KeySearch vs SECockpit (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick KeySearch: it is second in our ranking of keyword research tools, and it grades higher too, 2.2 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 by ToolGPA
KeySearch grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use 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
SECockpit
Keyword research for SEO and Google Ads, with a bundled rank tracker
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 SECockpit if
- Fits if you pick keywords for Google Ads as well as SEO
- Works for agencies sending branded keyword and ranking reports to clients, on Agency at $75 a month
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for real research on Personal, with 10 searches a day from Google Ads ideas and no rank tracker
- Tight if you track lots of rankings, as Pro covers 50 keywords and Agency 100
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $59 for Pro against $42 on yearly billing
- Watch out: city rankings and branded PDFs are Agency only, and VAT is added in Switzerland and the EU
- Watch out: the site doesn't say whether the 7-day trial needs a card, and refunds are one per person
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKeySearchFair | 2.0GPASECockpitFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | DPersonal is $25 a month on yearly billing, but that's 10 searches a day from Google Ads ideas only. The other sources and the rank tracker need Pro, $42 a month yearly or $59 monthly, more than twice this category's $17 middle. |
| 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. | CNo free plan. There's a 7-day trial, and the site doesn't say whether a card is needed. Purchases carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, one refund per person per product. |
| 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. | BIdeas from Google Ads, Suggest, related searches, YouTube and Amazon, page-one competition with Moz data, a traffic and conversion calculator, branded reports and daily rank tracking on Pro. That covers the whole job. |
| 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. | CNo rating on record. It's laid out like a spreadsheet, with every column to sort and filter and a deep competition analysis per keyword, so there's a fair bit to learn. |
| 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 desktop or phone app and no API on record. Google Ads and Moz show up as integrations, but they're where its data comes from rather than tools you connect. |
| Best for | keyword research with rank tracking included | keyword research for SEO and Google Ads together |
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 SECockpit. 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. SECockpit starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and KeySearch starts $5 a month lower. Of the other keyword research tools on the chart, 7 score higher than KeySearch for less, and 9 score higher than SECockpit 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 site audit, backlink analysis, content optimization and youTube SEO.
- SECockpit also covers reports.
At a glance
| KeySearch | SECockpit | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $20 per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly) | $25 per month, billed yearly at $299 ($39 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, cancel anytime | 7-day free trial; the site does not say whether a card is needed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | KeySearch LLC | SwissMadeMarketing GmbH |
| Price read from | keysearch.co | secockpit.com |
| 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.
SECockpit
- Personal allows 10 searches a day from Google Ads ideas only, with no rank tracker.
- Rank tracking is capped at 50 keywords on Pro and 100 on Agency; rankings by city and branded reports are Agency only.
- VAT is added for billing addresses in Switzerland and the EU unless a company enters a valid VAT ID.
- Purchases carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, limited to one refund per person per product.
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.
SECockpit
- Several keyword sources
- Combines Google Ads keyword ideas with scraped suggestions from Google Suggest, related searches, YouTube and Amazon. Personal gets the Google Ads ideas only.
- Spreadsheet-style filters
- Sort and filter every data column, for example by minimum cost per click or by keywords that show Google Shopping, video or YouTube results on page one.
- Competition analysis
- Analyzes the pages ranking on page one for each keyword, with Moz authority data, on-page factors and backlink counts, and compares your URL with the top 10.
- Traffic and conversion calculator
- Estimates the traffic and conversions a chosen keyword could bring before you commit to it.
- Folders, labels and PDF reports
- Group keywords into unlimited folders by drag and drop, mark them with colored labels, and export lists to a spreadsheet or a PDF with your own logo.
- RankTracker
- Checks rankings daily down to position 100 for any country and language, with no limit on domains. City-level rankings need the Agency plan.
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.
SECockpit
Personal$25
per month, billed yearly at $299 ($39 billed monthly)
10 keyword searches a day with up to 800 results each, from Google Ads ideas only. No Suggest, YouTube or Amazon ideas and no rank tracker.
Pro$42
per month, billed yearly at $499 ($59 billed monthly)
50 searches a day with up to 10,000 results, all keyword sources, and 50 keywords tracked daily on desktop and mobile.
Agency$75
per month, billed yearly at $899 ($99 billed monthly)
Unlimited searches, 100 tracked keywords, rankings by city, branded PDF reports, email alerts and AI recommendations.
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.
SECockpit
- Annual discount
Save up to 35% with yearly billing
SECockpit's pricing page lists yearly billing at up to 35% less: Personal is $299 a year, which it says saves $169 against paying $39 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, KeySearch or SECockpit?
As of Oct 23, 2026, KeySearch is cheaper to start with: $20 a month, against $25 a month for SECockpit. KeySearch starts at $20 per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly), and SECockpit starts at $25 per month, billed yearly at $299 ($39 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, KeySearch or SECockpit?
As of Oct 23, 2026, neither KeySearch nor SECockpit has a free plan. Both have 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.