- SEO
- Keyword research
Haloscan: the French tool for exploring keywords and SERPs on Google France
Good tool
Haloscan is an online SEO tool built for ranking on Google France. Type in a keyword to get its search volume, its difficulty, the search intent and the full results page with its history, or type in a domain to see the searches a site ranks for and who its competitors are. Its database, focused solely on the French market, has earned it a distinct place among French-speaking SEOs in just a few years, alongside the big American platforms.
What is Haloscan?
It all starts with a massive collection of Google France results. Haloscan queries the search engine on hundreds of millions of searches and records, for each one, the ranked list of pages, the questions people ask, the related searches, the words shown in bold and the rich result blocks (maps, videos, news…). Search volumes and categories come from Google Ads; the rest comes from in-house algorithms and a proprietary crawler. The company reports 330 million keywords with metrics and 6 billion ranking pages, with data refreshed continuously: every day for the most popular searches, within a few days for the long tail.
The tool is built around two explorers. Keyword Explorer gives each search its volume, cost per click, difficulty (the KVI score), the number of “allintitle” results, the search intent and similar SERPs, with a comparison tool to see how a results page has shifted over a year. Site Explorer works the other way around: starting from a domain, it lists the keywords it ranks for, its top pages, estimated traffic, a visibility score and its competitors. On top of that come daily rank tracking by project, a search for expired domains that still rank, bulk analyses of up to 3,000 entries, an API and a free extension for Chrome and Firefox.
Haloscan was born in Nice. After a private, invitation-only alpha in 2022, it launched publicly in the summer of 2023, created by SEO consultant Stéphane Madaleno and data architect Adrian Delmarre. It is published by ARCHI301, a small company based in Nice and chaired by the latter, and sold through the reseller FastSpring. Backlink analysis, announced long ago, was still not available at the end of October 2026. Not to be confused with the old HaloScan, a blog commenting service from the 2000s that used the same domain name.
Haloscan at a glance
- Type
- Online SEO software (SaaS)
- Launched
- 2023 (private alpha in 2022)
- Founders
- Stéphane Madaleno and Adrian Delmarre
- Nationality
- French
- Headquarters
- Nice, France
- Publisher
- ARCHI301 (SAS)
- Market covered
- Google France only
- Free plan
- Yes, 50 keyword searches a month
- Starting price
- €59/month excl. VAT, €49.20 billed yearly
What is Haloscan used for?
-
Find your keywords
volume, difficulty, cost per click, intent and suggestions drawn from the SERPs (questions, related searches, synonyms in bold).
-
Break down a results page
the top 100 for a search, the blocks Google displays and how the SERP has changed over twelve months, thanks to the comparison tool.
-
Group your searches by topic
clustering of keywords that share the same results, useful for planning a site structure and spotting pages that compete with each other.
-
Analyze a competitor’s site
the keywords it ranks for, its top pages, its estimated traffic and the searches you have in common.
-
Track your rankings
a daily check on Google, organized by project, with alerts when positions shift significantly.
-
Find an expired domain
domain names available to buy that still hold rankings, sometimes with a Google Business Profile.
-
Use the data elsewhere
an API included from the first paid plan, bulk analyses and a free extension for Chrome and Firefox.
Haloscan review
Good tool
Among SEOs who work on the French market, Haloscan has become one of the first tabs they open in the morning. Its strength comes from a deliberate choice: cover a single market, but in depth. On a French search, it often surfaces more long tail, more questions and more ranking keywords than international suites, and its archived results pages show exactly who gained or lost positions, and when. For keyword research or studying a SERP, it is a remarkably precise tool for the price.
Still, keep in mind that volumes come from Google Ads and that the traffic attributed to a site is an estimate: a keyword shown at a handful of searches a month can actually carry much more, and the gap with Search Console is about the same as with its competitors. The numbers are for comparing and prioritizing, not for forecasting traffic. Its in-house metrics, the visibility score and KVI difficulty, also take a little getting used to.
Its scope, meanwhile, is deliberately narrow. No country other than France, no backlink analysis despite a long-standing announcement, no technical audit and no writing tool: Haloscan doesn’t replace a full suite; it complements one, or replaces it for one specific part of the work.
Budget-wise, the price is reasonable for a professional, but the jump is steep between a free plan that is mostly for testing (50 searches a month, 100 results shown, no API and no competitor analysis) and a first subscription at €59 excluding VAT. As a small company, the publisher responds quickly and improves the tool based on requests, which matters when you spend your days in it.
Strengths
- A very rich keyword and page database for Google France, long tail included.
- Archived SERPs and a comparison tool that show how a results page has changed over a year.
- Keyword clustering by shared results, useful for structuring a site.
- Generous limits and an included API, at a price well below the American suites.
- A responsive French team and regular new features.
Weaknesses
- Only one market covered: France.
- Still no backlink analysis, and no technical audit.
- Estimated volumes and traffic, to be cross-checked with Search Console.
- A very limited free plan, then a first tier at €59 a month excluding VAT.
- Proprietary metrics that take time to learn to read.
Is Haloscan worth it?
Yes, if you are a consultant, content writer, site publisher or agency and most of your projects target Google France. For finding searches, choosing which ones to target and understanding what Google shows for each of them, it does better than many more expensive tools, and the Starter plan is more than enough for a freelancer.
Not necessarily, if you work internationally or link building weighs heavily in your strategy: you will need a suite like Semrush or Ahrefs, more complete but much more expensive. Among French tools, Ranxplorer plays on the same field, SEObserver is more focused on links, and Monitorank is enough for simple rank tracking. For a small site that only wants to know its real searches and clicks, Google Search Console is still free and gives you the real numbers.
How much does Haloscan cost?
Haloscan is sold by subscription, in euros excluding VAT, with a permanent free plan and three paid plans. All of them give access to the same tools; what changes is the volume of searches, exports, projects and users. Paying yearly gives you the equivalent of two months free.
| Plan | Per month | Per month, billed yearly | Included | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | — | 50 keyword searches and 25 site searches a month, 100 results per search, no API or competitor analysis | Trying out the tool |
| Starter | €59 | €49.20 | 10,000 keyword searches a month, 5 projects, 800 tracked keywords, 1 user, API | Freelancers, site publishers |
| Agency | €179 | €149.20 | 25,000 keyword searches a month, 20 projects, 2,000 tracked keywords, 2 users | Agencies and SEO teams |
| Guru | €449 | €374.20 | 50,000 keyword searches a month, 50 projects, 5,000 tracked keywords, 5 users | Large agencies, high data volumes |
Source: official Haloscan pricing page, checked on October 31, 2026. Haloscan publishes its prices in euros only, including on the English version of the site.
- Billed yearly, the invoice comes to €590, €1,790 or €4,490 excluding VAT depending on the plan.
- No trial of the paid plans: the free plan, with no credit card, serves that purpose.
- Beyond the quotas, a custom plan is available on request.
- Payment by card, PayPal or bank transfer, billed by the reseller FastSpring; the terms provide no refund policy.
FAQ
Answers to questions about Haloscan
Is Haloscan free?
There is a free plan with no time limit, but it is limited to 50 keyword searches and 25 site analyses a month, with 100 results shown. Subscriptions start at €59 a month excluding VAT, or €49.20 a month excluding VAT when billed yearly.
Does Haloscan work for countries other than France?
No. Its data covers Google France only. For a site targeting Belgium, Switzerland, Canada or other markets, you need an international tool.
Does Haloscan analyze backlinks?
Not yet. Link analysis has been announced as coming soon, but it was not available as of October 31, 2026.
Are Haloscan’s search volumes reliable?
They come from Google Ads and remain estimates, as with every tool on the market. They are useful for comparing searches with each other; for your site’s real data, Search Console is the source of truth.
Who is behind Haloscan?
The tool was created by SEO consultant Stéphane Madaleno and data architect Adrian Delmarre. It is published by ARCHI301, a company based in Nice, France.
Information checked on October 31, 2026