The Exploding Topics Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Exploding Topics in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Exploding Topics
The Insider’s Guide
Database of rising topics, products and startups, by search growth
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among keyword research tools, read from Exploding Topics’s own pages.
Made by Semrush Inc. · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Exploding Topics’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Exploding Topics’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 12 of the 51 other keyword research tools we grade
Exploding Topics spots topics, products and startups whose search interest is rising and lists them with search volume, growth and a forecast for the next year. Pro adds the full trends database, tracked trends with alerts, deep-dive trend analyses, Meta Trends that group related topics, and channel breakdowns. It is owned by Semrush, which bought it in 2024.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Exploding Topics, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Pro runs as an app inside Semrush, so signing in and starting a trial go through a Semrush account before you see the full data.
- 1
Best for spotting rising topics before they get crowded
It's a different job from finding keywords for a page.
- 2
Paid plans start at $39 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $39 per month for 100 tracked trends (billing basis not shown).
- 3
There is a free plan
Trending topics, startups and websites can be browsed on the site without an account, with part of each trend's data; the full data needs Pro.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Trends database
Pro opens a database the vendor puts at 1.1 million+ markets, products and topics, each with search volume and growth over windows of 3 months to 15 years.
- 6
Trend tracking and analyses
Track 100, 500 or 2,000 trends by plan and get alerts, and run 10 to 500 deep-dive analyses with search metrics and channel-level data.
- 7
Meta Trends
Groups related topics into larger shifts in areas such as tech, DTC, marketing, SaaS, healthcare, fitness and fashion.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 12 of 51
That is against the other keyword research tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Exploding Topics you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Exploding Topics at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $39 per month for 100 tracked trends (billing basis not shown)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of every Pro plan
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Semrush Inc.
- Category
- Keyword Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for spotting rising topics before they get crowded
Exploding Topics is a database of topics, products and startups whose searches are climbing, each with growth and volume, and Pro adds tracking and alerts. It's a different job from finding keywords for a page. Entrepreneur is $39 a month, forecasts and CSV export wait on $99, the pricing page doesn't say how it bills, and Pro runs through a Semrush account, so it's dear next to Treendly.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Entrepreneur is $39 a month for 100 tracked trends, at the dearer end of this category, and the page doesn't say how it's billed. Forecasts, trending startups and CSV export need Investor at $99. Treendly's Pro is $99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | C | You can browse trending topics, startups and websites on the public site with part of each trend's data, no account needed. Every Pro plan has a 7-day trial, and the listing doesn't say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | C | A database it puts at 1.1 million+ topics with growth over up to 15 years, tracking with alerts, deep-dive analyses and Meta Trends. It does trend spotting fully, but that's a smaller job than keyword research, and forecasting starts at $99. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. Pro runs as an app inside Semrush, so signing in and starting a trial go through a Semrush account before you see the full data. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with no desktop or phone app. There's an API, a Zapier integration with six actions, and routes through n8n and Make. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Exploding Topics is for
- Fits if you pick content topics and want ones whose searches are still climbing
- Works for sellers and investors looking for products, markets and startups that are starting to rise
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you want forecasts, trending startups or CSV export, which start at $99 a month
- Skip it if you need keyword volumes and difficulty for pages you're writing now
- Not for you if you'd rather not have a Semrush account, as Pro runs through one
- Watch out: the pricing page doesn't say how prices are billed, and a vendor blog says $39 is the yearly rate
- Watch out: TikTok Insights is a separate add-on with no price shown
Good to know
Good for
- Content teams choosing topics before they become crowded
- E-commerce sellers looking for rising product ideas
- Investors and analysts watching emerging markets and startups
Worth knowing
- The pricing page shows monthly figures without saying how they are billed; a vendor blog post says $39 is the annual-billing rate.
- Trend forecasting, trending startups and CSV export start at the $99 Investor plan.
- Pro runs as an app inside Semrush: signing in and starting a trial go through a Semrush account.
- TikTok Insights is a separate add-on, and its price is not shown on the pricing page.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$39
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Exploding Topics has a free plan. Paid plans start at $39 per month for 100 tracked trends (billing basis not shown).
You can browse trending topics, startups and websites on the public site with part of each trend's data, no account needed.
Free
$0
Browse trending topics, startups and top websites on the public site, plus a set of free SEO tools.
Entrepreneur
$39
per month for 100 tracked trends, billing basis not shown
10 trend analyses, the trends database, trending products, Meta Trends and channel breakdowns.
Investor
$99
per month for 500 tracked trends, billing basis not shown
100 trend analyses, plus trending startups, trend forecasting and CSV export.
Business
$249
per month for 2,000 tracked trends, billing basis not shown
500 trend analyses, everything in Investor, and trend reports.
The free plan
Trending topics, startups and websites can be browsed on the site without an account, with part of each trend's data; the full data needs Pro.
Trying it first
7-day free trial of every Pro plan
Read from explodingtopics.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Database of rising topics, products and startups, by search growth. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, keyword research.
- Trends database
- Pro opens a database the vendor puts at 1.1 million+ markets, products and topics, each with search volume and growth over windows of 3 months to 15 years.
- Trend tracking and analyses
- Track 100, 500 or 2,000 trends by plan and get alerts, and run 10 to 500 deep-dive analyses with search metrics and channel-level data.
- Meta Trends
- Groups related topics into larger shifts in areas such as tech, DTC, marketing, SaaS, healthcare, fitness and fashion.
- Trend forecasting
- Investor and Business plans show a machine-learning forecast of where a trend's interest is likely to go over the next year.
- Trending products and startups
- Lists consumer products on the rise on every Pro plan, and fast-growing startups from Investor up. A TikTok Insights add-on tracks products gaining views on TikTok.
- API and automations
- An Exploding Topics API feeds trend data into other tools, with a Zapier integration offering six actions and an n8n workflow route.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Zapier
- n8n
- Make
Exploding Topics is made by Semrush Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
12/51
Other keyword research tools it is graded above
Exploding Topics's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 12 of the 51 other keyword research tools we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 26 of 51) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $39 a month, against a middle price of $18 for the category: 28 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 10 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 keyword research tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Exploding Topics’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 51
- CFree plan and trialAbove 11 of 51
- CFeaturesAbove 6 of 51
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 51
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 26 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 44 keyword research tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Exploding Topics is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Exploding Topics you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 29 of the 51 other keyword research tools grade higher. It costs $468 a year.
What you could not
- Search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
- It plugs into other products, Zapier, n8n and Make among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Exploding Topics’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Glimpse, Treendly, Google Trends, Semrush and AnswerThePublic
The 5 tools Exploding Topics is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Glimpse
Free plan
Google Trends add-on with absolute search volume and trend discovery.
- Only Glimpse lists a browser extension.
- 2.8GPA
Treendly
Free plan · from $99/yr
Trend discovery tool for spotting rising topics and keywords early.
- Only Treendly lists a browser extension.
- 3.0GPA
Google Trends
Free
Free charts of relative Google search interest by time and place.
- Google Trends also covers research.
- 2.2GPA
Semrush
Free plan · from $117.33/mo
SEO suite for keyword research, rank tracking and AI search visibility.
- Semrush also covers reports, rank tracking, site audit and backlink analysis.
- 2.4GPA
AnswerThePublic
Free plan · from $20/mo
Question and search-suggestion research shown as keyword wheels.
- AnswerThePublic also covers long-form writing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Exploding Topics free?
Exploding Topics has a free plan. Trending topics, startups and websites can be browsed on the site without an account, with part of each trend's data; the full data needs Pro.
How much does Exploding Topics cost?
Exploding Topics lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Exploding Topics work on?
Exploding Topics is available on Web.
Does Exploding Topics have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Exploding Topics is listed for Web.
Does Exploding Topics have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. Exploding Topics is listed for Web.
Is Exploding Topics open source?
Exploding Topics is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does Exploding Topics have an API?
Yes. Exploding Topics offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Exploding Topics integrate with?
Exploding Topics's listing names Zapier, n8n and Make. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Exploding Topics have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day free trial of every Pro plan.
Who makes Exploding Topics?
Exploding Topics is made by Semrush Inc.
What are the alternatives to Exploding Topics?
The closest alternatives to Exploding Topics in our directory are Glimpse, Treendly, Google Trends, Semrush and AnswerThePublic.
How does Exploding Topics compare with other keyword research tools?
Exploding Topics's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 12 of the 51 other keyword research tools we grade, and level with 10.
Is Exploding Topics good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Exploding Topics C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $39 a month, against a middle price of $18 for the category: 28 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Exploding Topics?
To replace Exploding Topics you would be making search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Exploding Topics’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Exploding Topics' own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Semrush Inc. Prices change, so check explodingtopics.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Exploding Topics, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/exploding-topics
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Exploding Topics: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/exploding-topics
Know someone choosing between keyword research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/exploding-topics/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded keyword research tools after Exploding Topics, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Keyword Research Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 keyword research tools we grade, compared
- another keyword tool Insider's GuideFree keyword generator with live Google Keyword Planner data3.0 GPA
- Google Trends Insider's GuideFree charts of relative Google search interest by time and place3.0 GPA
- Pinterest Trends Insider's GuideFree view of what people search and save on Pinterest, by region3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Exploding Topics’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Exploding Topics is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Semrush Inc. Prices and plans change: check explodingtopics.com before you buy.