7 SpyFu Alternatives in 2026: What a Year Really Costs

SpyFu's Pro plan looks like $59 a month. That's the first month only. After that, it's $119.

Over a year, that's $1,368 on monthly billing. So it's fair to ask what else that money buys.

We compared 7 SpyFu alternatives and their year-one cost, using vendor pricing pages checked on 3 November 2026.

We split them by the job you hired SpyFu for: spying on competitors' Google Ads, or researching their SEO.

SpyFu alternatives at a glance

*Year one = 12 months on monthly billing, USD, before tax, from pricing pages on 3 November 2026. Semrush Advertising uses the $99/mo billed-yearly price; its page didn't show a monthly price.

What SpyFu Does Well, and Why People Look Elsewhere

SpyFu made its name with competitor PPC research. Type a domain and see the Google Ads keywords and ad copy it has used over the years.

Its pricing page lists 10+ years of historical data, and Pro removes row limits on searches and exports.

Users who like it often mention exactly that. One Trustpilot reviewer wrote in June 2026:

So why switch? Common reasons in reviews and comparison guides:

• The real Pro price: $59 is an intro price. Month two onwards costs $119.
• Data accuracy: every tool estimates other sites' keywords. Estimates can miss a lot.
• Markets outside the US: some UK users have complained about thin data.
• SEO depth: some teams want daily rank tracking, bigger audits or a stronger backlink index.

A 1-star review from September 2026 shows the accuracy risk:

That's one user's account, not a test. But it's a good reminder: check any tool against an account you own before you trust it.

How We Priced the Alternatives

• Prices come from each vendor's pricing page on 3 November 2026, in US dollars, before tax.
• Year one = 12 months on monthly billing. Intro prices count once, as listed.
• We compared listed features and limits. We didn't run a data-accuracy test for this article.
• We grouped tools by job, because SpyFu does two: PPC research and SEO research.
• Serpstat and Moz are left out: we couldn't load their pricing pages to verify today's prices.

SpyFu Alternatives for PPC Competitor Research

If you used SpyFu to see rivals' Google Ads, start here.

1. Semrush Advertising toolkit: the most direct PPC swap

Semrush sells PPC research as a separate Advertising toolkit. Base costs $99 a month, billed yearly ($1,188 a year).

Its plan page lists:

• Positions and position changes: which keywords a competitor bids on.
• Ad copies: the text of their ads.
• Competitors: who else bids on the same keywords.
• Google Shopping ads research and unlimited Google Ads exports.

Pro costs $220 a month, billed yearly. It adds AdClarity, display, video and social ads, and competitor landing page views. Extra users cost $20 a month.

Watch-out: the Advertising toolkit doesn't include the SEO toolkit. That is a separate subscription: $139 a month, or $117.33 a month billed yearly.

2. Ahrefs: paid search inside an SEO suite

Ahrefs Site Explorer has a Paid keywords report and an Ads report. Keywords Explorer adds Ads history for any keyword.

You can see a competitor's ad copy, landing pages, CPC and an ad position history chart.

• Starter ($29 a month): 200 credits a month, monthly billing only, no add-ons.
• Lite ($129 a month): 1,000 credits per user, 750 tracked keywords.
• Standard ($249 a month): unlimited credits, 2,000 tracked keywords.

Watch-out: history depth depends on the plan. Ahrefs' help center lists 1 month on Starter, 6 on Lite, 24 on Standard and 60 on Advanced.

If years of ad history is why you use SpyFu, that matters. The Ahrefs pricing page also doesn't say which plans include the paid search reports, so check in a trial.

3. Google Ads Transparency Center: the free check

Google's Ads Transparency Center is a public library of ads served on Google. No account needed.

Search an advertiser and you can see:

• The ads they've run on Search, YouTube, Display and other Google platforms.
• The format of each ad and the last date it ran.
• Filters by date and region.

Watch-out: Google's help pages don't mention keywords, bids or spend. Use it to verify what a paid tool tells you, not to replace one.

4. Similarweb: the market-level view

Similarweb looks at a competitor's whole digital footprint. Its Ads Intel suite covers paid search, display and social ads.

Its pricing page description says Web Intelligence plans start from $125 a month. Business plans are sold through sales, with up to 37 months of historical data as an option.

Good for: teams that need traffic channels and market share, not just Google Ads keywords.

SpyFu Alternatives for SEO Competitor Research

If you mostly used SpyFu for organic keywords, backlinks and rank tracking, these cost less or do more.

5. seotools.pro: free competitor checks, then $49 a month

Full disclosure: this is our own platform. We've kept to what our pricing page lists.

Start free. Each tool gives 3 free checks a day, no signup:

• Competitor Analysis: compare visibility, keywords, top pages and backlinks.
• Domain Overview: a quick profile of any competitor.
• Keyword Research: volume, difficulty, intent, CPC and competition in 15 countries.
• Backlink Analyzer: see where a rival's links come from.

Paid plans: Lite is $24 a month, Pro $49 and Business $99 ($20, $41 and $83 billed yearly). Pro adds the Rank Tracker and Backlink Analyzer. Business adds Backlink Gap and API access.

Watch-out: seotools.pro doesn't show competitors' ad copy or ad history. Keep a PPC tool, or the free Google library, for that.

6. SE Ranking: all-in-one SEO with daily tracking

SE Ranking Core costs $129 a month ($103.20 billed yearly). It includes 10 projects, 1 manager seat and 2,000 keywords tracked daily.

• Competitor research: listed as unlimited keyword, competitor and backlink research.
• PPC: its traffic checker page says you can "review competitor ad history".
• Trial: 14 days free, no credit card.

Good for: SpyFu users who want daily rank tracking and audits in the same tool.

7. Mangools: simple research for solo marketers

Mangools Basic costs $61 a month, or $37.70 a month billed yearly ($452.40 a year). Its bundle now includes AI Search Watcher PRO.

• 100 keyword lookups and 100 SERP lookups per 24 hours.
• 20 site analyses per 24 hours and 200 tracked keywords, updated weekly.
• No extra seats on Basic. Refunds within 48 hours of payment.

Watch-out: no PPC ad research. It's an SEO replacement only.

Skip iSpionage: It Shut Down

Some "SpyFu alternatives" lists still recommend iSpionage for PPC research. One list we read was updated in June 2026 and still had it in the top 10.

iSpionage's own website says it "has officially shut down as of 07/09/2025" and points visitors to TapClicks reporting tools.

Old lists also show stale prices. One still quotes retired Semrush prices like $139.95 and $249.95.

When SpyFu Is Still the Right Pick

SpyFu can still be the best value for some buyers:

• You need long ad history on a budget. Even Basic ($39) lists 10+ years of historical data.
• You want PPC and SEO data in one cheap tool. Semrush splits them into two toolkits.
• You're testing. SpyFu offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• You're an agency of up to 5. Team/Agency is $249 a month with 5 users included.

How to Switch Without Losing Data

1. Export first. Download keyword lists, ad copy and rank history you want to keep before you cancel.
2. Test accuracy on a site you know. Compare each tool's paid keywords for your domain with your own Google Ads account.
3. Check your markets. Look up a competitor in each country you sell in.
4. Check history depth on the plan you'll actually buy, not the top plan.
5. Add the free layer. Google Ads Transparency Center for ads, Search Console for your own organic data.

Rather Have Someone Run the Ads?

Competitor data only helps if someone acts on it. Our team offers Google Ads management and SEO & GEO services.

Pricing depends on your goals and market. Book a free consultation with Anatolii Ulitovskyi to talk it through.

The Verdict

Decide which SpyFu job you need to replace.

For PPC research, Semrush's Advertising toolkit is the most direct swap on listed features. Ahrefs suits you if you also want a deep SEO suite. Verify both with Google's free ad library.

For SEO research, seotools.pro Pro ($588 a year) and Mangools cost less than SpyFu Pro. SE Ranking adds daily tracking.

If you need years of ad history at the lowest price, SpyFu may still be your best option.

FAQ

Sources

Pricing (checked 3 November 2026): SpyFu; Semrush Advertising and SEO toolkits; Ahrefs and its Starter plan; SE Ranking; Mangools; Similarweb; seotools.pro.

Features: Ahrefs Paid keywords, Ads, Ads history and plan differences; Google, Ads Transparency Center help; SE Ranking traffic checker; iSpionage shutdown notice.

Reviews: SpyFu on Trustpilot (3.4 from 152 reviews, 3 November 2026).

Keyword data: seotools.pro Keyword Research, United States, 3 November 2026.