Softwr

SEO · head to head

Google Search Console vs Mangools

Google Search Console logo

Google Search Console

SEO

Google's free tool for monitoring how a site appears in Search

From
Free
Rated
-
Mangools logo

Mangools

SEO

A bundle of five simplified SEO tools including KWFinder and SERPWatcher

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Google Search Console has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Search Console query data below a low, undisclosed volume threshold is anonymised and dropped from reports, so genuine long-tail performance is invisible.; Mangools the backlink index behind LinkMiner is far smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush, so link prospecting and competitor backlink audits are shallower than a serious link building programme needs.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Search Console covers Performance reports, Mangools covers KWFinder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Search Console and Mangools actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Search Console and Mangools differ
AttributeGoogle Search ConsoleMangools
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feePer month by usage volume
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Google Search Console

  • Performance reports
  • Index coverage
  • URL inspection
  • Core Web Vitals report
  • Sitemap and manual actions
  • Search Console API

Only in Mangools

  • KWFinder
  • SERPWatcher
  • SERPChecker
  • LinkMiner
  • SiteProfiler
  • Looker Studio connector

What people use each for

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

Google Search Console

  • Any site owner confirming what Google actually indexed versus what a crawler assumes it indexednot Mangools
  • A team diagnosing a traffic drop by checking for manual actions or a spike in crawl errors firstnot Mangools
  • An SEO analyst exporting query-level click data via the API to blend with a paid rank tracker's historynot Mangools
  • A developer validating that structured data and mobile rendering match what Googlebot seesnot Mangools

Mangools

  • A solo blogger or freelancer doing keyword research who finds Ahrefs' pricing and interface disproportionate to their needsnot Google Search Console
  • A small agency wanting one login covering keyword research, rank tracking and basic backlink checks for a handful of client sitesnot Google Search Console
  • A content marketer who wants SERP-level competitive analysis without a full technical SEO platformnot Google Search Console
  • A team standardising on a low-cost tool before graduating to Semrush or Ahrefs once budgets grownot Google Search Console

Where each one falls short

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

Google Search Console

  • Query data below a low, undisclosed volume threshold is anonymised and dropped from reports, so genuine long-tail performance is invisible.
  • Performance history is capped at 16 months, so year-over-year comparison beyond that window requires a third-party tool that has been logging the data independently for longer.
  • It only reports Google Search; it has no visibility into Bing, other search engines, or the AI answer engines increasingly sending referral traffic.
  • The interface aggregates by property, and comparing multiple properties or clients side by side means exporting and reassembling data yourself.
  • Position and CTR figures are averages across ranking positions and personalisation, so they do not match what any single search or rank tracker snapshot shows for a specific query.

Mangools

  • The backlink index behind LinkMiner is far smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush, so link prospecting and competitor backlink audits are shallower than a serious link building programme needs.
  • There is no technical site crawler for large-scale audits, so any site beyond a few hundred pages needs a separate tool such as Screaming Frog alongside Mangools.
  • Feature access does not tier by capability, only by usage volume, so a team that wants more tracked keywords must upgrade the whole plan even if it does not need more keyword lookups.
  • It has no PPC or paid search competitive intelligence at all, which Semrush and SpyFu both offer, so it cannot inform paid media strategy.
  • Reviews consistently note keyword volume and difficulty estimates as less precise at scale than Ahrefs' or Semrush's larger crawl and index infrastructure.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Search Console

Free
  • Google Search ConsoleFree
    • Unlimited verified properties per account
    • 16 months of performance history
    • Index coverage, sitemaps and Core Web Vitals reporting

Mangools

On request
  • Basic$49/month
    • All five Mangools tools included
    • Lower keyword lookup and tracked keyword allowances
    • Cheaper on annual billing
  • Premium$69/month
    • Higher keyword lookup and tracked keyword allowances
    • All five Mangools tools included
    • Cheaper on annual billing
  • Agency$129/month
    • Highest keyword lookup and tracked keyword allowances
    • All five Mangools tools included
    • Cheaper on annual billing

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Search Console if

  • You need performance reports.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want index coverage.

Choose Mangools if

  • You need kwfinder.
  • You also want serpwatcher.

Questions people ask

Is Google Search Console or Mangools better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Search Console starts at Free and Mangools at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Search Console or Mangools?
Google Search Console has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Search Console and On request for Mangools.
Does Google Search Console or Mangools run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Google Search Console for free?
Yes. Google Search Console has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mangools starts at On request.
What is Google Search Console best used for?
Google Search Console is most often used for any site owner confirming what google actually indexed versus what a crawler assumes it indexed, a team diagnosing a traffic drop by checking for manual actions or a spike in crawl errors first, an seo analyst exporting query-level click data via the api to blend with a paid rank tracker's history, a developer validating that structured data and mobile rendering match what googlebot sees. Of those, any site owner confirming what google actually indexed versus what a crawler assumes it indexed and a team diagnosing a traffic drop by checking for manual actions or a spike in crawl errors first are not what Mangools is typically brought in for.
What can Google Search Console do that Mangools cannot?
Google Search Console covers Performance reports, Index coverage, URL inspection, Core Web Vitals report. Mangools covers KWFinder, SERPWatcher, SERPChecker, LinkMiner.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Search Console: Do I need to pay for Search Console?

No. It has never had a paid tier and Google has given no indication of introducing one.

Mangools: Are all five tools included in every plan?

Yes. KWFinder, SERPWatcher, SERPChecker, LinkMiner and SiteProfiler are bundled in every paid tier; plans differ only by usage limits.

Google Search Console: Why does it show different keyword rankings than my rank tracker?

GSC reports averaged position across many searches, devices and locations over the reporting period; a rank tracker takes a single snapshot from a defined location, so the two numbers measure different things.

Mangools: Is there a free version?

A limited free trial and a 48-hour money-back guarantee are offered; there is no permanent free tier.

Google Search Console: Can I use it instead of a rank tracker?

For your own site's actual click and impression data, yes; for daily position tracking, historical trend charts beyond 16 months, or any visibility into competitors, no.

Mangools: How does it compare to Ahrefs on backlinks?

Its backlink index is materially smaller; Mangools is built for keyword research and rank tracking workflows, not as a backlink-first tool.

Share

Related pages

Other head to heads