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Both cover research & trends and seo & discovery. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Exploding Topics | Semrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $39 | From $139 |
| Pricing model | Free trial, then paid | Paid subscription |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | 7 days | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Covers | Research & Trends, SEO & Discovery | SEO & Discovery, Research & Trends |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | 1 | None right now |
Trends spotted before they peak
Exploding Topics watches search and social signals and surfaces subjects on the way up, which is a different job from a keyword tool that tells you what is already big. For somebody choosing what to make next, early is the whole value. It is now a Semrush product, and the cheapest plan holds back the CSV export.
Our note
The $39 plan cannot export, so the research stays in their interface. If the point is feeding a content calendar or a spreadsheet, the real entry price is $99.
Keyword and competitor research at agency depth
Semrush is the tool an SEO reaches for when they need to know what a competitor ranks for and what it is worth. Position tracking, site audits and keyword gaps are all there, along with newer reporting on how brands surface in AI answers. It costs more than most creators can justify, and the entry plan tracks five sites and 500 keywords.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.