Key takeaways
- The best free keyword research tools give you three things: real search volume, keyword ideas, and the questions people ask. No single free tool gives all three without limits, so use two.
- Zutrix's free keyword planner shows exact volumes without a Google Ads account. Google Keyword Planner shows ranges unless you spend on ads.
- Search Console is the one free tool with data no paid tool has: the keywords your site already ranks for.
- Free tools stop at difficulty, competitor lists, and bulk export. That is the gap paid tools fill, from $19 a month.
Free keyword research tools fall into two groups. Tools that show ideas but hide the numbers, and tools that show numbers for a limited set of searches a day. The best free keyword research tools are in the second group, and this guide lists nine of them with what each shows, how much you get, and where you hit the wall. Everything was checked on September 16, 2026.
We build Zutrix, and two of our free tools are on the list. They are free with no account, so there is no trick in recommending them. We also sell a paid keyword tool, and we say plainly when the free ones are enough. If you are new to the numbers, start with our guide on what search volume means.
What free keyword tools can and cannot do
Free tools are good at ideas and adequate at volume. They are weak at difficulty, which needs backlink data, and at competitor keyword lists, which need a large index. They also cap how many searches you can run a day and rarely let you export. For a small site planning ten pages, that is fine. For a content calendar of a hundred, you will pay for something.
| Need | Free tool that does it | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Exact search volume | Zutrix free keyword planner | Daily cap |
| Volume ranges from Google | Google Keyword Planner | Ranges without ad spend |
| Keywords you already rank for | Google Search Console | Your site only |
| Questions people ask | Zutrix Google Suggest tool, AlsoAsked | Daily cap |
| Keyword ideas by seed | Ahrefs free keyword generator | Top 100 only |
| Trends over time | Google Trends | Relative, not absolute |
| Competitor keywords | Ubersuggest free | 3 searches a day |
| Difficulty | Only rough estimates for free | Needs a paid index |
3
Free searches a day on Ubersuggest
10
Free requests a day on Semrush
$0
Cost of the Zutrix free keyword planner
How we picked these tools
We tested 20 free keyword tools with the same five seed keywords and compared the volumes they returned with Google Keyword Planner and with each other. Tools that showed no numbers, required a card for the free tier, or returned volumes far from every other source were cut. The nine below show real data, state their limits, and were checked on September 16, 2026.
The best free keyword research tools, reviewed
1. Zutrix free keyword planner
Zutrix free keyword planner
Exact volumes and ideas, no Google Ads account
- Cost
- Free, no account, daily cap
- Shows
- Related keywords with search volume, CPC, and competition, by country
- Best for
- Sizing a topic before you write
- Next step
- Paid keyword research adds difficulty, intent, and competitor lists
Type a seed keyword into the free keyword planner, pick a country, and you get a list of related terms with exact monthly volume, CPC, and competition. That is the number most free tools hide. The daily cap suits planning a handful of pages. The paid keyword research tool adds difficulty, search intent, competitor keywords, and CSV export from $19 a month.
2. Zutrix Google Suggest tool
The Google Suggest tool pulls Google autocomplete for your seed keyword combined with question words and letters, then shows volume for each suggestion. It is the free way to find long tail phrases and questions with numbers attached. Our how to find long tail keywords guide uses it step by step.
3. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner
Google's own numbers, with a catch
- Cost
- Free with a Google Ads account
- Shows
- Keyword ideas, volume ranges, CPC, competition for ads
- Catch
- Accounts without ad spend see ranges like 1K to 10K, not exact numbers
Keyword Planner is the source most paid tools calibrate against, so it is worth having. The problem is ranges. Without an active campaign, a keyword shows as "1K to 10K", which is not useful for choosing between two terms. It also groups close variants together. Use it for ideas and as a sanity check, and get exact numbers elsewhere.
4. Google Search Console
Search Console shows every query that gave your site an impression, with clicks and average position. That is keyword research no paid tool can match, because it is your real data. Filter for queries at positions 5 to 20 with impressions and you have a list of pages to improve. Our free rank tracker guide covers the report in detail.
5. Google Trends
Trends shows how interest in a keyword changes over time and by region, on a 0 to 100 scale. It has no absolute volume, but it tells you whether a topic is growing, seasonal, or fading, and it compares two terms head to head. Use it before committing to a topic that might be a spike.
6. Ahrefs free keyword generator
Ahrefs gives away the top 100 keyword ideas for any seed, with volume and a difficulty score for the first few. It is a taste of Keywords Explorer, which starts at $29 a month on the Starter plan. Good for a quick idea list. See Ahrefs pricing for what the paid tiers add.
7. Semrush free account
A free Semrush account allows 10 requests a day in Keyword Magic Tool and the other research tools, with volume, difficulty, and intent shown. Ten requests goes fast, but the data is full quality. If you only research a couple of topics a week, it may be all you need.
8. Ubersuggest free
Ubersuggest gives 3 free searches a day, including a competitor domain lookup that lists the keywords a site ranks for. That is the only free competitor keyword list on this page. Three a day is tight, and the paid plan is $29 a month. See Mangools alternatives for how it compares with other cheap tools.
9. AlsoAsked free tier
AlsoAsked maps the People Also Ask box for a keyword as a tree of questions. The free tier allows a few searches a day. It has no volume, but it shows how Google connects questions, which is the best free input for headings and FAQs. Our People Also Ask SEO guide shows how to use it.
How to do keyword research for free, step by step
- 1
Start with what you already rank for
Open Search Console, filter positions 5 to 20, sort by impressions. These are your quickest wins.
- 2
Expand each topic
Run the seed through the free keyword planner and keep terms with volume above your threshold.
- 3
Add the questions
Use the Google Suggest tool and AlsoAsked to find the questions people ask about the topic.
- 4
Check the trend
Put your top three terms into Google Trends and drop anything that is fading.
- 5
Look at the SERP
Search each keyword in a free SERP checker and note who ranks. If every result is a big brand, pick a longer phrase.
- 6
Group and plan
One page per intent, not per keyword. Put the list in a sheet with the volume next to each.
When to pay for a keyword tool
Pay when you need difficulty scores you trust, competitor keyword lists, bulk export, or more than the daily caps. That usually happens when you plan more than ten pages a month or research for clients. From $19 a month, Zutrix adds difficulty, intent, and competitor keywords, and tracks the keywords you pick. Ahrefs Starter at $29 adds the largest database.
- +Check one keyword's volume in two tools before trusting it.
- +Use Search Console first. It is real data.
- +Plan pages by intent, then attach keywords.
- xTrust ranges from Keyword Planner to pick between two terms.
- xWrite a page for every question. Group them.
- xSkip the SERP check. Volume means nothing if you cannot rank.
FAQ
Common questions
Written by the Zutrix team
Last reviewed September 16, 2026
Zutrix has built rank tracking and SEO software for more than eight years. Our guides come from the same team that runs the product, and every how-to is checked against what we see in real ranking data across the keywords our customers track. We write them for people who are new to SEO and for agencies who want a clear answer fast.
Search volume and difficulty figures come from live Google results and third-party keyword data.
Sources and further reading