The MarketMuse Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about MarketMuse 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.
MarketMuse
The Insider’s Guide
Content planning and optimization built on a site-wide topic inventory
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among SEO content tools, read from MarketMuse’s own pages.
Made by MarketMuse, 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 MarketMuse’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on MarketMuse’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
2.4
GPA, above 59 of the 87 other SEO content tools we grade
MarketMuse is a web-based content planning and optimization tool for brands, publishers and agencies. It builds an inventory of a site's pages and topics, scores how easy each topic is for that site to rank for, and turns the findings into content briefs, strategy documents and an editor that grades drafts. It has been part of Siteimprove since October 2024.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about MarketMuse, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's a site inventory, tracked topics and a topic model to get your head around before the scores mean much.
- 1
Best for planning content across a whole site
But no paid plan shows a price, so you book a demo to find out what it costs.
- 2
There is a free plan
1 user and 10 queries a month in Topic Navigator, Keywords, SERP X-ray and the heatmaps, with no site inventory, briefs or strategy documents.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Content inventory
Paid plans keep an inventory of a site's published pages and topics, updated automatically, with tracked topics you want to rank for.
- 5
Personalized difficulty
Scores each topic from 1 to 100 for how hard it is for your own site to rank, based on your existing coverage and performance.
- 6
Optimize editor
Grades a draft against a topic model of related subtopics, compares it with any of the top 20 ranking pages and has a generative AI writing aid.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 59 of 87
That is against the other SEO content tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace MarketMuse 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.
MarketMuse at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- MarketMuse, Inc., since 2013
- Category
- SEO Content Optimizers
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for planning content across a whole site
MarketMuse keeps an inventory of your site's pages and topics, scores how hard each topic is for you to rank for, and turns that into briefs and an editor that grades drafts. But no paid plan shows a price, so you book a demo to find out what it costs. The free plan is 10 queries a month with no inventory or briefs.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No paid price is published. Optimize, Research and Strategy all say book a demo, so the price is only given on a sales call. Extra users and extra tracked topics are bought on top of the plan. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free plan for 1 user with 10 queries a month in Topic Navigator, Keywords, SERP X-ray and the heatmaps. There's no site inventory, no tracked topics and no briefs, and 10 queries go fast. |
| Features | B | A site inventory with a personal difficulty score from 1 to 100, briefs, strategy documents, an editor that grades drafts against the top 20 pages and an AI writing aid. That covers the job, though only Strategy gets all nine brief types. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. There's a site inventory, tracked topics and a topic model to get your head around before the scores mean much. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with Google Docs and Microsoft Word. No API on record, and no desktop or phone app. |
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 MarketMuse is for
- Fits if you plan topic clusters across a whole site, not one post at a time
- Works for agencies handing detailed briefs to outside writers
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to see a price before talking to sales, as no paid plan shows one
- Tight if you're staying free, at 10 queries a month with no inventory, tracked topics or briefs
- Watch out: only Strategy gets all nine brief types, and the other plans get the article brief
- Pricey if your team grows, since extra users and extra tracked topics are bought on top
Good to know
Good for
- Content teams planning clusters across a whole site
- Editors who want a score for topical coverage before publishing
- Agencies handing detailed briefs to outside writers
Worth knowing
- Paid plan prices are not published; the pricing page asks you to book a demo.
- The Free plan has 10 queries a month and no site inventory, tracked topics or briefs.
- Only the Strategy plan has all nine brief types; the others get the article brief.
- Extra users and extra tracked topics are bought separately from the account's subscription settings.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
4
plans to choose from
MarketMuse has a free plan.
Optimize, Research and Strategy all say book a demo, so the price is only given on a sales call.
Free
$0
1 user and 10 queries a month across the research applications. No inventory, tracked topics or briefs.
Optimize
Custom
1 user, 1 site inventory, 100 tracked topics, 100 queries, 5 article briefs and 1 strategy document a month. Price not published.
Research
Custom
3 users, 1,000 tracked topics, unlimited queries, 10 article briefs and 3 strategy documents a month. Price not published.
Strategy
Custom
5 users, 10,000 tracked topics, unlimited queries, 20 briefs a month in all 9 brief types and 5 strategy documents. Price not published.
The free plan
1 user and 10 queries a month in Topic Navigator, Keywords, SERP X-ray and the heatmaps, with no site inventory, briefs or strategy documents.
Read from marketmuse.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
Content planning and optimization built on a site-wide topic inventory. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, keyword research, content optimization, internal linking.
That covers the job, though only Strategy gets all nine brief types.
- Content inventory
- Paid plans keep an inventory of a site's published pages and topics, updated automatically, with tracked topics you want to rank for.
- Personalized difficulty
- Scores each topic from 1 to 100 for how hard it is for your own site to rank, based on your existing coverage and performance.
- Optimize editor
- Grades a draft against a topic model of related subtopics, compares it with any of the top 20 ranking pages and has a generative AI writing aid.
- Content briefs
- Briefs with outlines, questions and linking suggestions in nine types, such as how-to, comparison and listicle. Lower plans get the article type only.
- Content strategy documents
- Generated documents that suggest topic clusters and a content plan, with keyword, intent and competitor data behind each recommendation.
- Competitor and SERP analysis
- SERP X-ray and the heatmaps show how the ranking pages cover a topic and where competitors leave gaps.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Word
MarketMuse is made by MarketMuse, Inc., and has been around since 2013.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
59/87
Other SEO content tools it is graded above
MarketMuse's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 59 of the 87 other SEO content tools we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on features (B, above 42 of 87) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 88 SEO content tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. MarketMuse’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 19 of 87
- CFree plan and trialAbove 37 of 87
- BFeaturesAbove 42 of 87
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 87
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 24 of 87
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 MarketMuse 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.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.4 is higher than 59 of the 87 other SEO content tools we grade.
What you could make
- Internal linking: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Search volumes for millions of keywords, gathered and kept up to date.
- A score built from what the top results for each keyword cover.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. MarketMuse’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
Clearscope, Surfer, Frase, Content Harmony and Scalenut
The 5 tools MarketMuse is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Clearscope
Free trial · from $129/mo
Content optimization with term guidance and AI answer tracking.
- MarketMuse has a free plan. Clearscope does not, though it has a free trial.
- MarketMuse also covers content optimization and internal linking.
- Clearscope also covers long-form writing.
- 2.2GPA
Surfer
Free trial · from $49/mo
Content editor that scores articles for search and AI citations.
- MarketMuse has a free plan. Surfer does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Surfer lists a browser extension.
- MarketMuse also covers content optimization and internal linking.
- 2.4GPA
Frase
Free trial · from $39/mo
AI content agent that drafts, publishes and refreshes articles.
- MarketMuse has a free plan. Frase does not, though it has a free trial.
- MarketMuse also covers keyword research, content optimization and internal linking.
- Frase also covers AI agents and long-form writing.
- 1.8GPA
Content Harmony
Free trial · from $50/mo
Keyword reports, content briefs and a grader, priced per workflow.
- MarketMuse has a free plan. Content Harmony does not, though it has a free trial.
- MarketMuse also covers internal linking.
- 2.4GPA
Scalenut
Free trial · from $59/mo
AI article writing and optimization with AI answer tracking.
- MarketMuse has a free plan. Scalenut does not, though it has a free trial.
- Scalenut also covers long-form writing and AI search visibility.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
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 MarketMuse free?
MarketMuse has a free plan. 1 user and 10 queries a month in Topic Navigator, Keywords, SERP X-ray and the heatmaps, with no site inventory, briefs or strategy documents.
How much does MarketMuse cost?
MarketMuse lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does MarketMuse work on?
MarketMuse is available on Web.
Does MarketMuse have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. MarketMuse is listed for Web.
Does MarketMuse have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. MarketMuse is listed for Web.
Is MarketMuse open source?
MarketMuse is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
What does MarketMuse integrate with?
MarketMuse's listing names Google Docs and Microsoft Word. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes MarketMuse?
MarketMuse is made by MarketMuse, Inc. It dates from 2013.
What are the alternatives to MarketMuse?
The closest alternatives to MarketMuse in our directory are Clearscope, Surfer, Frase, Content Harmony and Scalenut.
How does MarketMuse compare with other SEO content tools?
MarketMuse's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 59 of the 87 other SEO content tools we grade, and level with 21.
Could I make my own version of MarketMuse?
To replace MarketMuse 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 MarketMuse’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 MarketMuse's 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 MarketMuse, Inc. Prices change, so check marketmuse.com before you buy.
- marketmuse.com/pricing/
- marketmuse.com/
- marketmuse.com/about/
- marketmuse.com/optimize/
- marketmuse.com/content-briefs/
- help.marketmuse.com/support/solutions/articles/80001167929-managing-your-membership-and-payment-methods
- help.marketmuse.com/support/solutions/articles/80001167703-how-to-add-user-seats
- help.marketmuse.com/support/solutions/articles/80001167705-how-to-purchase-more-topics
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
- MarketMuse, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/marketmuse
- 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, "MarketMuse: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/marketmuse
Know someone choosing between SEO content tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/marketmuse/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded SEO content tools after MarketMuse, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- SEO Content Optimizers Insider's GuideEvery one of the 88 SEO content tools we grade, compared
- GetGenie Insider's GuideWordPress plugin for AI writing, keyword research and SERP analysis3.0 GPA
- Publish Owl Insider's GuideMulti-step AI content workflows that research, write and publish2.8 GPA
- Autoblogging.ai Insider's GuideCredit-based AI article writer for bulk SEO posts and WordPress2.6 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 MarketMuse’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. MarketMuse is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by MarketMuse, Inc. Prices and plans change: check marketmuse.com before you buy.