Guide
Best Keyword Research Tools for Agencies (2026)
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 8 min read
Summary
Mangools is the best for ease of use and an agency plan; Ubersuggest is the best one-off cost for small client sites; Keyword Insights is the best for clustering and topical maps; AlsoAsked is the best low-cost question research. Prices and ratings were checked in October 2026 and change often.
What are the best keyword research tools for agencies in 2026?
Keyword research tools show what people search for and how topics connect. Agencies use them to plan content, scope projects and justify strategy to clients.
We compared four tools agencies use. They do different jobs: finding keywords, covering several client projects, clustering lists and mapping questions, so read the labels and pick by the work you do most.
Our shortlist, in order: Mangools, Ubersuggest, Keyword Insights, AlsoAsked. The table puts them side by side.
| Tool | Best for | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mangools | Best for ease of use and an agency plan | 4 / 5 | G2 4.7 | Basic $37.70, Premium $52.70, and Agency $97.70 per month on annual billing. |
| Ubersuggest | Best one-off cost for small client sites | 3.9 / 5 | G2 4.2 | The pricing page we read offers lifetime plans only: Individual $290, Business $490 and Enterprise $990, each a one-time payment, plus a custom plan. The page marks lifetime pricing as a limited offer. A 7-day free trial applies to monthly subscriptions, and lifetime purchases are non-refundable. |
| Keyword Insights | Best for clustering and topical maps | 4 / 5 | No review-site rating found | Credit-based plans. Basic $58 a month (10,000 credits, 1 seat, 5 workspaces) and Professional $99 a month (20,000 credits, 3 seats, 10 workspaces). Enterprise is custom. A $1 trial runs 7 days with 5,000 credits, then the account drops to pay-as-you-go. |
| AlsoAsked | Best low-cost question research | 4.1 / 5 | No review-site rating found | Annual billing: Basic $12, Lite $23 and Pro $47 a month in US dollars. Credits are 100, 300 and 1,000 a month, with unlimited users on every plan. |
How did we choose the best keyword research tools?
We included tools with public pricing and evidence that agencies use them. Pricing and features come from each vendor page, and ratings come from G2 where a score was available.
We looked at client capacity, limits and the evidence each vendor publishes. Scores reflect fit for agencies serving several clients.
What we looked for
- Job: finding keywords, clustering or mapping questions.
- Pricing and billing period.
- Client capacity: projects, workspaces and seats.
- Limits: lookups, tracked keywords and credits.
- Published security and support evidence.
- Public evidence: review-site ratings and counts.
Is Mangools a good keyword research tool for agencies?
Best for ease of use and an agency plan: Mangools has a dedicated Agency plan with 1,200 daily lookups, 1,500 tracked keywords and five extra seats, and a high G2 score from a smaller base.
Mangools bundles KWFinder for keyword research, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher for rank tracking, LinkMiner for backlinks and SiteProfiler in one subscription, with AI Search Watcher PRO. Plans scale by lookups and tracked keywords, with extra seats on higher plans.
Who it suits: Freelancers and small agencies that want an easy, affordable keyword and rank tracking suite.
Mangools pros
- Low prices for a five-tool suite, including API and MCP access.
- Easy interface that reviewers call beginner-friendly.
- SERPWatcher shares interactive reports and lists white-label reports.
- Looker Studio connector and Search Console import.
Mangools cons
- Basic has no extra seats, Premium has 3 and Agency has 5.
- Rank tracking is weekly, with daily updates only on Agency.
- No free trial is stated, only a 48-hour money-back guarantee.
- Security, GDPR and support hours were not stated.
Is Ubersuggest a good keyword research tool for agencies?
Best one-off cost for small client sites: Ubersuggest sells lifetime plans, with Enterprise covering 15 projects and five users. Limits are modest and the G2 score is lower.
Ubersuggest covers keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and AI article drafts in one tool. The pricing page we read sells one-time lifetime plans (Individual, Business, Enterprise) plus a custom plan, and counts agencies by the number of projects (brands).
Who it suits: Small agencies and freelancers that want keyword and audit data for several client sites at a low one-off cost.
Ubersuggest pros
- Enterprise lifetime costs $990 once and covers 15 projects (brands) and 5 users.
- Business costs $490 once for 7 projects and 2 users.
- Keyword research, rank tracking, site audit and backlink data are included in every plan.
- Extra projects, users and tracked keywords are $5 a month add-ons.
Ubersuggest cons
- Tracking is weekly and capped at 125 to 300 keywords per project.
- No API access plans are offered, and G2 reviewers mention the lack of API and MCP access.
- The lifetime prices are marked as a limited offer and the monthly and yearly tabs were not read, so recurring prices are not recorded here.
- Security certifications and a mobile app were not stated.
Is Keyword Insights a good keyword research tool for agencies?
Best for clustering and topical maps: Keyword Insights clusters keywords by SERP similarity and gives five to ten workspaces. Credits are limited and the G2 base is small.
Keyword Insights groups keywords into clusters by SERP similarity, labels search intent, and produces content briefs and AI drafts. It uses a credit system with subscription and pay-as-you-go options, and sells workspaces and seats rather than per-domain limits.
Who it suits: Content and SEO agencies that plan topical maps and briefs for many clients.
Keyword Insights pros
- Basic costs $58 a month with 10,000 credits and 5 workspaces.
- Professional costs $99 a month with 20,000 credits, 3 seats and 10 workspaces.
- Clustering costs 1 credit per keyword and content briefs 100 credits each.
- A $1, 7-day trial gives 5,000 one-time credits across every feature.
Keyword Insights cons
- It is not a full SEO suite: no rank tracking, backlinks or site audit.
- Credits are consumed per action, so large clustering jobs can use a plan quickly.
- G2 shows only 11 reviews and no score in the page we read.
- Security certifications and a mobile app were not stated.
Is AlsoAsked a good keyword research tool for agencies?
Best low-cost question research: AlsoAsked maps People Also Ask questions with unlimited users on every plan. It covers questions only and has credit caps.
AlsoAsked shows live, geo-specific People Also Ask questions as a visual tree so you can see how searchers move from one question to the next. It sells credit-based plans with unlimited users, CSV export, bulk searches, an API and an MCP server.
Who it suits: Content teams and agencies that plan articles and FAQ sections from real questions.
AlsoAsked pros
- Basic costs $12 a month billed yearly and Pro $47.
- Unlimited users on every plan, so the whole agency can share one account.
- CSV export, bulk searches, API access and an MCP server on all plans.
- All regions and languages are included.
AlsoAsked cons
- Credits cap use at 100, 300 or 1,000 a month.
- There are no client workspaces or white-label reports, so it is a research tool, not a delivery platform.
- Monthly-billed prices were not captured separately.
- We found no G2 product page with a score, and security detail was not stated.
How much do the best keyword research tools cost?
AlsoAsked is the cheapest monthly option, Mangools and Keyword Insights sit in the middle, and Ubersuggest is paid once. Compare client capacity and credits per dollar, not the headline price.
| Tool | Plan | Price | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangools | Basic | $37.70 per month (annual billing) | 100 keyword lookups a day, 200 tracked keywords, no extra seats, API and MCP |
| Mangools | Premium | $52.70 per month (annual billing) | 500 lookups a day, 700 tracked keywords, 3 extra seats |
| Mangools | Agency | $97.70 per month (annual billing) | 1,200 lookups a day, 1,500 tracked keywords, 5 extra seats, daily rank updates |
| Ubersuggest | Individual | $290 one-time (lifetime) | 1 user, 1 project, 125 tracked keywords, 1,000 page scans, 150 searches a day |
| Ubersuggest | Business | $490 one-time (lifetime) | 2 users, 7 projects, 150 tracked keywords per project, 5,000 page scans, 300 searches a day |
| Ubersuggest | Enterprise | $990 one-time (lifetime) | 5 users, 15 projects, 300 tracked keywords per project, 10,000 page scans, 900 searches a day |
| Ubersuggest | Custom | Custom | Tailored users, projects, keywords and searches for agencies and brands |
| Keyword Insights | Basic | regular $58 | 10,000 credits, 1 seat, 5 workspaces |
| Keyword Insights | Professional | regular $99 | 20,000 credits, 3 seats, 10 workspaces, team sharing |
| Keyword Insights | Enterprise | Custom | Custom credits, seats and workspaces, priority support, demo and onboarding |
| AlsoAsked | Basic | $12 per month (annual billing) | 100 credits a month, unlimited users, 24-hour history |
| AlsoAsked | Lite | $23 per month (annual billing) | 300 credits a month, unlimited users, 1-month history |
| AlsoAsked | Pro | $47 per month (annual billing) | 1,000 credits a month, unlimited users, 1-year history |
What do reviewers say about these keyword research tools?
G2 evidence differs. Ubersuggest has the largest base, Mangools has the highest score, and Keyword Insights and AlsoAsked have little or no score. Treat small bases with caution.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangools | G2 | 4.7 / 5 | 97 |
| Ubersuggest | G2 | 4.2 / 5 | 160 |
Reviewer themes for Mangools
- G2 shows Mangools at 4.7 from 97 reviews.
- G2 reviewers call it easy to use and beginner-friendly.
Reviewer themes for Ubersuggest
- G2 shows Ubersuggest at 4.2 from 160 reviews.
- Reviewers praise ease of use and a low price compared with larger suites.
Reviewer themes for Keyword Insights
- G2 lists 11 reviews for Keyword Insights without a score in the snippet we could read.
- Reviewers praise SERP-similarity clustering and its usefulness for content structure.
Reviewer themes for AlsoAsked
- We found no G2 score for AlsoAsked; a G2 reviewer of AnswerThePublic names AlsoAsked as doing a better job.
- It is widely used by SEO writers for question research.
How do you choose the right keyword research tool for your agency?
Decide whether you need to find keywords, cluster them, or map questions. Many agencies pair a research tool with a clustering or question tool.
Whichever you pick, run a trial on one client and check whether the data matches what the client already sees in Search Console.
Set a simple routine once a tool is chosen: refresh research monthly, note the topics you chose and why, and keep the clusters in the client folder. Clients value the reasoning more than the list.
Finally, count credits and lookups per client before you start. Limits reset daily or monthly, and a busy week can use a plan quickly.
A quick decision guide
- Ease of use and agency plan: Mangools.
- One-off cost: Ubersuggest.
- Clustering: Keyword Insights.
- Question research: AlsoAsked.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the best keyword research tools for agencies?
- Mangools for ease of use, Ubersuggest for one-off cost, Keyword Insights for clustering, and AlsoAsked for questions.
- Which tool has an agency plan?
- Mangools.
- Which tool is paid once?
- Ubersuggest.
- Which tool has unlimited users?
- AlsoAsked.
- How were the tools rated?
- Ratings come from G2 where available, and the editorial scores are our own judgement of fit for agencies.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- Mangools pricing page
- Ubersuggest pricing page
- Keyword Insights pricing page
- AlsoAsked pricing page
- G2