SpyFu vs Keywords Everywhere: Competitor Research Suite or Pay-as-You-Go Keyword Data in Your Browser?
SpyFu and Keywords Everywhere both help a founder pick keywords, but they are built for different jobs and different budgets. SpyFu is a competitor research suite: you type in a rival's domain and see the keywords it ranks for and buys on Google Ads, every ad it has tested, years of history, plus rank tracking and an AI site audit. Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge: it adds keyword ideas and metrics to Google, YouTube, Amazon and other sites while you browse, and you pay for the numbers with prepaid yearly credits. Whether you search for SpyFu vs Keywords Everywhere or Keywords Everywhere vs SpyFu, this guide compares what each one does today, what it costs and which one a startup on a budget should buy first. We checked both official websites on 10 November 2026.
Quick answer: if you mainly need search volume and CPC for your own keyword ideas, Keywords Everywhere is the cheaper start: the extension is free, and the Bronze plan costs $84 a year for 100,000 credits (1 credit = the volume, CPC, competition and trend for one keyword). If you want to copy what already works for competitors in Google search and Google Ads, SpyFu is the stronger tool: Basic costs $39 a month, or $29 a month billed annually, with a free version and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Many founders combine them: Keywords Everywhere for everyday searching, one month of SpyFu when they plan a launch or an ad campaign.
Are you getting customers from ChatGPT yet?
More and more traffic is coming from Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.
👉 Rank on ChatGPT
SpyFu vs Keywords Everywhere at a Glance
Sources: spyfu.com (homepage, pricing page, help centre) and keywordseverywhere.com (homepage, pricing, plan comparison and credits pages), checked 10 November 2026. Both show prices in US dollars.
SpyFu and Keywords Everywhere in 2027: What Each One Does
SpyFu: competitor keywords, ads and SEO in one suite
SpyFu is built around competitor research. Search for a rival's domain and SpyFu shows the keywords it ranks for, the content and backlinks behind those rankings, every keyword it has bought on Google and every ad test it has run. The Google Ads Advisor suggests profitable keywords your competitors buy and you do not, and you can keep track of every domain bidding on your ads. For your own site it adds rank tracking, an AI-powered site audit with suggested fixes and SpyFu data inside ChatGPT. SpyFu says it covers 38 countries, 13.1 billion keywords, 152 million websites and 18+ years of data.
- Basic, $39 a month or $29 a month billed annually: 10,000-row search results and exports, 1 tracking project, 10+ years of history, a site audit of 50,000 pages a month with 1,000 AI fixes, 5,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings, 10 automated reports and 1 user.
- Pro + AI, $59 for the first month, then $119 a month, or $89 a month billed annually: unlimited results and exports, 10 projects, 500,000 audit pages, 5,000 AI fixes, RivalFlow for 1 site, 15,000 weekly tracked rankings, 100 reports and $40 of API credits.
- Team / Agency, $249 a month or $187 a month billed annually: 2 million audit pages, 10,000 AI fixes, 50,000 weekly tracked rankings, $100 of API credits and 5 users.
- Billing: the SpyFu pricing page shows a monthly and an annual price on every plan and says annual billing gives 3 months free (25% savings). SpyFu offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and cancellation at any time by email, live chat or phone, with no contracts.
Free version: SpyFu's help centre says there is no free trial with a start and end date. Instead you can use the free version, with limited results, for as long as you like; sharing an email address removes the limit on the number of searches.
Best for: founders and small marketing teams who want to see what already works for competitors in Google search and Google Ads before they spend on content or ads.
Is your startup on ChatGPT?
More and more traffic is coming from Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.
👉 Rank on ChatGPT
Keywords Everywhere: keyword data while you browse, paid by credits
Keywords Everywhere is a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge (there is no Safari version or mobile app). It works where you already search: on Google it adds Related, People Also Search For and long-tail keyword widgets, and with credits it shows search volume, CPC, competition and a 12-month trend next to each keyword on Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, Etsy and more than 15 sites in total. The free version alone gives 18 features, including website traffic metrics, Moz link metrics, SEO difficulty metrics, Google Search Console charts, social media engagement metrics and over 200 prompt templates for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Paid plans add competitor research (the keywords and backlinks a site ranks for), bulk keyword uploads, historical search volume back to 2004, AI Overview metrics and an API and MCP server that feed the same data into ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor.
- Bronze, $84 a year: 100,000 credits, 1 user seat, the top 1,000 keywords and backlinks per website in competitor research.
- Silver, $168 a year: 400,000 credits, 3 seats, top 2,000 per website and premium ChatGPT prompts.
- Gold, $480 a year, and Platinum, $1,440 a year: 2 million or 8 million credits, 10 or 20 seats, top 5,000 or 10,000 per website; Platinum adds priority support. Enterprise plans are on request.
- How credits work: the plan comparison says 1 credit buys the volume, CPC, competition and 12-month trend for one keyword. A Google search that shows 8 Related, 20 People Also Search For and 25 long-tail keywords uses 54 credits. Credits last 12 months; when they run out, the extension still shows keywords but hides the metrics.
- Billing: every plan includes the full extension and API and is billed annually, with cancellation at any time. Extra credit packs start at $80 for 200,000 credits. Payment runs through Paddle (credit card, debit card or PayPal).
Best for: solo founders and content writers who want keyword numbers inside Google and YouTube while they research, for the lowest yearly bill.
Boost Your SEO by Getting Featured in Our Blogs and get a backlink.
We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.
👉 Get featured now!
Price Compared: What a Founder Pays per Year
By our own calculation, SpyFu Basic costs $348 a year billed annually, or $468 if you pay $39 month by month, while Keywords Everywhere Bronze costs $84 a year. The two prices buy different things, though. Bronze's 100,000 credits are about 1,850 fully loaded Google searches a year (100,000 divided by 54 credits), or 100,000 single keywords in the bulk tool; you can switch off widgets to make credits last longer. SpyFu has no credits: Basic gives 10,000-row results per search, 5,000 tracked rankings and the full ad history of your competitors. The cheapest way to test SpyFu is one month at $39 with its 30-day money-back guarantee; Keywords Everywhere only sells yearly plans.
What Changed Since the Old Version of This Comparison
- Keywords Everywhere is no longer $15 a year: the 2026 version quoted that price. Today all plans are annual, from $84 a year for 100,000 credits, and much of the extension (keyword widgets, traffic and link metrics, prompt templates) is free without credits.
- SpyFu prices made exact: Basic is $39 a month or $29 billed annually; the AI tier is called Pro + AI ($119 a month after a $59 first month).
- New AI features on both sides: SpyFu added an AI site audit and a ChatGPT integration; Keywords Everywhere added AI Overview metrics, prompt templates for AI chatbots and an MCP server.
- Removed: an unsourced claim that 70% of startups that invested in SEO reached profitability faster, links to third-party review blogs and generic tips.
Which One Should You Choose?
- You write content and need volume and CPC for your own ideas: Keywords Everywhere. Start with the free extension, then Bronze.
- You run Google Ads or compete with well-funded rivals: SpyFu. Its ad history and Google Ads Advisor show which keywords already convert for competitors.
- You need both: Keywords Everywhere Bronze all year plus one or two months of SpyFu Basic around a launch or campaign.
- You want one all-in-one SEO suite instead: see SpyFu vs SE Ranking, Ahrefs vs Semrush and our list of Semrush alternatives.
More match-ups for SpyFu: SpyFu vs Similarweb, SpyFu vs Keyword Planner and SpyFu vs Keyword Insights. More match-ups for Keywords Everywhere: Keyword Revealer vs Keywords Everywhere, Ubersuggest vs Keywords Everywhere, Wincher vs Keywords Everywhere, Rank Tracker vs Keywords Everywhere, Long Tail Pro vs Keywords Everywhere and Keywords Everywhere vs Keyworddit.
How Founders Use SpyFu, Keywords Everywhere and Other Keyword Tools
- Collect ideas where you already search. With Keywords Everywhere on, every Google search shows related and long-tail keywords; save the ones that match what your customers ask. Our overview of SEO keyword research tools for startups compares more options.
- Look over competitors' shoulders. In SpyFu, check the rival that buys the most Google Ads and the one with the most organic keywords, and export the overlap. The competitor analysis tools list and the Semrush competitor analysis guide show the same method in other tools.
- Check Google's own numbers. Keyword Tool vs Keyword Planner explains when the free Google Keyword Planner is enough; for cheaper suites see free Ahrefs alternatives.
- Build links to the pages you publish. Submit your startup to the F/MS marketing directories and pitch guest posts to startup blogs that cover your niche.
- Publish and measure. Write one page per keyword group, then track rankings weekly and check whether AI chatbots cite you.
Research only pays off when you publish: the F/MS AI SEO Tool turns your keywords into articles built to rank on Google and to be cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity, with human editors checking the result, and the AI SEO blog explains the method.
Boost Your SEO by Publishing Your Startup Press Release with us.
We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.
👉 Publish Press Release
FAQ: SpyFu vs Keywords Everywhere
What is the main difference between SpyFu and Keywords Everywhere?
SpyFu is a web app for competitor research: it shows which keywords rivals rank for and buy on Google Ads, with ad history and rank tracking. Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that shows search volume, CPC and competition next to keywords on Google, YouTube and other sites, paid with yearly credits.
How much does SpyFu cost?
On 10 November 2026 its pricing page showed Basic at $39 a month or $29 billed annually, Pro + AI at $119 a month (after a $59 first month) or $89 billed annually, and Team / Agency at $249 or $187 billed annually. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How much does Keywords Everywhere cost?
All plans are billed annually: Bronze $84 a year (100,000 credits), Silver $168 (400,000), Gold $480 (2 million) and Platinum $1,440 (8 million). Extra credit packs start at $80 for 200,000 credits.
Is Keywords Everywhere free?
The extension is free and needs no sign-up. Keyword widgets, traffic and link metrics, prompt templates and social media metrics work without credits; search volume, CPC, competition and trend data need a paid plan.
Is there a free version of SpyFu?
Yes. SpyFu has no timed trial but a free version with limited results and no time limit. Paid plans unlock full results, exports and keyword tracking.
Which is better for competitor research?
SpyFu. It shows competitors' organic and paid keywords, every ad test and years of history, with 10,000-row results on Basic. Keywords Everywhere shows the top 1,000 keywords per site on Bronze and does not list ad history on its pages.
Which is cheaper for a startup?
Keywords Everywhere: Bronze costs $84 a year, against $348 a year for SpyFu Basic billed annually, by our own calculation. But SpyFu can be paid month by month ($39) and refunded within 30 days, which suits a one-off research project.
Can I use SpyFu and Keywords Everywhere together?
Yes, and many founders do: Keywords Everywhere for everyday keyword numbers while searching, SpyFu for a deeper competitor and Google Ads check before a launch or campaign.
Where can I submit a guest post about my startup?
You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Get a quality backlink.
Does Keywords Everywhere work in Safari or on mobile?
No. Keywords Everywhere says it works on Chrome, Firefox and Edge and has no Safari version or mobile app yet. SpyFu runs in any browser as a web app.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
