Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Keyword Research Tools

Google Keyword Planner vs Keyword Tool

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Google Keyword Planner #2 in Keyword Research Tools 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 6 features Open Keyword Planner
Keyword Tool #7 in Keyword Research Tools 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 6 features Visit Keyword Tool

Google Keyword Planner leads on 0 checks, Keyword Tool on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGoogle Keyword Planner · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresGoogle Keyword Planner · 4 of 6

Google Keyword Planner scores higher on our rubric for keyword research tools: 9.3 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.

Google Keyword Planner is the better fit for free Google Ads keyword planning. Keyword Tool is the better fit for multi-platform autocomplete research.

  • Google Keyword Planner fits best

    Free Google Ads keyword planning

  • Keyword Tool fits best

    Multi-platform autocomplete research

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Google Keyword Planner 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Keyword Tool 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.7
Ranking #2 in Keyword Research Tools #7 in Keyword Research Tools
Best for Free Google Ads keyword planning Multi-platform autocomplete research
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan $68/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Docs Email, Docs
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Google Keyword Planner 4/6 · Keyword Tool 1/6
Keyword difficulty ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Search volume data ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Search intent data Not checked yet Not checked yet
SERP analysis Not checked yet Not checked yet
Competitor keywords ✓ (best) Not checked yet
API access ✓ ✓
Specs
Keyword results limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free access to keyword ideas, search volume, competition, and bid estimates
  • Forecast clicks, impressions, and conversions for keyword plans
  • Supports geographic, language, network, trend, and Google Ads API workflows
  • Researches autocomplete suggestions across 16 search platforms
  • Adds volume, CPC, competition, trends, exports, API, and MCP
  • Supports competitor URL research and bulk analysis for up to 1,000 keywords
Cons
  • Requires Google Ads account setup and billing information
  • Focused on Google Search campaign planning rather than full SEO research
  • Does not provide search intent or SERP analysis
  • Paid access starts at $68 per month
  • The free plan does not include the paid research and access features
  • Autocomplete remains the core method for keyword discovery
Our verdict

Google Keyword Planner is a web-based keyword research and forecasting tool for advertisers planning Google Search campaigns. It generates ideas from keywords, phrases, URLs, or entire websites, then reports average monthly search volume,…

Read the review →

Keyword Tool is a web-based keyword research product for SEO professionals, marketers, content creators, PPC teams, agencies, and enterprises. It generates long-tail keyword suggestions from autocomplete sources across 16 search platforms,…

Read the review →
  1. Google Keyword PlannerKeyword Research Tools 9.3Free plan
  2. Keyword ToolKeyword Research Tools 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Google Keyword Planner — where it wins

    • Free access to keyword ideas, search volume, competition, and bid estimates
    • Forecast clicks, impressions, and conversions for keyword plans
    • Supports geographic, language, network, trend, and Google Ads API workflows

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires Google Ads account setup and billing information
    • Focused on Google Search campaign planning rather than full SEO research
    • Does not provide search intent or SERP analysis

  • Keyword Tool — where it wins

    • Researches autocomplete suggestions across 16 search platforms
    • Adds volume, CPC, competition, trends, exports, API, and MCP
    • Supports competitor URL research and bulk analysis for up to 1,000 keywords

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid access starts at $68 per month
    • The free plan does not include the paid research and access features
    • Autocomplete remains the core method for keyword discovery

More comparisons

All keyword research tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update