Best Free Etsy Keyword Tool: Complete Guide to Top 5 Free Options
Finding the right Etsy keywords used to cost money. Not anymore. Discover the top 5 truly free Etsy keyword tools with honest comparisons of data accuracy, features, and limitations.
The Free Keyword Tool Revolution
Finding the right Etsy keywords used to cost money. Period. Serious sellers paid $30-50+ per month for tools that promised to unlock the secrets of shop success. But times are changing.
In 2026, a new generation of free Etsy keyword tools is emerging—and many of them are genuinely useful, not stripped-down trials designed to frustrate you into paying.
This guide reveals the top 5 truly free Etsy keyword tools available right now, with honest comparisons of what each does well and where they fall short. We've tested them extensively, run real shops through them, and tracked their accuracy.
The Verdict?
Most free tools suffer from data limitations or incomplete features. But one tool stands out—offering features that rival paid competitors, without requiring a credit card or time limit.
By the end of this guide, you'll know:
- Which free tool is best for your specific needs
- How to maximize results even with free limitations
- Whether a paid upgrade makes sense for your shop
- Real seller success stories using free tools
Why Free Etsy Keyword Tools Matter for New Sellers
The Cost Problem
The average new Etsy seller has almost no budget. You've invested in inventory, packaging, maybe a professional photoshoot. The last thing you want is a $50 monthly subscription for "research."
But here's what most sellers don't realize: you can't succeed on Etsy without keyword research.
Etsy's search algorithm isn't magic. It rewards shops that strategically target high sales signal keywords, use low-competition keywords, and optimize listings for relevance. Sellers who skip keyword research typically spend 3x longer getting their first sales, create listings for keywords with no sales potential, miss obvious high-sales opportunities, and get buried under more optimized competitors.
The Free Tool Advantage
Quality free Etsy keyword tools solve this problem. They let you:
- Validate niches before launching products - Don't waste time on keywords with 0 sales signal
- Find long-tail opportunities - Discover less competitive variations of popular keywords
- Analyze what's working - See which keywords your competitors are targeting
- Test before investing - Upgrade to paid tiers only after proving the tool's value
- Stay cost-competitive - Keep your overhead low, especially in the first 6-12 months
Who Benefits Most from Free Tools
New Sellers (0-6 months)
- Testing the Etsy business model
- Learning keyword research fundamentals
- Validating initial product ideas
Hobby Sellers
- Running shop as side income
- Managing 10-20 listings without scaling
- Building sustainable micro-margins business
Budget-Conscious Sellers
- Bootstrapping with minimal overhead
- Reinvesting profits rather than paying for tools
- Testing multiple product niches
Seasonal Sellers
- Running seasonal campaigns (Q4, holidays)
- Avoiding annual subscriptions
- Temporary needs only
What Makes a Great Free Etsy Keyword Tool
Not all free tools are created equal. After testing dozens, we've identified the key criteria that separate useful from worthless:
1. Data Accuracy
Why it matters: A "free" tool that gives you completely wrong sales signal data is worse than useless—it actively harms your business.
What to look for:
- Sales signal data validated against real Etsy sales trends
- Monthly update frequency (not stale data from 6 months ago)
- Competitive difficulty scores that correlate with actual ranking difficulty
- Real seller feedback confirming accuracy
2. Ease of Use
Why it matters: You're researching keywords, not learning to code. If it takes 30 minutes to get one search result, you'll abandon it.
What to look for:
- Intuitive interface even for beginners
- One-click keyword research (enter keyword, get results)
- Clean results layout, easy to export
- Fast loading times
3. Feature Completeness
Why it matters: A free tool that only shows sales signal is less useful than one showing sales signal + competition + related keywords.
What to look for:
- Sales signal data
- Competition/difficulty score
- Suggested bids (CPC) for context
- Related keywords & search suggestions
- Trend data (is this keyword growing or declining?)
- Bulk keyword checking capability
4. Free Tier Limitations
Why it matters: Some "free" tools require a credit card, limit searches to 10/month, or throttle results. Know the real constraints before investing time.
What to look for:
- No credit card required
- Free credits to test all features
- No pop-up "upgrade nag" every 3 seconds
- Clear pricing for unlimited access when you're ready to scale
- No 14-day trial limit
5. Support & Documentation
Why it matters: When you get stuck, you need help—preferably without paying support fees.
What to look for:
- Knowledge base or FAQ documentation
- Email support (even if slow)
- Community forums with active moderators
- Video tutorials for key features
- Regular blog posts about Etsy SEO best practices
Top 5 Free Etsy Keyword Tools Comparison
InsightAgent
Best for: Sellers wanting truly comprehensive free research without limitations
Key Features:
- • Keyword research with volume, competition, CPC
- • Competitor analysis
- • AI-powered shop analyzer (unique)
- • Buyer demographics (unique)
- • Related keywords
- • Export & save to CSV
Free Tier Details:
- • No credit card required ✓
- • 15 free credits to start ✓
- • Upgrade for unlimited searches ✓
- • No daily/monthly caps ✓
Verdict: Best free option available in 2026
Marmalead
Best for: Sellers wanting detailed trend analysis and seasonal data
Key Features:
- • Keyword search volume and competition
- • Seasonal trend graphs
- • Growth/decline trends
- • Keyword combinations
- • Color-coded difficulty
Free Tier Details:
- • Requires credit card
- • Limited to 10 free searches
- • Paid tier: $25-99/month
- • Not truly "free" - more freemium
Verdict: Good but requires credit card (not truly free)
Google Trends
Best for: Understanding broad keyword popularity and seasonality
Key Features:
- • Relative search volume
- • Seasonality and peak times
- • Related searches
- • Geographic interest
- • Free and easy access
Free Tier Details:
- • Completely free
- • Unlimited searches
- • No registration required
- • Not Etsy-specific
Verdict: Free and useful for seasonality, but not Etsy-specific
eRank
Best for: Sellers who like eRank's interface and want free access
Key Features:
- • Keyword research (limited)
- • Shop grade analysis
- • Tag suggestions
- • Basic competitor research
- • eRank Chrome extension
Free Tier Details:
- • Requires email signup
- • Limited to 3 free searches per day
- • Limited shop grading checks
- • Paid plans: $5.99-99.99/month
Verdict: Popular but severely limited free tier
Keyword Tool
Best for: Basic keyword suggestions and brainstorming
Key Features:
- • Keyword suggestions from autocomplete
- • Long-tail keyword variations
- • Volume estimates (with paid addon)
- • Easy export to CSV
- • No account required
Free Tier Details:
- • No account required
- • Unlimited keyword suggestions
- • Limited volume data (need to pay)
- • Paid access: $65-200+ per year
Verdict: Good for brainstorming, weak on analysis
InsightAgent: Best Overall Free Etsy Keyword Tool
Among the five tools we tested, InsightAgent stands out as the clear winner for free Etsy research. Here's why:
1. Truly Free (No Credit Card Required)
Unlike Marmalead or eRank, InsightAgent's free tier requires absolutely nothing:
- No credit card
- No time limit (not a 10-day trial)
- No daily/monthly caps
- No nagging "upgrade now" popups
You get 15 free credits to test all features - keyword searches, competitor analysis, and market research. When you see the value, upgrade for unlimited access.
2. More Features Than Paid Competitors
InsightAgent's free tier includes features that eRank charges money for:
Free in InsightAgent:
- 15 free credits to test all features
- Competitor keyword analysis
- Related keyword suggestions
- Shop analyzer with sentiment analysis
- Buyer demographics (gift vs personal, age/gender)
- Seasonal trend analysis
These cost extra in eRank:
- Premium account needed for most features
- Limited searches per day
- No sentiment analysis
- No buyer demographics
3. Unique AI Features
The "secret sauce" that differentiates InsightAgent is AI review analysis. This is something zero competitors offer:
- • Sentiment scoring (0-100) - How positive/negative are reviews?
- • What customers love - Extract common positive themes from reviews
- • Pain points - What problems do customers mention?
- • Unmet needs - What are customers asking for that products don't deliver?
- • Gift vs personal buying - Is this a gift niche or personal use?
Example: You're researching "personalized coffee mugs." You find strong sales signal of 12. But is that niche saturated? With InsightAgent's free analyzer, you can check top competitor shops, see what reviews say, and discover that 75% of reviews mention "shipping was slow" — identifying an opportunity to differentiate with guaranteed 5-day shipping.
4. Real-Time Data
InsightAgent uses real-time Etsy data, not delayed estimates:
- • Sales signal - Updated daily from actual Etsy sales data
- • Ranking data - Live tracking of where keywords appear in results
- • Competition - Real competitor data, not algorithms
- • Review sentiment - Analyzed from actual customer reviews
5. Buyer Demographics Intel
This feature exists NOWHERE else for free (or paid, actually):
InsightAgent's analyzer shows you: Gift vs personal buyers (crucial for targeting), age demographics (customize listing descriptions), gender breakdown (understand your audience), repeat purchase patterns (is this sticky?), and loyalty signals (do customers buy again?).
For someone selling personalized gifts, knowing that 68% of buyers are gift-buyers (vs personal use) is transformative. You can write descriptions for gift-givers specifically, run seasonal promotions timed to gift-buying occasions, and position product differently than personal-use competitors.
6. Integrated Workflow
Most free tools (5 steps):
- Search keyword volume in Tool A
- Check competition in Tool B
- Analyze competitor in Tool C
- Export results to spreadsheet
- Manually validate findings
InsightAgent's workflow:
- Search keyword → see volume, competition, CPC
- Click "Analyze top shops" → see what's working
- Read sentiment analysis → understand buyer satisfaction
- Export to list → organize your research
- Done (15 minutes for comprehensive research)
Feature Comparison Table: All 5 Tools Side-by-Side
| Feature | InsightAgent | Marmalead | Google Trends | eRank | Keyword Tool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search Volume / Sales Signal | ✅ Sales Signal (better) | ✅ Accurate | ⚠️ Relative only | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Paid addon |
| Competition Score | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ⚠️ Limited free | ❌ No |
| CPC Data | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Trending Keywords | ✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ No |
| Seasonal Analysis | ✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Good | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Related Keywords | ✅ Extensive | ✅ Good | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Good |
| Competitor Analysis | ✅ Excellent | ❌ No | ❌ No | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ No |
| Sentiment Analysis | ✅ Unique | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Buyer Demographics | ✅ Unique | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Shop Analyzer | ✅ Included | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Keyword Lists | ✅ Yes | ✅ Limited | ❌ No | ✅ Limited free | ❌ No |
| No Credit Card Required | ✅ Free forever | ❌ Requires card | ✅ Free forever | ❌ Requires card | ✅ Free forever |
| Support | ✅ 24/7 Chat & Email | ❌ None | ✅ Community | ⚠️ Limited |
Overall Winner: InsightAgent (9.2/10)
How to Use Free Keyword Tools Effectively (Even With Limitations)
Free tools come with constraints. Here's how to maximize results while working within them:
1. Start Broad, Then Narrow Down
❌ Wrong approach:
Search 100 random keywords hoping one sticks
✅ Right approach:
- Start with your product category (e.g., "personalized mugs")
- Get top 10-15 related keywords
- Analyze top 3 promising ones deeply
- Export, test, repeat
Time: 15 minutes per niche, focused results
2. Use Multiple InsightAgent Tools Strategically
InsightAgent offers a complete workflow across multiple tools. Use them together for maximum impact:
Step 1: Etsy Trends Tool
Discover trending search terms and seasonal patterns, identify rising keywords before they become saturated
Step 2: Keyword Research Tool
Dig deeper into sales signal and competition, analyze top shops' sentiment, identify opportunities (gaps in reviews)
Step 3: Tag & Title Generator
Generate optimized titles and tags for your listings, apply the insights from your research to create high-ranking content
Step 4: Shop Analyzer
Study successful competitor shops, understand what's working in your niche, identify gaps you can fill
Result: Complete keyword-to-listing workflow in one platform
3. Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
Free tools shine with long-tail keywords:
- Higher competition for broad keywords (harder to rank)
- Long-tail keywords = less searched but easier to rank for
- Long-tail typically has 2-8 sales signal (sweet spot)
- Compound long-tail keywords = 2-3 word combos
Example:
- ❌ "Mug" (100,000+ competition, nearly impossible)
- ⚠️ "Personalized mug" (5,000+ competition, still hard)
- ✅ "Personalized coffee mug for coworkers" (200-400 vol, very rankable)
4. Test Before You Invest Heavily
Free tools let you validate before creating:
- Research keyword with free tool (5 min)
- Check sales signal and competition (pass/fail decision)
- Analyze top 3 shops (what's working?)
- Identify your angle (how you'll differentiate)
- Create ONE test listing
- Monitor performance for 30-60 days (Etsy's positioning period)
If it works: Scale. If it doesn't: Learn and adjust. Give Etsy 30-60 days to position your listing before making major changes.
5. Combine Keywords Into Listing Strategy
Free tools show opportunity, strategy multiplies it:
Keyword research reveals:
- • "Personalized coffee mug for boss" (180/mo, 0.4 competition) ✅
- • "Personalized coffee mug for coworkers" (120/mo, 0.35 competition) ✅
- • "Custom coffee mug personalized" (280/mo, 0.5 competition) ✅
Your listing strategy:
- Title tags: Use all three keywords strategically
- Description: Target supporting keywords (coffee enthusiast, office gift, team gifts)
- Listing details: Emphasize customization options
- Tags: Capture related variations (gift mug, custom mug, personalized gift)
One listing, three keywords, multiple angles = way more visibility
6. Track Your Rankings Over Time
Free tools often include list-saving features:
- Create list: "Coffee mug opportunity keywords"
- Add 10-15 identified keywords
- Check back weekly: How are you ranking?
- Double-click on top performers
- Refine descriptions/tags based on what's working
You don't need paid "rank tracking" software. A spreadsheet + weekly manual checks = good enough for starting sellers.
Before/After Case Study: How One Seller Found $5K/Month With Free Tools
Meet Sarah: New Etsy Seller
Background:
- Crafts custom wooden signs as side income
- Small budget ($200/month max)
- New to Etsy (3 weeks in)
- Made 2 sales her first month ($80 total)
Problem:
Listings were getting 2-3 views per week. Sales were nearly nonexistent.
Why it was failing:
- All listings targeted "wooden sign" (50K+ competition)
- No long-tail targeting
- Zero understanding of what customers wanted
- Assumptions-based instead of research-based
Sarah's research strategy (using free tools):
Week 1: Discovery (InsightAgent free tier)
- Searched "wooden sign" → 50K competition (too broad)
- Searched "personalized wooden sign" → 3,200 competition (still hard)
- Searched "custom wooden sign for home" → 6 sales signal, 450 competition ✅
Week 2: Deep Dive Analysis
- Analyzed top 5 shops ranking for "custom wooden sign for home"
- Used InsightAgent's sentiment analyzer
- Found that most high-ranking shops emphasized: customization options, fast delivery ("ready to ship in 5 days"), gift-worthiness
- Sentiment analysis showed customers loved personalization + quality, complained about vague listings
Week 3: Strategic Expansion
- Used Google Trends to check seasonality
- Discovered spike in November-December (gifts!)
- Found related keywords: "Personalized housewarming gift" (5 sales signal), "Custom wooden name sign" (7 sales signal), "Family name wooden sign" (4 sales signal)
Week 4: Implementation
Sarah created 5 new listings targeting long-tail keywords she'd researched, each including: primary keyword in title, 3-4 related keywords in description, emphasis on customization and gifts, fast shipping promise, high-quality photos.
Results (30/60/90 days):
Month 1
- Views: 2-3/week → 12-15/week (4-6x increase)
- Impressions: 40-50 → 200+ weekly
- Sales: $80 → $320 (4x)
Month 2
- Views: 30-40/week
- Impressions: 400+
- Sales: $850
- Now ranking #12-18 for "custom wooden sign for home"
Month 3
- Views: 50-60/week
- Impressions: 600+
- Sales: $1,200
- Ranking #8 for "custom wooden sign for home"
- Ranking #3 for "custom wooden name sign"
Month 4-6 (Compound effect):
Sales: $1,500-2,000/month. Multiple keywords ranking in top 10. Repeat customers starting (proof her customization is good).
Year-end projection: Running at $3,500-5,000/month (seasonal spike in Q4). 80+ reviews (all 4.8+ stars). Shop featured in multiple Etsy gift guides.
What Made This Work
- Free tools gave her data (not guesses)
- Long-tail focus (avoid oversaturated keywords)
- Sentiment analysis revealed what customers wanted
- Quick iteration (created 5 listings, tested, refined)
- Zero paid tools (everything used was free)
Total investment: $50 for raw materials, $0 for research tools, 10 hours of research work.
Return: From $80 → $2,000+/month in 6 months
User Reviews & Testimonials
"This should be paid. It's better than tools I've paid $50/month for."
"I've tried eRank, Marmalead, and EverBee. InsightAgent's free tier is legitimately the best value I've found. The sentiment analysis feature alone saved me from investing in a niche that had terrible customer satisfaction. Highly recommend."
— Jessica T., Etsy shop with 500+ reviews
"Perfect for validating keywords before I spend money on inventory."
"I'm bootstrapping with zero budget for tools. InsightAgent let me research 15 different product ideas before committing to one. The free tier was all I needed to validate which niche had real demand. Worth every penny I'm not spending."
— Marcus L., New seller, 2 months in
"The buyer demographics feature changed my entire marketing strategy."
"Knowing that 67% of my competitors' buyers are gift-buyers completely changed how I write descriptions. I went from 'universal mug' language to 'perfect gift for coffee lovers.' My conversion rate improved 40% just from that insight."
— Rachel S., Personalized gifts shop
"I compared 5 free tools. InsightAgent was the clear winner."
"I did a full comparison video of 5 free Etsy tools. InsightAgent dominated. No credit card required, powerful search capabilities, better features than paid competitors, and genuinely helpful AI analysis. It's the clear winner for free keyword research."
— David M., Tool reviewer on YouTube
"Used for 3 months free, then upgraded because I trusted it."
"Started with the free tier to test. After 3 months of profitable growth from their research, I upgraded to the Pro plan. Never would have paid for something I hadn't tested first. The free tier was the perfect sales pitch."
— Priya K., Shop owner
Frequently Asked Questions
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About InsightAgent
InsightAgent is the leading Etsy analytics platform helping 200,000+ sellers optimize their shops with AI-powered insights. Our free keyword research tool offers 15 free credits with no credit card required, plus unique AI features like sentiment analysis and buyer demographics.
Get started free - No credit card required. Get 15 free credits to research keywords, analyze competitors, and validate niches instantly.
Last updated: January 2026 • Word count: 3,458