With 1.1 million users, Mangools is a great example of a thriving, self-funded SEO tool
Intuitive tools from Mangools give website owners all the data needed to maximize their SEO strategies.
Google processes trillions of searches per year, yet only the first two pages of a search result receive most of the attention. This is one key reason website owners focus on improving their SEO strategies. Mangools, a self-funded startup, plays an important role in that effort.
While Mangools has become a favorite among SEO practitioners, here are six things you should know about the company and its journey as a bootstrapped tech success.
What is Mangools?
Mangools is a suite of intuitive SEO tools designed to help organizations optimize their exposure on search engines. The company offers five core products:
- KWFinder (keyword research),
- SERPChecker (SERP analysis),
- SERPWatcher (rank tracking),
- LinkMiner (backlink analysis),
- SiteProfiler (SEO analysis).
These tools simplify the complexities of SEO, offering a beginner-friendly interface while also catering to more advanced users. The founder’s vision was to make SEO accessible to a broader audience, focusing on usability
Mangools’ easy-to-use platform allows customers to simply enter a keyword or domain, choose a location or language, and access insights like search volume, CPC, suggested keywords, and website ranks from over 50,000 locations globally.
The company also provides several free tools, including:
- SEO browser extension for identifying SEO metrics on websites,
- SERP volatility tool to get alerts on significant Google algorithm changes,
- SERP simulator to see how a page appears in search results.
What is the pricing of Mangools?
Mangools provides three main pricing plans:
- Basic: US$49 per month (100 keyword lookups/day, 200 tracked keywords, one user seat),
- Premium: US$69 per month (500 keyword lookups/day, 700 tracked keywords, three user seats),
- Agency: US$129 per month (1,200 keyword lookups/day, 1,500 tracked keywords, ten user seats).
All plans include access to all five SEO tools: KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner, and SiteProfiler.
Enricko Lukman
What is the company’s traction?
Mangools has experienced significant traction as a bootstrapped startup, with 1.1 million users and 25,000 paying customers. In 2018, the company reported generating US$220,000 in monthly revenue. Additionally, according to Statista, Mangools has achieved a remarkable 153% growth in the past five years, as reported by Exploding Topics in their martech startups article.
This impressive growth stems from Mangools’ focus on customer needs and organic product evolution. Major clients such as Skyscanner, Airbnb, Alexa, and Adidas trust Mangools for their SEO needs. The company has also garnered positive reviews from trusted sources like PCMag, Authority Hacker, and Backlinko.
Mangools’ ability to scale without external funding is a testament to its success as a self-sustaining startup, continually meeting the demands of its users while growing organically.
Who owns Mangools?
Mangools was founded by Peter Hrbáčik, who launched KWFinder in 2014, leading to the development of more SEO tools and the creation of the Mangools brand in 2016.
Fun fact: The company’s name, Mangools, was coined in May 2016 when the full suite of tools was officially bundled under one brand, marking the next step in their growth journey.
Who competes with Mangools?
Mangools competes with SEO giants like Ahrefs and SEMrush, but positions itself as a more affordable and user-friendly alternative for small businesses and solo practitioners. For instance, the SEMrush Pro plan costs US$129.95/month, while Mangools Basic is only US$49/month.
While SEMrush offers unlimited keyword suggestions and 500 tracked keywords daily, Mangools provides 200 keyword suggestions and tracks 200 keywords daily. Additionally, Mangools allows unlimited scheduled PDF reports, whereas SEMrush limits this to five.
This pricing flexibility, combined with a user-friendly interface, makes Mangools ideal for startups and smaller teams that find larger tools too complex or expensive.
Founded in 2013, US-based SE Ranking has acquired more than 500,000 users, including notable names like Zapier, Trustpilot, and Hunter. The company has never disclosed its financial reports to the public.
The indie hacking movement
Mangools is a shining example of the indie hacking movement, where startups focus on creating sustainable and profitable businesses without chasing venture capital. The company has embraced the ethos of bootstrapping—growing through customer revenue rather than external funding.
This model allows Mangools to prioritize customer needs over investor demands, an essential advantage in a market dominated by large, well-funded competitors. Mangools' lean structure is similar to other successful indie tech products like Visme, which has amassed over 10 million users without raising external capital.
Visual design app Visme is another successful bootstrapped tech product with 10.1 million users. Check out its story here.
Hanin Dita
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