10 Exploding Topics Alternatives for 2026

Exploding Topics is a trusted trend spotting platform — and the only tool tailor-made to track trends on the ascent.

But it’s not the only option on the market. Whether you’re looking for a trend platform that’s fully focused on video content or you need a free solution to track trends, these 10 Exploding Topics alternatives are worth a closer look.

1. Semrush Traffic & Market

The Semrush Traffic & Market toolkit adds trends and industry information into your existing Semrush account.

By purchasing this toolkit, you can:

• Analyze your target audience by market and region
• Identify different demographic groups’ interests
• Evaluate competitors’ website performance
• Find your strongest conversion opportunities for maximum growth

This Semrush toolkit is a good choice if you already have an idea of what market and audience you want to analyze. If you’re still in the earlier stages of your research and discovery process, then you might want to start with a tool that’s more focused on drawing connections between topics.

Semrush Traffic & Market at a Glance

Best for	Market analysis
Provides multichannel data insights?	Yes
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	Yes
Cost	$289 per month

2. Google Trends

Google Trends is a free resource for viewing and comparing how people search for different topics.

Unlike Exploding Topics, which includes data from both search and social platforms, Google Trends only shows you information from Google Search.

The platform does show you related topics and historical data, though, so Google trend reports are a good way to get a big-picture view of a market. You can even view trend data by region.

If you want to go deeper and understand how trend interest changes across channels, though, you’ll need to use Exploding Topics or one of the other alternatives on this list.

Google Trends at a Glance

Best for	Organic search trend discovery
Provides multichannel data insights?	No, just Google Search data
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	No
Cost	Free

3. Glimpse

Glimpse is a trend discovery tool that shows you what people are interested in across a variety of industries like health, beauty, fashion, technology, finance, and more.

The company says that its trend data is useful for:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• E-commerce
• General market research
• Public relations
• Investor research

Like Exploding Topics, Glimpse trend data comes from multiple online channels and gives you an overview of what’s trending and where. The company also offers trend forecasting about how any interest in a topic may change over time.

Glimpse users can opt to explore prepared trend reports or use the Glimpse API as a way to gather Google Trends data. (You can, of course, use the official Google Trends API to do this, too.)

Glimpse at a Glance

Best for	Alternative Google Trends reports
Provides multichannel data insights?	Yes
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	Yes
Cost	Pricing details are available upon request

4. JungleScout

JungleScout is an intelligence tool for Amazon sellers. The platform’s insights let you see trends related to both Amazon shoppers’ interest and when they’re most likely to buy certain products.

There are other tools in the JungleScout suite, too, including solutions for finding unauthorized sellers of your products, landing the Buy Box, and improving the way your brand appears in Amazon search listings. But this tool only works with Amazon data — if you’re interested in selling your products through other channels, then JungleScout trend data won’t help you.

JungleScout at a Glance

Best for	Amazon product ideas and trends
Provides multichannel data insights?	No, just Amazon
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	Yes
Cost	$29 per month (billed annually) and up

5. TrendWatching

TrendWatching is another trend discovery platform, but one that takes more of a market research approach. Rather than analyzing online conversations for interest signals, TrendWatching uses a mix of human input (from trend analysts and contributors around the world) and AI-powered research tools.

The company’s insights include data from trend spotters living in more than 30 countries and over 1,200 sources tracked and analyzed by AI. The resulting data is then categorized into:

• Macro-Trends (big shifts)
• Mega-Trends (consumer points of interest)
• Sub-Trends (rising expectations)
• Niches (emerging interests)

There’s no cost to get access to the TrendWatching daily innovations report and regular newsletter. If you want to actively explore the company’s trend data and community insights, though, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.

TrendWatching at a Glance

Best for	Consumer behavior analysis
Provides multichannel data insights?	Yes
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	No
Cost	$33 per month (billed annually)

6. SaaSy Trends

SaaSy Trends monitors the search volume and popularity levels of over 30,000 SaaS startups. If you’re considering launching a SaaS company or are trying to develop the right strategy to beat your customers, then this is a good trend spotting option.

While you do have to pay to access SaaSy Trends, it’s a one-time payment — there’s no ongoing subscription fee. Your purchase will allow you to track up to 100 SaaS companies and see how their popularity changes month over month.

SaaSy Trends at a Glance

Best for	SaaS competitor research
Provides multichannel data insights?	No, just search volume
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	No, but you can track 100 companies
Cost	$29.99 (one-time payment)

7. Virlo

Virlo is a trend discovery platform that’s specifically focused on viral short-form videos.

If your marketing strategy relies heavily on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts content, then Virlo can help you jump on emerging trends. The app even includes AI tools to help you create viral content quickly and capitalize on spikes in trends.

You can also see creator insights, including how well a creator performs on different platforms. This can be helpful when planning influencer outreach.

Virlo Trends at a Glance

Best for	Social media trends
Provides multichannel data insights?	Yes, but only short-form video
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	No
Cost	$243.60 per year and up

8. Rising Trends

Rising Trends is a database of over 12,000 trending topics, products, and keywords. The platform includes a trend analysis tool to gather data on demand, as well as a watchlist where users can save trends to watch.

While the Rising Trends team does put together a weekly report, the list only covers the top 5 trending apps, software and service trends, and physical products. If you need more in-depth analysis of weekly trends and specific verticals, you’ll want to try another trend tracking tool. (The Exploding Topics blog is a great place to start.)

Rising Trends at a Glance

Best for	Human-curated trend lists
Provides multichannel data insights?	Yes
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	Yes
Cost	$97 per year

9. Buzzsumo

Buzzsumo combines trend tracking with a media database, making it a good choice for marketers and public relations professionals.

When you use Buzzsumo, you can view trending content ideas, see what questions people are asking online, and connect with influencers who can amplify your messaging.

Buzzsumo also offers a Chrome extension that lets you analyze trends and see metrics as you browse, which can be helpful when conducting research on social media platforms.

Buzzsumo at a Glance

Best for	Content topic discovery
Provides multichannel data insights?	Yes
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	Yes
Cost	$199 per month and up

10. Answer Socrates

Answer Socrates is a trend and keyword tool that shows you how many people are interested in a topic and what questions they’re asking about it.

The platform gets its trend data from Google, so you can find similar results using Google Trends for free. But if you want to see SEO questions, People Also Ask questions, and trend information all in one spot, then Answer Socrates can be a helpful and low-cost solution.

Answer Socrates at a Glance

Best for	Long-tail keyword discovery
Provides multichannel data insights?	Yes
Allows you to customize notifications and alerts?	No
Cost	$9 per month and up

Why is Exploding Topics So Popular?

Exploding Topics is a popular trend tracking platform because it’s extremely comprehensive. You don’t need to switch between different tools for TikTok trends, search volume, Amazon product rankings, and startup information — everything is available all in one spot.

Many Exploding Topics users also appreciate the platform’s regular trend newsletters that highlight the most popular emerging topics and items in a variety of industries. While an Exploding Topics Pro subscription is the best way to maximize your trend research capabilities, the free newsletter is a great option for folks who are new to trend research.

Try Exploding Topics Pro for Free

Another benefit of Exploding Topics is that it’s part of Semrush. This means that you can access reliable trend data and accurate SEO information through a single login. If you’re new to Semrush, give both products a try for free with our exclusive Semrush promo code and a free week of Exploding Topics Pro.