When you’re trying to decide between Merchant Words vs Helium 10, you have to decide what you want from these tools.
You see, both these tools are very different. Merchant Words is basically a keyword research tool. It helps you find relevant keywords that shoppers are searching for. Plus, you can then use those keywords to find new products to sell on Amazon.
In comparison, Helium 10 has an entire suite of tools. These not only help with keyword research but also with other aspects of your business.
For this article, we’ll see how both tools compare in the keyword research space. Then, I’ll give you a very quick rundown of what extra tools you can find if you decide to use Helium 10.
Comparison Table
In this table, I’m basically only showing you the tools that both Merchant Words and Helium 10 have in common. I’ll show you the extra tools that Helium 10 has further in the article.
Features | Merchant Words | Helium 10 |
|---|---|---|
Price | From $29/month (single country) | From $97/month |
Free Trial | No. But there’s a 14-day money-back guarantee | Free Basic Plan with usage limits |
Product Research | ✅ | ✅ |
Keyword Research | ✅ | ✅ |
Listing Optimizer | ✅ (As an extra paid service only) | ✅ |
Keyword Rank Tracker | ✅ | ✅ |
Competitor Analysis | ✅ | ✅ |
Chrome Extensions | ❌ | ✅ |
Official Website | https://www.merchantwords.com |
Comparing Merchant Words vs Helium 10
Firstly, let me explain that any keyword data that you get from any tool is only an estimation. This is because Amazon does not release actual data to anyone.
So, keyword research tools have to collect any data that they can. And then, create some estimates on search volume, etc.
Both Merchant Words and Helium 10 get their data from the Amazon search bar or shopper searches. These keywords are then analyzed using artificial intelligence. The AI can then find all the possible combinations.
Most likely, you will find different results using either tool for keyword research. This will all depend on how the AI is analyzing the mined data.
#1: Comparing Helium 10’s Magnet To The Classic Search On Merchant Words
To show you how these two tools compare, I searched the term “protein powder” in both to get the following results.
Merchant Words Classic Search Results
Magnet By Helium 10
As you can see from these two searches, Merchant Words shows 75,916 keywords and Magnet only shows 25,481 keywords. Mind you, that’s still a lot of keywords for you to work with. I do prefer the layout that Merchant Words has because it seems easier to read.
Comparing The Results For “Collagen Protein Powder”
Now, let’s look at how the results compare for the term “collagen protein powder”.
Merchant Words
Magnet By Helium 10
According to Merchant Words, this keyword has a search volume of 38,000. But, Helium 10 says it has a search volume of 14,634. That’s quite a big difference between the two.
From this, you can easily see that no two keyword tools are going to give you the exact same results. This is because it all depends on how the AI communicates with Amazon and then collates the data.
So, let’s look at the similarities between the two tools. Both tools:
- Give you an extensive list of keywords.
- Provide the estimated search volume for each keyword.
- Give you an estimate of the total number of products available for each keyword.
- Have links to the Amazon search results page for each keyword.
- Allow you to sort the columns in the results.
- By hovering over the column headings, you get an explanation of what they mean.
But, what about the differences between the two tools. Let’s look at these.
Helium 10:
- Gives you an IQ score. This is an algorithm of monthly searches compared to competing products. The higher the score the more searches with less competition.
- Shows you an estimate of the number of products that have PPC ads running for each search term.
- Gives you an estimate of the total number of competing products available for each keyword.
- Provides an estimate of how many units of a product you have to sell in an 8-day period. This allows the product to show up on page 1 of the search results.
- Shows you which search terms feature “Amazon’s Choice” products
- Gives you an idea of the top-ranking products for the search term with a link to Cerebro. This is a reverse ASIN lookup tool also available with Helium 10.
Merchant Words:
- Provides a graph of search trends over the past 12 months.
- Gives you a rolling average of search volume for 3 months and 12 months.
- Lets you know the total number of reviews on page 1 of search results for each keyword.
- Classifies keywords according to how often they are searched for.
- Gives you an estimate on when each keyword was last searched for.
- Identifies the main category that products for each keyword are listed in on Amazon.
- Gives you a link to find related terms for your search term.
- You also can upload a list of up to 1,000 keywords to test.
#2: Comparing Helium 10’s Cerebro with Asin Plus By Merchant Words
Both Merchant Words and Helium 10 have reverse ASIN lookup tools. These are the results for ASIN B08BL89Z78. This product is a Kodak Mini 3 Square Retro Portable Printer.
Asin Plus Results
Cerebro By Helium 10 Results
In this example, Merchant Words returned a total of 801 search terms but Helium 10 returned 7,470. As you can see, the results are set out very similarly in both tools compared to the keyword search we did earlier.
This is with the exception that both tools also give you the organic rank of each keyword.
Comparing The Results For “Prynt Pocket Printer”
Let’s look at the results that each tool gives us for the term “prynt pocket printer”.
Merchant Words
Cerebro By Helium 10
Both tools show this term as having a rank of 1. But, Merchant Words shows a search volume of 9,900, and Helium 10 shows a search volume of only 493. Once again, this is a significant difference in search volume.
#3: Extra Tools Included With A Helium 10 Subscription
As I said previously, Helium 10 provides a complete suite of tools for Amazon sellers that Merchant Words does not.
Here are the extra tools that are available with a Helium 10 subscription:
- Scribbles (listing optimizer)
- Inventory Protector (coupon abuse prevention)
- Refund Genie (reimbursement assistance)
- Alerts (hijacker and product monitoring)
- Profits (financial analysis dashboard including inventory management)
- Follow Up (email automation tool)
- Portal (landing page builder)
- Freedom Ticket (Amazon sellers training)
So, if you’re looking for a complete set of tools that include keyword and product research, then Helium 10 is a much better value for money.
#4: Pricing
Here are the different pricing schedules for Merchant Words and Helium 10 plans.
Merchant Words
Helium 10
As you can see, Helium 10 does offer a Free Access plan but this has limited uses. So, most Amazon sellers would opt for the Platinum plan at $97 per month (check for coupons), to begin with.
Merchant Words does not have a Free Access plan. But, if you’re only selling in 1 country, you can opt for the Silver plan at $29 per month. Merchant Words also give you 2 months free if you pay annually.
#5: Support
Merchant Words has a full page of frequently asked questions. These should answer most of your questions. They also have a “contact us” form on every page of their website. As well as this, they have a blog and a podcast. Plus, you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Linkedin.
Helium 10 has a “chatbot” that is available during business hours. Otherwise, you can leave a message and they will get back to you. Or, you can email your questions to support@helium10.com.
Helium 10 also has a very active Facebook group for its members. Plus, they have a regular podcast with new episodes every Tuesday and Saturday.
From this information, you can surmise that help is never far away. Whether you decide to go with Helium 10 or Merchant Words.
And The Overall Winner Is
MerchantWords and Helium 10 solve different jobs. MerchantWords is best when you only need keyword and product research with cleaner reports. Helium 10 is the better overall pick when you want one suite for research, listings, alerts, refunds, PPC, and training.
I still like the MerchantWords layout. It is easier to digest than many Helium 10 reports. But Helium 10 gives you more total business coverage for the money.
Merchant Words Pros and Cons
MerchantWords is easier to scan, but it is narrower. Keep it on the shortlist if keyword research is the only job you need covered.
Pros:
- Allows intensive keyword research.
- Visually appealing reports.
- Easy to use.
- Strong trend information.
- Good value if you sell in one country.
Drawbacks:
- Mostly useful for keyword and product research.
- Search-volume estimates can look much higher than Helium 10's.
Helium 10 Pros and Cons
Helium 10 is heavier, but it covers more of the Amazon workflow. It is the stronger pick for sellers who need more than keyword data.
Pros:
- Complete tool suite for Amazon sellers.
- Better value when you use several tools.
- Strong support and learning resources.
- Dashboard segments tools clearly.
Drawbacks:
- Reports can feel visually busy.
- The amount of information can overwhelm newer sellers.