BuzzSumo review (2026): is it worth $159 a month, billed yearly?
Content research, media monitoring and journalist outreach
BuzzSumo report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 23, 2026
Best for finding content that already earns shares and links
BuzzSumo shows the most shared and linked content for any topic or domain, with idea and brief tools, alerts and, from PR & Comms up, a journalist database. It doesn't write, score or publish anything, and it starts at $159 a month on yearly billing for one user, with no free plan since 2023.
Who BuzzSumo is for
- Fits if you look for topics and formats that already earn shares and links
- Works for digital PR teams finding journalists and tracking their coverage
Who BuzzSumo is not for
- Pricey if you're one person, at $159 a month on yearly billing for one user
- Skip it if you want articles written or scored, as it does research only
- Tight if you need the journalist database or the API: one starts at PR & Comms for $239, the other is priced on request
- Watch out: cancelling isn't refunded, and plans run to the end of the paid term
- Not for you if you want a free plan, gone since February 2023; the trial is 50 searches
Why BuzzSumo gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyContent Creation is $159 a month on yearly billing, $199 monthly, for one user, well past where this category's dearest tenth starts ($99). The journalist database needs PR & Comms at $239, and the API is priced on request.
- CFree plan and trialNo free plan since February 2023. New users get a trial of Suite limited to 50 searches, and nothing on record says it needs a card.
- CFeaturesThe Content Analyzer, idea, topic and question tools, a brief generator, keyword and backlink tools, alerts and a Chrome extension. It does content research, but that's only part of this category's job: it writes, scores and publishes nothing.
- BEase of useNo rating on record, but there's nothing to set up to start: type a topic, URL or domain and it lists the most shared content.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb plus a Chrome extension, with no desktop or phone app. It sends alerts to Slack, has an RSS feed for Zapier or IFTTT on Enterprise, and offers Account and Search APIs priced separately.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from BuzzSumo's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/buzzsumo#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/buzzsumo.svg" alt="BuzzSumo: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where BuzzSumo stands among SEO content tools
BuzzSumo's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 35 of the 87 other SEO content tools we grade, and level with 23.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 83 of 87) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $159 a month, against a middle price of $45 for the category: 77 of the 80 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 88 SEO content tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. BuzzSumo’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 87, level with 18
- CFree plan and trialAbove 37 of 87, level with 49
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 87, level with 40
- BEase of useAbove 83 of 87, level with 4
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 24 of 87, level with 63
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 81 SEO content tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep BuzzSumo, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace BuzzSumo you would be making a library of papers and sources to search. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $1,908 a year.
What you could make
- Link outreach and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A library of papers and sources to search.
- Search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
- An index of the links between billions of web pages.
- It plugs into other products, Slack, Zapier and IFTTT among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. BuzzSumo’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is BuzzSumo?
BuzzSumo is a web-based content research tool that shows which articles, videos and posts earn the most social engagement and links on any topic or site, from an archive it puts at 8 billion articles. Higher plans add a journalist database for PR outreach, coverage reports, influencer search and brand monitoring alerts.
Worth knowing
- There has been no free plan since February 2023; new users get a trial of Suite limited to 50 searches.
- Cancelling stops renewal but is not refunded: annual and monthly plans run to the end of the paid term.
- The journalist database starts at PR & Comms, and the API is priced on request.
- Invoicing is only for Enterprise plans paid yearly; all other plans are paid by card.
Key features
- Content Analyzer
- Search any topic, URL or domain to see its most shared and linked content, with up to five years of engagement history depending on plan.
- Content ideas and briefs
- The Content Ideas Generator, Topic Explorer and Question Analyzer surface topics, headlines and forum questions, and the Brief Generator turns them into briefs.
- Keyword and backlink tools
- A keyword tool with search volume and cost per click, and a Backlink Analyzer that follows new links to a domain or URL over time.
- Journalist database
- From PR & Comms up, find journalists writing on a topic, build media lists of 20 to 600 journalists by plan, and draft pitches with an AI tool.
- Monitoring alerts
- Alerts for brand, keyword, content, backlink, competitor and journalist mentions by email, and into Slack from PR & Comms up.
- Chrome extension and API
- A Chrome extension shows engagement and backlinks for any article while you browse, and Account and Search APIs are priced separately.
BuzzSumo pricing
As of Oct 23, 2026, BuzzSumo is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $159 per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly).
- Starts at
- $159 per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- Free trial of the Suite plan, limited to 50 searches
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Content Creation | $159per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly) | 1 user, unlimited searches, 2 alerts, Content Analyzer, trending feeds, Question Analyzer and 2 years of history. |
| PR & Comms | $239per month, billed annually ($299 billed monthly) | 5 users and 5 alerts, plus the journalist database and outreach, coverage reports, Slack alerts and 3 years of history. |
| Suite | $399per month, billed annually ($499 billed monthly) | 10 users and 10 alerts, plus the YouTube Analyzer, the advanced Chrome extension, article uploads and 5 years of history. |
| Enterprise | $999per month, billed annually only | 30 users, 50 alerts, an RSS feed for Zapier or IFTTT, journalist search by state and early access to new features. |
Read from buzzsumo.com on Oct 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with BuzzSumo before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 20% with annual billing
BuzzSumo's pricing page lists a 20% saving for paying annually: Content Creation is $159 a month billed yearly against $199 billed monthly.
Stated on buzzsumo.com - NonprofitDiscounts for NGOs and charities
BuzzSumo's pricing FAQ says it offers discounts to NGOs and registered charitable non-profits; buyers are asked to contact the team.
Stated on buzzsumo.com - EducationDiscounts for classroom use
The same FAQ offers discounts to educational institutions that use BuzzSumo in the classroom, arranged by contacting BuzzSumo.
Stated on buzzsumo.com
Works with
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- BuzzSumo vs Ahrefs
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Common questions
Does BuzzSumo have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. BuzzSumo is listed for Web.
Does BuzzSumo have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. BuzzSumo is listed for Web.
Is BuzzSumo open source?
BuzzSumo is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does BuzzSumo have an API?
Yes. BuzzSumo offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 23, 2026.