SpyFu

What it is

SpyFu shows which keywords competitors bid on and rank for, with historical data going back years. That archive is the reason to use it: rather than a snapshot of today's rankings, you can see how long a competitor has defended a term, which ad copy they kept running, and which campaigns they abandoned. Coverage is strongest for the US market and thinner elsewhere, and the data is modelled rather than taken from ad accounts, so treat the figures as direction rather than measurement. Who it is for: marketers running Google Ads or doing competitive SEO research who want to know what a competitor has bid on and ranked for over years, not just this month. The historical archive is the product. It is useful for spotting which keywords a rival keeps paying for, because a keyword bought continuously for three years is almost certainly profitable. Where it falls short: data coverage is strongest for the US and UK; in smaller markets the keyword database thins out and estimates get rough. The site audit and backlink tooling exist but are not the reason to choose SpyFu over Semrush or Ahrefs, both of which have broader datasets and larger budgets. Treat volume and cost-per-click figures as directional, not exact. For a PPC team that needs competitor ad history at a mid-range subscription price, SpyFu remains one of the few tools that specialise in it.

Key features

• Competitor keyword history

  Years of ranking and bidding history for a domain, not just the current position.

• Ad copy archive

  Every paid advert a competitor has run, which shows the messages they kept and dropped.

• Keyword gap analysis

  Terms competitors rank for and you do not, ranked by opportunity.

• Unlimited searches

  Plans are not metered per lookup, which suits exploratory research.

Strengths and trade-offs

Who it is for

Marketers researching competitor paid and organic strategy.

Pick it or skip it

Closest alternatives we track

Same category, ordered by verified starting price.

• Ahrefs

  $29/mo

  Industry-leading link analysis.

• Surfer SEO

  $49/mo

  AI content optimization.

• SEMrush

  $139/mo

  All-in-one SEO suite.

Frequently asked questions

How much does SpyFu cost, and is API access included?

Basic is $39 per month, or $29 per month billed annually, with 10,000-row search results and exports, 1 site-tracking project and 5,000 weekly tracked keywords; it has no API access. Pro + AI is $119 per month after a $59 first month, or $89 per month annually, with unlimited results and exports, 10 projects, 15,000 tracked keywords and API access for 1 user ($30 per extra user). Team/Agency is $249 per month, or $187 annually, with 50,000 tracked keywords, API access and 5 users. All plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.

How much does SpyFu cost?

SpyFu publishes 3 plans: Basic at $39/mo billed monthly, Pro at $119/mo billed monthly, Team at $249/mo billed monthly. Every figure is read from the vendor's own pricing page; the pricing section above shows the source sentence for each tier.

Does SpyFu have a free plan?

No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. SpyFu is sold as a paid subscription.

Who is SpyFu best for?

Marketers researching competitor paid and organic strategy.

What are the closest alternatives to SpyFu?

In the same category we track Ahrefs, Surfer SEO and SEMrush. Each has its own review page with verified pricing, and the comparison links above show them side by side.

What are the main drawbacks of SpyFu?

The trade-offs we noted: Data accuracy varies by market; Interface feels dated; Weaker outside the US.

When should you not use SpyFu?

Skip SpyFu if: You want a free tier — SpyFu has none; the entry plan is $39/month, or $29/month billed annually; The Basic caps are too tight for you: 10k search results, 10k export rows, 1 tracking project and 5k tracked keywords; Your market is outside the US, where data accuracy varies and coverage is weaker.