KeySearch vs SERP Gap Analyzer (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 and features. SERP Gap Analyzer grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
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
SERP Gap Analyzer
Finds keywords whose top Google results have weak spots to beat
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 SERP Gap Analyzer if
- Fits if your site is small and you want keywords where the current top 10 has weak pages
- Works for Semrush users choosing which slipping pages to update first
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want lots of keywords, as $99 a month gets 10 reports of 6; Premium is $149 for 30
- Skip it if you don't use Semrush, since it's sold through its App Center
- Not for you if you need results fast, as each report can take up to 15 minutes
- Watch out: TopicRanker's own cards show tighter limits than Semrush's, such as 1 domain and 3 reports on Basic
- Watch out: a scanned domain can't be deleted, only archived, and there's no API on record
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKeySearchFair | 2.0GPASERP Gap AnalyzerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | DBasic is $99 a month, well into this category's dearest tenth, for 10 reports a month with 6 suggested keywords each. Premium is $149 for 30 reports. That's a lot per keyword, even with the AI writing tools thrown in. |
| 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, but a 7-day free trial through the Semrush App Center. You'll need a Semrush account to start it. |
| 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. | CWeak-spot keyword reports, checks on ranking pages' titles, age, speed and length, Search Console fixes for slipping pages, an AI Search Score and GPT-4 drafts. It does its job, but 6 keywords per report on Basic is thin. |
| 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. You need a Semrush account, then a domain, seed topic, language and country for each report, and up to 15 minutes' wait for it. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. There's no desktop or phone app, and the listing shows no integrations and no API. | BWeb only, inside Semrush, and it connects to Google Search Console to find your pages that are slipping. No desktop or phone app, and no API on record. |
| Best for | keyword research with rank tracking included | finding keywords where the top results are weak |
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 SERP Gap Analyzer. 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. SERP Gap Analyzer starts at $99 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and KeySearch starts $79 a month lower. Of the other keyword research tools on the chart, 7 score higher than KeySearch for less, and 15 score higher than SERP Gap Analyzer 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 and youTube SEO.
- SERP Gap Analyzer also covers long-form writing and AI search visibility.
At a glance
| KeySearch | SERP Gap Analyzer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $20 per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly) | $99 per month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, cancel anytime | 7-day free trial through the Semrush App Center |
| Web | ||
| Made by | KeySearch LLC | TopicRanker Inc. |
| Price read from | keysearch.co | semrush.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.
SERP Gap Analyzer
- Sold through the Semrush App Center, so it needs a Semrush account; the maker's own site sends trial sign-ups there.
- Basic allows 10 analysis reports a month with 6 suggested keywords each; Premium raises that to 30 reports and 12 keywords for $50 more.
- Each report can take up to 15 minutes, and a scanned domain cannot be deleted, only archived.
- TopicRanker's own pricing cards show tighter limits than the Semrush listing, such as 1 domain and 3 reports a month on Basic.
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.
SERP Gap Analyzer
- Weak-spot keyword reports
- Enter a domain and seed topic, with a language and country, and get suggested keywords rated easy, medium or hard, with search volume and the weaknesses of pages ranking now.
- Competitor page checks
- Flags ranking pages with keyword words missing from the title, no update in 6+ months, load times over 3 seconds, under 1,000 words or poor readability.
- Optimize Content with Search Console
- Connect Google Search Console to find your pages in the top 20 over 90 days that are sinking, or get many impressions but few clicks, and see what to fix.
- AI Search Grader
- Tests generated prompts on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Mistral and Llama, ranks your brand against rivals and gives a 0 to 100 AI Search Score.
- AI writing tools
- GPT-4 tools write post title ideas, content briefs, meta descriptions and full first drafts with Article Genie, based on the analysis.
- Seed topic suggestions
- Crawls your site and uses language analysis to suggest seed topics it covers often; there is no limit on suggestions, but one query runs at a time.
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.
SERP Gap Analyzer
Basic$99
per month
3 domains, 6 suggested keywords per report, 10 analysis reports a month and 20 exports to XLS or PDF.
Premium$149
per month (Basic plus a $50 monthly upgrade)
Unlimited domains, 12 suggested keywords per report, 30 analysis reports a month and unlimited exports.
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.
SERP Gap Analyzer
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, KeySearch or SERP Gap Analyzer?
As of Oct 23, 2026, KeySearch is cheaper to start with: $20 a month, against $99 a month for SERP Gap Analyzer. KeySearch starts at $20 per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly), and SERP Gap Analyzer starts at $99 per month.
Which has a free plan, KeySearch or SERP Gap Analyzer?
As of Oct 23, 2026, neither KeySearch nor SERP Gap Analyzer 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.