These two tools overlap less than their names suggest. PAA Box does one job: it unpacks the People Also Ask box on the Google results page you have open and hands you the whole stack. Answer Socrates is a keyword research suite. As of 6 November 2026, its homepage says its questions and search ideas come from Google Autosuggest, People Also Ask and its own scraping of live results, plus YouTube and Google Trends, and that “Nothing is invented by an AI.” It adds metrics, clustering and writing tools on top. For the wider field, see the best People Also Ask tools, or compare PAA Box with AlsoAsked.
PAA Box vs Answer Socrates at a glance
| PAA Box | Answer Socrates | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Chrome extension for Google’s People Also Ask box | Web-based keyword and question research suite |
| Where questions come from | The live People Also Ask box on your own Google results | Google Autosuggest, People Also Ask, its own scraping of live results and YouTube |
| Free option | Yes, no account needed | 3 keyword searches and 1 recursive search a day, 1 CSV download a month |
| Paid price | Pro: $7 for 7 days, then $90 a year | From $19 a month (Lite), up to $299 a month (Senate); cheaper when billed yearly |
| Usage limits | No credits; it runs on the searches you open | Yearly search, recursive search and cluster credits by plan |
| Depth | Up to four levels (D0 to D3) | Recursive searches, counted separately |
| Google’s answers and sources | With Pro | Not stated on its pricing page |
| Search volume, CPC, competition | No | On paid plans |
| Keyword clustering | No | Yes |
| Content plan | With Pro | Projects on paid plans |
| Exports | CSV | CSV (1 a month free, unlimited on paid plans) |
| API or AI assistants | AI-assistant access with Pro | 3 API and MCP requests a month on Free and Lite, full access from the Seneca plan ($39 a month) |
| Teams | One browser | Shared seats on Aurelius (2) and Senate (5) |
| Extras | None; it stays focused on People Also Ask | AI writing tools, YouTube and TikTok title generators, AI brand tracking |
Answer Socrates prices are from its pricing page in USD and may change.
How PAA Box works
Search Google as usual. PAA Box opens a panel inside that search and expands the People Also Ask box for you, one layer at a time. You choose how deep to go:
- D0, Lid off: the questions Google already shows, in about 5 seconds
- D1, One layer: about 10 seconds
- D2, Two layers: about 30 seconds
- D3, All the way: about 1 to 2 minutes, or up to about 12 with answers
Then export everything to CSV. The free version gives you the questions. Pro adds Google’s answer and source for each one, a question map, a content plan, your history and access from AI assistants. Because it reads your own results page, what you export is what Google is showing you right now.
How Answer Socrates works
Type a seed keyword and Answer Socrates returns questions and search ideas pulled from several places: Google Autosuggest, People Also Ask, its own scraping of live results and YouTube’s search box. Paid plans add search volume, cost per click and competition, group keywords by meaning and intent, and track projects. It also bundles AI writing tools and an AI brand tracker, so it suits people who want one subscription for most of their keyword research.
What you actually pay
PAA Box is free for questions. Pro is $7 for a 7-day trial, then $90 a year, and if you cancel during the 7 days you are never charged the $90.
Answer Socrates is free for 3 searches a day. Paid plans are $19 a month (Lite), $39 (Seneca), $69 (Aurelius) and $299 (Senate), with a discount for yearly billing. Full API access starts on Seneca.
If People Also Ask research is the job, PAA Box Pro costs less for a year than three months of Answer Socrates’ Seneca plan. If you also need search volumes, clustering or one tool for questions from several sources, Answer Socrates covers more ground.
Which one to choose
Choose PAA Box if you:
- Want Google’s People Also Ask questions exactly as Google shows them to you
- Want Google’s answers and sources next to each question (Pro)
- Research more than 3 topics a day without paying monthly
- Prefer one yearly price to monthly credits
- Already research in Google and don’t want another app or login
Choose Answer Socrates if you:
- Want questions from YouTube as well as Google
- Need search volume, cost per click and competition beside each keyword
- Want keywords grouped into clusters for you
- Need an API, team seats or AI writing tools in the same subscription
A note on Google captchas
Because PAA Box opens questions in your own browser, many large runs in a row can make Google show a captcha. Use a lower depth or take a short break between big runs. Web-based tools such as Answer Socrates fetch data on their own servers, so this doesn’t affect you there, but searches count against your plan.
Common questions
Is PAA Box free?
Yes. The Chrome extension is free with no account, and it exports People Also Ask questions to CSV up to four levels deep. Pro adds answers, sources, a question map, a content plan and history.
Is PAA Box a cheaper alternative to Answer Socrates?
For People Also Ask research, yes. The free version has no daily search cap, and Pro is $90 a year. Answer Socrates’ paid plans start at $19 a month, but they include more than People Also Ask, such as search volumes and clustering.
Does Answer Socrates use People Also Ask data?
Yes. Its homepage lists People Also Ask as a source, along with Google Autosuggest and its own scraping of live results. PAA Box works only with People Also Ask, read live from your own Google results.
Can I use both?
Yes. They don’t clash: PAA Box runs on the Google results page, and Answer Socrates runs on its own website.