KeySearch vs SearchVolume.io (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick KeySearch: it is second in our ranking of keyword research tools, though SearchVolume.io grades higher (2.4 against 2.2) on the free plan and ease of use.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
KeySearch grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
KeySearch
Low-cost keyword research tool with rank tracking and site audits
SearchVolume.io
Free bulk search volume checker with a paid AI keyword platform
Which one is for you
Pick KeySearch if
- Fits if you run a blog or niche site and want the main SEO jobs for about $20 a month
- Works for hunting long-tail keywords a small site can rank for
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you track lots of keywords, as Starter stops at 80 and Pro at 200
- Skip it if you want keyword data in your other tools, as there's no API on record
- Not for you if you want longer than a week to try it, as there's no free plan
- Watch out: Foresight and team sharing are Pro only, at $40 a month on yearly billing
- Watch out: AI writing runs on monthly credits, 5,000 on Starter, and the listing doesn't say if the trial needs a card
Pick SearchVolume.io if
- Fits if you have a keyword list and just want the Google volumes for it
- Works for a freelancer who needs up to 500 lookups a month on Lite at $29
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your research comes in bursts, since unused credits don't roll over
- Skip it if you want rank tracking, audits or backlinks, which it doesn't do
- Pricey if you were hoping for a yearly discount, as only monthly prices are shown
- Watch out: when credits run out you wait for the next cycle or upgrade, to $69 for 2,000
- Not for you if you want the data in other tools, as there's no API or integration on record
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKeySearchFair | 2.4GPASearchVolume.ioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $20 a month on yearly billing, or $24 monthly, which sits a little above this category's $17 middle for research, tracking and audits in one account. Pro, with Foresight and team sharing, is $40. | CLite is $29 a month for 500 credits, right at this category's dearer quarter, and there's no yearly discount. One lookup is one credit even when it returns thousands of rows. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, just a 7-day trial and a set of free stand-alone tools. The listing doesn't say whether a card is needed. The terms let you ask for a refund within 30 days of a first purchase. | BThe bulk checker is free: up to 800 keywords at a time, exported to Excel, no Google Ads account needed. If volumes are all you need, you could live on it. The platform itself has a 7-day trial. |
| Features | BVolume, CPC and a difficulty score by country, a rival's keywords, a backlink checker, YouTube research, rank tracking, audits and an AI writer. That covers the whole job. The limits are on the extras, like 80 tracked keywords on Starter. | CAn AI keyword assistant, competitor keywords from a database it puts at over 7 billion, related and long-tail ideas with difficulty and CPC, and a cannibalization check, in 40 languages. Research only: no rank tracking, audit or backlinks. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. Looking up a keyword is quick, but it's a suite: rank tracking, audits and Foresight all need your site and keywords set up first, and AI use runs on monthly credits. | BNo rating on record. The free tool is paste a list, get numbers, and the platform's tools are lookups too, with nothing to connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. There's no desktop or phone app, and the listing shows no integrations and no API. | CWeb only, with no integrations or API on record. Results go out to Excel. |
| Best for | keyword research with rank tracking included | free bulk search volumes |
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: KeySearch and SearchVolume.io. How we grade
Price against what you get
KeySearch starts at $20 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SearchVolume.io starts at $29 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and KeySearch starts $9 a month lower. Of the other keyword research tools on the chart, 7 score higher than KeySearch for less, and 9 score higher than SearchVolume.io for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
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
Where they differ
- KeySearch also covers rank tracking, site audit, backlink analysis, content optimization and youTube SEO.
At a glance
| KeySearch | SearchVolume.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $20 per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly) | $29 per month for 500 credits |
| Free plan | None | The free bulk tool on the homepage gives average monthly search volume for up to 800 keywords at a time, with export to Excel. The research platform itself is paid. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, cancel anytime | 7-day free trial of the paid plans |
| Web | ||
| Made by | KeySearch LLC | Search Volume |
| Price read from | keysearch.co | searchvolume.io |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 |
Worth knowing
KeySearch
- There is no free plan after the 7-day trial, only a set of free stand-alone tools.
- Rank tracking is capped at 80 keywords on Starter and 200 on Pro, low next to dedicated rank trackers.
- Foresight and team collaboration are only on the Pro plan.
- Refunds can be requested within 30 days of the first purchase, according to the terms.
SearchVolume.io
- Credits reset monthly and do not roll over; one lookup costs one credit even when it returns thousands of rows.
- The pricing page shows monthly prices only, with no annual option.
- There is no rank tracking, site audit or backlink report in the plans listed.
- When credits run out you wait for the next billing cycle or upgrade.
Key features
KeySearch
- Keyword research and difficulty
- Look up search volume, cost per click and a difficulty score for keywords by language and country, with filters for long-tail ideas.
- Live SERP and competitor analysis
- See which pages rank for a keyword and what keywords a rival site ranks for, along with a backlink checker and URL metrics.
- Foresight recommendations
- On the Pro plan, Foresight reads a site's niche, authority and rankings and suggests keywords it could win and pages worth improving.
- AI content assistant
- Builds outlines and drafts from the pages that already rank and checks topic coverage. AI use is metered in monthly credits.
- Rank tracking and site audit
- Track positions for 80 or 200 keywords depending on plan, and audit up to 2,000 or 5,000 pages a month for technical problems.
- YouTube research
- Research keywords for YouTube and look at the videos that perform well in a niche.
SearchVolume.io
- Free bulk search volume
- Paste up to 800 keywords and get each one's average monthly Google search volume, then export the list to Excel.
- AI Keyword Assistant
- Suggests keywords to target from seed keywords or a written prompt.
- Keyword cannibalization check
- Groups keywords that show the same pages in Google's results, so one page can target them instead of several competing pages.
- Competitor keywords
- See the keywords a competing site ranks for, drawn from a database the vendor puts at over 7 billion Google keywords.
- Related and long-tail ideas
- Semantically related and long-tail keyword ideas from a seed, with search volume, difficulty and Google Ads cost.
- 40 languages
- Keyword data in 40 languages, from Arabic and Bengali to Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
Plans
KeySearch
Starter Plan$20
per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)
200 keyword searches a day, 80 tracked keywords, 2,000 audited pages and 5,000 AI credits a month. No Foresight.
Pro Plan$40
per month, billed annually ($48 billed monthly)
500 keyword searches a day, 200 tracked keywords, 5,000 audited pages, 15,000 AI credits a month, Foresight and team sharing.
SearchVolume.io
Free tool$0
Bulk search volume for up to 800 keywords at a time, exportable to Excel.
Lite$29
per month for 500 credits
All platform tools for one marketer, with email support. A credit is one lookup or one keyword analyzed.
Standard$69
per month for 2,000 credits
The same tools with 2,000 credits a month. Unused credits do not roll over.
Scale$119
per month for 5,000 credits
5,000 credits a month, with email and video call support.
Ways to pay less
KeySearch
- Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
KeySearch's pricing section offers annual billing with 2 months free: Starter is $20 a month instead of $24, and Pro $40 instead of $48.
SearchVolume.io
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, KeySearch or SearchVolume.io?
As of Oct 23, 2026, KeySearch is cheaper to start with: $20 a month, against $29 a month for SearchVolume.io. KeySearch starts at $20 per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly), and SearchVolume.io starts at $29 per month for 500 credits.
Which has a free plan, KeySearch or SearchVolume.io?
As of Oct 23, 2026, only SearchVolume.io has a free plan. KeySearch does not, though it 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.