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Pricing: Paid
Editor rating: 4.1/5
Updated: September 2026

Competitor research tool showing any domain's organic keywords, Google Ads history, ad copy and estimated spend going back years. Basic plan listed at $39/month.

Editor's take: Unmatched historical competitor data at a price Semrush cannot touch — Sohail Akhtar

Top Alternatives
Editor-selected listing
Independent & reader-supported

Editor's Verdict

Official Review
SpyFu is the Semrush alternative for competitor and PPC research specifically — deep history, flat pricing, and no pretence of being a full suite.
4.1 / 5.0
Editor Rating

Reviewed by Sohail Akhtar

Lead Editor & Founder

Pros

What we like

  • Years of historical keyword and ad data per domain
  • Flat, low pricing with no result caps
  • Excellent for PPC research, which most SEO suites treat as an afterthought

Cons

Limitations

  • Not a site-management suite — no crawler, limited technical SEO
  • Data is strongest for the US and thinner for other markets

Pricing

PlanDetails
BasicBasic – $39/month billed monthly, or $29/month billed annually (listed on 14 September 2026) – 10k-row results, 1 user
ProPro + AI – $119/month billed monthly ($59 first month promotional), or $89/month billed annually (listed on 14 September 2026) – unlimited results, API, 1 user (+$30 each)
TeamTeam / Agency – $249/month billed monthly, or $187/month billed annually (listed on 14 September 2026) – 5 users (+$30 each), white-label reporting

SpyFu is a paid tool with limited free lookups. Its pricing page on 14 September 2026 listed Basic at $39 per month billed monthly or $29 per month billed annually; Pro + AI at $119 per month billed monthly (with a $59 first-month promotion) or $89 per month billed annually; and Team / Agency at $249 per month billed monthly or $187 per month billed annually with 5 users included, extra users at $30 each. Annual billing is marked as 25% off.

What is SpyFu?

Quick Summary

SpyFu does one thing the big suites do half-heartedly: it shows you every keyword a competitor has bought or ranked for, going back years. Type in a domain and you get its organic keywords, its Google Ads history, the ad copy it ran and what it likely spent — which makes it the tool of choice for competitor research rather than site management.

SpyFu is built around a historical database of search results and paid ads. For any domain it reports the keywords it ranks for, the keywords it has bid on, the ad variations it has run and the estimated monthly spend, with history stretching back over a decade. It also includes keyword research, rank tracking and backlink outreach features, but those are secondary to the competitor intelligence. Its pricing is flat and low compared with the major suites, and the Basic plan places no cap on search results or data exports, which is unusual at this price. See similar solutions.

Associated Tags

competitor keyword research, google ads spy, ppc research, seo competitor analysis, semrush alternative

Key Features

Competitor organic keyword history
Google Ads keyword and ad-copy history with estimated spend
Keyword research with difficulty and CPC
Rank tracking
Backlink outreach lists
Unlimited search results and exports on all plans

Target Audience

Who should use SpyFu?

PPC and SEO teams whose main job is competitor researchAgencies pitching new clients with a competitive landscapeAnyone who wants historical data the big suites do not keep
Real Use Cases

How professionals leverage SpyFu – Competitor Keyword Research for SEO and Google Ads

Discover practical workflows and real-world scenarios where SpyFu delivers key solutions.

01

A PPC manager pulls a competitor's full Google Ads keyword list and ad history before launching a new campaign

02

An SEO consultant maps which keywords a rival has gained and lost over the past five years to find content gaps

03

A founder checks what established competitors spend on paid search before committing a budget

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does SpyFu cost?
The Basic plan was listed at $39/month billed monthly on 14 September 2026, or $29/month on annual billing. A Professional tier is priced higher — check spyfu.com.
Is SpyFu free?
There is no ongoing free plan. A limited number of free lookups are available without an account, which is enough to evaluate the data before subscribing.
Is SpyFu a Semrush alternative?
For competitor and PPC research, yes, and often a better one because of its historical depth. For site auditing and technical SEO it is not a replacement.