DataForSEO vs Keyword Tool API (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick DataForSEO: it is first in our ranking of SERP and SEO data APIs, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 1.8.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
DataForSEO grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DataForSEO
Pay-as-you-go APIs for SERP, keyword, backlink and AI mention data
Keyword Tool API
Keyword suggestion and search volume API across 17 search platforms
Which one is for you
Pick DataForSEO if
- Fits if you're building your own rank tracker, keyword tool or backlink checker and want one bill for the data
- Works for batch jobs that can wait minutes for a queued result at $0.60 per 1,000
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want reports to look at, since it returns JSON with no SEO dashboard
- Tight if you're only testing, as the $1 trial credit goes fast and the next step is a $50 top-up
- Watch out: search operators multiply the price of a Google query by five
- Pricey if you pull backlinks or AI mentions in bulk, at $0.024 a task plus $0.000036 a row, and $0.1 a task plus $0.001 a row
Pick Keyword Tool API if
- Fits if you want Google and Bing search volumes pulled into your own tools or warehouse
- Works for long-tail research on YouTube, Amazon and TikTok as well as Google
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as there's no trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Tight if you run many jobs, since Starter's 50 requests a day are shared with the web app and MCP
- Watch out: volumes for platforms other than Google and Bing are modeled estimates, not planner data
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $88 against $68 on yearly billing
How we grade them
| 2.8GPADataForSEOGood | 1.8GPAKeyword Tool APIWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$50 is the smallest top-up and the balance never expires, a first spend at the dear end of this category's usual $25 to $50. The rate lifts it: Google results are $0.60 per 1,000 in the standard queue and $2 live, where most rivals here charge $1 to $4. | CStarter is $68 a month on yearly billing ($88 monthly) for 50 requests a day, above this category's dearer quarter but short of its dearest tenth. The same plan also covers the web app and MCP. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. New accounts get $1 of trial credit and a Sandbox that returns sample responses, enough to wire up your code, and then it's a $50 top-up. | FNothing free for the API: no trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee, which isn't a trial. A free Guest MCP gives suggestions with volume on the first 5 keywords, but no API access. |
| Features | ASearch results from Google, Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu, Naver and Seznam, plus keyword volumes, its own backlink index back to 2019, site crawls and brand mentions in ChatGPT and AI Overviews. No other API in this category covers that much of the SEO job from one key. | CSearch volume for up to 1,000 keywords a request, suggestions from 17 platforms, competitor keywords and a sandbox. The listing's own gap: only Google and Bing volumes come from the ad planners, and the rest are modeled estimates. |
| Ease of use | CJudged on how fast a developer gets a first result: a Sandbox, spending limits per API and connectors for Sheets, n8n and Make. No rating on record, and each API is billed per SERP, task, row or page, which takes reading before you start. | CJudged on how fast a developer gets a first result: a sandbox base URL and a public OpenAPI 3.1 file for Postman or generated clients. No rating on record, and one daily request pool is shared with the web app and MCP. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with an API and connectors for Google Sheets, n8n, Make, Zapier, Airtable, Postman and Pabbly. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top. | BWeb, with an API, an MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor, and an OpenAPI file for Postman. No desktop or phone app, so B is the top. |
| Best for | SEO data for building your own tools | keyword volumes from Google, YouTube and Amazon |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: DataForSEO and Keyword Tool API. How we grade
Where they differ
- DataForSEO also covers site audit, backlink analysis, AI search visibility and sERP API.
At a glance
| DataForSEO | Keyword Tool API | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $50 minimum top-up, used as you go | $68 per month for 50 requests a day, billed annually ($88 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | $1 of trial credit for new accounts, plus a free Sandbox that returns sample responses | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | DataForSEO OU | Essential Apps LLC and Key Tools Limited |
| Price read from | dataforseo.com | keywordtool.io |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
DataForSEO
- Google organic results cost $0.0006 per SERP in the standard queue, $0.0012 in the priority queue and $0.002 live; search operators multiply the price by five.
- Backlinks API calls cost $0.024 per task plus $0.000036 per row, and LLM Mentions $0.1 per task plus $0.001 per row.
- There is no free plan: after the $1 trial credit, the account needs a top-up of at least $50.
- It is a data API with no ready-made SEO dashboard; results come back as JSON for your own code or a connector.
Keyword Tool API
- The API needs a Keyword Tool Pro plan; there is no free trial, but every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- One daily request pool, from 50 on Starter to 400 on Agency, is shared by the web app, the API and MCP, and resets every 24 hours.
- Only Google and Bing volumes come from the ad planners; the other platforms' volumes are modeled estimates from clickstream data.
- A free Guest MCP gives Google and Bing suggestions with volume on the first 5 keywords, but no API access.
Key features
DataForSEO
- SERP API
- Search results from Google (organic, Maps, AI Mode, News, Images, Jobs and more), Bing, YouTube, Yahoo, Baidu, Naver and Seznam, in queued or live modes.
- Keyword data
- Search volume and keyword metrics from Google Ads, Bing Ads, Google Trends and clickstream sources, plus the Labs API for keyword and competitor research.
- Backlinks API
- Backlink profiles, referring domains, anchors and link history back to 2019 from DataForSEO's own continuously crawled index, with bulk endpoints for up to 1,000 targets.
- On-Page and Lighthouse
- Crawls websites, audits pages, parses content and takes screenshots, priced from $0.00015 a page.
- AI Optimization API
- LLM Mentions draws on a database of over 280 million prompts and answers from ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews; other endpoints return LLM responses and AI search volume.
- Spending controls
- The dashboard tracks usage and cost, sets daily spending limits per account, API or endpoint, and can top up the balance automatically.
Keyword Tool API
- Search volume endpoint
- Send 1 to 1,000 keywords per request for monthly volume, a monthly breakdown, cost per click and competition, for one location and language.
- Keyword suggestions from 17 sources
- Autocomplete suggestions, related keywords, questions and prepositions from Google, YouTube, Bing, Copilot, Perplexity, Amazon, TikTok, Reddit and more.
- Competitor keywords
- Pass one URL to get up to 2,000+ keywords Google associates with it, with volume, cost per click and low and high top-of-page bids.
- Deep localization
- Google data for 190+ countries, 68,000+ locations and 50+ languages; Bing planner data for 6 countries, or device data for 32.
- Sandbox and OpenAPI spec
- A sandbox base URL for testing without using quota, and a public OpenAPI 3.1 file for Postman collections or generated clients.
- MCP server
- Connect Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT to the same data through MCP, drawing on the plan's shared daily request pool.
Plans
DataForSEO
Pay as you go$50
one-time top-up, used as you go
No subscription: the balance never expires and each API is billed at its own rate per SERP, task, row or page.
Keyword Tool API
Starter$68
per month for 50 requests a day, billed annually ($88 monthly)
Search volume for up to 50,000 keywords a day, 12 months of history, all 17 platforms, web app, API and MCP.
Growth$148
per month for 100 requests a day, billed annually ($188 monthly)
Search volume for up to 100,000 keywords a day and 24 months of history.
Scale$308
per month for 200 requests a day, billed annually ($388 monthly)
Search volume for up to 200,000 keywords a day and 48 months of history.
Agency$628
per month for 400 requests a day, billed annually ($788 monthly)
Search volume for up to 400,000 keywords a day and 48 months of history.
Enterprise & CustomCustom
Higher daily request and keyword limits, custom API and MCP usage, procurement paperwork and bank-transfer payment, after a demo.
Ways to pay less
DataForSEO
No public discounts listed.
Keyword Tool API
- Annual discount
Save over 20% with annual billing
Keyword Tool's pricing lists annual billing at over 20% less: Starter is $68 a month billed annually instead of $88 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DataForSEO or Keyword Tool API?
As of Oct 23, 2026, DataForSEO starts at $50 minimum top-up, used as you go, and Keyword Tool API starts at $68 per month for 50 requests a day, billed annually ($88 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, DataForSEO or Keyword Tool API?
As of Oct 23, 2026, neither DataForSEO nor Keyword Tool API has a free plan. DataForSEO has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.