How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- AEO checking tools track how your brand appears in AI answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews, not just in classic search results.
- Otterly is the cheapest credible entry point at $29 per month, while Profound offers the deepest enterprise coverage but now sells through trial and custom quote.
- If you already pay for Semrush or Ahrefs, their AI visibility add-ons are usually better value than buying a separate point tool.
- Prompt counts, engine coverage, and add-on fees drive real cost more than headline prices, so compare plans on your actual prompt list.
- A tool measures progress, it does not create it. Fix the content beneath the score first, or the tool will faithfully report the same gaps every week.
Quick comparison
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Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Profound is the deepest AEO platform on this list, tracking brand presence across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Google AI Overviews with granular citation attribution. Enterprise teams use it to see not just whether they appear in AI answers, but which pages get cited, how sentiment trends, and how competitors compare across engines.
Pricing changed in September 2026: Profound withdrew its $99 Starter and $399 Growth self-serve plans, and now offers a free trial of 50 prompts run daily for seven days, plus custom enterprise packages. Smaller teams can no longer start with a card, which is a real loss for the mid-market. For enterprises with a dedicated operator, Profound remains the benchmark.
What we like- Deep multi-engine tracking
- Granular citation attribution
- Strong enterprise reporting
Watch out for- Self-serve $99 and $399 plans withdrawn in September 2026
- Now trial plus custom quote
- Analyst-oriented dashboards take learning
#2Peec AI
Best for: Citation and sentiment analytics4.7/5 on
G2 (21 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit peec.ai
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Peec AI tracks brand performance across AI search platforms with visibility, position, sentiment, share of voice, citations, and competitor data. Its strength is readability: SEO and content teams get directional answers quickly, without heavy onboarding or analyst training. It suits teams that want to know where they stand and what changed, week to week.
Pricing is the awkward part. Peec no longer shows rates to logged-out visitors, and independent 2026 guides report entry around $95 per month, with higher tiers for more prompts and engines. Confirm the current price on a demo before budgeting. For teams that value clean analytics over raw depth, Peec is a strong mid-market pick.
What we like- Clear visibility, position, and sentiment analytics
- Competitor tracking
- Straightforward setup
Watch out for- No public price for logged-out visitors
- Reported entry around $95 per month
- Engine add-ons can raise cost
#3Otterly.AI
Best for: Low-cost AEO monitoring4.7/5 on
G2 (54 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit otterly.ai
Starting price$29 per month
Free planNo
Otterly.AI is the best starting point for small teams and tight budgets. The Lite plan costs $29 per month and covers major engines including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews, which is enough for a small brand tracking a focused prompt list. Setup is fast and the interface stays clean.
The limits are depth and scale. Prompt sets are simpler than Profound or AthenaHQ, and higher tiers jump sharply to $189 and $489 per month. For a small team that needs to know whether it appears in AI answers at all, Otterly is the right first buy. Larger programs will outgrow it.
What we like- Cheapest credible entry point
- Covers major engines on every plan
- Fast setup and clean interface
Watch out for- Simpler prompt sets than enterprise tools
- Higher tiers jump to $189 and $489
- No free plan
Starting price$99 per month
Free planNo
Semrush AI Visibility adds AI search tracking to the Semrush suite, priced at $99 per month per domain on annual billing, on top of a base Semrush plan. For teams already paying for Semrush, it is the most convenient AEO signal available, since it sits next to keyword, content, and competitor data they already use.
The honest limit is auditability. Semrush does not show raw AI answers behind its scores, so its numbers must be taken on trust, unlike tools that open the full response. Per-domain pricing also adds up for multi-brand teams. If you already run Semrush, start here before buying a point tool. If you do not, a dedicated tool may cost less.
What we like- AI visibility inside a suite teams already run
- Multiple engines
- Strong keyword and content data behind scores
Watch out for- Add-on priced per domain on top of a base plan
- Does not show raw AI answers
- Total cost rises with domains
Starting price$199 per index
Free planNo
Ahrefs Brand Radar tracks brand mentions across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews, priced at $199 per index on top of an Ahrefs base plan. Its advantage is grounding: Ahrefs query data helps teams pick prompts that real users actually ask, rather than guessing at prompt lists.
Cost is the constraint. Each index adds $199, and multi-brand or multi-market tracking multiplies that quickly. Brand Radar is also lighter than a dedicated AEO platform on citation depth and optimization actions. For existing Ahrefs users who want a lightweight AEO signal, it is good value. For a standalone AEO program, a dedicated tool fits better.
What we like- Grounds prompts in real query data
- Strong brand mention tracking
- Fits existing Ahrefs workflows
Watch out for- Add-on per index on top of a base plan
- $199 per index adds up
- Lighter than dedicated AEO platforms
Starting price$295 per month
Free planYes
AthenaHQ is an AEO command center tracking brand visibility across eight-plus engines, pairing monitoring with competitive intelligence, citation analysis, hallucination detection, and automated recommendations. Its self-serve plan is reported at $295 per month, and it opens the full AI response behind each score, so teams can audit what the tool claims.
The learning curve comes from credit-based usage, which takes time to model against your prompt volume. AthenaHQ is also a newer vendor than Profound, so reference customers matter more in evaluation. For teams that want visibility data paired with ready-to-ship fixes, rather than a score alone, AthenaHQ is a strong contender.
What we like- Eight-plus engines
- Automated recommendations
- Opens full AI responses for audit
Watch out for- Self-serve at $295 per month
- Credit-based usage takes learning
- Newer vendor than Profound
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Brandlight is a newer AI visibility platform tracking how brands appear in AI answers, with competitor comparison and trend reporting for growing teams. It suits companies that have outgrown manual prompt checking but do not need full enterprise depth, and its feature set has grown steadily through 2026.
Pricing is quote-based, so confirm entry cost and engine coverage before comparing it with Otterly or Peec. Its vendor profile is also smaller than Profound or the SEO suites, so ask for reference customers in your industry. For a growing team that wants a dedicated AEO tool without enterprise complexity, Brandlight deserves a trial.
What we like- AI visibility tracking across major engines
- Competitor comparison
- Growing feature set
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing
- Smaller vendor profile than Profound or Semrush
- Confirm engine coverage on your plan
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Evertune tracks brand visibility in AI search with monitoring across major engines, competitor tracking, and reporting for marketing teams. It fits companies that want a straightforward monitoring tool with clear reports, without the analyst-heavy dashboards of enterprise platforms.
Pricing is quote-based and its public review base is smaller than older vendors, so a trial on your real prompt list is essential. Confirm prompt limits, engine coverage, and whether the engines your buyers use are included at your tier. For teams that value clean reporting over maximum depth, Evertune rounds out this list well.
What we like- AI search monitoring across engines
- Brand and competitor tracking
- Clean reporting
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing
- Confirm prompt limits and engine list before buying
- Smaller public review base
How we chose
We compared tools on engine coverage at the entry tier, prompt limits, citation and sentiment analytics, auditability of scores, reporting quality, and pricing verified against vendor pages and independent 2026 guides. We counted paid add-ons separately from sticker prices, since engine add-ons can double a headline price. We left out tools with no credible current product and tools whose domains no longer belong to the vendor. Prices in this fast-moving category change often, so confirm current pricing before subscribing.
Start with your prompt list, not the vendor demo. Write down the 20 to 50 questions your buyers actually ask AI tools, then check which engines matter for those buyers and whether each tool covers them at your tier. A tool that tracks the wrong engines, or caps prompts below your list, is useless no matter how pretty its dashboard is.
Match the tool to your budget stage
Small teams should start with Otterly at $29 per month or with manual checking plus free validators, and upgrade only when tracking eats hours weekly. Mid-market teams should compare Peec, AthenaHQ, and Brandlight on real prompt volume. Enterprises should trial Profound and AthenaHQ side by side, and teams already on Semrush or Ahrefs should test those add-ons first, since they may already cover the need.
Demand auditable scores
Ask each vendor to show the raw AI answer behind a score. Tools that open full responses let you verify claims, spot hallucinations, and defend numbers to leadership. Tools that hide raw answers ask for trust instead. In a category where a single wrong number can misdirect a content budget, auditability is not a nice extra, it is a requirement.
Frequently asked questions
What is AEO and how is it different from SEO?
AEO, or answer engine optimization, tracks and improves how your brand appears in AI answers from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini, rather than in classic search result links. SEO and AEO overlap, but AEO measures citations and mentions inside generated answers, which classic rank trackers cannot see.
Do I need an AEO tool if I already use Semrush or Ahrefs?
Maybe not. Both suites now offer AI visibility add-ons that cover many teams needs. Buy a dedicated tool like Profound, Peec, or AthenaHQ only when you need deeper citation data, more engines, or auditability that the suite add-ons lack.
How much do AEO tools cost?
Self-serve entry runs from $29 per month at Otterly through around $95 at Peec and $99 per domain at Semrush, to $295 at AthenaHQ, with Profound and others on custom enterprise quotes. Engine add-ons and per-domain or per-index fees can raise totals sharply, so price your real prompt and engine list.
Can an AEO tool improve my AI visibility by itself?
No. A tool measures visibility and suggests fixes, but rankings in AI answers follow from content that AI systems can cite: clear facts, structured pages, and authoritative sources. Fix content first, then use the tool to prove the improvement.
Which AI engines should I track?
Track the engines your buyers actually use. For most US consumer and B2B audiences, that means ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Gemini first, with Copilot and others added by industry. Ask your customers where they ask questions, rather than assuming one engine covers everyone.
How do AEO tools collect their data?
Methods differ, and the difference matters. Some tools read real consumer answer pages, some call model APIs that can return different answers than the interface a buyer sees, and some use opt-in panels. Ask each vendor how it collects data, and prefer tools that show the raw answers behind their scores.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://tryprofound.com
- https://peec.ai
- https://otterly.ai
- https://www.semrush.com
- https://ahrefs.com
- https://athenahq.ai
- https://brandlight.ai
- https://evertune.ai
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.
Profound
Semrush AI Visibility
Ahrefs Brand Radar
AthenaHQ
Brandlight
Evertune