SpyFu
SpyFu is a competitive intelligence platform focused on advertising and SEO keyword data - see what keywords competitors rank for, what ads they run and where their traffic comes from - positioned as a lighter, more affordable alternative to Ahrefs or Semrush.
Verified against: spyfu.com as of 2026-09-20
Quick verdict: SpyFu earns 4.1/5 in our research-based assessment - the pick when competitive keyword and ad intelligence is the point and you do not need full rank tracking, backlinks or site audit. The cleanest competitor-teardown UX in the cluster at a $59/mo Starter entry (1 competitor domain). Advanced at $159/mo unlocks 3 competitor domains, full keyword + ad data and API access. Professional at $399/mo gives 10 domains and unlimited exports. Annual figures are behind a paywall; verify on signup. Pick Ahrefs for backlink depth, Semrush for breadth, Moz for the cheaper big-three entry, or Screpy for a free tier. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
- Our rating: 4.1/5
- Strongest dimension: Functionality (4/5, research only)
- Weakest dimension: Collaboration (3/5, research only)
- Pricing: 14-day free trial · $59/mo (Starter, monthly)
- Verification: Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-20. Sources: spyfu.com
SpyFu pricing details
- 14-day free trial
- paid plans from $59/mo (Starter, monthly)
- starter $59/mo / Advanced $159/mo / Professional $399/mo
- starter ~$49/mo / Advanced ~$139/mo / Professional ~$349/mo (billed annually)
Priced by competitor domains and keyword depth. Starter: 1 competitor domain / basic keyword data. Advanced: 3 competitor domains / full keyword + ad data / API access. Professional: 10 competitor domains / unlimited keyword exports / dedicated support. Prices shown behind a paywall; exact annual figures to be confirmed on signup. No free plan.
In our index: No free plan (14-day trial). Starter $59/mo (1 competitor domain) / Advanced $159/mo (3 domains / API) / Professional $399/mo (10 domains / unlimited exports). Annual ~17% off (figures behind paywall, verify on signup).
How SpyFu scores across our 6 index dimensions
- Functionality: 4/5 (research only)
- Usability: 4/5 (research only)
- Stability: 4/5 (research only)
- Collaboration: 3/5 (research only)
- Localization: 3/5 (research only)
- Value: 4/5 (research only)
Score rationale: Narrowest focus of the cluster - competitive keyword and ad intelligence rather than full rank tracking, backlinks or site audit. The cleanest competitor-teardown UX at a lower price point than Ahrefs/Semrush. Annual figures behind paywall; verify on signup. No hands-on; partial pricing from the official site.
What SpyFu does well
- Cleanest competitor-teardown UX: see what keywords competitors rank for and what ads they run in one view
- Cheapest paid entry of the big three at $59/mo Starter (vs Ahrefs $129, Semrush $139, Moz $99)
- API access on Advanced tier for programmatic competitor data
- Focused scope: no bloat from rank tracking or site audit you do not need for competitive research
Where SpyFu falls short
- No backlink index - competitor link profiles are not in scope
- Annual figures shown behind a paywall; exact pricing to be confirmed on signup
- Narrower than Ahrefs/Semrush - no rank tracking, no site audit, no AI visibility dashboard
- 14-day trial only, no free plan
How SpyFu compares to other SEO Tools tools
Our index tracks 5 SEO Tools tools. SpyFu sits at 4.1/5, with starter ~$49/mo / advanced ~$139/mo / professional ~$349/mo (billed annually). Here are the 4 closest alternatives we hold pricing and scoring evidence for.
- Ahrefs — 4.5/5 · $29 Starter (1 month only, then converts to Lite) · $129/mo (Lite, monthly)
Ahrefs is a backlink-driven SEO platform pairing the world's second-most active crawler with rank tracking, keyword research, site audits and AI visibility monitoring, priced by credit pool and user seat. - Semrush — 4.5/5 · 7-day free trial (all tiers) · $139/mo (SEO, monthly)
Semrush is the most feature-broad SEO and digital marketing suite in the cluster - keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, content optimization, local and AI visibility, plus API and MCP access, with the widest add-on ecosystem. - Moz — 4.2/5 · 14-day free trial (Medium tier) · $99/mo (Standard, monthly)
Moz Pro is a long-established SEO suite focused on Domain Authority metrics, keyword tracking, site audits and backlink research, now with AI Overviews tracking and AI Visibility Dashboards on every tier. - Screpy — 4.0/5 · Free plan · $19/mo (Pro, monthly)
Screpy is an AI-powered all-in-one SEO and site monitoring platform combining rank tracking, PageSpeed, uptime, backlinks, AI content generation and AI visibility prompts in one dashboard, with a genuinely free tier.
Frequently asked questions about SpyFu
How much does SpyFu cost?
14-day free trial; paid plans from $59/mo (Starter, monthly); starter $59/mo / Advanced $159/mo / Professional $399/mo; starter ~$49/mo / Advanced ~$139/mo / Professional ~$349/mo (billed annually). Billing detail: Priced by competitor domains and keyword depth. Starter: 1 competitor domain / basic keyword data. Advanced: 3 competitor domains / full keyword + ad data / API access. Professional: 10 competitor domains / unlimited keyword exports / dedicated support. Prices shown behind a paywall; exact annual figures to be confirmed on signup. No free plan. Figures verified 2026-09-20.
Does SpyFu have a free plan?
No free plan is listed for SpyFu, but a trial is offered (14-day free trial). Paid plans start at $59/mo (Starter, monthly).
What is SpyFu rated in our index?
SpyFu sits at 4.1/5 in our index, strongest on functionality (4/5, research only) and weakest on collaboration (3/5, research only). SpyFu earns 4.1/5 in our research-based assessment - the pick when competitive keyword and ad intelligence is the point and you do not need full rank tracking, backlinks or site audit. The cleanest competitor-teardown UX in the cluster at a $59/mo Starter entry (1 competitor domain). Advanced at $159/mo unlocks 3 competitor domains, full keyword + ad data and API access. Professional at $399/mo gives 10 domains and unlimited exports. Annual figures are behind a paywall; verify on signup. Pick Ahrefs for backlink depth, Semrush for breadth, Moz for the cheaper big-three entry, or Screpy for a free tier. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
What are the drawbacks of SpyFu?
No backlink index - competitor link profiles are not in scope Annual figures shown behind a paywall; exact pricing to be confirmed on signup Narrower than Ahrefs/Semrush - no rank tracking, no site audit, no AI visibility dashboard 14-day trial only, no free plan.
What does SpyFu do well?
Cleanest competitor-teardown UX: see what keywords competitors rank for and what ads they run in one view Cheapest paid entry of the big three at $59/mo Starter (vs Ahrefs $129, Semrush $139, Moz $99) API access on Advanced tier for programmatic competitor data Focused scope: no bloat from rank tracking or site audit you do not need for competitive research.
How was SpyFu verified?
Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-20. Sources: spyfu.com.
What are the alternatives to SpyFu?
We track Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, Screpy as the closest alternatives in our SEO Tools index, and 4 head-to-head comparisons against SpyFu are available.