The right AI visibility tool depends mostly on how many prompts and engines you need to track. Under $100 a month, tools like Otterly.AI Lite, Peec AI Starter, Semrush's AI Visibility add-on, HubSpot AEO standalone and Profound Starter cover 15-50 prompts. Between $200 and $500 you get 100-700 prompts and more engines, and above that you are paying for scale, agency workspaces and enterprise support. Start free, prove the problem, then buy only the prompt volume you will actually use.
Key Takeaways
- Price in this category is driven by prompt count, engines covered and run frequency, not by "features."
- Free options (manual testing, HubSpot's grader, GA4) are enough to prove whether AI visibility is a problem.
- Most small teams need 25-50 well-chosen prompts, which is the sub-$100 tier.
- Check engine coverage carefully: some entry plans cover ChatGPT only.
- Prices below are as published by vendors and compiled in August-September 2026; verify on each vendor's site before buying.
- A tool does not fix anything. Budget time for content and PR work the data will point to.
What These Tools Actually Do
AI visibility tools (also called AEO or GEO trackers) run a set of prompts through AI engines on a schedule, then report:
- Whether your brand is mentioned or recommended
- Which URLs and domains are cited as sources
- Competitor share of voice
- Sentiment of the description
- Trends over time
They are essentially automated versions of the manual prompt sheet I describe in my guide to checking ChatGPT citations. What you pay for is scale, consistency and history.
The Three Variables That Set the Price
- Prompts. How many questions you track. This is the main cost driver.
- Engines. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, Claude, Copilot, Grok. More engines cost more.
- Frequency and runs. Daily vs weekly, and whether each prompt runs once or several times. Because outputs vary, multiple runs make data more reliable.
Always convert pricing into cost per prompt per engine. A cheap plan that covers one engine may cost more per useful data point than a mid-tier plan.
Published Pricing at a Glance
The table below uses published list prices as compiled by Ryze's AI visibility pricing roundup (August 2026) plus HubSpot's own AEO product page. Vendors change plans frequently; confirm current terms.
| Tool | Entry plan | Prompts at entry | Engines at entry | Next tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otterly.AI | Lite $29/mo | 15 | 4 | Standard $189/mo, 100 prompts |
| HubSpot AEO (standalone) | $50/mo ($45 annual) | 25 | 3 (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) | Included in Marketing Hub Pro/Enterprise |
| Peec AI | Starter $95/mo ($80 annual) | 50 | 3 models | Pro $245/mo, 150 prompts |
| Semrush AI Visibility | $99/mo per domain | 25 custom | 4 | Add-ons $10-$90/mo |
| Profound | Starter $99/mo (annual) | 50 | ChatGPT only | Growth $399/mo, 100 prompts, 3 engines |
| Athena HQ | Free, 300 credits | Credit-based | 5 models | Starter $295/mo, 3,600 credits |
| Scrunch | Starter $300/mo ($250 annual) | 350 custom + 1,000 industry | Varies | Growth $500/mo |
| Ahrefs Brand Radar | Select platforms $398/mo | Index-based | Selected | All platforms $699/mo |
Note that Ahrefs Brand Radar works differently: it draws on a large pre-built prompt index rather than only your custom prompts, which is useful for discovery but less controllable.
Budget Tier 1: Free ($0)
Who it's for: anyone who has not yet confirmed AI search matters for their business.
What to use:
- Manual prompt panel: 20-30 buyer-intent prompts, three runs each, in a spreadsheet.
- HubSpot AI Search Grader: a free one-time brand perception score. See my review of it for what it misses.
- GA4 custom channel: source regex for chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai, gemini.google.com and others.
- Server logs: check that OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot and other crawlers can reach your pages.
- Free tiers: Athena HQ lists a free credit allowance, per the compiled pricing.
Graduate when: manual runs take more than two hours a month, or leadership asks for a trend line.
Budget Tier 2: Under $100 a Month
Who it's for: a startup, a single-brand D2C or edtech team, or a consultant tracking one client.
Options, by use case:
- Cheapest entry: Otterly.AI Lite at $29/month, but 15 prompts is thin. Good for a pilot.
- Already on HubSpot or want simplicity: HubSpot AEO standalone, 25 prompts across three engines.
- Best prompt volume for the price: Peec AI Starter, 50 prompts, per the published pricing.
- Already on Semrush: the AI Visibility add-on keeps data next to your SEO tracking.
- ChatGPT-only focus: Profound Starter, 50 prompts, but ChatGPT only on that plan.
My pick for most small teams: whichever gives 50 prompts on the engines your buyers actually use. For Indian consumer brands, I would not skip Google's AI surfaces; check whether your chosen tool covers AI Overviews before signing.
Budget Tier 3: $200-$500 a Month
Who it's for: growth-stage companies with several product lines, or small agencies.
Here you get 100-700 prompts, multiple projects and more engines. Otterly Standard ($189), Peec Pro ($245), Athena Starter ($295), Scrunch Starter ($300), Profound Growth ($399) and Ahrefs Brand Radar ($398 for select platforms) all sit in or near this band, according to the published figures.
What to evaluate at this tier:
- Citation source analysis: which third-party domains the engines cite for your category. This is where PR and outreach priorities come from.
- Multiple runs per prompt: reduces noise.
- Exports and API: you will want the raw data in your own dashboard eventually.
- Multi-market support: tracking India and US separately if you sell in both.
Budget Tier 4: $500+ a Month
Who it's for: enterprises, multi-brand companies, and agencies managing many clients.
Otterly Premium ($489) and Enterprise (from $1,000), Peec Advanced ($495), Scrunch Growth ($500), Ahrefs Brand Radar all platforms ($699), plus custom enterprise plans from most vendors. You are buying prompt scale, SSO, seats, agency workspaces and support.
Honest take: many companies at this tier are overbuying. A tightly chosen 200-prompt panel usually tells you more than 2,000 loosely chosen ones.
Evaluation Checklist Before You Buy
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which engines, exactly, on my plan? | Entry plans often limit engines |
| Does it cover Google AI Overviews / AI Mode? | Often the largest AI surface for search traffic |
| How many runs per prompt? | Single runs are noisy |
| Can I choose locations and languages? | Answers differ by country |
| Does it show cited URLs, not just brand mentions? | Content teams need page-level data |
| Can I export raw data? | Avoid lock-in, build your own reporting |
| How are prompts suggested? | Auto-generated prompts often miss real buyer language |
| Contract terms? | Some entry plans are annual-only |
A Setup That Works
Whatever you buy, the setup determines the value:
- Write 25-50 prompts from real sources: Search Console queries, sales call notes, support tickets, Reddit threads.
- Split them across discovery, comparison and problem intents.
- Add three to five named competitors.
- Freeze the list for at least a quarter.
- Review monthly: share of voice by intent, top cited domains, sentiment changes.
- Turn every insight into a task: a page to refresh, a listicle to pitch, a review site to update.
Mistakes I See Teams Make
- Buying a tool before knowing which prompts matter.
- Tracking brand-name prompts only, which almost always look good.
- Reacting to week-to-week swings that are just sampling noise.
- Ignoring the cited-sources report, which is the most actionable part.
- Paying for engines their audience does not use.
FAQ
What is the best AI visibility tool for a small business?
For most small teams, a sub-$100 plan with around 50 prompts on the engines your buyers use is enough. Based on published pricing, Peec AI Starter, HubSpot AEO standalone, Semrush AI Visibility and Otterly.AI sit in this range. Pick based on engine coverage and existing stack.
Are there free AI visibility tools?
Yes. HubSpot's AI Search Grader gives a free one-time score, some trackers offer free credit tiers, and a manual prompt spreadsheet plus GA4 referral tracking costs nothing. These are enough to validate whether AI search matters for you.
How many prompts should I track?
Start with 25-50 carefully chosen buyer-intent prompts. Expand only when you add product lines, markets or competitors. More prompts rarely beat better prompts.
Do AI visibility tools track Google AI Overviews?
Some do and some do not, and coverage often depends on the plan. Check the vendor's engine list for your specific tier before buying.
Why do AI visibility tools give different results from my own checks?
Tools may query via API rather than the consumer app, use different locations, or run prompts at different times. AI outputs also vary between runs. Compare trends, not individual answers.
Is Semrush or Ahrefs enough for AI visibility tracking?
If you already pay for one, their AI features are a reasonable starting point and keep data in one place. Specialist tools may offer more control over prompts, runs and citation analysis.
How much should an agency budget for AI visibility tracking?
Agencies typically need multi-project plans, which in published pricing start around $245-$500 a month. Price it into retainers per client rather than absorbing it.
Can I build my own AI visibility tracker?
Yes, using model APIs and a spreadsheet or database, but you will need to handle engine differences, repeated runs and parsing citations. For most teams, a paid tool is cheaper than the engineering time.
Want Help Choosing (or Skipping) a Tool?
I have 4+ years of marketing experience in organic growth, SEO and AEO, mostly with edtech and startup teams watching every rupee. If you want to see my work or get a straight recommendation on what to track and what to buy, contact me through the form at younusfardeen.in.