Keyword Studio vs Google Keyword Planner: the same Google volumes, built for SEO
Keyword Planner is free, but it is built for advertisers and lives inside Google Ads. Keyword Studio takes its data from Keyword Planner through the official API and adds what SEO needs: suggestions, Search Console, grouping by page and difficulty from the SERP. Not more accurate than Google, just more convenient for SEO.
- Keyword Planner volumes free, no Google Ads account of your own
- 45 countries plus worldwide, 29 languages
- Difficulty and SERP clusters: $0.005 per keyword, $5 per 1,000
The short answer
They do not compete on data: the numbers are the same. The difference is the job.
- Keyword Planner if you run ads and the account has spend.
- Keyword Studio if you research keywords for SEO and do not want an Ads account with billing.
- Neither if you need every keyword a competitor ranks for: that is a job for Serpstat, Semrush or a similar database.
Feature by feature
Google Keyword Planner from Google Ads help (October 2026). Keyword Studio from the live service settings.
| Keyword Studio | Google Keyword Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Free PromoPilot account | Google Ads account with billing set up |
| Search volumes | From Keyword Planner via the API: monthly average, history, competition, bids | Google own data; without ad spend may show ranges |
| Limits | Up to 20 volume requests a day, 1,000 phrases each | Within the Google Ads interface |
| Countries | 45 countries plus worldwide; no Russia or Belarus | Google Ads targeting |
| Keyword sources | Google, Bing, YouTube and DuckDuckGo suggestions; Search Console; site pages; Keyword Planner ideas; AI; CSV | Ideas from words or a website |
| Grouping | Lexical free; by SERP (hard/soft) at $0.005 per keyword | Themes for ad groups |
| SEO difficulty | KD and SERP features from a SERP snapshot, cached 14 days | No: competition refers to ads |
| SEO workflow | Page-to-keyword map, send to Rank Tracker, push a page with a link cascade | Campaign planning and forecasts |
| Yandex | No | No |
Keyword Studio is not more accurate than Keyword Planner: it is the same Google data, rounded the way Google rounds it.
What keyword research costs
Keyword Planner itself is free; we compare what you get for SEO.
| Keyword Studio | Google Keyword Planner | Pick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 keywords, volumes only | $0 | $0 (account with billing needed) | Either |
| 1,000 keywords + difficulty and SERP clusters | $5 | Not available | Keyword Studio |
| Queries your site already shows for | $0, imported from Search Console | No | Keyword Studio |
| An ad campaign forecast | No | $0 | Keyword Planner |
The SERP snapshot price is confirmed before charging; snapshots anyone took in the last 14 days are free.
Where Keyword Planner or others are stronger
- Ad forecasts and campaign planning exist only in Keyword Planner.
- Yandex markets are out of scope: a Yandex-focused tool is the better choice there.
- Every keyword of a competitor domain needs a subscription database (Serpstat, Semrush, Ahrefs).
- Very rare phrases (below about 10 searches a month) come back without a volume.
When to choose Keyword Studio
- You have no Ads account with billing but need volumes for SEO.
- You need phrases from several sources grouped into pages.
- You want difficulty and SERP clusters without a subscription.
- The keywords will go on to Rank Tracker and link building.
One account, the whole SEO loop
Shared balance and single sign-on: a project moves from one service to the next with the domain already filled in.
FAQ
Where do Keyword Studio volumes come from?
From Google Keyword Planner itself, through the official Google Ads API: average monthly searches as one rounded number, monthly history, competition and the bid range. It is not a separate database and not more accurate data, just the same Google numbers without your own Ads account.
Do I need a Google Ads account for Keyword Planner?
Yes. Keyword Planner lives inside Google Ads, and Google help says you need an account with billing set up. Accounts without ad spend may see volumes as ranges. Keyword Studio needs no Ads account of your own, only a free PromoPilot account.
What is free in Keyword Studio and what is paid?
Free: keyword collection, Keyword Planner volumes (up to 20 requests a day of 1,000 phrases each), lexical clustering, negative keywords, CSV and XLSX export. Paid: a top-10 SERP snapshot at $0.005 per keyword (difficulty, SERP features, SERP clustering) and AI operations at $0.02. Snapshots are cached for 14 days and reuse is free.
Which countries have volumes?
For 45 countries plus worldwide, in 29 languages. Russia and Belarus are unavailable because Google Ads returns no Keyword Planner data for them. Keyword Studio has no Yandex data.
When should I stay with Keyword Planner?
If you already run an active Ads account and plan campaigns: Keyword Planner gives campaign forecasts, bids and ad-group work right inside Google Ads. Keyword Studio is for SEO: collection from several sources, grouping by page and difficulty from the SERP.
Related free tools and guides
- Keyword generatorideas from suggestions, no sign-up
- People Also Askquestions from Google results
- PromoPilot SEO Audit vs Screaming Frogpay-per-audit cloud crawl or a yearly licence
- PromoPilot vs Semrushwhich tasks pay-per-use can cover
Related blog articles
Collect your first 1,000 keywords free
Enter a site or seed phrases, a country and a language, and Keyword Planner volumes arrive with no Ads account.