March 31, 2025
Need a competitor keyword analysis tool for free? Learn more about the 7 top options, including SpyFu, Google Keyword Planner, and Ubersuggest.
Finding the right competitor keyword analysis tool for free can give you an edge by showing which keywords your competitors rank for, revealing gaps in your own strategy, and helping you focus on terms that are more likely to bring in traffic.
While free tools come with limitations, options like SpyFu, Google Keyword Planner, and Ubersuggest still offer valuable data that can guide your content and ad decisions.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Let’s dive right into the best free tools to help you find competitor keywords.
Not every free keyword tool is worth your time. Some limit access to data, while others push paid upgrades. To make sure you get useful insights without hidden fees, we picked tools based on three key factors:
Of course, there are many other factors to consider — we also looked for these while we considered keyword finder tools:
Figuring out how to find competitors’ keywords and strategies can give you an edge in search rankings and paid ads, regardless if you’re using dynamic or static ads. Here are some of the best tools you can use:
Google Keyword Planner is a go-to free tool for finding search terms directly from Google’s database. It’s mainly built for Google Ads, but it also provides useful keyword insights for SEO. If you want reliable search volume and competition data straight from the source, this tool is a must.
Google Keyword Planner allows you to:
This tool is best for business owners, marketers, and content creators looking for accurate keyword data for Google Ads and SEO. Since the data comes directly from Google, it’s one of the most trustworthy sources for search insights.
Even though Google provides their tool for free, there are still limitations to keep in mind:
Google Keyword Planner is a go-to tool for Google Ads and SEO, thanks to its reliable search volume data straight from Google. It doesn’t show competitor keywords directly, but it’s still one of the most trusted ways to find solid keyword ideas.
Moz’s Keyword Explorer gives you a clear picture of how competitive a keyword is and what’s currently ranking on the first page. The free version is limited but still useful for finding keyword ideas and checking out what’s already working in the SERPs.
Moz’s free features allow you to:
Moz is a good fit for bloggers, content creators, and small business marketers who want to quickly assess keyword potential and get a snapshot of what ranks on Google. It’s especially handy if you’re focused on organic search and want to avoid keywords with tough competition.
Moz’s Keyword Explorer offers solid SERP insights and keyword suggestions, but the free plan is capped and lacks competitor research features. It’s ideal for quick keyword checks or evaluating how hard it might be to rank for a topic.
SpyFu gives you a peek at your competitors’ keywords, including a snapshot of their organic rankings and some Google Ads activity. The free version is a helpful starting point, but if you want full keyword lists or deeper historical data, you’ll need to upgrade.
SpyFu is primarily a paid tool, but you can get competitor insights for free and without an account. To use this tool’s free features, simply type a domain, URL, or keyword into the search bar on the homepage and click “Search.”
SpyFu’s free features allow you to:
SpyFu is useful for small business owners, bloggers, and marketers who want a quick look at their competitors' keyword strategies without paying for advanced tools.
SpyFu’s free tool comes with limitations. These include:
SpyFu’s free version is a great starting point for checking competitors' keywords, but it’s limited in how much data you can access. If you just need a quick snapshot of competitor rankings, it does the job. But for more detailed research, other tools on this list provide deeper insights.
SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool is great for expanding your keyword list and grouping ideas by topic, which is useful for both SEO and PPC. The free version gives you a small preview of related keywords, but most features — like clustering, full keyword results, and detailed metrics — are only available with a paid plan.
Keyword Magic’s free features allow you to:
This tool is best for content creators, digital marketers, and PPC specialists who want organized keyword lists to optimize SEO or ad campaigns. The clustering feature makes it useful for planning content silos or ad groups.
The limitations of SEMRush’s free tool include:
SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool is great for expanding keyword lists and organizing them into clusters, making it useful for both SEO and PPC. However, since the free version limits searches and data, it’s best paired with other tools for deeper keyword analysis.
Ubersuggest is known for its user-friendly interface, making it a solid pick for beginners. But over time, its free version has become more limited. You can still use it to get basic keyword ideas and a small glimpse of search volume data, but the cap on daily searches and restricted features make it less helpful for deeper keyword research.
It’s a good starting point, but you might want to pair it with other free tools (or consider upgrading) if you need more data.
Ubersuggest’s free features allow you to:
Ubersuggest is ideal for small business owners, bloggers, and beginner marketers who want an easy-to-use keyword research tool with basic SEO insights. It’s a great entry-level option for those new to keyword analysis.
While the interface is clean and beginner-friendly, the free version comes with several restrictions:
Ubersuggest is easy to use and is a decent starting point for keyword research, but its tight limits and shallow data can be frustrating if you're trying to do anything more than basic exploration. It’s worth testing out, but if you need more depth or daily use, you’ll likely need to pair it with another tool like Google Keyword Planner or SpyFu.
SE Ranking offers keyword research and rank tracking as part of its broader SEO platform. The free version gives you a limited preview of its capabilities, including a small sample of keyword suggestions and a snapshot of where a site ranks for specific terms.
Here’s what you can do with the free tool:
This tool is best for small businesses, SEO professionals, and digital marketers who need basic keyword research and rank tracking. If you want to see how a website is performing for specific search terms, SE Ranking provides a simple way to check.
There are some limitations to the free SE Ranking tool, including:
SE Ranking’s free tool gives you a quick look at keyword suggestions and where a domain ranks, but that’s about it. The limited access means you won’t get the full picture of competitor strategies or keyword opportunities. If you’re serious about research or need ongoing tracking, you’ll likely outgrow the free version fast.
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools gives you free access to some of Ahrefs’ core features, but only for websites you own. While it’s mainly focused on helping you audit and improve your own site, it also includes a few tools that offer basic competitor insights once your site is connected.
Ahref’s Webmaster Tools allow you to:
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is best for website owners, bloggers, and SEO professionals who want to improve on-site SEO and understand how their content performs.
Webmaster Tools come with limitations that include:
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is a strong free option for tracking your own site’s keywords and backlinks, but it doesn’t offer full competitor website analysis.
Finding the right keywords is just one piece of the puzzle. Using a competitor keyword analysis tool for free can show you what your rivals are ranking for — but knowing how to use that information to create better ads is a different challenge. That’s where Bestever comes in.
Bestever focuses on creative performance and optimization, while also allowing you to track competitor ads and performance. Bestever’s ad analysis tool gives you insights into what’s working in your competitors’ ads (and why), so you can improve your own strategies and creatives.
Here’s how Bestever can help:
Ready to turn your competitor analysis insights into top-performing ads? Let our team walk you through how Bestever can help you analyze your ads so you can focus more on what’s working, starting today.