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Best Answer the Public Alternatives in 2025

Looking for Answer the Public alternatives? Whether you’re frustrated by the 1 search/day limit, the $99/month subscription cost, or just want to explore other options, this comprehensive guide covers the best alternatives—from free tools to programmatic solutions that solve the core problem differently.

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Why Look for Alternatives?

Answer the Public changed from “3 free searches per day” to 1 free search per day, making it essentially unusable for professional work without a paid subscription. Even at $99-199/month, you’re still limited to manual workflows with no API access or automation. Common reasons people seek alternatives:

• 1 search/day free limit is too restrictive
• $99-199/month subscription too expensive
• Need API access or automation
• Want bulk keyword processing
• Require team access without per-user fees
• Looking for better data sources or fresher data

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Quick Comparison Table

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Free Alternatives

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1. Answer Socrates

Price: Free (unlimited searches) What it does: The closest free alternative to Answer the Public. Provides question-based keyword research using Google Suggest and People Also Ask data. Pros:

• ✅ Completely free
• ✅ Unlimited searches
• ✅ Similar visual organization to ATP
• ✅ Covers multiple question types

Cons:

• ❌ Less polished UI than ATP
• ❌ No API access
• ❌ Limited data sources (primarily Google)
• ❌ No bulk processing

Best for: Solo creators or small businesses needing occasional keyword research without budget. The catch: While “unlimited,” the tool is free because it monetizes through ads and limited features. You still can’t automate or integrate with other tools.

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2. QuestionDB

Price: Free What it does: Scrapes questions from Reddit and Quora instead of autocomplete data. Provides real questions people are actually asking in communities. Pros:

• ✅ Free to use
• ✅ Unique data source (Reddit, Quora)
• ✅ Real user questions, not just search queries
• ✅ Good for understanding pain points

Cons:

• ❌ Different data than ATP (community vs search autocomplete)
• ❌ No search volume data
• ❌ No API
• ❌ Limited to Reddit/Quora topics

Best for: Content creators looking for discussion-based topics rather than pure search volume. The difference: QuestionDB gives you what people are discussing, not what they’re searching. These overlap but aren’t identical.

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3. Google Keyword Planner

Price: Free (requires Google Ads account) What it does: Google’s official keyword research tool, primarily designed for PPC campaigns. Pros:

• ✅ Free
• ✅ Official Google data
• ✅ Search volume estimates
• ✅ CPC data

Cons:

• ❌ Requires Google Ads account
• ❌ Data is less specific without active campaigns
• ❌ Not designed for question mining
• ❌ Clunky interface

Best for: PPC managers already using Google Ads who need basic keyword data. Why it’s different: Keyword Planner shows volume but doesn’t organize by question type like ATP does.

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4. Google Trends

Price: Free What it does: Shows trending search topics and historical search interest over time. Pros:

• ✅ Free
• ✅ Real-time trending data
• ✅ Historical comparison
• ✅ Geographic breakdown

Cons:

• ❌ Doesn’t show actual questions
• ❌ No autocomplete suggestions
• ❌ Limited keyword variations
• ❌ Not designed for keyword research

Best for: Identifying trending topics and seasonal patterns, not comprehensive keyword research.

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5. Soovle

Price: Free What it does: Aggregates autocomplete suggestions from multiple search engines simultaneously. Pros:

• ✅ Free
• ✅ Multiple platforms (Google, YouTube, Amazon, Wikipedia, etc.)
• ✅ Fast and simple
• ✅ No registration required

Cons:

• ❌ Very basic interface
• ❌ No search volume data
• ❌ No organization or categorization
• ❌ Can’t save or export easily

Best for: Quick brainstorming sessions, not systematic research.

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Paid Alternatives (Affordable)

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6. AlsoAsked

Price: $15-99/month What it does: Visualizes “People Also Ask” data from Google in a tree-like diagram showing question relationships. Pros:

• ✅ Affordable ($15/mo starter)
• ✅ Beautiful visualizations
• ✅ Unique PAA data
• ✅ Shows question depth/relationships

Cons:

• ❌ Limited to PAA data (doesn’t cover all autocomplete)
• ❌ No API
• ❌ Monthly search limits on cheaper plans
• ❌ Can’t automate

Best for: Content strategists who specifically want PAA question mapping. Compared to ATP: Narrower focus (just PAA), different visualization style.

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7. Keywords People Use

Price: $49/month What it does: Very similar to Answer the Public—scrapes autocomplete data and organizes by question type. Pros:

• ✅ Cheaper than ATP ($49 vs$99)
• ✅ Unlimited searches
• ✅ Similar features to ATP
• ✅ Clean interface

Cons:

• ❌ Still no API
• ❌ Still manual workflow
• ❌ Can’t automate
• ❌ Just a cheaper version of the same limitations

Best for: Users who want ATP but cheaper. The problem: You’re still paying monthly for manual research.

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Paid Alternatives (Premium)

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8. SEMrush

Price: $139-499/month What it does: Comprehensive SEO platform with keyword research, competitor analysis, site audits, rank tracking, and more. Pros:

• ✅ All-in-one SEO toolkit
• ✅ Massive keyword database
• ✅ Competitor research
• ✅ API access (higher tiers)
• ✅ Question-based keyword filtering

Cons:

• ❌ Expensive
• ❌ Overkill if you only need keyword research
• ❌ Steeper learning curve
• ❌ API only on $499+ plans

Best for: Professional SEOs or agencies needing comprehensive SEO tools. Compared to ATP: SEMrush does much more than keyword research, but also costs much more.

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9. Ahrefs

Price: $129-999/month What it does: Leading SEO platform known for backlink analysis, also has excellent keyword research tools. Pros:

• ✅ Huge keyword database
• ✅ Question filter shows ATP-style data
• ✅ Also includes backlinks, site audits
• ✅ API available
• ✅ Fresh data

Cons:

• ❌ Expensive
• ❌ More than you need for just keyword research
• ❌ API costs extra
• ❌ $129/month minimum

Best for: SEO professionals who also need backlink analysis and site auditing. Compared to ATP: Ahrefs does everything ATP does plus comprehensive SEO features, but at 5-10x the cost.

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10. Keyword Tool

Price: $89-229/month What it does: Focused keyword research tool pulling autocomplete data from Google and other platforms. Pros:

• ✅ Similar to ATP in scope
• ✅ Multiple platform support
• ✅ API available (on higher plans)
• ✅ Clean exports

Cons:

• ❌ $89/month minimum
• ❌ API only on $179+ plans
• ❌ Still manual for most users
• ❌ Similar limitations to ATP

Best for: Users wanting ATP-style research with API access on premium plans.

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The Problem with All These Alternatives

Here’s the pattern you’ve probably noticed: Free tools are limited by:

• No automation
• No API access
• Limited features
• Ad-supported
• Manual workflows only

Paid tools ($50-200/month) solve the search limit but:

• Still no API (or very expensive API access)
• Can’t automate workflows
• Manual data exports
• Subscription costs add up
• Per-user pricing for teams

Enterprise tools ($200-1000/month) have everything but:

• Way too expensive for just keyword research
• Overkill features you won’t use
• Complex pricing tiers
• Lock-in contracts

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A Different Approach: Programmatic Access

All these alternatives replicate Answer the Public’s UI and features, which inherently limits them to manual workflows. But what if you don’t need another tool? What if you just need the data?

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The Core Insight

Answer the Public (and all its alternatives) are essentially doing one thing: querying autocomplete APIs and organizing the results. The data itself is publicly accessible—Google’s autocomplete, YouTube’s suggestions, etc. are available to anyone. The value these tools provide is automation and organization. But that same automation can be achieved programmatically.

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The Apify Actor Solution

Instead of paying $99/month for a UI you can’t automate, our Apify actor gives you:

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What You Get

✅ Same data sources - Google, Bing, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, ChatGPT ✅ Unlimited searches - No daily caps, ever ✅ Structured JSON output - Ready for any tool or database ✅ True API access - Not an extra fee, it’s how it works ✅ Bulk processing - Submit 100+ keywords at once ✅ Scheduled runs - Automate weekly/monthly research ✅ Webhooks - Push data anywhere instantly ✅ Team access - No per-user fees ✅ Cost efficiency - ~$5-20/month typical usage

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How It’s Different

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Perfect For

• Agencies: Research for multiple clients without per-user fees
• Content teams: Bulk keyword processing, automated calendars
• SEO pros: Competitive monitoring with scheduled runs
• Developers: Build keyword tools or integrate into apps
• Data teams: Feed keyword data into analytics systems
• Marketers: Automated trend tracking and reporting

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What You Trade Off

The actor doesn’t include:

• ❌ Pretty visualizations (but JSON is more flexible)
• ❌ Web UI (but automation is more powerful)
• ❌ Point-and-click simplicity (but integrations are better)

If you’re comfortable with:

• JSON data formats
• Basic automation (n8n, Make, Zapier)
• API concepts

…you get 10x the capability at 1/10th the cost.

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Decision Framework

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Choose Free Tools If:

• Very occasional research (1-5 keywords/month)
• No budget whatsoever
• Don’t need automation
• Just testing the concept of keyword research

Recommendation: Answer Socrates

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Choose Paid Alternatives If:

• Need unlimited manual searches
• Want official UI and support
• Comfortable with $99-199/month cost
• Don’t need automation or API
• Prefer turnkey solutions

Recommendation: Keywords People Use ($49/mo, cheaper than ATP)

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Choose Enterprise Tools If:

• Need comprehensive SEO beyond keyword research
• Have budget for $200-500/month
• Want backlinks, site audits, rank tracking, etc.
• Agency with multiple clients

Recommendation: Ahrefs or SEMrush

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Choose Apify Actor If:

• Need unlimited automated research
• Want to integrate with other tools
• Process keywords in bulk
• Build automated workflows
• Work with data programmatically
• Want to save $900-2,000/year

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Cost Comparison (Annual)

Free tools: $0 (but very limited) **Answer Socrates**:$0 (but no automation) Keywords People Use: $588/year **Answer the Public Pro**:$948-1,188/year AlsoAsked Pro: $180-1,188/year (depending on plan) **Keyword Tool**:$1,068-2,748/year SEMrush: $1,668-5,988/year **Ahrefs**:$1,548-11,988/year Apify Actor: $60-240/year (~$5-20/month) Savings with Apify Actor: $900-11,000+ annually depending on current tool.

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Real-World Scenarios

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Scenario 1: Blogger Building Content Calendar

Need: Research 50 keywords monthly for blog topics Free tool (Answer Socrates): Possible but manual, no automation Paid alternative (ATP Pro): $99/month =$1,188/year, still manual Apify Actor: $10/month =$120/year, automated Best choice: Apify Actor (saves $1,068/year, adds automation)

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Scenario 2: Agency with 5 Clients

Need: 100 keywords/month across clients Free tools: Not viable at this scale ATP Expert: $199/month × 5 users =$11,940/year SEMrush Team: $5,988/year **Apify Actor**:$240/year (no per-user fees) Best choice: Apify Actor (saves $5,700-11,700/year)

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Scenario 3: Enterprise SEO Team

Need: Comprehensive SEO including backlinks, audits, keywords Free tools: Not suitable ATP: Doesn’t cover backlinks/audits Ahrefs or SEMrush: $1,548-5,988/year **Apify Actor + Ahrefs**:$1,800/year total Best choice: Combine Apify Actor for keyword research + Ahrefs for backlinks (saves money vs all-in-one)

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Our Recommendation

For most users: Skip traditional alternatives and use programmatic access via our Apify actor. Why?

1. Cost: Save $900-2,000+ annually
2. Capability: True automation, not manual workflows
3. Scalability: No per-user fees or search limits
4. Flexibility: Integrate with any tool or system
5. Future-proof: Data-first approach works with any workflow

The traditional alternatives are all trying to replicate Answer the Public’s UI while charging subscription fees. Our actor solves the underlying problem: accessing autocomplete data at scale, affordably, with automation built in.

Best Alternative: Skip the UI, Get the Data

Our Apify actor delivers the same keyword data as Answer the Public with unlimited searches, true automation, and costs 90% less. From $5/month.

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Next Steps