Should You Use Exploding Topics, Mangools, or Semrush? (2026)

Access to the right search engine optimization (SEO) and trend spotting tools makes digital marketing a lot easier — but picking the right tool can be confusing whether you’re at a big agency or promoting your own business.

I’ve been working in the SEO field since 2010, and I’ve used many different marketing research tools during that time period. Here’s what I’ve found out — and what you need to know — about three popular options right now: Exploding Topics, Mangools, and Semrush.

What is Exploding Topics?

Exploding Topics is a trend discovery tool. You can use the app to look at trending topics across different industries and social media platforms.

Even though Exploding Topics isn’t a true SEO tool, it’s very useful to have on hand when you’re working on:

• Content marketing
• Social media
• Ad campaigns

When you look up a trend in the Exploding Topics database, you can see information about:

• How popular the trend was in the past
• Whether the trend is over or exploding
• Whether or not the trend is impacted by seasonal shifts
• Which social media platforms are best to target with content about the topic
• How many people search for the topic online each month

You can even see forecasts that give you an estimate of how popular a trend may be in the future.

Who Should Use Exploding Topics?

Ultimately, Exploding Topics is helpful for folks like:

• Marketers
• Small business owners
• Startup founders
• E-commerce business leaders
• Content creators
• Influencers
• Researchers

How Much Does Exploding Topics Cost?

You can see a lot of trend data for free — no account or login is required. To get access to all of the available data about a trend, though, you’ll need an Exploding Topics Pro subscription. Plan pricing starts at $39 per month when billed annually and give you access to other functionality like:

• Meta trends reports
• TikTok product data reports
• Expert trend analysis

What is Mangools?

Mangools is a keyword research tool. It includes several features for improving and tracking the performance of a website in traditional and AI search results.

With a Mangools account, you can:

• View keyword rank, difficulty, search volume, and competition
• Analyze competitors’ positions in search engine results pages (SERPs)
• Monitor brand mentions in AI search tools
• Conduct basic website audits and check domain authority

Mangools says its database includes information on 2.5 billion keywords.

Who Should Use Mangools?

Mangools’ tools are going to be most useful to people who need basic keyword data without access to a full technical SEO suite.

How Much Does Mangools Cost?

Mangools plans start at $358.80 per year for basic keyword research and SERP analysis tools. It costs an increasing amount of money to raise usage limits or add AI search tracking features to your account.

What is Semrush?

Semrush is an all-in-one SEO platform. You can use the platform’s various toolkits to:

• Conduct in-depth keyword research for organic and pay-per-click (PPC) use
• Find the best AI search prompts to target
• Analyze your domain’s on-page and off-page SEO health
• Run backlink analysis reports
• Do comprehensive competitor analysis
• Cluster keywords to create a targeted content strategy
• Track your position and share of voice across traditional and AI search
• Plan and post social media content
• Manage your local SEO listings and performance

The Semrush database includes information on 27.8 billion keywords.

Who Should Use Semrush?

Semrush is ideal for:

• Large marketing teams
• Freelancers juggling multiple clients
• Small business owners who have complex marketing needs (such as planning a blog, managing local listings, and keeping tabs on the competition)

How Much Does Semrush Cost?

You can access basic Semrush toolsets for free — including running several keyword searches each day at no cost. To unlock higher usage limits and more features, you’ll want a paid plan. Semrush One pricing starts at $165.17 per month when billed annually.

How to Choose the Right Tool For Your Needs

Generally speaking, when considering features and experience levels, I find that:

• Beginners and new business owners will be best served by using a mix of Exploding Topics and the free version of Semrush’s toolsets.
• Intermediate marketers primarily focused on keyword research can get good results from Mangools plus Exploding Topics Pro.
• Expert SEO professionals and experienced entrepreneurs who need to do a high volume of marketing research and run site audits should use Semrush One. (Exploding Topics is still a helpful add-on for many expert users, especially those in the e-commerce world.)

These recommendations change a bit, though, based on your specific goals and needs — check out the different scenarios that follow to see what setup will get you the best results.

For Keyword Research

For Content Optimization

For Technical SEO

For Trending Topic Discovery

For Competitor Research

The Best SEO and Trend Research Tools for Most People

I recommend that most people give Semrush and Exploding Topics. These two tools give you the largest pool of data to work with. You can use our exclusive coupon code for an extended Semrush free trial, then add on a seven-day free trial of Exploding Topics Pro. You'll be able to see firsthand how these two tools work together to give you an incredible amount of data about your competitors, audience, and marketing channels.