Content and market research
Teams looking for emerging topics before search demand and competition fully mature.
Independent tool overview
Exploding Topics at a glance
Exploding Topics is a trend-discovery platform from Semrush that combines machine analysis with human review to surface growing topics, products, markets and startups before they become mainstream.
Visit the official Exploding Topics site ↗
- Best for
- early trend, market and product discovery
- Owner
- Semrush
- Database
- 1.1M+ tracked trends
- Pricing model
- free access plus three Pro plans
Overview
What Exploding Topics is
Exploding Topics helps marketers, founders, ecommerce operators, researchers and investors look for sustained early growth rather than react only to what is already popular. Its database covers more than 1.1 million trends and supports browsing by topic, product, startup and broader meta-trend.
Semrush acquired Exploding Topics in 2024 and moved the product into the Semrush App Center in 2025. It still operates as a distinct product, with a free public experience and paid Pro plans that unlock deeper analysis, tracking, forecasts, channel data and larger limits.
The platform is best used as a discovery and prioritization layer. A rising search or conversation pattern can point to an opportunity, but it does not prove market size, customer intent or future revenue without additional research.
Use cases
Who Exploding Topics is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Product discovery
Ecommerce and product teams comparing growing categories with search, sales and channel signals.
Startup and investment scouting
Analysts screening markets and companies for early online-interest growth before deeper diligence.
Capabilities
Core Exploding Topics features
Trends Database
Browse more than 1.1 million topics with growth history, search metrics and supporting insights.
Trend Analysis and Tracking
Inspect an individual trend, compare time windows and save selected trends for ongoing monitoring.
Forecasting and channel data
Paid plans can add projected trend trajectories and show where conversations are gaining momentum.
Trending Products
Surfaces emerging products alongside growth signals and supporting Amazon metrics such as sales, pricing, reviews and brands.
Startups and Meta Trends
Connects individual signals into larger themes and provides dedicated startup discovery on qualifying plans.
Process
How the Exploding Topics workflow works
Step 1
Start with a category or audience
Choose the market, customer group or product area you are actually prepared to serve.
Step 2
Filter for durable growth
Compare several time horizons, seasonality and channel signals instead of selecting the steepest recent chart.
Step 3
Validate outside the platform
Confirm customer intent, competition, economics and operational fit before turning a trend into content, inventory or an investment decision.
Cost
Exploding Topics pricing and free plan
The public trend library is free. Exploding Topics Pro has a seven-day trial and three paid plans billed annually: Entrepreneur at $39 per month, Investor at $99 per month and Business at $249 per month. Add-ons such as TikTok Insights and the API cost extra.
Free
$0
Public access to a limited portion of the trend database and newsletter.
- Basic trend graphs and information
- Limited database access
- No Pro tracking limits or advanced reports
Entrepreneur
$39/month billed annually
Core Pro access for marketers, founders and smaller research teams.
- 100 tracked trends
- 10 trend analyses
- Trends Database, Trending Products and Meta Trends
- Channel Breakdown
Investor
$99/month billed annually
Adds startup intelligence, forecasting and higher limits.
- 500 tracked trends
- 100 trend analyses
- Trending Startups and Trend Forecasting
- CSV export
Business
$249/month billed annually
Highest standard plan for larger research programs.
- 2,000 tracked trends
- 500 trend analyses
- Trend reports
- Required base plan for the separately priced Trends API add-on
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
Exploding Topics strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- Makes broad trend exploration possible without requiring a starting keyword.
- Combines automated signal detection with human curation to reduce obvious noise and fads.
- Supports content, ecommerce, market and startup research in one interface.
What to consider
- Trend momentum is a directional research signal, not proof of demand, profitability or causation.
- Forecasts can change as new data arrives and should not be treated as guaranteed outcomes.
- Advanced startup data, forecasting, exports, reports, TikTok insights and API access depend on higher plans or add-ons.
Compare
Exploding Topics alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Data Analysis
Perplexity
Choose Perplexity when the priority is source-linked web research on a known question rather than systematic trend screening.
Explore Perplexity →Business Operations
ChatGPT
Choose ChatGPT for broader synthesis, writing and analysis after you already know which markets or topics to investigate.
Explore ChatGPT →Questions
Exploding Topics FAQs
What is Exploding Topics?
Exploding Topics is a Semrush-owned research platform that analyzes online signals and applies human review to identify growing topics, products, markets and startups early.
Is Exploding Topics free?
Yes. You can browse a limited public trend library for free. Paid Pro plans unlock the full database, tracking, deeper analysis and plan-specific intelligence.
How much does Exploding Topics cost?
As reviewed on August 29, 2026, paid plans cost $39, $99 or $249 per month when billed annually. The official pricing page advertises a seven-day trial.
Does Exploding Topics predict the future?
It produces forecasts from observed growth patterns, but those forecasts are probabilistic signals. They should be combined with customer, competitive and financial validation.
Is Exploding Topics part of Semrush?
Yes. Semrush acquired the company in 2024, and the product is available through the Semrush App Center while retaining its own site and plans.
Bottom line
Our Exploding Topics verdict
Exploding Topics is useful when the challenge is deciding what to research before competitors notice it. Its curated database and multiple signal types make discovery faster, but the paid tiers are most valuable only when a team will consistently turn trend signals into validated content, product or investment decisions.
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