AnswerThePublic vs AlsoAsked vs Keyword Tool – Which Is the Best Question Research Tool

Imagine this: You’re staring at a blank content calendar with no idea what your audience actually wants to learn. Ring a bell?

That’s where question research tools can help. These tools don’t guess at what people are searching for, they tell you, directly from Google’s search data.

The Public did this years ago, with those brightly colored visual wheels that made question mining feel almost artistic. AlsoAsked took a different approach and mapped the “People Also Ask” boxes from Google into logical tree structures. Meanwhile, Keyword Tool expanded to several platforms.

But which one actually helps you create better content? That depends on your workflow.

In this comparison, I’ll cover the free limits, pricing and practical strengths of each tool. By the end of this analysis, you’ll know exactly which one needs to be in your SEO toolkit.

Quick verdict: AnswerThePublic is the classic choice for broad brainstorming and content ideas. AlsoAsked is the best at mapping user intent and building content clusters. Keyword Tool — the widest coverage for multi-platform research on YouTube, Amazon and more.

Quick Comparison Table

1. AnswerThePublic – The Original Question Mining Pioneer

AnswerThePublic came into the SEO scene with those gorgeous visual keyword wheels that made content ideation feel fun. It pulls data from Google Autocomplete and organizes questions into buckets such as “who,” “what,” “why,” “how,” and “where.”

The tool now spans multiple platforms – Google, Bing, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, ChatGPT and Gemini. That’s a big change from its original version. It also comes packaged with Composeo, an AI content generation suite to help you go from keyword discovery to publishing.

The free tier gives you 3 searches per day, which is enough for light exploration. Paid plans unlock search volume, CPC data, unlimited searches and more.

One thing to note: AnswerThePublic no longer offers lifetime plans. If you see old pricing references, they’re outdated.

Official Website: answerthepublic.com

Pros

• Nice beginner-friendly visual interface
• Covers 8+ platforms (Google, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, ChatGPT)
• Search volume and CPC data for paid plans
• ChatGPT & Gemini Conversations AI Prompt Analysis
• Content Studio for creating and distributing articles 

Cons

• Free tier very limited (3 searches/day)
• A price increase in 2023 turned some users away 
• A visual wheel can feel overwhelming for structured research 
• No more lifetime deals 

Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.6/5

Feedback: Read user reviews on Software Advice and G2

2. AlsoAsked – The People Also Ask Specialist

If AnswerThePublic feels like throwing ideas at a wall, AlsoAsked feels like building a blueprint.

AlsoAsked scrapes data directly from the Google “People Also Ask” boxes, the little expandable question panels you see in search results. It organizes them in branching trees to show how questions relate to each other. Click a question to see related follow-ups that create a roadmap of user intent.

This structure is very effective for clustering your content. You can see exactly how a user’s curiosity moves from a general question to a specific buying decision. One SaaS company used it to create content around user journeys and saw a 30% increase in time-on-site and a 22% increase in organic traffic.

AlsoAsked doesn’t provide search volume data. It all boils down to understanding relationships between questions. You will have to pair it with another tool to get traffic estimations. But it’s the best tool for shaping content and establishing topic authority.

Official Website: alsoasked.com

Pros

• Visual mind maps show how questions logically branch out.
• Google PAA data in real time
• Export to PNG (good for presentations) and CSV (for workflows)
• 1000 queries in bulk search mode
• Pro plans with API access for integration with other tools
• Targeting by region and language 

Cons

• No search volume or CPC data 
• Free plan is restrictive 
• Can be slow with large bulk jobs 
• Doesn’t replace full SEO suites like Ahrefs 

Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.4/5

Feedback: Check out user reviews on Techpoint Africa and Ottawa SEO

3. Keyword Tool – The Multi-Platform Scraper

Keyword Tool is less complicated than the other two. It pulls autocomplete suggestions from Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon and the App Store.

The free version allows you to see a preview of keywords. Paid plans unlock full lists and search volume estimates starting at about $69/month.

What you lose in visual design you gain in platform coverage. If you’re creating content for video (YouTube), e-commerce (Amazon) and search (Google), Keyword Tool provides you with one place to research them all.

The tradeoff? No flashy wheel diagrams or mind maps. It’s a list-based tool—functional rather than inspiring. But for raw data export and multi-platform research, it works well.

Official Website: keywordtool.io

Pros

• Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, App Store
• Paid plan search volume estimates
• Simple interface based on list
• Suitable for video and e-commerce research 

Cons

• Less visual than AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked 
• Pricing starts higher than AnswerThePublic’s entry tier 
• Free version only shows previews
• Not specialized for question mapping

Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5

Feedback: See what users say on Software Advice and G2

Feature-by-Feature Comparison: Who Actually Does It Better?

User Interface & Ease of Use

Winner: Answer ThePublic—That visual wheel is genuinely fun to explore. AlsoAsked is more structured, but AnswerThePublic wins for pure discovery and brainstorming.

Features & Functionality

Data sources: ThePublic takes data from Google Autocomplete across 8+ platforms (Google, Bing, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, ChatGPT and Gemini). AlsoAsked is dedicated solely to the “People Also Ask” boxes from Google. Keyword Tool pulls data from Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon and the App Store.

Visualization: AnswerThePublic uses radial keyword wheels and categorized lists AlsoAsked uses branching mind maps that display question hierarchies. Keyword Tool uses simple lists and no fancy graphics.

AI capabilities: AnswerThePublic has AI model reports that show how people ask questions in ChatGPT and Gemini and Content Studio for article generation. AlsoAsked also provides API access on Pro plans for automation. Keyword Tool doesn’t highlight AI features.

Winner: Tie – If you want multi-platform discovery, AnswerThePublic wins. If you need structured intent mapping, AlsoAsked wins. Keyword Tool is for multi-platform raw data.

Pricing Comparison – Where’s Your Money Going?

On the pricing side, AlsoAsked is the cheapest way to get started at $12/month. AnswerThePublic, at $20/month, offers more features, including search volume, AI tools and multi-platform support. Keyword Tool is the priciest and best for multiplatform needs.

Winner: AlsoAsked – $12/month is a steal for pure question mapping. But AnswerThePublic gets you more for $20.

Security & Privacy

All three are well-established tools with good reputations. AnswerThePublic is owned by Neil Patel’s team and has ISO certifications. AlsoAsked is a tool that has been around since 2019 and is trusted by major SEOs. Another well-established product is Keyword Tool. None of them raised any big security flags.

Winner: Tie – All are safe for regular SEO research.

Customer Support

Winner: AnswerThePublic – its extensive Zendesk knowledge base.

Which Tool Is Best for Different Use Cases?

Choose AnswerThePublic if

• You need content ideas and inspiration en masse
• You need visual keyword wheels for team brainstorming.
• You need search volume and CPC data.
• You want AI prompt research for optimizing ChatGPT/Gemini.
• You’re a solo content creator or small team on a budget

Choose also asked if:

• You’re creating content clusters and pillar pages
• You need to map user intent and question logic 
• Optimizing for Featured Snippets and FAQ Schema
• You want to know how Google groups similar topics
• You’re a content strategist or an SEO professional

Choose the Keyword Tool if:

• Your content strategy spans YouTube, Amazon and other platforms 
• You need raw keyword lists without visual distractions
• You’re doing e-commerce or video SEO
• You want a simple, no-fluff research tool

Final Verdict

Here’s the honest breakdown:

AnswerThePublic is the best starting point for most content creators. The visual wheel is inspiring, the platform coverage is unmatched and the search volume data helps you prioritize ideas. At $20/month, it’s accessible and feature-rich.

If you need to get serious about content structure, then AlsoAsked is for you. It doesn’t give you search volumes, but it shows you exactly how the questions relate to each other, which is invaluable for building topic clusters and FAQ sections Google loves.

Keyword Tool is the pros’ choice. If you need video ideas for YouTube or product keywords for Amazon, this tool is your best bet. But if your focus is strictly on question mining, AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked are more specific.

Many SEOs actually use AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked together. Begin broad answer. Start with AnswerThePublic to discover question types, then use AlsoAsked to map out the logical structure and build content clusters. It’s a potent mix.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)