Topical map tools compared
We make Topical Map AI, one of the tools on this page. Everything below about the other tools comes from their own websites, checked on 17 October 2026, with a link to each source. Prices change, so check the vendor's page before you buy.
A topical map is a plan for a site: the main topics you need to cover, the subtopics under each one, and the articles that would cover them. Tools that build one fall into two groups:
- Start from a keyword. You type a niche or seed keyword and get a plan for a site that may not exist yet.
- Start from your site. The tool reads what you already rank for, through Google Search Console or a crawl, and shows the gaps.
Ask three questions before you choose: which group you need, how the tool decides which keywords belong together, and whether you need search volume on every keyword.
The tools at a glance
| Tool | Starts from | How it groups keywords (in the vendor's words) | Cheapest plan with the feature | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floyi | A seed keyword | "Group keywords by shared SERP results" | Pro, $99 a month ($82.50 billed yearly); topical maps also run on the free plan's credits | Free plan |
| Keyword Insights | Your keyword list | Keywords that share 30% or more of their top 10 results become a cluster | Basic, $58 a month | $1 trial for 7 days |
| Surfer (Topical Map) | Your site's Search Console data | By closeness of meaning | Pro, $182 a month billed yearly | Not stated |
| Frase (Topic Clusters) | Your site and its ranking pages | Matches your content to clusters from the search results | Starter, $49 a month ($39 billed yearly) | 7 day trial |
| Search Atlas (Topical Map Generator) | A seed keyword | AI analysis; the method is not described | Starter, $99 a month; which plan includes the feature is not stated | 7 day trial |
| MarketMuse (Content Clusters) | Your site's existing authority | Not stated | Prices not published | Free plan, 10 queries a month |
| Topical Map AI | A niche or seed keyword | Grouped into topics by AI | Basic, $56 a month, or a single map for $39 | No free plan |
Semrush also plans topic clusters through its Keyword Strategy Builder, which sorts up to 10,000 keywords into topics, pillar pages and subpages. Its help page and its current pricing page disagree on which plans include it, so we have left its price out. Source: Semrush Knowledge Base.
Floyi
Floyi builds a four-level map with a content title, search intent and URL slug for each planned page, and you can open the current search results for any keyword in it. It groups keywords by how many search results they share, and you can sort the map by search volume. It exports to Excel, with a Markdown outline sheet inside. Floyi has a free plan that runs on credits, and Pro is $99 a month. Floyi publishes its own comparison with Topical Map AI.
Sources: Topical maps, documentation, pricing
Keyword Insights
Keyword Insights starts from a keyword list you bring. It clusters keywords that share 30% or more of their top 10 Google results (you can change the threshold), then groups those clusters into larger "topical clusters". Clustering costs 1 credit per keyword; Basic is $58 a month with 10,000 credits.
Sources: keyword clustering, pricing
Surfer
Surfer's Topical Map reads your Search Console data, groups your keywords by how close their meanings are and suggests articles for the clusters you have not covered, with search volume for each cluster. It needs a connected domain, so it does not plan a brand new site, and it makes one map per domain, refreshed every 14 days. It is included from the Pro plan, shown at $182 a month billed yearly.
Sources: Topical Map help article, pricing
Frase
Frase's Topic Clusters map your pillar pages and the content around them, show the subtopics you have not covered yet, and turn each gap into a brief. Frase says every plan includes the cluster map; Starter is $49 a month, or $39 a month billed yearly, with a 7 day trial.
Sources: Topic Clusters, pricing
Search Atlas
Search Atlas's Topical Map Generator builds content clusters, supporting topics and keyword relationships from one seed keyword. Its Starter plan is $99 a month; the pricing page does not say which plans include the generator or how many maps you get.
Sources: Topical Map Generator, pricing
MarketMuse
MarketMuse's Content Clusters show which clusters have the biggest opportunity based on the authority your site already has. Its prices are not published (every paid plan asks you to contact sales); the free plan includes 10 queries a month.
Sources: Content Clusters, pricing
Topical Map AI
You type a niche, choose a map size, and get 3 to 12 main clusters and 20 to 60 subtopics, with keywords and a planned article for each subtopic. The whole map takes about 6 to 15 minutes. You can turn any topic into a content brief, and export the map to a spreadsheet.
What it does not do, so you can rule it out quickly:
- Grouping: it groups keywords into topics with AI. It does not compare search results the way Floyi and Keyword Insights do.
- Search volume: shown where our data provider has it, which for long, specific keywords is often not the case.
- Your existing site: it does not read Search Console or crawl your site.
- Price: there is no free plan. Basic is $56 a month for 25 credits (a standard map uses 1), or you can buy a single map for $39.
Which one to pick
- Planning a new site from a keyword: Floyi, Search Atlas or Topical Map AI.
- You already have a keyword list and want clusters you can defend with search data: Keyword Insights.
- You have an established site and want the gaps: Surfer or Frase, or MarketMuse if you can take a sales call.