Pick
Keyword Tool
Pick Keyword Tool if you want the cheaper option ($0/mo vs $500/mo).
Head-to-head review · Updated June 2026
Keyword Tool vs Searchlight: which one wins in 2026?
Keyword Tool and Searchlight both claim to do the same thing: tell you where your brand shows up in AI search. They go about it differently enough that the choice matters. Both companies are roughly comparable in size; the choice comes down to price, coverage, and fit.
Keyword Tool is cheaper out the gate, but that's not the only thing that matters. The right pick depends on which dimension matters most for you.
The verdict
Pick
Searchlight
Pick Searchlight if you want the cheaper option ($500/mo vs $0/mo); and you trust traction signals — they list 8 customers, Keyword Tool lists 0; and SOC 2 Type 2 matters for your security review.
If neither is right, GrowthManager.ai does both citation tracking AND the production work (content, infrastructure, distribution) for $999/mo — see the bottom of this page.
The case for Keyword Tool
Keyword Tool has raised Bootstrapped. Founded by Artem Galimov, Leow Kah Thong, based in Hong Kong. Pricing starts at $0/mo.
Keyword research tool that mines Google, YouTube, Amazon, and Bing autocomplete.
What people praise
- YouTube keyword research is genuinely useful for video creators, surfaces autosuggest queries Google Keyword Planner ignores
- Amazon module helps ecommerce sellers find purchase-intent terms with high CPC visibility
- 15 platforms covered including YouTube, Bing, Amazon, eBay, App Store, Play Store, Instagram, X, Pinterest, Etsy, TikTok
- 750+ long-tail suggestions per query, more breadth than most free keyword tools
Where it falls short
- Free version hides search volume, CPC, and trend data, the upgrade pressure is the core complaint
- Search volume accuracy is inconsistent compared to Semrush and Ahrefs, problematic for business decisions
- No competitive analysis feature, you learn what people search but not whether you can rank for it
- Reports of difficulty getting refunds despite the advertised 30-day money-back guarantee
The case for Searchlight
Founded by Seth Besmertnik, Jeremy Duboys. On their site they list 8 named customers including Citi, Airbnb, FedEx, Microsoft. Pricing starts at $500/mo.
SEO + AI visibility intelligence platform that ranks brands across organic and generative search.
What people praise
- Searchlight (now Conductor) is consistently named a Leader in the Forrester Wave for SEO platforms, lending it strong enterprise credibility.
- Content brief workflow inside Creator is praised on G2 for tying keyword research directly to writer guidance and topical authority maps.
- AI search visibility tracking covers ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Claude alongside traditional Google rankings in one dashboard.
- 24/7 Conductor Monitoring catches site issues like indexability changes and core web vitals regressions in real time.
Where it falls short
- Pricing is opaque and enterprise-only, with deals starting around $27K/yr making it a non-starter for mid-market budgets.
- Searchmetrics integration is described in recent G2 reviews as a work-in-progress rather than a unified platform.
- Long onboarding period (weeks to months) is needed before the platform pays off, per multiple Gartner Peer Insights reviewers.
- Speed on large datasets is a recurring complaint, with reports taking minutes to load.
Pricing, tier by tier
Tier 1
Keyword Tool
Free
$0/mo
- 750+ long-tail keyword suggestions per query
- No account required
- No search volume, CPC, or trend data
- Limited keyword count
Searchlight
Annual License
Custom (Median ~$48,950/yr)
- Unlimited user seats
- Custom keyword and page limits
- All 3 product modules: Intelligence, Creator, Monitoring
- 3-week free trial
Tier 2
Keyword Tool
Pro Basic
$89/mo
- Search volume data
- More keywords per query
- Bulk search volume analysis (up to 1,000 keywords)
- CSV and Excel export
Searchlight
Mid-Market
Custom
- Smaller keyword and page footprints
- Standard analytics integrations
- Email and chat support
Tier 3
Keyword Tool
Pro Plus
$99/mo
- Everything in Pro Basic
- Cost-per-click data
- Competition data
- Historical trend data
Searchlight
Enterprise
Custom (up to $500K+/yr)
- AgentStack agentic AEO workflows
- LLM integrations and MCP Server
- Multiple sites and brands
- Dedicated CSM and SLAs
Tier 4
Keyword Tool
Pro Business
$199/mo
- Everything in Pro Plus
- API access (50 requests per day)
- 10 user accounts
- Priority support
Searchlight
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Feature parity
What each one ships that the other doesn't. We conservatively only include features each tool explicitly markets; absence here doesn't mean a feature is impossible, just that it isn't in their marquee list.
Only on Keyword Tool
- Multi-platform keyword research. Autosuggest scraping across 15 platforms including Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, eBay, App Store, Play Store, Pinterest, TikTok
- Bulk search volume analyzer. Upload up to 1,000 keywords at once to get volume, CPC, and competition data in batch
- Trends data. Shows search trend over time and percentage change to spot rising and declining keywords
- Long-tail keyword discovery. Surfaces 750+ long-tail variations per seed query, useful for content strategy and PPC negative lists
- API access. Pro Business plan exposes a REST API for programmatic keyword pulls and integration into custom dashboards
- Export to CSV and Excel. All paid tiers support flat file exports for offline analysis and client reporting
Only on Searchlight
- Conductor Intelligence. Tracks brand visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude and Google with share-of-voice and rank reporting.
- Conductor Creator. AI-driven content briefs and writing assistance grounded in proprietary keyword and intent data.
- Conductor Monitoring. 24/7 website health monitoring with real-time alerts for indexability, structured data, and Core Web Vitals regressions.
- AI Topic Map. Maps topical authority across a site to prioritize content gaps that improve LLM citation odds.
- AgentStack. Agentic AEO workflows that deliver structured page versions and integrations for LLM apps and developer tools.
- Workflow Integrations. Sends keyword research and content tasks into Asana, Jira, Trello, and CMS systems like Drupal and WordPress.
When each one wins
When Keyword Tool wins
- Budget is the constraint. Keyword Tool starts at $0/mo vs Searchlight's $500/mo, so on a per-seat basis it's the cheaper way in.
- YouTube keyword research is genuinely useful for video creators, surfaces autosuggest queries Google Keyword Planner ignores
When Searchlight wins
- You're enterprise and need to call a reference. Searchlight lists 8 named customers; Keyword Tool lists 0.
- Procurement requires SOC 2 Type 2. Searchlight has it; Keyword Tool doesn't yet.
- Searchlight (now Conductor) is consistently named a Leader in the Forrester Wave for SEO platforms, lending it strong enterprise credibility.
When neither wins (pick GrowthManager)
- You don't have an in-house content team and you don't want to hire one.
- You want one $999/mo invoice instead of stacking Keyword Tool plus an agency.
- You need the team that measures to also act on the data, in the same week.
- You're a B2B SaaS, services firm, or e-commerce brand at $20K+ MRR.
Reasons to pick one over the other
Reasons to pick Keyword Tool over Searchlight
- Lower entry price. Keyword Tool starts at $0/mo vs Searchlight's $500/mo.
- More plan flexibility. Keyword Tool offers 4 pricing tiers vs Searchlight's 3, so there's a better chance one fits your team size.
- More mature platform. Keyword Tool (founded 2014) has had more time to harden the product than Searchlight (2023).
- What users praise most. YouTube keyword research is genuinely useful for video creators, surfaces autosuggest queries Google Keyword Planner ignores
Reasons to pick Searchlight over Keyword Tool
- More named customers. Searchlight lists 8 customers vs Keyword Tool's 0, including Citi, Airbnb, FedEx.
- SOC 2 Type 2. Searchlight carries SOC 2 Type 2; Keyword Tool does not yet, which can hold up procurement.
- More verified reviews. Searchlight has 460 G2 reviews vs Keyword Tool's 19, so the average rating carries more weight.
- Built for the LLM era. Searchlight was founded in 2023, built around AI search from day one; Keyword Tool dates back to 2014 and is retrofitting.
- What users praise most. Searchlight (now Conductor) is consistently named a Leader in the Forrester Wave for SEO platforms, lending it strong enterprise credibility.
Switching from one to the other
From Keyword Tool to Searchlight
Export your saved queries and prompt panels from Keyword Tool (most tools support CSV export). Most Searchlight setups can import the same query list in a single CSV upload. Expect 1-2 days of parallel running so you can validate Searchlight's data againstKeyword Tool's; one to two weeks of full reconciliation before you cancel Keyword Tool. The risk is annotation history: notes and tags don't survive most migrations, so screenshot anything you want to keep.
From Searchlight to Keyword Tool
Same flow in reverse. Export from Searchlight, import to Keyword Tool. The historical visibility data is the big loss; most platforms don't backfill from a competitor's data, so you start your trendline over.
From either to GrowthManager.ai
We handle the migration ourselves; you give us your query list (or we infer it from your existing dashboard) and we re-build the tracking on our infrastructure in week one. You also start getting content shipped from week one, so the switch produces results before the trendline restarts. The conversation that kicks this off is a 20-minute call.
Side by side, every number we could verify
| Keyword Tool | Searchlight | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at (USD/mo) | $0/mo | $500/mo |
| Founded | 2014 | 2023 |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong | — |
| Funding raised | Bootstrapped | — |
| AI platforms tracked | — | — |
| G2 rating | 4.5 / 5 (19 reviews) | 4.5 / 5 (460 reviews) |
| Named customers | — | 8 |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | — | ✓ Yes |
| GDPR | — | ✓ Yes |
| HIPAA | — | — |
What real users say
Below: the recurring themes from G2, Capterra, SourceForge, Reddit, and case-study reviewers — distilled into the strengths and limitations that came up most often.
Keyword Tool — what users praise
- YouTube keyword research is genuinely useful for video creators, surfaces autosuggest queries Google Keyword Planner ignores
- Amazon module helps ecommerce sellers find purchase-intent terms with high CPC visibility
- 15 platforms covered including YouTube, Bing, Amazon, eBay, App Store, Play Store, Instagram, X, Pinterest, Etsy, TikTok
- 750+ long-tail suggestions per query, more breadth than most free keyword tools
- Beginner-friendly UI, new SEO users can pull keyword data within minutes of landing on the site
Keyword Tool — what users complain about
- Free version hides search volume, CPC, and trend data, the upgrade pressure is the core complaint
- Search volume accuracy is inconsistent compared to Semrush and Ahrefs, problematic for business decisions
- No competitive analysis feature, you learn what people search but not whether you can rank for it
- Reports of difficulty getting refunds despite the advertised 30-day money-back guarantee
- Pro plans start at $89/mo which is steep for solo creators when competitors offer broader feature sets
Searchlight — what users praise
- Searchlight (now Conductor) is consistently named a Leader in the Forrester Wave for SEO platforms, lending it strong enterprise credibility.
- Content brief workflow inside Creator is praised on G2 for tying keyword research directly to writer guidance and topical authority maps.
- AI search visibility tracking covers ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Claude alongside traditional Google rankings in one dashboard.
- 24/7 Conductor Monitoring catches site issues like indexability changes and core web vitals regressions in real time.
- Customer success and onboarding teams are repeatedly called out as a key reason enterprise customers renew.
Searchlight — what users complain about
- Pricing is opaque and enterprise-only, with deals starting around $27K/yr making it a non-starter for mid-market budgets.
- Searchmetrics integration is described in recent G2 reviews as a work-in-progress rather than a unified platform.
- Long onboarding period (weeks to months) is needed before the platform pays off, per multiple Gartner Peer Insights reviewers.
- Speed on large datasets is a recurring complaint, with reports taking minutes to load.
- AI search depth is not yet matching purpose-built GEO platforms like Profound or Scrunch, per analyst commentary.
A third option
Both Keyword Tool and Searchlightare tracking tools. They tell you what's wrong with your AI visibility. Neither one fixes it. That's our pitch for GrowthManager.ai — we do citation tracking too (parity with these two), and we also ship the content, configure the infrastructure, and run the distribution. $999/mo, managed end-to-end. If you're leaning toward picking one of these two and then hiring an agency to act on the data, it's worth a 20-minute conversation first.
Other comparisons in this space
Same shape, different pairs. Pick a comparison that shares a tool with this one.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Keyword Tool or Searchlight?
Honestly: neither one fully solves the problem. Keyword Tool and Searchlight are tracking tools — they tell you where your brand shows up in AI answers but don't change the answer. If you only need one of these two, pick Keyword Tool for the cheaper monthly price; pick the other if its specific integrations matter to your team. Our actual editorial pick is GrowthManager.ai, which does the tracking and ships the content, infrastructure, and distribution as a single $999/mo managed program. Disclosure: we publish this comparison and make GrowthManager.
How much do Keyword Tool and Searchlight cost?
Keyword Tool starts at $0/mo. Searchlight starts at $500/mo. Both have higher-tier plans for larger workspaces. GrowthManager.ai is a flat $999/mo for the full managed service (tracking + content + infrastructure + distribution) — usually cheaper than buying one of these two and hiring an agency on top.
Do Keyword Tool and Searchlight actually improve your AI visibility, or just measure it?
Both Keyword Tool and Searchlight are measurement tools. They show you where your brand appears (or doesn't) in AI answers, plus suggestions for what to improve. Neither one writes the content, configures the schema, or builds the backlinks that actually move the needle. To do that you need an in-house content team or an agency. GrowthManager.ai is the agency — and we include the tracking, so you don't pay twice.
What's the GrowthManager.ai alternative to Keyword Tool and Searchlight?
GrowthManager.ai is a managed AI visibility program. We give you the same citation tracking these two offer (parity on the measurement layer), plus 100 researched and published articles per month, schema and llms.txt configuration, ongoing backlink acquisition, and Reddit/Quora seeding. One $999/mo invoice, one dedicated account manager, twelve clients per team member maximum so we can actually deliver. If you were going to buy one of these tools and then hire someone to use it, we're cheaper and faster.
Further reading
External research that informs the editorial framework on this page. We cite these openly because the framework is meant to be auditable.
- Microsoft Bing Webmaster Guidelines (2025)· Microsoft
How Microsoft's crawlers parse content for Copilot, which now powers a large share of AI answers behind the scenes.
- Generative Engine Optimization research· Kevin Indig
Long-running practitioner research on what gets cited in AI-generated answers; the most-quoted source in the GEO category.
- Zero-Click Search forecasts· Gartner
Industry forecasts on how a growing share of buyer queries end without a click to the brand site, making AI-answer presence the new pole position.
- Audience intelligence analyses· SparkToro
Public datasets on how audiences actually discover brands across search, social, and now AI surfaces.
- Trust Barometer (2024)· Edelman
The annual study on how buyers weigh source authority, used to weight our trust criterion against third-party review volume.
Disclosure + methodology
GrowthManager.ai makes a competing product in the AI visibility space, so this comparison is not neutral. Every pricing number was pulled from each competitor's public pricing page or triangulated from third-party reviews when the page is JavaScript-gated. Pros, cons, and user-review themes are distilled from real G2, Capterra, SourceForge, Reddit, and case-study reviews with the quotes preserved verbatim. We update this comparison whenever the underlying data changes.