When you start using a rank tracking tool, the most common question is not "which tool is best" but "which plan is right for me". Pick a plan that is too small and you keep hitting limits and deleting keywords you are tracking. Pick one that is too large and you pay for capacity you will never use. This article suggests a simple way to calculate, aimed at freelancers and small agencies.
Step 1: Count the keywords you actually need to track
Most plans are priced by the total number of keywords across all projects in your account. Make a realistic list: each website usually has a core keyword group — main product/service keywords, supporting informational keywords, and brand keywords. For a small business website, the real number is typically 20–50 keywords per project, not the hundreds many people fear at first.
A money-saving tip: do not add every spelling variant of the same search intent if you only need the general trend. Pick the most representative variant with clear search volume, and check the rest manually only when truly needed.
Step 2: Multiply by projects and clients
A freelancer serving 2–3 small clients usually needs around 60–150 keywords across 3 projects. A small agency serving 5–10 clients will need a few hundred to about a thousand keywords. Remember: the project limit and the keyword limit are two separate numbers — some plans offer many keywords but few projects, or the reverse. Compare both against how you organize your work; each client should be its own project so reports stay separate.
Step 3: Consider check depth and device
Check depth (only the first page, or scanning deep to the Top 100) and separating desktop/mobile results affect both how you read the data and the plan size you need. If your clients mostly sell to mobile users, prefer a separate mobile project instead of mixing devices. A Top 30 depth is enough for most small websites; only large brands, or hunting for keywords on page two and three, need scanning to the Top 100.
Quick suggestions by scale
- Just starting, one website of your own: the Free plan is enough to get familiar — create 1 project, track your most important keyword group and build a weekly habit of reviewing the numbers.
- Freelancer with 2–5 clients: pick a mid-range plan with a few hundred keywords and around 10 projects, leaving headroom for new clients while keeping costs light.
- Small agency with 5–15 clients: prioritize a plan with a large keyword limit (around 2,000 keywords) and unlimited or generous project limits, so you do not have to upgrade mid-campaign.
Finally, remember a plan is not a lifetime commitment. Start with the smallest plan that meets your current needs, watch your real usage after a month, then upgrade when the numbers show you truly need more. At Keyword.help, activations stack onto your current period when you renew the same plan, so you never lose paid time when upgrading.
Look before you decide: compare the limits of each plan on the Keyword.help pricing page, or sign up for the Free plan to try it today before upgrading.