Head to head
Keysearch vs Mangools: which is cheaper, and does it matter?
These two compete for the same buyer: someone who wants keyword research without paying suite prices. The gap between them is small enough that billing basis decides it more often than features do.
Quick verdict
- Paying yearly: Mangools. Its Basic tier showed $18 a month against $24 for Keysearch Starter.
- New to SEO: Mangools. Its interface is the reason people pay for it, and that matters more than any feature list when you are learning.
- Want the most data per dollar: Keysearch. It packs more into the same money, at the cost of a denser screen.
- Spending over $48 a month on either: stop and compare against Ahrefs Starter at $29 instead. You have left the budget tier.
What we confirmed, and when
Every figure below came off the vendor's own pricing page on 4 September 2026. Software pricing moves, so treat the date as part of the data.
| Keysearch | Mangools | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry tier | Starter, $24/mo | Basic, $18/mo on annual billing |
| Next tier up | Pro, $48/mo | Premium, $26/mo on annual billing |
| Top listed tier | Pro, $48/mo | Agency, $48/mo on annual billing |
| Billing basis shown | Per month | Annual and monthly toggle |
Check them yourself:Keysearch pricingandMangools pricing. Tell us if either has moved.
What we could not confirm
Keyword database size, backlink index size, and monthly search limits are the figures buyers most want compared. Neither vendor states them plainly enough on its pricing page for us to publish a straight comparison, and the numbers that circulate in other articles are years old.
Interface quality is the other deciding factor here, and it is a judgement rather than a measurement. We report the widely held view that Mangools is the friendlier of the two, and we flag it as opinion rather than data.
We believe most people overthink this choice. The two tools do the same job within a few dollars of each other, and the hours you spend comparing them cost more than the difference. Pick on interface preference and move on.
Who should pick which
Pick Keysearch if
- You want the denser tool and do not mind a busier screen.
- Monthly billing suits you better than committing to a year.
- You value having more included at the same price point.
Pick Mangools if
- SEO tools have intimidated you before.
- You are happy to pay annually for the lower rate.
- A clean interface is worth a small premium to you.
Pick neither if
- You need backlink depth, client reporting, or AI visibility tracking. Both are keyword tools first. Our comparison by use case covers those needs.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Keysearch or Mangools?
Mangools, if you pay yearly. Its Basic tier showed $18 a month on annual billing against $24 a month for Keysearch Starter, checked on 4 September 2026. The gap narrows or reverses on monthly billing, so check which basis you are being quoted.
Are Keysearch and Mangools doing the same job?
Broadly yes. Both find low-competition keywords, check difficulty, and track rankings, at roughly a fifth of what the large suites charge. Neither carries the backlink index depth of Ahrefs or the campaign breadth of Semrush.
Which one is easier to learn?
Mangools is widely preferred on interface, and it is the reason most people pay slightly more for it. Keysearch packs more into a denser screen. If you find SEO tools intimidating, that difference matters more than any feature gap.
Do either of them help with getting cited by ChatGPT?
Not meaningfully. Both are built for traditional Google rankings. Ranking on Google still matters, since AI answers draw heavily on top results, but neither tool tracks whether an AI engine mentions you.
Is the top tier worth it on either?
Both top out around $48 a month, which is where they start competing with entry tiers of the bigger suites. At that point compare against Ahrefs Starter at $29 or Moz Standard at $99 rather than against each other.
Does RankJudge earn money from these links?
Yes, on both. We hold affiliate relationships with Keysearch and Mangools, which is why this page names the cheaper option first rather than the one that pays more. Our affiliate disclosure explains the arrangement.
Neither one fits?
Nine business situations, one honest pick each, runners-up named.
See all nineHow this page was made
Both vendor pricing pages were read directly on 4 September 2026 and only figures legible on those pages appear above. Nothing here comes from our own testing, because RankJudge runs none. RankJudge holds affiliate relationships with both tools on this page, which is why it names the cheaper one first.Our affiliate disclosure covers how we make money.