Free Market Research Tools for Founders

Market research used to cost thousands of dollars. Now, you can get 80% of the value for $0 if you know where to look.

1. Google Trends

Best for: Understanding macro trends and seasonality.

Type in your keywords and see if interest is growing or shrinking over time. Compare multiple terms to see which one resonates more with the public.

2. Facebook Ad Library

Best for: Competitor analysis.

You can see every active ad any company is running on Facebook or Instagram. This tells you exactly:

• What value propositions they are testing.
• What creative assets they are using.
• Who they are targeting (broadly).

3. AnswerThePublic

Best for: Content ideas and understanding customer questions.

This tool visualizes search questions around your topic. If you type in "dog walking," it will show you questions like "how much to charge for dog walking" or "is dog walking safe." These are the exact problems your customers are trying to solve.

4. SolidStartup.ai (Free Tier)

Best for: Comprehensive market analysis.

Our own "Market Researcher" agent can scan the web, analyze competitors, and generate a SWOT analysis in seconds. It combines data from multiple sources to give you a cohesive picture of your market landscape.

Conclusion

Data is everywhere. The advantage goes to the founder who can synthesize it into actionable insights. Start with these free tools, and validate your assumptions before you build.