to find keywords and track them in one subscription. Mangools includes both.

Why it fits weekly keyword research

This is the step after research: you pick your keywords elsewhere and Keyword.com tracks them. The entry plan starts at $4/month billed monthly for the smallest weekly package, and packages climb to 500 keywords. The 14-day trial needs no card.

The plan I priced

I priced Search Visibility on its smallest keyword package with weekly updates: $4/month billed monthly, or $3/month billed annually. Each larger package costs more. The price follows the keyword count you choose. My rank tracking guide prices a larger package for a longer keyword list, so the Keyword.com figure there is higher.

Closest alternative

Mangools becomes the better choice when you also need to find keywords, and want research and tracking in one place.

Keyword.com homepage, captured 2 Oct 2026

Weekly keyword research: Search Visibility

Billed annually

$3/mo

Billed monthly

$4/mo

The trade-off

It isn't a keyword discovery tool, so it doesn't replace any other pick here. Daily updates cost several times the weekly price: $16/month billed monthly for the same smallest package.

What my review says

Best for: A small site that already has its keywords and wants a cheap rank tracker that grows one keyword package at a time.

Skip it if you need to find keywords. It only tracks them, and daily checks on a long list get expensive.

Strengths

Priced by keyword package, from $4/month billed monthly for the smallest weekly one.
Unlimited projects and users on every plan.
A 14-day trial with no card.

Limits

It doesn't find or suggest keywords.
Daily updates cost several times the weekly price for the same package.
No free plan is shown, only a trial.

See Keyword.com plans My Keyword.com reviewAffiliate link

What weekly keyword research really costs

Each bar is that tool's cheapest paid plan, not the same amount of research. Allowances are counted per day, per month or in credits, so a shorter bar means a lower entry price, not more keywords for less money.

Dollar prices, per month (billed annually where sold)

Answer Socrates$15.83/mo
Keysearch$20/mo
LowFruits$20.75/mo
Mangools$37.70/mo
Semrush$117.33/mo

Pay monthly or yearly?

What yearly billing saves on the same plan.

Mangools$61 monthly, $37.70 yearly: 38% less
Keysearch$24 monthly, $20 yearly: 17% less
LowFruits$29.90 monthly, $20.75 yearly: 31% less
Answer Socrates$19 monthly, $15.83 yearly: 17% less
Semrush$139.95 monthly, $117.33 yearly: 16% less
Keyword.com$4 monthly, $3 yearly: 25% less

When you'll outgrow the plan

The first limit you hit, and the next plan up.

Mangools: above 100 keyword research requests per day, Mangools Premium (+$15/mo)
Keysearch: above 200 keyword searches per day, Pro (+$20/mo)
LowFruits: above 3,000 credits per month, Premium (+$41.70/mo)
Answer Socrates: above 100 keyword lookups, Seneca (+$16.67/mo)
Semrush: above 500 tracked keywords, Pro+ (+$130.84/mo)

How I calculated this

Workload: One small site, Weekly keyword research, One user.

Vendors count lookups in different units: per day, per month, or credits spent when a keyword's results are analysed. I don't convert one into another. Each tool is priced on its cheapest paid plan, and the allowance is explained on each card in the vendor's own terms.

Other options, and why they missed the list

I kept this list short on purpose. A tool has to find keywords for a small site, publish its plan limits, and be priced for one person. Suites and tools that only do one narrow job are useful, but they answer a different question. Keyword.com is here because it is the step after research, and I label it that way.

Ubersuggest
A budget suite with keyword research and site audits. Not on the shortlist, but worth a look if price decides it.
Keywords Everywhere
A browser extension that shows keyword data as you search. A different way of working from the dashboards above.
Ahrefs
The deepest backlink data and a strong keyword database, at a price aimed at a bigger toolbox than weekly keyword research needs.
Serpstat
An all-in-one platform with a keyword database. It missed this list because it is a suite, not a keyword tool.
AnswerThePublic
Question and topic research from a single seed term. Answer Socrates covers the same job here, with a free plan.

How I chose, and how I earn from this page

Who is behind this guide

Joonas Rotko

I co-ran a marketing agency in Finland and spent more than ten years buying SEO and marketing software with real client budgets. I write these guides for the person who has to pay for the tool and use it.

Hands-on with 2 of these 6 tools
Prices checked 2 Oct 2026
How this page earns

More about me and how I review

Affiliate disclosure

Some of the links to vendors on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through one, I may be paid a commission, and it costs you nothing extra. I start from tools that do weekly keyword research for a small site and publish prices I can check on the vendor's own page. When two tools fit about equally, I put the one I have an affiliate link for first. I have no affiliate link for Answer Socrates. It ranks above Semrush, which I do have a link for, because Lite costs a fraction of the SEO plan and its free plan lets a small site start without paying. Keyword.com comes last because it tracks keywords rather than finding them. A commission has no say in a price, a plan or what I write about a tool's limits.

How this guide was prepared

What I did

Every price and allowance on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing page, with the source link and check date listed under Sources. The page uses one set of figures throughout, so a price cannot differ between sections.
The main trap in this category is the unit. Mangools and KeySearch count lookups per day, Answer Socrates per month, LowFruits in credits spent on analysed keywords. I never convert one into another, because a converted figure would look precise and be wrong. Each card gives the allowance in the vendor's own words, and the table lines up only the price and the free start.
All six vendors show US dollars, so no price here is converted.
Hands-on means I use the product myself and the review draws on that. Desk research means I judged the tool from its published plans and documentation.

What to keep in mind

Plans and allowances change. Each source on this page carries the day I checked it, and the vendor's checkout has the final word.
LowFruits sells credits, not a number of searches a day, so its allowance can't be set beside the daily allowances of Mangools and KeySearch.
Answer Socrates quotes its paid allowances per month. Its compare table shows lower yearly prices than its plan cards, so I use the plan card figures.
Keyword.com appears on its smallest weekly package and only tracks keywords. My rank tracking guide prices a larger package for a longer list, so the figure there is higher.

Sources and verification dates

Mangools pricing and limits checked 1 Oct 2026
Keysearch pricing and limits checked 1 Oct 2026
LowFruits pricing and limits checked 1 Oct 2026
Answer Socrates pricing and limits checked 2 Oct 2026
Semrush pricing and limits checked 29 Sep 2026
Keyword.com pricing and limits checked 2 Oct 2026

Prices and limits checked on 11 vendor pages. Oldest check: 29 Sep 2026.

2 Oct 2026: First Best V2 version: the ranked list is built from verified plan facts, with each tool priced on its cheapest paid plan for monthly and annual billing.

Questions people ask

How many keyword searches per day do I need?

It depends on how you work, so count how many keywords you look up in a typical research session and compare. Mangools Basic allows 100 requests a day and KeySearch Starter allows 200 searches a day. Answer Socrates quotes a monthly allowance instead: 100 on Lite. LowFruits is different again: searches are unlimited on a subscription and credits are spent when you analyse a keyword's results.

Are there free keyword research options?

Yes. Mangools has a free plan. Answer Socrates gives 3 keyword searches a day with no card, though the free plan shows no search volume. LowFruits gives a few free keyword finder searches a week on its pay-as-you-go credits. Semrush has a limited free plan. KeySearch offers a 7-day trial. For more free options, see my guide to free SEO tools.

Can I try these tools before paying?

Yes, every pick has some way in. Mangools, Answer Socrates and Semrush have free plans, and Semrush also has a 7-day trial. KeySearch has a 7-day trial. Keyword.com has a 14-day trial with no card. LowFruits has free searches on pay-as-you-go credits, and refunds within 14 days if you have used few credits.

How accurate is keyword difficulty?

Treat it as a rough guide, not a measurement. Every tool calculates its own difficulty score its own way, so the same keyword can score differently in two tools, and a score of one tool means nothing in another. Use it to sort a long list, then open the actual search results for the keywords you care about and check who ranks. LowFruits is built around that second step: it looks at the pages that rank rather than only giving a score.

What does keyword research really cost?

Billed annually, the cheapest paid plans here run from $15.83/mo (Answer Socrates Lite) to $117.33/mo (Semrush SEO). Mangools Basic is $37.70/mo and KeySearch Starter is $20/mo. Keyword.com is a tracker, not a research tool, and starts at $3/mo for its smallest package.

Do I need SEO experience to use these tools?

Less than you might fear for the research itself, but you do need to judge what comes back. A keyword tool gives you a volume and a difficulty score. It can't tell you whether a keyword fits your business or whether you can write a page that beats what already ranks. Mangools has the shortest learning curve of the six, and Semrush the longest because keyword research is one tool among many. If this is your first time, start on a free plan and work through a single topic before you pay for anything.

Best keyword research tools for a small site

Looking for something else?

I want more than keyword research

I want to start without paying

I need keyword data inside my own tools

My picks for different needs

The tools side by side

Six picks, in the order I'd consider them

Mangools

Keysearch

LowFruits

Answer Socrates

Semrush

Keyword.com

What weekly keyword research really costs

Pay monthly or yearly?

When you'll outgrow the plan

Other options, and why they missed the list

How I chose, and how I earn from this page

Joonas Rotko

Affiliate disclosure

Questions people ask

Compare two of them head to head

The SEO and AI visibility software worth your money, and the ones that are not