Google Keyword Planner vs Keywords Everywhere in 2026: Free Google Ads data vs a $7/month inline browser extension
One tool lives inside Google Ads and gives you volume ranges for free. The other is a browser extension that overlays search volume, CPC, and competition data across 20+ platforms as you browse, for as little as $7 a month.
Google Keyword Planner
Keywords Everywhere- Google Keyword Planner is entirely free but requires a Google Ads account and billing profile. Keywords Everywhere starts at $7/month on the Bronze plan, with some features (prompt templates, traffic data) usable without an API key at all.
- Keywords Everywhere overlays keyword data on 20+ platforms including Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, eBay, Etsy, Pinterest, Instagram, and X. Keyword Planner only covers Google.
- Keyword Planner shows volume as a range unless the connected account has active Google Ads spend. Keywords Everywhere shows a specific monthly figure to every paying user regardless of ad spend.
- Keywords Everywhere includes keyword difficulty scores on Silver plan and above. Keyword Planner has no difficulty scoring at any tier.
- Keywords Everywhere overlays keyword data on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek and ships AI prompt templates plus an MCP integration. Keyword Planner has no AI-platform integration and no MCP support.
- Keywords Everywhere runs on a credit system where credits expire after 12 months, which can waste unused allocation for light users. Keyword Planner has no credits or usage caps of any kind.
- Keyword Planner offers API access through the Google Ads API on every account. Keywords Everywhere gates API access to its Gold ($40/month) and Platinum ($120/month) plans.
Google Keyword Planner and Keywords Everywhere both put search volume and CPC data in front of you, but they get there in very different ways. Keyword Planner is a free tool you visit inside Google Ads, where you type in a keyword and get back a list of suggestions with volume ranges and CPC. Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that follows you around the web, overlaying that same kind of data directly on Google Search, YouTube, Amazon, and more than 15 other platforms, on a low-cost credit system starting at $7 a month. The practical question is whether you want to do keyword research as a deliberate task inside one Google interface, or as a passive layer running in the background of however you already browse.
The tools at a glance
Google Keyword Planner
Free keyword research and forecasting tool from Google, built into Google Ads with search volume data direct from the source
Google Keyword Planner is a free tool built into Google Ads. Type in a seed keyword, phrase, or landing page URL and it returns related suggestions with search volume, competition level, and average CPC, plus a forecasting tool that projects clicks and impressions at a given bid. The volume data comes directly from Google's own search systems, which is why it remains a trusted cross-reference even for teams paying for a separate SEO platform.
The trade-off is a familiar one: without active Google Ads spend on the connected account, volumes display as wide ranges such as 1K to 10K rather than precise numbers, and you need a Google Ads account and billing profile to access the tool at all. There is no browser overlay, no cross-platform coverage beyond Google, no keyword difficulty scoring, and nothing resembling Keywords Everywhere's AI-platform integrations.
For research done as a deliberate, dedicated task inside one interface, and for teams already running Google Ads who get precise figures at zero extra cost, Keyword Planner remains hard to beat on price. It is simply a narrower, more manual tool than Keywords Everywhere in almost every other respect.
| Feature | Free Free |
|---|---|
| Keyword discovery | ✓ |
| Search volume data | Range-based without ad spend |
| CPC and competition data | ✓ |
| Performance forecasting | ✓ |
| Browser extension / inline data | ✗ |
| API access | Yes, via Google Ads API |
Keywords Everywhere
Turn your browser into a keyword research powerhouse across 20+ platforms
Keywords Everywhere is a Chrome, Firefox, and Edge extension that overlays search volume, CPC, and competition data directly on the sites you already visit: Google Search, YouTube, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Google Play, Pinterest, Instagram, X, and more than a dozen others, including Google Keyword Planner itself. Install it, add an API key, and keyword data follows you passively through your normal browsing rather than requiring a separate research session.
Pricing runs on a credit system from $7 a month on the Bronze plan up to $120 a month on Platinum, with credits consumed per lookup and expiring after 12 months. Silver plan and above adds keyword difficulty scores; Gold and Platinum add bulk keyword analysis and API access. The tool has also added AI prompt templates and an MCP integration, plus inline data overlays on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek, positioning it for teams doing LLM-era search research alongside traditional keyword work.
What it does not do is replace a full SEO suite: there is no project management, no rank tracking, and support is reported as slower than dedicated platforms like Ahrefs or Semrush. Data accuracy on niche keywords can also lag behind those larger tools. As a low-cost daily companion extension rather than a standalone research platform, though, it earns its place.
| Feature | Bronze $7/month | Silver $14/month | Gold $40/month | Platinum $120/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search volume & CPC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competition data | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keyword suggestions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SEO difficulty scores | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bulk keyword analysis | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| API access | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Head-to-head feature comparison
| Feature | Google Keyword Planner | Keywords Everywhere |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $7 to $120/mo, credit-based |
| Delivery method | Web interface inside Google Ads | Browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) |
| Platforms covered | Google only | Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, eBay, Etsy, Google Play, Pinterest, Instagram, X, and more (20+ total) |
| Precise volume without ad spend or paid plan | No, ranges only without active Google Ads spend | No, requires an API key and credits |
| Keyword difficulty scoring | No | Yes, on Silver plan and above |
| AI platform overlay (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) | No | Yes, overlays data and prompt templates on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek |
| MCP integration | No | Yes |
| Bulk keyword analysis | Yes | Yes, on Gold and Platinum |
| API access | Yes, via Google Ads API | Yes, on Gold and Platinum |
| Rank tracking | No | No |
| Free tier / free features available | Yes, fully free | Yes, prompt templates and traffic data usable without an API key |
Which should you choose?
Google Keyword PlannerKeywords EverywhereKeywords EverywhereGoogle Keyword PlannerKeywords EverywhereKeywords EverywhereThe gap here is less about data quality and more about workflow. Keyword Planner asks you to stop what you are doing and go look something up inside Google Ads. Keywords Everywhere puts the same category of data in front of you continuously, for a few dollars a month, across far more platforms than Google alone. For most practitioners doing daily research, the convenience of Keywords Everywhere is worth the small monthly cost; Keyword Planner earns its keep as the free, authoritative check when you specifically need Google-only figures.
Bottom line
If you need zero-cost, Google-sourced volume data and are already inside the Google Ads ecosystem, Keyword Planner is free and sufficient. For nearly everyone else doing regular keyword work across more than one platform, Keywords Everywhere at $7 a month is one of the best-value tools in this category: it adds difficulty scoring, marketplace coverage, and AI-platform overlays that Keyword Planner simply does not attempt. Many practitioners run both, using Keyword Planner as a free Google-only sanity check against the numbers Keywords Everywhere shows inline.
Frequently asked questions
Is Keywords Everywhere worth paying for when Google Keyword Planner is free?
Keywords Everywhere is worth paying for if you research keywords across more than just Google, since $7 a month buys inline data on 20+ platforms including YouTube, Amazon, and Pinterest, plus keyword difficulty scoring that Keyword Planner does not offer at any price. If your research is Google-only and budget is the deciding factor, Keyword Planner's free volume and CPC data covers the basics without a subscription.
Does Keywords Everywhere show more accurate search volume than Google Keyword Planner without ad spend?
Keywords Everywhere shows a specific monthly volume figure to every paying subscriber regardless of ad spend, while Google Keyword Planner only shows a range, such as 1K to 10K, unless the connected Google Ads account is actively spending. For accounts with no ad budget, Keywords Everywhere's presentation is more precise on its face, though both tools ultimately draw on modeled or Google-sourced estimates rather than exact counts.
Can I use Keywords Everywhere for ChatGPT and AI search research?
Yes, Keywords Everywhere overlays keyword and prompt-related data on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek, and includes prebuilt AI prompt templates alongside an MCP integration for AI-assisted workflows. Google Keyword Planner has no equivalent feature and is limited to traditional Google search keyword data.
What happens to unused Keywords Everywhere credits?
Credits on any Keywords Everywhere plan expire after 12 months, so unused credits do not roll over indefinitely. Light users should pick a lower tier like Bronze at $7 a month rather than overbuying credits they will not use before expiration; Google Keyword Planner has no credit system or usage cap to worry about.
Do I still need a Google Ads account if I use Keywords Everywhere?
No, Keywords Everywhere does not require a Google Ads account; you install the browser extension and add an API key to unlock volume and CPC data. Google Keyword Planner is the one that requires setting up a Google Ads account and billing profile, even if you never spend money on an actual campaign.
Which tool is better for tracking keyword difficulty before writing content?
Keywords Everywhere is the better tool for this, since it adds SEO difficulty scores from the Silver plan up ($14/month), letting you judge ranking effort before committing to a topic. Google Keyword Planner has no difficulty scoring at all; its competition metric reflects paid ad competition, not organic ranking difficulty.