answerthepublic vs keywordtool-io
AnswerThePublic vs KeywordTool.io — features, pricing, and which to choose for your SEO workflow in 2026.
Quick Verdict
Both AnswerThePublic and KeywordTool.io mine autocomplete data for keyword research, but they take fundamentally different approaches. AnswerThePublic turns keyword data into visual maps showing how people ask questions around your topic, while KeywordTool.io focuses on generating comprehensive lists of long-tail keywords across multiple platforms.
The choice between them comes down to whether you want visual brainstorming or systematic keyword harvesting. AnswerThePublic excels at content ideation and understanding search intent, while KeywordTool.io delivers raw keyword volume across Google, YouTube, Amazon, and Bing.
Feature Comparison
AnswerThePublic's signature feature is its wheel visualization that organizes keywords by question type (what, why, how, when) and comparison queries (vs, versus, like). This makes it exceptional for content brainstorming and understanding the customer journey. You see not just keywords, but the actual questions people are asking about your topic. KeywordTool.io takes a more systematic approach, generating up to 750+ long-tail keywords per search across four major platforms. It provides search volume data, competition metrics, and cost-per-click estimates for paid campaigns. The platform also offers deeper filtering options and the ability to analyze competitors' keywords, making it more suited for technical SEO work. KeywordTool.io's multi-platform approach is particularly valuable for e-commerce businesses needing Amazon keyword data or content creators optimizing for YouTube. AnswerThePublic focuses primarily on Google search data, though it covers more geographic locations.
Pricing Comparison
The pricing gap is massive. AnswerThePublic starts at $5/month for the Lite plan, which removes daily search limits and provides CSV exports. Their Pro plan at $99/month adds historical data and API access. KeywordTool.io begins at $89/month for the Pro Basic plan, making it 18x more expensive than AnswerThePublic's entry point. This higher price point reflects KeywordTool.io's focus on agencies and enterprises that need comprehensive keyword data rather than content ideation support.
Best For
AnswerThePublic is better for content creators, bloggers, and marketers who need to understand what questions their audience is asking. If you're building content strategies, creating FAQ sections, or brainstorming blog post topics, its visual approach and question-focused data are unmatched. The low price point makes it accessible for solo creators and small businesses. KeywordTool.io suits SEO agencies, e-commerce businesses, and enterprises that need systematic keyword research across multiple platforms. Choose it when you need comprehensive keyword lists with volume data, Amazon keyword research, or when building large-scale SEO campaigns that require hundreds of targeted long-tail keywords.
The Verdict
For most users, AnswerThePublic offers better value and more actionable insights for content creation. Unless you specifically need multi-platform keyword harvesting or have an enterprise-level keyword research budget, AnswerThePublic's combination of unique visualizations, question-focused data, and affordable pricing makes it the smarter choice for understanding what your audience actually wants to know.