IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding vs Keatext
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding starts at See pricing page and Keatext starts at $550/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
IBM text analytics API for entities, sentiment, emotion and categories
FreemiumAt a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Entity and keyword extraction
- Sentiment and emotion analysis
- Category classification
- Custom classification models
- Semantic role parsing
- Review and survey analysis
- Focus recommendations
- Editable dashboards
- Data connectors
- Support ticket analysis
| Feature | IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding | Keatext |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | IBM text analytics API for entities, sentiment, emotion and categories | Text analytics for reviews, surveys and support tickets |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free trial |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $550/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No, trial available |
| Made by | IBM | Keatext |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding starts at See pricing page and Keatext starts at $550/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
2 plans
Lite
Free
- 30,000 NLU items a month
- One custom model
Standard
$0.003 / NLU item
- Scales past 5M items a month
- Custom classification models at $25
- Custom entity models at $800
3 plans
Basic
$550/mo
- Up to 10,000 records per year
- One dashboard
- CSV integration
Pro
$999/mo
- Up to 20,000 records per year
- Dashboard editing and sharing
- Knowledge management
Enterprise
From $1,650/mo
- 30,000+ records per year
- Unlimited dashboards
Prices in USD, checked Oct 29, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding
- Permanent free Lite plan
- Wide range of text analysis features
- Managed or self-hosted options
- Lite instance pauses after 30,000 items
- Custom entity models cost extra
- Some features still in beta
Keatext
- Combines reviews, surveys and tickets
- Free proof of concept, no card
- Priced by volume, not by seat
- Starts at $550 per month
- Record limits cap the lower plans
- Add-ons cost extra
Which one should you choose?
Choose IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding if you want:
- Permanent free Lite plan
- Wide range of text analysis features
- Managed or self-hosted options
Watch out: lite instance pauses after 30,000 items.
Choose Keatext if you want:
- Combines reviews, surveys and tickets
- Free proof of concept, no card
- Priced by volume, not by seat
Watch out: starts at $550 per month.
IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding vs Keatext FAQ
What is the difference between IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding and Keatext?
IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding: IBM text analytics API for entities, sentiment, emotion and categories. Keatext: Text analytics for reviews, surveys and support tickets. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding or Keatext cheaper?
IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding starts at See pricing page and Keatext starts at $550/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding and Keatext have free plans?
IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding: Yes. Keatext: No, trial available.
Who makes IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding?
IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding is made by IBM, based in United States.
Who makes Keatext?
Keatext is made by Keatext.
Which should I choose, IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding or Keatext?
Choose IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding if you value permanent free lite plan and wide range of text analysis features. Choose Keatext if you value combines reviews, surveys and tickets and free proof of concept, no card.