MarketMuse — Capable content strategy tooling that stopped publishing its prices after Siteimprove acquired it — every plan now points to a demo booking.
Short answer: MarketMuse is an AI content strategy and intelligence platform acquired by Siteimprove under an agreement announced in October 2024, and it continues to operate as a standalone product within the Siteimprove suite. It offers Free, Optimize, Research and Strategy tiers. The free plan provides 10 queries a month with core research tools but no site inventory or content briefs. Following the acquisition, MarketMuse removed public dollar amounts from its pricing page — every plan now points to a demo booking.
On this page
Verdict at a glance
Overall rating: 2.5/5 ★★☆☆☆
Standout: Content strategy at the topic-cluster level rather than the individual page. MarketMuse plans what to write across a site, which most optimisation tools do not attempt.
Watch out: Public prices were removed from the pricing page after the Siteimprove acquisition. Paid plans were reported to start around $99 a month before that, but every tier now routes to a sales call.
MarketMuse does something genuinely useful: it plans content at the level of topics and clusters across a site, rather than optimising individual drafts the way Clearscope does. For a publisher deciding what to write next and where the gaps are, that strategic layer is a real capability, and the free tier’s 10 monthly queries with core research tools lets you sample it. What has changed, and what drives this score, is commercial rather than technical. Siteimprove entered a definitive agreement to acquire MarketMuse in October 2024, integrating its content intelligence into a broader suite covering analytics, accessibility, SEO and cross-channel advertising, with MarketMuse continuing as a standalone product. Following that acquisition, MarketMuse removed public dollar amounts from its pricing page — every plan now points to a “Book a demo” button, so you obtain a quote through a sales call rather than self-serving into a plan. Paid Optimize, Research and Strategy tiers were reported to start around $99 a month before the change, scaling on users, tracked topics and the volume of briefs and strategy documents. Against Clearscope, which publishes $129 and $399 with unlimited users, that opacity is a real disadvantage in any comparison.
Quick facts
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ideal team | Publishers planning content strategy across topic clusters |
| Learning curve | Moderate — strategic output needs interpreting |
| Setup time | Days, including site inventory analysis |
| Free trial | Free plan with 10 queries a month |
| Free tier | Yes — 10 queries monthly, ⚠️ no inventory or briefs |
| Ownership | ⚠️ Siteimprove, agreement announced October 2024 |
| Pricing published | ⚠️ No — removed after the acquisition |
| Reported previous entry | Around $99/month before prices were withdrawn |
Overview
MarketMuse is an AI content strategy and intelligence platform, and its distinguishing capability is planning rather than optimising. Where a content optimisation tool scores a draft against what already ranks, MarketMuse works at the level of topics and clusters across an entire site — identifying gaps, mapping coverage and producing briefs and strategy documents that determine what should be written at all. For a publisher deciding where to invest editorial effort next, that is a genuinely different and more strategic question.
The tier structure is Free, Optimize, Research and Strategy. The free plan includes 10 queries a month and the core research tools, but no site inventory and no content briefs — enough to sample the analysis, not enough to plan with. Paid plans add tracked topics, content briefs, strategy documents, more users and unlimited queries as you move up, scaling on users, tracked topics and the volume of briefs and strategy documents produced.
The commercial situation changed materially after acquisition. Siteimprove entered a definitive agreement to acquire MarketMuse in October 2024, integrating its content intelligence capabilities into a broader suite spanning analytics, accessibility, SEO and cross-channel advertising, with MarketMuse continuing to operate as a standalone product within that suite. Following the acquisition, MarketMuse removed public dollar amounts from its pricing page; every plan now points to a “Book a demo” button, so a quote comes through a sales call rather than through self-service. Paid plans were reported to start around $99 a month before the change. That withdrawal of pricing is the same pattern seen with Hotjar after Contentsquare acquired it, and it puts MarketMuse at a clear disadvantage against Clearscope, which publishes $129 and $399 openly with unlimited users on every plan.
Key features
- Topic and cluster planning — ⭐ strategy across a site, not per page
- Content gap analysis — identify what is missing from coverage
- Site inventory — ⚠️ paid plans only, not on the free tier
- Content briefs — ⚠️ paid plans only
- Strategy documents — higher paid tiers
- Tracked topics — allowance scales by tier
- Core research tools — available on the free plan
- Free plan — 10 queries a month
- Siteimprove suite integration — analytics, accessibility, SEO and advertising
- Standalone operation — continues as its own product post-acquisition
Pricing (as of 2026-09-28)
Model: quote-only since the Siteimprove acquisition; previously reported from ~$99/month · Free tier: yes — 10 queries a month, ⚠️ no site inventory or content briefs · Entry paid: ⚠️ Quote only — reported around $99/month before prices were withdrawn
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10 queries a month · core research tools · ⚠️ no site inventory · no content briefs |
| Optimize | ⚠️ Quote only | Reported to have started around $99 a month before prices were withdrawn · adds tracked topics and content briefs |
| Research | ⚠️ Quote only | Adds further tracked topics, briefs and users |
| Strategy | ⚠️ Quote only | Adds strategy documents, more users and unlimited queries |
⚠️ Following the Siteimprove acquisition, MarketMuse removed public dollar amounts from its pricing page. Every plan now points to a “Book a demo” button, so pricing comes through a sales call rather than self-service. Paid plans were reported to start around $99 a month before that change.
⚠️ Siteimprove entered a definitive agreement to acquire MarketMuse in October 2024, integrating its content intelligence into a suite covering analytics, accessibility, SEO and cross-channel advertising. MarketMuse continues as a standalone product, but roadmap and pricing now follow a parent’s priorities.
⚠️ The free plan’s 10 monthly queries include core research tools but exclude site inventory and content briefs — the capabilities that make MarketMuse strategic rather than merely analytical. It samples the product rather than demonstrating it.
Ratings breakdown
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease Of Use | 3.5/5 | Strategic output requires interpretation rather than just reading |
| Features | 4.0/5 | Genuine topic-cluster planning that optimisation tools do not attempt |
| Value | 1.5/5 | ⚠️ Impossible to assess — prices withdrawn after acquisition |
| Support | 3.0/5 | ⚠️ Post-acquisition support model not publicly established |
Pros
- Plans content at topic and cluster level rather than per page
- Content gap analysis identifies what is missing from site coverage
- Content briefs and strategy documents on paid tiers
- Free plan provides 10 monthly queries with core research tools
- Continues to operate as a standalone product post-acquisition
- Siteimprove backing adds analytics, accessibility and advertising context
- Strategic layer genuinely complements draft-level optimisation tools
- Tracked topics scale with tier for growing content operations
Cons
- ⚠️ Public prices removed from the pricing page after the acquisition
- ⚠️ Every plan now routes to a demo booking rather than self-service
- ⚠️ Free plan excludes site inventory and content briefs entirely
- Roadmap and pricing now follow Siteimprove’s priorities
- Cannot be compared on price against Clearscope’s published $129 and $399
- 10 free queries a month samples rather than demonstrates the product
- Post-acquisition support model is not publicly established
Who it’s for
- Publishers planning content strategy across topic clusters
- Teams deciding what to write rather than how to optimise a draft
- Organisations already inside the Siteimprove suite
- Content operations with budget for a sales-led procurement process
Who it’s not for
- Anyone who needs a published price before evaluating
- Teams optimising individual drafts — Clearscope publishes $129
- Small teams unwilling to book a demo to learn the cost
- Buyers uneasy about post-acquisition roadmap uncertainty
Best use cases
- Identifying content gaps across an entire site’s topic coverage
- Producing briefs that determine what should be written next
- Building a strategy document for an editorial quarter
- Sampling the research tools on 10 free monthly queries
- Combining content strategy with Siteimprove’s wider analytics suite
Integrations
MarketMuse now sits within Siteimprove’s suite spanning analytics, accessibility, SEO and cross-channel advertising, which is the integration story the acquisition was intended to create — content strategy informed by the same platform measuring the site’s performance and accessibility. Whether that consolidation delivers value depends on whether you use the rest of the Siteimprove suite; for a standalone buyer it adds context you may not need while removing the pricing transparency you did.
How it compares
| MarketMuse | Clearscope | Moz Pro | Screaming Frog | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | ⚠️ Quote only | $129/mo (Essentials) | $39/mo annual (Starter) | ⭐ $279/year flat |
| Prices published | ⚠️ No, removed post-acquisition | ⭐ Yes | ⭐ Yes | ⭐ Yes |
| Free tier | 10 queries monthly | ⚠️ None | Free tools only | ⭐ 500 URLs, permanent |
| Users included | Tier-dependent | ⭐ Unlimited on every plan | Tier-dependent | Per licence |
| Ownership | ⚠️ Siteimprove since 2024 | Independent | Independent | Independent |
| Primary job | ⭐ Topic-cluster strategy | Draft optimisation | SEO suite | Technical crawling |
| Best fit | Content strategy planning | Content optimisation | Published-price SEO suite | Technical site auditing |
Screaming Frog, Moz Pro, SE Ranking and Clearscope figures are from published third-party reporting verified 2026-09-28. MarketMuse withdrew public pricing following its acquisition by Siteimprove.
Alternatives
Clearscope publishes $129 and $399 openly with unlimited users on every plan, and is the direct alternative for content optimisation. Moz Pro and SE Ranking cover SEO suites with published pricing. Screaming Frog handles technical auditing at one flat licence. All four publish what they cost, which MarketMuse no longer does.
Recent changes
The defining change is ownership and its commercial consequence. Siteimprove entered a definitive agreement to acquire MarketMuse in October 2024, integrating its content intelligence capabilities into a broader suite covering analytics, accessibility, SEO and cross-channel advertising, with MarketMuse continuing to operate as a standalone product within that suite. Following the acquisition, MarketMuse removed public dollar amounts from its pricing page, and every plan now points to a “Book a demo” button so that quotes are obtained through a sales call rather than through self-service signup. Paid Optimize, Research and Strategy plans were reported to start around $99 per month before that change, scaling based on users, tracked topics and the volume of content briefs and strategy documents. The Free plan continues to include 10 queries a month and the core research tools, but no site inventory and no content briefs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does MarketMuse cost?
It no longer publishes prices. Following the Siteimprove acquisition, MarketMuse removed public dollar amounts from its pricing page and every plan points to a demo booking. Paid Optimize, Research and Strategy plans were reported to start around $99 a month before that change, scaling on users, tracked topics and brief volume.
Who owns MarketMuse now?
Siteimprove, under a definitive agreement announced in October 2024 that integrated MarketMuse’s content intelligence into a suite covering analytics, accessibility, SEO and cross-channel advertising. MarketMuse continues to operate as a standalone product, but roadmap and pricing now follow a parent company’s priorities rather than its own.
Why did MarketMuse stop publishing prices?
The change followed the Siteimprove acquisition — public dollar amounts were removed from the pricing page and every plan now routes to a demo. The same pattern occurred with Hotjar after Contentsquare acquired it, and it makes any price comparison against published competitors impossible without a sales call.
What does MarketMuse’s free plan include?
10 queries a month and the core research tools, but no site inventory and no content briefs. Those two exclusions matter, because inventory and briefs are what make MarketMuse strategic rather than merely analytical. The free tier samples the analysis; it does not demonstrate the planning capability you would be buying.
MarketMuse or Clearscope?
Clearscope for content optimisation with published pricing at $129 and $399 and unlimited users on every plan. MarketMuse for topic-cluster strategy — deciding what to write rather than how to write it — if you are willing to book a demo to learn the cost. They address different stages of the same workflow.
Is MarketMuse still being developed?
It continues to operate as a standalone product within the Siteimprove suite, so it has not been discontinued in the way some acquired products are. The uncertainty is directional rather than existential — the roadmap now serves Siteimprove’s broader platform strategy, which may or may not align with what standalone MarketMuse customers want.
Should the acquisition stop me evaluating MarketMuse?
Not by itself — the capability is real and it continues as a standalone product. But treat it as a reason for shorter commitments and careful contract terms, and factor in that you cannot compare it on price against alternatives without entering a sales process. That asymmetry disadvantages MarketMuse in most honest evaluations.
Sources
- Siteimprove — Siteimprove to acquire MarketMuse
- Spike AI — MarketMuse pricing in 2026: plans, true costs and when it’s worth it
- eesel AI — Clearscope pricing 2026: an honest breakdown
- Marketer’s Choice — Moz pricing 2026: every plan explained plus the hidden costs
- Comparedge — Screaming Frog pricing 2026: free and paid version from £199/yr
Compiled from public sources; last verified 2026-09-28. Pricing is subject to change — verify with the vendor. Ratings reflect editorial opinion based on documented capabilities, published pricing, and aggregated user reviews. DigiJaws does not accept payment for review placement or rating.
MarketMuse Review (2.5/5): Pricing & Verdict (2026). DigiJaws, 2026. https://digijaws.com/reviews/marketmuse-review/