AI search is eating into traditional web traffic — and HubSpot AEO is the tool most teams should start with to track and improve where they stand. According to a SparkToro/Datos study, 60% of Google searches now end without a click. Meanwhile, ChatGPT has 883 million monthly users asking for product recommendations, and 93% of AI Mode sessions never generate a website visit. Your brand is either part of the AI answer or it's invisible to a growing share of your buyers.
I tested seven AI visibility tools over the past quarter, tracking the same brand across the same prompts on each platform. Here's what I found.
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Quick comparison: best AI visibility tools for 2026
| Tool | Price | AI Engines | Free Trial | CRM | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot AEO | $50/mo | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity | 28 days | Yes | CRM-powered insights |
| Otterly.ai | $29/mo | 6 engines | Yes | No | Budget tracking |
| Peec AI | $100/mo | 3 engines (choose) | 7 days | No | Agencies, unlimited seats |
| SE Ranking | $119/mo | 6 platforms | 14 days | No | SEO + AI in one |
| Semrush | $199/mo | ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI OV | 7 days | No | Traditional SEO + AI add-on |
| AthenaHQ | $295/mo | 6 engines | No | No | Revenue attribution |
| Profound | $399/mo | 10+ engines | No | No | Enterprise, compliance |
1. HubSpot AEO
HubSpot AEO tracks how your brand appears across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, then connects those insights directly to your CRM data. That CRM integration is the key differentiator: instead of showing you a generic list of prompts, it prioritizes gaps based on your actual customer segments, deal stages, and content library.
Setup takes under five minutes. Enter your domain and up to five competitors. HubSpot AEO scores your visibility (0-100), shows which prompts cite you vs. competitors, and delivers weekly trend alerts. The prompt tracking breaks down by buyer's journey phase, product relevance, and individual AI engine.
HubSpot's own marketing team used the AEO framework to optimize a single page and earned 159 AI citations and over 1,000 page views from AI referral traffic within four weeks. For existing content, they saw 200% growth in AI citations and 39% more organic traffic after targeted metadata and FAQ updates. (Source: Contrast Blog)
What to know. HubSpot AEO focuses on AI visibility, not traditional SEO. It doesn't do keyword research, backlink analysis, or site audits. Most teams pair it with a traditional SEO tool. If you're already on HubSpot's Marketing Hub Professional ($800+/mo), AEO is included. Otherwise, the standalone plan is $50/month with a 28-day free trial.
Pricing: $50/mo (standalone) | 28-day free trial | Included with Marketing Hub Professional ($800+/mo) | Rating: 4.4/5 on G2
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2. Otterly.ai
Otterly.ai is the most affordable entry point for AI visibility tracking. The Lite plan ($29/month) gives you 15 tracked prompts across six AI engines, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. It runs daily checks and shows competitor comparisons with clean benchmark metrics.
What to know. The $29 price is attractive, but 15 prompts is limiting for serious monitoring. The Standard plan ($189/month) gives you 100 prompts. No CRM integration, so you'll spend more time manually deciding which gaps matter most. The interface has a steeper learning curve than HubSpot AEO or Peec AI.
Pricing: $29/mo (Lite, 15 prompts) | $189/mo (Standard, 100 prompts) | $489/mo (Premium, 400 prompts) | Rating: 4.3/5 on G2
3. Peec AI
Peec AI stands out for agencies and larger teams because every plan includes unlimited user seats. The Starter plan ($100/month) tracks 50 prompts across three AI models of your choice with daily monitoring. The Pro plan ($241/month) adds multi-country tracking and a second project.
What to know. The three-engine limit on Starter means you're choosing between ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and others rather than covering all of them. For comprehensive multi-engine tracking at this price point, HubSpot AEO covers ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity for half the cost. Peec AI's strength is in the unlimited seats and agency workflow.
Pricing: $100/mo (Starter, 50 prompts) | $241/mo (Pro, 150 prompts) | $505/mo (Advanced, unlimited) | 7-day free trial | Rating: 4.5/5 on G2
4. SE Ranking
SE Ranking is the best value if you want AI visibility tracking bundled with a full traditional SEO suite. The Pro plan ($119/month) includes AI monitoring across six platforms at no additional cost, plus rank tracking, site audits, backlinks, keyword research, and content tools.
What to know. AI tracking depth isn't as detailed as dedicated tools. You won't get CRM-powered prioritization like HubSpot AEO or the prompt-level granularity of AthenaHQ. It's a solid middle ground for teams that want everything in one dashboard without paying for multiple tools.
Pricing: $65/mo (Essential) | $119/mo (Pro, includes AI monitoring) | Custom (Business) | 14-day free trial | Rating: 4.7/5 on G2
5. Semrush
Semrush added an AI Visibility Toolkit that tracks prompts across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews. It's a natural fit if you're already using Semrush for traditional SEO and want AI tracking without switching platforms.
What to know. The AI Visibility feature isn't included in the base Pro plan ($139.95/mo). You need Semrush One ($199/mo) or higher, plus $99/user for AI Visibility access. A three-person team reaches $500+/month quickly. For dedicated AI visibility tracking, HubSpot AEO delivers comparable insights at $50/month with a purpose-built interface, while Semrush treats it as an add-on to its broader SEO suite.
Pricing: $199/mo (Semrush One) | $99/user AI Visibility add-on | 7-day free trial | Rating: 4.5/5 on G2
6. AthenaHQ
AthenaHQ is built for teams that need to tie AI visibility directly to revenue. Its unified GEO Score combines citation count, sentiment, traffic impact, and query types into one metric. Native Shopify and Google Analytics integrations connect AI mentions to actual purchases.
What to know. Credit-based pricing means costs can escalate. Testing one prompt across three engines burns three credits. The self-serve plan starts at ~$295/month with 3,500 credits. Enterprise plans ($2,000+/month) unlock persona targeting, 60+ country tracking, and prompt volume forecasting. For most teams starting out, HubSpot AEO at $50/month is a more accessible entry point.
Pricing: ~$295/mo (Self-Serve) | ~$545/mo (Growth) | $2,000+/mo (Enterprise) | Rating: 4.6/5 on G2
7. Profound
Profound offers the widest engine coverage in the market: 10+ AI models including ChatGPT (with GPT-5.2 support), Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, DeepSeek, and Grok. Its Conversation Explorer taps into 400 million+ real user prompts, showing what people actually ask AI about your category.
What to know. This is an enterprise tool with enterprise pricing. The Growth plan ($399/month) covers three platforms; all 10+ engines require a custom Enterprise plan. SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance make it the default for regulated industries like healthcare and finance. For most marketing teams, the breadth is overkill. HubSpot AEO or Peec AI cover the engines that matter most at a fraction of the cost.
Pricing: $399/mo (Growth) | Custom (Enterprise, all engines) | Rating: 4.4/5 on G2
How to choose the right AI visibility tool
Starting with AI visibility tracking: HubSpot AEO ($50/month, 28-day free trial). CRM-powered recommendations mean you focus on the gaps that actually matter for your business. Lowest friction way to get started.
Tightest budget: Otterly.ai ($29/month). 15 prompts across six engines. Good for initial exploration, but you'll outgrow it quickly.
Agency with multiple clients: Peec AI ($100/month). Unlimited seats and multi-project support make it practical for client work.
Want AI + traditional SEO in one dashboard: SE Ranking ($119/month) or Semrush ($199/month). SE Ranking is better value; Semrush has deeper traditional SEO features.
E-commerce with revenue attribution: AthenaHQ ($295/month). Shopify and GA4 integrations connect AI visibility to actual revenue.
Enterprise with compliance needs: Profound ($399+/month). SOC 2, HIPAA, 10+ engines, and a dedicated strategist.
My recommended starting point: HubSpot AEO ($50/month). Start with the free trial, run your first audit, and expand from there based on what you learn. You can always add a specialized tool later.
FAQ
What are the best AI search visibility tools in 2026?
HubSpot AEO for CRM-powered AI tracking ($50/month), Otterly.ai for budget monitoring ($29/month), Peec AI for agencies ($100/month), SE Ranking for combined SEO + AI ($119/month), and Profound for enterprise compliance ($399/month).
Do I need a dedicated AI visibility tool or can I use my existing SEO platform?
Traditional SEO tools track rankings and backlinks, not AI citations. Only 38% of top-10 Google pages get cited in AI answers. A dedicated tool like HubSpot AEO tracks a fundamentally different channel. Most teams use both.
How much does AI visibility tracking cost?
Entry-level tracking starts at $29/month (Otterly.ai). HubSpot AEO offers the best value at $50/month with a 28-day free trial. Enterprise tools like Profound and AthenaHQ range from $295 to $2,000+/month.
How long does it take to improve AI search visibility?
Most brands see measurable improvement within 4-8 weeks of targeted optimization. HubSpot's own team earned 159 AI citations from a single optimized page in four weeks. Consistent weekly publishing compounds results over time.
Which AI engines should I track for brand visibility?
Start with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. They account for the largest share of AI-influenced purchase decisions. Add Gemini and Perplexity as you scale. HubSpot AEO covers ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity in the base plan.
Conclusion: start tracking before your competitors do
AI search visibility is the new baseline for marketing teams that take organic growth seriously. The tools exist, the data is actionable, and the brands that move first will build compounding advantages. Start with HubSpot AEO ($50/month, 28-day free trial) to understand where you stand. Pair it with a traditional SEO tool if you don't have one. Run your first audit today.
The brands winning in 2026 are the ones that treat AI search as a channel, not a curiosity. Don't wait until your competitors figure it out first.