MarketMuse Pricing 2026: Free, Optimize, Research & Strategy
MarketMuse pricing explained: Free, Optimize, Research and Strategy limits, queries, tracked topics, content briefs, sales-assisted pricing and current plan.
MarketMuse currently has four plan levels: Free, Optimize, Research and Strategy. The Free plan is public and costs $0. The paid Optimize, Research and Strategy tiers publish their allowances and feature differences but no longer display numerical prices. Buyers must book a demo or contact sales for a current quote.
This matters because older MarketMuse prices still circulate in third-party reviews. Those numbers should not be treated as current. For 2026, the most reliable public information is the plan structure: users, queries, site inventory, tracked topics, content briefs and strategy-document allowances.
Quick verdict
Free is useful for evaluating MarketMuse's topic models and Optimize workflow but is too limited for ongoing editorial production. Optimize is the entry paid tier for a solo user managing one site, while Research is the first serious team plan because it includes three users, 1,000 tracked topics and unlimited queries. Strategy is designed for agencies and larger teams with 10,000 tracked topics, all nine brief formats and higher planning capacity. The major drawback is that none of the paid plans currently publish a numerical price.
Key takeaways
- Free costs $0 and includes 1 user plus 10 queries/month
- Optimize is contact-sales pricing with 1 user, 1 site inventory, 100 tracked topics, 5 briefs, 1 strategy document and 100 queries/month
- Research is contact-sales pricing with 3 users, 1,000 tracked topics, 10 briefs, 3 strategy documents and unlimited queries
- Strategy is contact-sales pricing with 5 users, 10,000 tracked topics, 20 briefs, 5 strategy documents, unlimited queries and all 9 brief types
- Extra query batches can be purchased using account credits
- Content briefs also use credits
- Paid prices should be requested directly rather than inferred from old third-party pricing pages
- Current access is governed by Siteimprove's subscription terms
MarketMuse pricing checked on September 24, 2026 against the current official pricing page and Help Center. Paid numerical prices are intentionally left unpublished because MarketMuse currently requires contact for pricing.:
M
MarketMuse Tested
AI content intelligence for topic research, optimization, briefs and content strategy
Best for: SEO and content teams that need topic modeling, site-level content strategy, optimization guidance and briefs based on their own authority and competitive landscape.
Features and capabilities4.7
Usability and implementation4.5
Pricing and value transparency3.5
Integrations, security and trust4.6
Key features
- Content Strategy Documents
- SERP X-Ray
- Content Briefs
- Competitive Content Analysis
- Site Inventory
Pros
- G2 reviewers commonly praise MarketMuse for topic research and for showing which concepts a page should cover to improve topical completeness.
- MarketMuse uses site inventory, authority and personalized difficulty rather than only generic keyword metrics, helping prioritize opportunities that fit the site's actual strength.
- Optimize provides content scoring, target word-count guidance and topical gaps for both new and existing pages.
Cons
- Paid Optimize, Research and Strategy tiers do not publish numerical prices on the current pricing page, making budget comparison difficult without contacting sales.
- G2 pricing feedback repeatedly describes MarketMuse as expensive for smaller teams and individual marketers.
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MarketMuse pricing plans at a glance
| Plan | Public price | Users | Tracked topics | Queries | Content briefs | Strategy docs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 | None | 10/month | None | None |
| Optimize | Contact sales | 1 | 100 | 100/month | 5/month | 1/month |
| Research | Contact sales | 3 | 1,000 | Unlimited | 10/month | 3/month |
| Strategy | Contact sales | 5 | 10,000 | Unlimited | 20/month | 5/month |
MarketMuse Free pricing
Free costs $0 and is a permanent low-volume tier. It includes one user, 10 queries per month and access to Topic Navigator, Keywords, SERP X-Ray, SERP Heatmap, Site Heatmap and Connect. It does not include a site inventory, tracked topics, content briefs or strategy documents.
Free is best used to evaluate MarketMuse's research quality. Ten queries can disappear quickly because every application run for a topic can consume another query, even when the user is revisiting the same subject.
MarketMuse Optimize pricing
Optimize is the entry paid tier, but MarketMuse currently requires buyers to contact sales for the dollar price. The plan includes one site inventory, one user, 100 tracked topics, five Content Briefs per month, one Content Strategy Document per month and 100 queries.
Optimize fits a solo SEO or content strategist publishing regularly. The site inventory is a meaningful upgrade from Free because it enables more domain-specific planning and personalized metrics rather than only isolated topic research.
MarketMuse Research pricing
Research is also contact-sales pricing. It includes one site inventory, three users, 1,000 tracked topics, 10 Content Briefs per month, three Strategy Documents and unlimited queries.
This is the first tier designed for a real content team. Unlimited queries remove the need to ration Research and Optimize runs, while the higher tracked-topic allowance supports a larger editorial program.
MarketMuse Strategy pricing
Strategy is the highest publicly described standard tier and requires a sales quote. It includes one site inventory, five users, 10,000 tracked topics, 20 Content Briefs per month, five Strategy Documents and unlimited queries.
Strategy also unlocks all nine current brief types: Article, Comparison, FAQ Collection, Guide, How-to, Listicle, Local, News/Event and Product Review. It is designed for agencies, mid-market companies and larger editorial organizations managing a significant content portfolio.
Why does MarketMuse no longer publish paid prices?
MarketMuse's current pricing page presents paid plans through demos rather than self-serve checkout. The product is now provided by Siteimprove, and the sales-assisted structure gives the vendor room to package plan limits, sites, users and commercial terms around the organization.
For buyers, the trade-off is reduced transparency. It is impossible to compare the exact monthly or annual cost against Clearscope, Frase or Surfer without requesting a quote.
How MarketMuse queries work
A query is used each time a focus topic—and optionally a URL—is entered into an application such as Research or Optimize and the analysis is run. Running the same topic again can consume another query.
Queries refresh monthly. Free includes 10 and Optimize 100, while Research and Strategy currently publish unlimited query allowances.
Can you buy extra MarketMuse queries?
Yes. MarketMuse says additional queries can be purchased in batches of ten using account credits. The current price is shown inside the application before the order is confirmed rather than published as a fixed amount on the public pricing page.
How MarketMuse credits work
MarketMuse distinguishes credits from queries. Queries fund analysis runs, while credits are used for purchases such as Content Briefs and extra query batches. Teams should therefore ask how credits are priced and replenished when they receive a paid quote.
What is included in MarketMuse Content Briefs?
Briefs are more detailed than a basic outline. Depending on plan and brief type, they can include personas, pain points, search intent, funnel stage, topic model, important concepts, competitive gaps, questions, content structure, information-gain opportunities and linking recommendations.
Optimize includes five Article Briefs per month, Research 10 and Strategy 20. Strategy is the tier that exposes all nine brief formats.
Content Strategy Document limits
Optimize includes one Strategy Document per month, Research three and Strategy five. These documents are designed to turn inventory and topic analysis into prioritized recommendations for creating, optimizing or updating content.
Tracked-topic limits
Optimize includes 100 tracked topics, Research 1,000 and Strategy 10,000. Tracked topics matter because they support inventory analysis and ongoing strategic monitoring rather than one-off keyword research.
Site inventory limits
Free has no site inventory. Optimize, Research and Strategy each currently include one site inventory on the public plan comparison. Larger organizations should ask sales about additional sites, especially if they operate multiple brands, countries or client domains.
MarketMuse cancellation and contract terms
Current paid service is governed through Siteimprove's Subscription Services Agreement. Because paid plans are sales-assisted, cancellation notice, renewal dates and commercial rights can be contract-specific rather than a simple self-serve monthly cancel button.
MarketMuse does not currently advertise a universal public money-back guarantee. Buyers should review refund, credit and early-termination language before signing a longer agreement.
MarketMuse pricing compared with alternatives
Clearscope Essentials is currently $129 per month and Business $399, with unlimited users and projects plus 14-day trials. Frase Starter is $49 month-to-month or $39 annual-equivalent, Professional is $129/$103 and Scale $299/$239. Surfer's current annual-billing prices start at $49 per month for Discovery, $99 for Standard, $182 for Pro and $299 for Peace of Mind.
MarketMuse may still be competitive for a larger organization depending on the sales quote, but that cannot be established from public information. Its value proposition should therefore be evaluated on strategic capabilities such as inventory, personalized difficulty and topic authority rather than assumed price parity.
Which MarketMuse plan offers the best fit?
Choose Free to evaluate MarketMuse's topic modeling and Optimize guidance. Choose Optimize if one strategist manages one site and needs inventory plus a small number of briefs. Choose Research when a small team needs unlimited queries and larger tracked-topic capacity. Choose Strategy when the organization needs multiple brief types and a 10,000-topic planning horizon.
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Final pricing verdict
MarketMuse's plan structure is easy to understand but its paid cost is not. Free provides a useful low-volume evaluation path, while Optimize, Research and Strategy scale predictably in users, tracked topics, briefs and strategy documents. The lack of public paid prices is the main buyer-side weakness.
Do not use old historical MarketMuse pricing in a 2026 budget. Ask for a current quote and compare it against the exact workload your team needs: sites, users, queries, tracked topics, briefs and planning documents. That is the only reliable way to judge whether the strategic depth justifies the contract.
Expert tip
Before talking to sales, build a one-page capacity sheet with your number of sites, writers, strategists, monthly briefs and tracked topics. Send that with the quote request so you can compare MarketMuse against self-serve competitors on equivalent capacity instead of vague plan names.
— SearchSagar editorial team
How much is MarketMuse?
MarketMuse Free costs $0 with one user and 10 queries per month. Optimize, Research and Strategy currently require contact for pricing because MarketMuse does not publish numerical paid prices.
What does MarketMuse Optimize include?
Optimize includes one site inventory, one user, 100 tracked topics, five Content Briefs per month, one Strategy Document per month and 100 queries.
What does MarketMuse Research include?
Research includes one site inventory, three users, 1,000 tracked topics, 10 briefs, three Strategy Documents and unlimited queries.
What does MarketMuse Strategy include?
Strategy includes one site inventory, five users, 10,000 tracked topics, 20 briefs, five Strategy Documents, unlimited queries and access to all nine brief types.
Can I buy extra MarketMuse queries?
Yes. Extra queries are available in batches of ten using account credits, with the current price shown inside MarketMuse before purchase.
Does MarketMuse offer a free plan?
Yes. The permanent Free plan includes one user and 10 monthly queries but does not include site inventory, tracked topics, briefs or strategy documents.