20 AI Market Research Tools & How to Use Them

“Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.” – W. Edwards Deming

Market research isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days of endless surveys, manual data collection, and gut-feeling decisions. In 2025, businesses are leveraging AI-powered tools to analyze trends, understand consumer behavior, and predict market shifts—often in real time.

If you’re not using AI for market research, you’re already behind. But with hundreds of options available, which tools should you trust? More importantly, how do you actually use them to gain a competitive edge?

We’ve done the hard work for you. Below, we break down 20 of the best AI tools for market research, explaining exactly how they can help you gather insights, track competitors, and make data-driven decisions.

1. Crayon – Best for Competitive Intelligence

How It Helps: Crayon uses AI to track competitors’ moves in real time—monitoring website changes, pricing updates, and customer sentiment.
How to Use It: Set up automated alerts to track competitor product launches and marketing campaigns. Use these insights to adjust your own strategy before they gain an edge.

2. Brandwatch – Best for Social Listening

How It Helps: This tool analyzes social media conversations to gauge brand sentiment, track trends, and predict consumer preferences.
How to Use It: Monitor brand mentions and industry keywords. Identify emerging trends before they hit the mainstream.

3. ChatGPT (OpenAI) – Best for Qualitative Analysis

How It Helps: ChatGPT can summarize customer reviews, analyze survey responses, and extract key themes from qualitative data.
How to Use It: Input large datasets (customer reviews, survey responses, transcripts) and ask AI to generate insights, trends, and common pain points.

4. SurveyMonkey Genius – Best for AI-Powered Surveys

How It Helps: Uses AI to optimize survey questions, ensuring maximum response rates and accurate data collection.
How to Use It: Create AI-suggested questions for better insights. Analyze responses instantly with AI-powered reports.

5. AnswerThePublic – Best for Consumer Search Trends

How It Helps: AI scrapes Google search data to show what consumers are asking about specific topics.
How to Use It: Identify content gaps and optimize marketing efforts based on real customer queries.

6. Qualtrics XM – Best for Customer Experience Research

How It Helps: Uses AI-driven analytics to track and predict customer satisfaction.
How to Use It: Gather customer feedback, analyze sentiment trends, and adjust strategies to improve retention.

7. SEMrush Market Explorer – Best for Digital Market Analysis

How It Helps: Tracks competitor traffic sources, audience demographics, and industry benchmarks.
How to Use It: Identify where your audience spends time online and adjust your marketing channels accordingly.

8. Glimpse – Best for Trendspotting

How It Helps: AI detects early-stage trends before they go viral.
How to Use It: Track niche trends and adjust your product development or content strategy before competitors.

9. SparkToro – Best for Audience Insights

How It Helps: Analyzes where your target audience spends time online and what they engage with.
How to Use It: Discover hidden audience behaviors and refine ad targeting.

10. Google Trends AI – Best for Real-Time Search Insights

How It Helps: Uses AI to analyze search patterns and predict future trends.
How to Use It: Identify seasonality in search demand and adjust campaigns accordingly.

11. NetBase Quid – Best for Sentiment Analysis

How It Helps: AI-powered tool that breaks down public sentiment around brands, products, and industries.
How to Use It: Monitor shifts in consumer perception and adjust PR and marketing strategies in real time.

12. LoopMe – Best for AI-Driven Advertising Insights

How It Helps: Uses AI to optimize ad placements based on user engagement data.
How to Use It: Improve ad targeting based on real-time data-driven insights.

13. NielseniQ – Best for Retail & Consumer Goods Research

How It Helps: AI analyzes sales trends and consumer behavior in retail markets.
How to Use It: Track product performance and identify emerging market segments.

14. YouScan – Best for Image-Based Social Listening

How It Helps: Uses AI to analyze images on social media to track brand mentions without hashtags.
How to Use It: Understand visual trends and how consumers showcase your product online.

15. Crystalknows – Best for Personality Insights

How It Helps: AI analyzes social profiles to predict personality traits and buying behaviors.
How to Use It: Improve sales pitches and personalize marketing messaging.

16. Turtl – Best for AI-Powered Content Research

How It Helps: AI-driven platform that suggests content topics based on audience interest.
How to Use It: Create high-performing content aligned with data-backed insights.

17. MonkeyLearn – Best for AI-Powered Text Analysis

How It Helps: Uses machine learning to analyze customer feedback and online conversations.
How to Use It: Identify common pain points and customer preferences without manual tagging.

18. Latana – Best for Brand Tracking

How It Helps: Uses AI to measure brand perception over time.
How to Use It: Track brand awareness and adjust campaigns based on real-time perception data.

19. FullStory – Best for AI-Powered Website Analytics

How It Helps: Tracks user behavior on websites to identify friction points.
How to Use It: Optimize your website experience based on AI-driven user journey analysis.

20. Talkwalker – Best for Multi-Channel Media Monitoring

How It Helps: AI scans news, blogs, forums, and social media for relevant conversations.
How to Use It: Identify PR opportunities and manage brand reputation across channels.

Final Thoughts: AI Market Research Is No Longer Optional

AI tools for market research have evolved from a “nice-to-have” to an absolute necessity. Whether you’re tracking competitors, analyzing customer sentiment, or predicting industry trends, these tools can give you an unbeatable edge.

Want to stay ahead? Start integrating these AI-powered solutions into your strategy today.

Your Next Step

1. Identify your top three business challenges.
2. Choose AI tools from this list that address those challenges.
3. Test them out and start making data-driven decisions immediately.

The market isn’t waiting—why should you?

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, AI tools and market research methodologies continue to evolve. Always evaluate tools based on your specific business needs.