Google Keyword Tool, Wordtracker, Wordstream, or none of the above?

Can I ask you the following questions please, fellow warriors? If you don't know all of them, I would appreciate your input on the ones you do know about and thanks very much in advance for all those who reply:

I was sorry to find out that the Google Keyword Tool is no longer publicly available and that you have to sign into an Adwords account to use it. When I went ahead and did that they took me through the process of starting an ad campaign and I don't want to get locked into one before I do my keyword research! I just opted out and am writing you all now for assistance. I just wanted to know...

1) After I give them my info, will I automatically be signed up for the campaign I selected with their keyword planner? Do I have the option to go to their Keyword Tool and not opt in to a paid Adwords campaign right away or is the tool now only for those actively paying for an Adwords campaign?

2) Is the Google Keyword Tool any good? I know it can't be an exact science, but is it relatively useful and accurate re: search volume?

3) How does Wordtracker compare with either Google Keyword Tool or Wordstream? Is it worth the cost?

4) How does Wordstream compare to either the Google Keyword Tool or Wordtracker? Is it any good?

5) How does Traffic Travis hold up vs Wordstream or Google Keyword Tool?

Again, thanks for your attention fellow warriors!