Exploding Topics vs SEMrush Pricing (2026)

How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.

Exploding Topics SEMrush
Starts at $39/mo $139/mo
Number of plans 3 5
Free plan
Free trial
Pricing model flat-rate flat-rate

Entrepreneur

$39/mo
  • 100 Tracked Trends
  • 10 Trend Analyses
  • Trends Database
  • Trending Products
  • Meta Trends
  • Channel Breakdown

Investor

Popular
$99/mo
  • 500 Tracked Trends
  • 100 Trend Analyses
  • Trends Database
  • Trending Products
  • Meta Trends
  • Channel Breakdown
  • Trending Startups
  • Trend Forecasting
  • CSV Export

Business

$249/mo
  • 2,000 Tracked Trends
  • 500 Trend Analyses
  • Trends Database
  • Trending Products
  • Meta Trends
  • Channel Breakdown
  • Trending Startups
  • Trend Forecasting
  • CSV Export
  • Trend Reports

SEO

$139/mo
  • 5 websites to monitor
  • 500 keywords to track daily
  • Basic keyword research and competitor analysis
  • Position Tracking
  • Site Audit
  • Track performance in AI search
  • Monitor AI sentiment
  • AI visibility reports for any domain
  • Monitor custom prompts

Starter

$199/mo
  • 5 websites to monitor
  • 500 keywords to track daily
  • Keyword research and optimization tools
  • Competitors insights tools
  • MCP access
  • 50 prompts to track daily
  • 1 domain for AI brand performance
  • 300 AI visibility reports per day
  • AI-ready Site Audit

Pro+

$299/mo
  • 15 websites to monitor
  • 1,500 keywords to track daily
  • Historical SEO data
  • Content optimization
  • Keyword cannibalization analysis
  • Multi-location/device tracking
  • 100 prompts to track daily

Advanced

$549/mo
  • 40 websites to monitor
  • 5,000 keywords to track daily
  • SEO share of voice
  • API data integration
  • 200 prompts to track daily

Free.

$0/mo
  • 1 demo project
  • 10 reports per day across all vital tools
  • Help Center & Basic Onboarding
  • AI Visibility features

Exploding Topics vs SEMrush FAQ

Which one is cheaper?
Exploding Topics starts lower at $39/mo, compared to $139/mo for SEMrush.
Can I use either one for free?
SEMrush has a free plan. Exploding Topics doesn't — though they do offer a free trial.
How do they charge?
Both use a flat-rate model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
Which one is a better deal?
Depends on what you need. Exploding Topics: Sits in a niche between general SEO tools (Semrush, Ahrefs) and market research platforms — and the Semrush checkout integration signals they're leaning into that ecosystem rather than competing with it. At $39 entry, they're accessible, but $249 puts Business-tier in the same conversation as lightweight research subscriptions, not keyword tools. SEMrush: SEMrush sits in the premium-mid tier of SEO tooling — more expensive than Ubersuggest or Mangools, but undercutting Conductor or BrightEdge on the enterprise end. They're clearly targeting in-house marketing teams and mid-size agencies who've outgrown free tools but aren't ready for six-figure enterprise contracts.

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