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SEO · head to head

Keyword Insights vs SEMrush

Keyword Insights logo

Keyword Insights

SEO

AI keyword clustering tool that groups keywords by live SERP overlap

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SEMrush logo

SEMrush

SEO

Do SEO, content marketing, competitor research, PPC and social media marketing from just one platfor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SEMrush has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Keyword Insights it has no keyword research or search volume data of its own; keywords must be exported from another tool such as Ahrefs or Search Console first.; SEMrush free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools
  • They diverge on capability: Keyword Insights covers SERP-based clustering, SEMrush covers Keyword research.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Keyword Insights and SEMrush actually diverge.

Attributes where Keyword Insights and SEMrush differ
AttributeKeyword InsightsSEMrush
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer month by credit volume, with pay-as-you-go availablesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile app
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (SEO).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Keyword Insights

  • SERP-based clustering
  • Intent classification
  • Content brief generation
  • Bulk keyword upload
  • Pay-as-you-go credits
  • Competitor content gap analysis

Only in SEMrush

  • Keyword research
  • Site audit
  • Competitor analysis
  • Backlink analytics
  • Rank tracking
  • Content marketing
  • PPC research
  • Social media tools

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Keyword Insights

  • A content team building topic clusters for a content calendar from a large exported keyword listnot SEMrush
  • An agency needing intent classification to decide whether a keyword warrants a blog post or a product pagenot SEMrush
  • A team that wants SERP-reality clustering rather than word-embedding-based grouping that can miss what Google actually treats as one topicnot SEMrush
  • A one-off project needing to cluster a single large keyword export without committing to a monthly subscriptionnot SEMrush

SEMrush

  • SEO keyword research and competitor analysisnot Keyword Insights
  • Website performance tracking and auditingnot Keyword Insights
  • Content marketing optimizationnot Keyword Insights
  • PPC advertising researchnot Keyword Insights

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Keyword Insights

  • It has no keyword research or search volume data of its own; keywords must be exported from another tool such as Ahrefs or Search Console first.
  • SERP-based clustering requires a live Google SERP pull per keyword, which is why it is credit-metered and can get expensive fast on very large keyword lists.
  • The pay-as-you-go credit tier only covers clustering; content briefs and other features require a full subscription, which is easy to miss when comparing the entry price.
  • It has no rank tracking, backlink data or technical crawling, so it is a single-purpose tool that must sit alongside a broader SEO stack.
  • As a small, specialised vendor, its roadmap and support resourcing are thinner than a full suite like Semrush that bundles clustering as one feature among many.

SEMrush

  • Free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools
  • Keyword tracking capped at 500 per month on entry tiers (SEO and Starter plans)
  • Additional users cost £45/month per user above base subscription
  • Most advanced features require Advanced plan (£455.67/month), making entry cost significant for small teams

Pricing, plan by plan

Keyword Insights

On request
  • Basic$58/month
    • 10,000 credits a month
    • Keyword clustering and intent classification
    • Content brief generation
  • Professional$99/month
    • 20,000 credits a month
    • All Basic features
    • Higher project and export limits
  • Pay As You Go$7.99/month
    • 1,000 clustering-only credits, no subscription required
    • 7-day trial available for 1 US dollar
    • Other features require a subscription plan

SEMrush

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 demo project with basic features
    • No credit card required
    • For trying out the platform
  • SEO Plan$117.33/month
    • Annual billing ($1407.96/year)
    • Monitor 5 websites
    • Track 500 keywords daily
  • Starter Plan$165.17/month
    • Annual billing ($1982.04/year)
    • 5 websites, 500 keywords tracked daily
    • MCP access with 50 AI prompts tracked across search platforms
  • Pro+ Plan$248.17/month
    • Annual billing ($2978.04/year)
    • 15 websites, 1,500 keywords daily
    • 100 AI prompts tracked

Which should you pick?

Choose Keyword Insights if

  • You need serp-based clustering.
  • You also want intent classification.
Keyword Insights review

Choose SEMrush if

  • You need keyword research.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app.
  • You also want site audit.
SEMrush review

Questions people ask

Is Keyword Insights or SEMrush better?
Neither clearly leads. Keyword Insights starts at On request and SEMrush at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Keyword Insights or SEMrush?
SEMrush has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Keyword Insights and Free for SEMrush.
Does Keyword Insights or SEMrush run on more platforms?
Keyword Insights runs on Web. SEMrush runs on Web, Mobile app.
Can I use SEMrush for free?
Yes. SEMrush has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Keyword Insights starts at On request.
What is Keyword Insights best used for?
Keyword Insights is most often used for a content team building topic clusters for a content calendar from a large exported keyword list, an agency needing intent classification to decide whether a keyword warrants a blog post or a product page, a team that wants serp-reality clustering rather than word-embedding-based grouping that can miss what google actually treats as one topic, a one-off project needing to cluster a single large keyword export without committing to a monthly subscription. Of those, a content team building topic clusters for a content calendar from a large exported keyword list and an agency needing intent classification to decide whether a keyword warrants a blog post or a product page are not what SEMrush is typically brought in for.
What can Keyword Insights do that SEMrush cannot?
Keyword Insights covers SERP-based clustering, Intent classification, Content brief generation, Bulk keyword upload. SEMrush covers Keyword research, Site audit, Competitor analysis, Backlink analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Keyword Insights: Do I need another SEO tool to use it?

Yes, for keyword data. Keyword Insights clusters and classifies keyword lists you supply; it does not generate keyword lists with search volume itself.

SEMrush: How much does Semrush cost?

Semrush starts at $117.33/month for the SEO Plan with annual billing and goes up to $455.67/month for the Advanced Plan. A free tier is available with 1 demo project and basic features. Prices increase with monthly billing instead of annual.

Source
Keyword Insights: How is pricing calculated?

By credits, at 1 credit per keyword clustered, either through a monthly subscription with a credit allowance or a pay-as-you-go top-up.

SEMrush: What does each Semrush plan include?

Plans scale from 5 to 40 websites monitored, 500 to 5,000 keywords tracked daily, and include progressively more features like MCP access and API access at higher tiers. Advanced Plan includes dedicated support.

Source
Keyword Insights: Is there a free tier?

No permanent free tier; a 7-day trial for 1 US dollar is offered instead.

SEMrush: Are there add-on options for Semrush?

Yes, additional users cost $45/month, and reporting features range from $10-$20/month. Enterprise plans with unlimited projects and dedicated support are available with custom pricing.

Source
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