Keyword Research
AnswerThePublic: what it does, what it costs
The question-visualisation tool that defined the format, now behind a paywall.
AnswerThePublic at a glance
Every row is a verified field or an honest absence. A row is dropped rather than filled with an em dash, so the length of this table says how complete the record is.
| What it is | The question-visualisation tool that defined the format, now behind a paywall. |
|---|---|
| Category | Keyword Research |
| Best suited for | You want the visual question map specifically, and will pay for it |
| Starting price | From $13.33/month billed yearly (Starter) |
| Free plan | No |
| Free trial | None offered |
| Main strength | The question-visualisation format is still the clearest way to see how people phrase a topic |
| Main limitation | The free tier that built its reputation no longer exists |
| Evidence | Primary-source researched |
| Closest alternatives | Answer Socrates, AlsoAsked, Google Trends |
| Pricing checked | 19 August 2026 |
| Record checked | 19 August 2026 |
What AnswerThePublic is
AnswerThePublic takes a topic and returns the questions, prepositions and comparisons people search around it, laid out as the spoke diagram that made it famous. It is search listening rather than keyword research: the output is language, and its value is showing you how people phrase a problem before you decide what to call your page.
Since being acquired it has changed shape. It now attaches CPC and search volume to the questions, adds monthly prompt suggestions aimed at AI search, and generates articles, which makes it more of a content platform and less of the single-purpose utility it was. Plans are metered by searches per month, which for this kind of tool is the binding limit: 100 on the entry tier.
The thing to know if you remember it fondly: the free tier that made its reputation is gone. What remains is a limited-time promotional structure with all rates quoted as monthly figures billed yearly, and a direct competitor giving away more.
AnswerThePublic in context
AnswerThePublic defined a category. The spoke visualisation of question, preposition and comparison queries around a seed term became the default way an entire generation of content marketers started their research. That brand recognition still carries weight, but the product underneath has shifted considerably since NP Digital acquired it, and anyone choosing it today is making a different decision than they were three years ago.
The core tension is that AnswerThePublic now competes with tools it used to outclass on accessibility. Answer Socrates offers a working free tier with clustering and hundreds of questions per search. AlsoAsked shows the PAA hierarchy, which is structurally richer data. AnswerThePublic’s counter-argument is that it now attaches CPC and search volume to question keywords, which neither of those alternatives does natively. For teams that need both the question language and a rough demand signal in one view, that combination still has value.
Where the product struggles is on generosity. The free tier that built its reputation is gone, and the paid plans meter searches tightly enough that exploring a broad topic area burns through the monthly allowance quickly. The promotional pricing structure also makes it hard to know what the standing rate actually is. For anyone evaluating it fresh, the question is straightforward: does the visual format and the attached volume data justify paying when a free competitor covers the question-discovery job adequately? For light, occasional use, often not. For teams already embedded in the NP Digital ecosystem or producing content briefs that need demand numbers alongside question phrasing, it still earns its place.
What you can use it for
- See how people actually phrase questions about a topic, as a visual map
- Get CPC and volume attached to question keywords rather than to head terms
- Build an FAQ or a comparison section from real search language
- Generate a limited number of AI articles from the research, per plan
The features that matter for SEO
Each one says what it does and the SEO job it serves. A vendor feature list without that second half tells you nothing you could not read on their own site.
Question visualisation
Maps the questions, prepositions and comparisons around a topic as a spoke diagram.
The format is the product. Seeing every "how", "why" and "vs" around a subject at once surfaces framings a keyword list buries in rows.
CPC and search volume on questions
Attaches cost-per-click and volume figures to the question keywords.
Question keywords usually arrive without numbers, so this closes the gap between "people ask this" and "this is worth a page".
Monthly prompt suggestions
Generates prompt ideas aimed at AI search surfaces, metered per plan.
Useful as a starting prompt set if you are about to buy an AI-visibility tracker and do not know what to track.
AI article generation
Produces articles from the research, capped per plan.
Present rather than the point. Six a month on the entry tier is not a content operation.
Treat output as a first draft. The caps are low enough that this cannot be the reason you buy.
Region and language selection
Restricts research to a chosen country and language.
Question phrasing is strongly regional, the same problem is described differently in different English-speaking markets.
Pricing and limits
Starting price: From $13.33/month billed yearly (Starter) Checked 19 August 2026 Vendor’s own pricing page
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $13.33 /mo Billed yearly. The page advertises a limited-time bonus of four months free. |
|
| Growth | $66 /mo Billed yearly. Marked as the most popular plan. |
|
| Business | $132.66 /mo Billed yearly. |
|
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- The question-visualisation format is still the clearest way to see how people phrase a topic
- CPC and volume now attached to question keywords, which the original lacked
- Unlimited-region and language coverage on every tier
- Low entry price if you can use annual billing
Limitations
- The free tier that built its reputation no longer exists
- Searches are metered tightly, 100 a month on Starter, 300 on the $132.66 tier
- All prices are quoted as monthly figures billed yearly, so paying monthly costs more
- The promotional structure makes the standing price hard to establish
- AI article caps are too low to be a content workflow
- A direct competitor gives away a working free tier
Who it is for, and who should skip it
Worth it if
- You want the visual question map specifically, and will pay for it
- You need CPC and volume attached to question research
- You research a handful of topics a month rather than dozens
Skip it if
- You want a free question-research tool, one exists
- You research many topics a month; the search caps bind quickly
- You need a full keyword database rather than question language
Alternatives to AnswerThePublic
Each one answers when it is the better choice, which is the only thing a list of competitors is useful for.
- Answer Socrates Choose it when you want the same job done with a working free tier and clustering built in. The obvious substitute.
- AlsoAsked Choose it when you want the People Also Ask hierarchy (how questions branch from each other) rather than a flat spoke map.
- Google Trends Choose it when you need direction of travel and seasonality, free, rather than question language.
Sources and verification
Last verified 19 August 2026 21 days ago
Pricing 19 August 2026 Plans 19 August 2026 Features 19 August 2026
- AnswerThePublic pricing Pricing page verifies pricing, plans, limits, features checked 19 August 2026
What changed
- 19 August 2026, Normalised to "AnswerThePublic" with "Answer the Public Free Version" kept as a former name. That free version no longer exists, which is the single most important thing to know about the product if you last used it years ago.
Questions
Is AnswerThePublic still free?
No. The free tier it was known for is gone, and plans now start at $13.33 a month billed yearly. If a free question-research tool is what you want, Answer Socrates has one, three searches a day, which returns hundreds of questions each.
How much does AnswerThePublic cost?
Starter is $13.33 a month, Growth $66 and Business $132.66, all quoted as monthly figures billed yearly, with a limited-time offer of four months free advertised. Verified on 19 August 2026. Searches are capped at 100, 200 and 300 a month respectively.
AnswerThePublic or AlsoAsked?
They visualise different things. AnswerThePublic gives you a wide spoke map of question phrasings around a topic; AlsoAsked shows the People Also Ask hierarchy, so you see how one question leads to the next. For understanding a topic's structure, the hierarchy is usually more useful.