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SpyFu vs AnswerThePublic

SpyFu logo

SpyFu

Software

Competitor keyword research tool for SEO and PPC campaigns

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AnswerThePublic logo

AnswerThePublic

Software

Keyword and content ideation tool that visualizes search questions and phrases

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SpyFu entry-level Basic plan caps search results and data exports at 10,000 rows, limiting deep research.; AnswerThePublic credit-based limits on projects and articles mean heavy users need the higher-priced Growth or Business tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: SpyFu covers Competitor Keyword Research, AnswerThePublic covers Search listening visualizations.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SpyFu and AnswerThePublic actually diverge.

Attributes where SpyFu and AnswerThePublic differ
AttributeSpyFuAnswerThePublic
Starting price$29/month$20/month
Platformsweb, apiweb
Founded2005Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 SpyFu

  • Competitor Keyword Research
  • Ad History
  • Rank Tracking
  • Backlink Analysis
  • RivalFlow AI
  • Automated Reporting
  • API Access

Only in AnswerThePublic

  • Search listening visualizations
  • AI content drafting
  • Content scheduling
  • Plagiarism detection
  • WordPress publishing
  • Custom writing styles

What people use each for

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

SpyFu

  • Researching a competitor's paid search strategynot AnswerThePublic
  • Finding organic keyword gapsnot AnswerThePublic
  • Tracking weekly keyword rank changesnot AnswerThePublic
  • Building white-label SEO/PPC reports for clientsnot AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic

  • Finding long-tail question keywords for blog topicsnot SpyFu
  • Building FAQ content from real search queriesnot SpyFu
  • PR and content teams brainstorming article anglesnot SpyFu
  • Identifying content gaps around a seed topicnot SpyFu

Where each one falls short

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

SpyFu

  • Entry-level Basic plan caps search results and data exports at 10,000 rows, limiting deep research.
  • API access is only available on the top Team/Agency tier, unlike some competitors that offer it at lower price points.
  • Additional user seats cost an extra $30 per user per month even on paid plans.
  • Weekly rank tracking refresh is less frequent than some competitors offering daily updates.

AnswerThePublic

  • Credit-based limits on projects and articles mean heavy users need the higher-priced Growth or Business tiers.
  • Question-mining approach is narrower than full-suite SEO content tools that also grade content against SERP competitors.
  • Article and content-creation features are relatively new additions layered onto a keyword-visualization tool, so depth may lag dedicated writing platforms.

Pricing, plan by plan

SpyFu

$29/month
  • Basic$29/month
    • 10k row search results and data exports
    • 5,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings
    • 10 automated reports
  • Pro + AI$89/month
    • Unlimited search results and data exports
    • 15,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings
    • 100 automated reports
  • Team/Agency$187/month
    • Unlimited data exports and reports
    • 50,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings
    • RivalFlow AI (5 sites)

AnswerThePublic

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 2 projects
    • 60 monthly credits
    • 6 articles/month
  • Growth$99/month
    • 4 projects
    • 350 monthly credits
    • 35 articles/month
  • Business$199/month
    • 8 projects
    • 800 monthly credits
    • 80 articles/month

Which should you pick?

Choose SpyFu if

  • You need competitor keyword research.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want ad history.
SpyFu review

Choose AnswerThePublic if

  • You need search listening visualizations.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want ai content drafting.
AnswerThePublic review

Questions people ask

Is SpyFu or AnswerThePublic better?
Neither clearly leads. SpyFu starts at $29/month and AnswerThePublic at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SpyFu or AnswerThePublic?
SpyFu starts at $29/month and AnswerThePublic at $20/month.
Does SpyFu or AnswerThePublic run on more platforms?
SpyFu runs on web, api. AnswerThePublic runs on web.
What is SpyFu best used for?
SpyFu is most often used for researching a competitor's paid search strategy, finding organic keyword gaps, tracking weekly keyword rank changes, building white-label seo/ppc reports for clients. Of those, researching a competitor's paid search strategy and finding organic keyword gaps are not what AnswerThePublic is typically brought in for.
What can SpyFu do that AnswerThePublic cannot?
SpyFu covers Competitor Keyword Research, Ad History, Rank Tracking, Backlink Analysis. AnswerThePublic covers Search listening visualizations, AI content drafting, Content scheduling, Plagiarism detection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SpyFu: What does SpyFu cost?

SpyFu has three plans: Basic at $29/month (billed annually) or $39/month, Pro + AI starting around $89/month annually (or $59 for the first month, then $119/month), and Team/Agency at $187/month annually or $249/month.

Source
AnswerThePublic: What does AnswerThePublic cost?

Plans run Starter at $20/month, Growth at $99/month, and Business at $199/month, each with monthly credits, project limits, and an article-generation cap; annual and lifetime options are also offered.

Source
SpyFu: What's included in the Basic plan?

Basic includes 10,000-row search results and data exports, 1 Live Site tracking project, 5,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings, 10 automated reports, and 1 user seat.

Source
AnswerThePublic: Is there a free plan?

No free tier is listed; all plans are paid, with Starter as the entry-level option at $20/month or a $99 lifetime option.

Source
SpyFu: What extra do Pro + AI and Team/Agency add?

Pro + AI adds unlimited search results and exports, 10 tracking projects, 10+ years of historical data, 15,000 weekly rank checks, and 100 reports. Team/Agency adds unlimited projects and reports, 50,000 weekly rank checks, and 5 user seats.

Source
AnswerThePublic: What does AnswerThePublic integrate with?

All plans include WordPress publishing so finished articles can be pushed directly to a connected WordPress site.

Source
SpyFu: Do all plans include AI features?

Yes, all plans include the RivalFlow AI tool, ChatGPT integration, AI Brand Monitoring, Google Ads campaign tools, Google Search Console integration, white-label reporting, and API access, though limits vary by tier.

Source
SpyFu: Is extra usage or extra users available beyond the base seats?

Yes, additional user seats can be added to Pro + AI and Team/Agency plans for $30 per additional user beyond the included seat count.

Source
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