Ahrefs vs AnswerThePublic:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ahrefs had more branded searches than AnswerThePublic among keyword research tools worldwide. Ahrefs had about 352,000 branded searches, while AnswerThePublic had 110,000. Ahrefs made up 18.2% of all keyword research tool searches we track, and AnswerThePublic accounted for 5.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about keyword research tools, Ahrefs appeared in four of the five answers and AnswerThePublic in two. Ahrefs was mentioned before AnswerThePublic in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Ahrefs, about 3 searches for every 1 for AnswerThePublic
Who does AI mention more?
Ahrefs, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, AnswerThePublic in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Ahrefs, named ahead of AnswerThePublic in 4 of 4 answers
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Top keyword research tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ahrefs was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. AnswerThePublic was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Ahrefs was listed before AnswerThePublic in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Semrush1st
Google Keyword Planner2nd- Ahrefs3rd
KWFinder4th
Ubersuggest5th
AnswerThePublic6th
Moz–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Semrush5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Google Keyword Planner5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ahrefs4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ubersuggest3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- KWFinder3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- AnswerThePublic2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Moz0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about keyword research tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which keyword research tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best keyword research tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best keyword research tool for search optimisation?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“keyword research tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“seo keyword tool”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Ahrefs or AnswerThePublic more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ahrefs and AnswerThePublic by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven keyword research tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ahrefs, AnswerThePublic. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Semrush | Google Keyword Planner | Ahrefs | Ubersuggest | AnswerThePublic | Moz | KWFinder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 35.9% | 18.7% | 21.6% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 0.42% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.9% | 17.1% | 18.5% | 11% | 9% | 6% | 0.44% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.5% | 17.3% | 15.8% | 11.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 0.45% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.5% | 17.3% | 20.5% | 12% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 0.39% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.7% | 17.9% | 21.2% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 0.41% |
| Mar 2026 | 52.9% | 12.6% | 15.8% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 0.23% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.6% | 15.3% | 20.8% | 10.6% | 8.6% | 5.8% | 0.28% |
| May 2026 | 34.9% | 17.2% | 23.3% | 9.7% | 8% | 6.5% | 0.26% |
| Jun 2026 | 37.3% | 16.8% | 20.7% | 10% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 0.27% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.7% | 19.7% | 24.4% | 7.9% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 0.26% |
| Aug 2026 | 38.5% | 17.7% | 20.7% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 0.28% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.3% | 18.4% | 18.2% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 0.28% |
How has the Ahrefs and AnswerThePublic comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ahrefs was ahead of AnswerThePublic in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ahrefs’ share of searches among keyword research tools worldwide moved from 21.6% to 18.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 505K to 352K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AnswerThePublic’s share of searches among keyword research tools worldwide moved from 7.1% to 5.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 110K.
How did search popularity change for keyword research tools worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Google Keyword Planner overtook Ahrefs to rank 2nd among keyword research tools worldwide, with 18.4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Ahrefs lost share of searches among keyword research tools worldwide, from 20.7% to 18.2%.
In September 2026, AnswerThePublic lost share of searches among keyword research tools worldwide, from 7.1% to 5.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ahrefs’ and AnswerThePublic’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Ahrefs
3 branded search terms
- ahrefs
- ahrefs backlink checker
- ahrefs seo tools
AnswerThePublic
1 branded search term
- answerthepublic
Other head-to-heads among keyword research tools
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