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Alternatives · Keyword Research

Exploding Topics alternatives

As of Oct 23, 2026, the highest-graded Exploding Topics alternative is Google Trends (3.0 GPA). It's also the best free one.

Exploding Topics compared with 9 alternatives: Glimpse, Treendly, Google Trends, Semrush, AnswerThePublic and 4 more.

Exploding Topics has a free plan. Paid plans start at $39 per month for 100 tracked trends (billing basis not shown). 6 of the 9 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 3 more offer a free trial.

Listings checked up to Oct 23, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
Exploding TopicsThis toolFree plan · from $39/moYesWeb
GlimpseFree planYesWeb, Browser extension
TreendlyFree plan · from $99/yrYesWeb, Browser extension
Google TrendsFreeFreeWeb
SemrushFree plan · from $117.33/moYesWeb
AnswerThePublicFree plan · from $20/moYesWeb
PinClicksFree trial · from $29/moTrial onlyWeb, Browser extension
Pinterest TrendsFreeFreeWeb
SpateFree trialTrial onlyWeb
BuzzSumoFree trial · from $159/moTrial onlyWeb, Browser extension

Price against what you get

Exploding Topics starts at $39 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 5 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Treendly and AnswerThePublic.

Google Trends, PinClicks and Pinterest Trends start lower without scoring higher.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$5$10$20$50$100More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessExploding TopicsTreendlyGoogle TrendsAnswerThePublicPinClicksPinterest Trends

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of keyword research tools, and the best at every price

How each one differs from Exploding Topics

  1. Glimpse

    Google Trends add-on with absolute search volume and trend discovery

    • Glimpse also lists a browser extension.

    Suits: People who already use Google Trends and want real search numbers

    Glimpse vs Exploding TopicsGlimpse pricing and details

  2. Treendly

    Trend discovery tool for spotting rising topics and keywords early

    • Treendly starts at $99 per year ($29 billed monthly).
    • Treendly also lists a browser extension.

    Suits: Bloggers and SEO writers looking for topics before they get competitive

    Treendly vs Exploding TopicsTreendly pricing and details

  3. Semrush

    SEO suite for keyword research, rank tracking and AI search visibility

    • Semrush starts at $117.33 per month, billed annually ($139 billed monthly).
    • Semrush also covers reports, rank tracking, site audit and backlink analysis.

    Suits: Freelancers and in-house marketers who want research, tracking and audits in one account

    Semrush vs Exploding TopicsSemrush pricing and details

  4. AnswerThePublic

    Question and search-suggestion research shown as keyword wheels

    • AnswerThePublic starts at $20 per month, billed monthly ($160 a year billed annually).
    • AnswerThePublic also covers long-form writing.

    Suits: Writers looking for the questions people ask about a topic

    AnswerThePublic vs Exploding TopicsAnswerThePublic pricing and details

  5. PinClicks

    Pinterest keyword research, pin stats and search rank tracking

    • PinClicks starts at $29 per month.
    • PinClicks has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Exploding Topics.
    • PinClicks also lists a browser extension.
    • PinClicks also covers rank tracking.

    Suits: Bloggers who get much of their traffic from Pinterest

    PinClicks vs Exploding TopicsPinClicks pricing and details

  6. Spate

    Consumer trend forecasting from search and social data

    • Spate has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Exploding Topics.
    • Spate also covers reports.

    Suits: Beauty, wellness and food and beverage brands planning new products

    Spate vs Exploding TopicsSpate pricing and details

  7. BuzzSumo

    Content research, media monitoring and journalist outreach

    • BuzzSumo starts at $159 per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly).
    • BuzzSumo has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Exploding Topics.
    • BuzzSumo also lists a browser extension.
    • BuzzSumo also covers research, reports, backlink analysis and link outreach.

    Suits: Content marketers looking for topics and formats that already earn shares and links

    BuzzSumo vs Exploding TopicsBuzzSumo pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Exploding Topics

  • The pricing page shows monthly figures without saying how they are billed; a vendor blog post says $39 is the annual-billing rate.
  • Trend forecasting, trending startups and CSV export start at the $99 Investor plan.
  • Pro runs as an app inside Semrush: signing in and starting a trial go through a Semrush account.
  • TikTok Insights is a separate add-on, and its price is not shown on the pricing page.
Exploding Topics pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Exploding Topics?

The alternatives to Exploding Topics in this directory are Glimpse, Treendly, Google Trends, Semrush, AnswerThePublic, PinClicks, Pinterest Trends, Spate and BuzzSumo. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Exploding Topics.

Is there a free alternative to Exploding Topics?

Yes. Google Trends and Pinterest Trends are free to use. Glimpse, Treendly, Semrush and AnswerThePublic have a free plan alongside paid ones.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.