Looking for AthenaHQ alternatives? Whether you need better pricing, a free trial, or different features, this guide breaks down the top AI visibility tracking platforms in 2026. We’ll help you find the right tool for your team’s needs and budget.
Latest review: 23rd of January, 2026.
Table of Contents
Why look for AthenaHQ alternatives?
AthenaHQ is a YC-backed platform founded by former Google Search and DeepMind experts. It’s well-designed with strong reviews on G2. But it’s not the right fit for everyone:
- High price: Starting at $295/month with a confusing credit-based system where each AI response consumes credits.
- No free trial: Only a 10-day trial on paid plans—you have to commit money before testing.
- Credit burn: Analyzing 1 query across 4 AI models burns 4 credits. Heavy users can exhaust credits quickly.
- Analytics-only focus: Reviews consistently note AthenaHQ identifies problems but doesn’t help fix them. No content generation or optimization tools.
- Minimum commitment: No lower-tier plans for smaller teams or early-stage AI visibility tracking.
Let’s explore the best alternatives across different use cases and budgets.
Quick comparison: top AthenaHQ alternatives
| Platform | Best for | Starting price | AI models | Key differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLM Pulse | Best overall value | €49/month | 5 (10+ Enterprise) | Brand Sentiment, 14-day free trial, unlimited seats |
| Peec AI | Global brands | €89/month | 3 base (+add-ons) | 115+ languages, daily refresh |
| GEO Metrics | Broad AI coverage | €80/month | 7+ | AI ranking suggestions, daily reports |
| Profound | Enterprise compliance | $99/month | 1 (ChatGPT only on Starter) | SOC 2 + HIPAA, Conversation Explorer |
| Promptmonitor | Budget entry | $29/month | 8+ | Publisher contact extraction, AI crawler analytics |
| Scrunch AI | Enterprise analytics | $300/month | 7+ | SOC 2, Agent Experience Platform (AXP) |
1. LLM Pulse — best overall AthenaHQ alternative
Best for: Teams who want accurate AI visibility tracking at a fraction of AthenaHQ’s price, with a real free trial and no credit-burn surprises.
LLM Pulse is a bootstrapped AI visibility platform built with an accuracy-first approach. It tracks the 5 most commercially significant AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, and Gemini) with clear, predictable pricing.
Why choose LLM Pulse over AthenaHQ
- 83% cheaper entry point: €49/month vs. $295/month
- 14-day free trial: Test fully before committing (AthenaHQ requires payment first)
- Simple prompt-based pricing: No confusing credit system—you pay for prompts, not individual AI responses
- Unlimited team seats: On all plans (AthenaHQ also offers this, to be fair)
- Brand Sentiment analysis: Understand how AI perceives your brand, not just whether you’re mentioned
- Query fan out: See how AI models expand prompts into sub-queries
- App store tracking: Monitor iOS and Google Play visibility
- White label: Agency-ready branded reports
Pricing comparison
| Need | LLM Pulse | AthenaHQ | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level (40 prompts) | €49/month | N/A (min $295) | ~€250/month |
| Mid-tier (100 prompts) | €99/month | N/A (min $295) | ~€200/month |
| Scale (300 prompts) | €299/month | $295/month (3,600 credits) | Similar, but simpler pricing |
The biggest savings come from LLM Pulse’s lower entry points. If you need 100 prompts, you’d pay €99/month vs. being forced into $295/month at AthenaHQ. That’s ~€2,400/year in savings.
LLM Pulse vs. AthenaHQ
| Feature | LLM Pulse | AthenaHQ |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | €49/month | $295/month |
| Free trial | 14 days (no card) | 10 days (paid plan required) |
| Pricing model | Per-prompt | Credit-based (1 credit = 1 AI response) |
| Team seats | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| AI models (base) | 5 | 8+ |
| Brand Sentiment | ✅ | ✅ |
| Query fan out | ✅ | — |
| Action Center | — | ✅ |
| Prompt Volume estimation | — | ✅ |
| App store tracking | ✅ | — |
| White label | ✅ | — |
| Looker Studio | ✅ | — |
| E-commerce features | — | ✅ |
When to choose AthenaHQ instead
AthenaHQ is the better choice if you need 8+ AI models on base plans, want Prompt Volume estimation to discover trending queries, need the Action Center’s built-in recommendations, or have e-commerce-specific needs. The team’s Google Search and DeepMind pedigree also means deep technical expertise.
Try LLM Pulse free: Start your 14-day trial
2. Peec AI — best for global brands with 115+ languages
Best for: International brands who need AI visibility tracking across multiple languages and markets.
Peec AI is a Berlin-based platform that has raised $29M in funding. Their standout feature is multi-language support covering 115+ languages—far more than any competitor including AthenaHQ.
Key strengths
- 115+ language support — best-in-class for global brands
- Daily prompt refresh — standard on all plans
- Agency pitch workspaces — create branded visibility reports for prospective clients
- Notable clients: Wix (5x LLM traffic growth), Glide, Graphite
- GDPR-compliant by design
Limitations
- Add-on model: Base plans include only ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews. Gemini, AI Mode, Claude, DeepSeek are paid add-ons.
- No free trial
- VC pressure: $29M funding may lead to price increases over time
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Prompts |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | €89/month | 25 |
| Pro | €199/month | 100 |
| Enterprise | Custom | 300+ |
Bottom line: If you’re tracking AI visibility across multiple countries and languages, Peec AI’s 115+ language support is unmatched. For single-market tracking, LLM Pulse offers better value with a free trial.
3. GEO Metrics (formerly LLMO Metrics) — best for broad AI model coverage
Best for: Teams who need 7+ AI models on base plans with built-in AI ranking suggestions.
GEO Metrics is a Spanish-created platform that includes 7+ AI models on all plans—nearly matching AthenaHQ’s coverage at a lower price point.
Key strengths
- 7+ AI models included: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Grok, AI Overviews, AI Mode
- AI ranking suggestions: Built-in recommendations for improving visibility
- Daily reports: Standard on all plans
- Notable clients: DHL, SeQura, Erasmus University
Limitations
- Higher pricing than LLM Pulse: €80/month for 20 prompts, €245/month for 100 prompts
- Traditional search volume data: Uses SEO SV, not actual AI query data
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Prompts |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance | €80/month | 20 |
| Pro | €245/month | 100 |
| Enterprise | €690/month | 300 |
Bottom line: GEO Metrics offers similar AI model coverage to AthenaHQ at lower prices. At €245/month for 100 prompts vs. AthenaHQ’s $295 minimum, it’s more accessible—but LLM Pulse at €99/month for 100 prompts offers even better value.
4. Profound — best for enterprise compliance (SOC 2 + HIPAA)
Best for: Large enterprises with strict compliance requirements who need both SOC 2 and HIPAA certification.
Profound is the most heavily funded player in the space ($58.5M raised) and focuses exclusively on enterprise. They’re the only platform offering both SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance.
Key strengths
- SOC 2 Type II + HIPAA compliant: Essential for regulated industries (healthcare, finance)
- Conversation Explorer: Discover prompts you should be tracking based on actual AI query data (similar to AthenaHQ’s Prompt Volume)
- Agent Analytics: Real-time AI bot tracking on your domain
- ChatGPT Shopping visibility: Unique e-commerce feature
- 30+ language support
Limitations
- Premium pricing: $99/month covers ChatGPT only; multi-model requires $399+/month
- No free trial: Application required
- G2 reviews cite reliability concerns: Slow support and platform issues reported
Pricing
| Plan | Price | AI models |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/month | 1 (ChatGPT only) |
| Growth | $399/month | 3 |
| Lite | $499/month | 4 |
| Enterprise | $2,000+/month | 5+ |
Bottom line: If HIPAA compliance is a hard requirement, Profound is your only option. AthenaHQ doesn’t offer HIPAA. For everyone else, LLM Pulse offers better value with 5 AI models at €99/month vs. Profound’s 1 model at $99/month.
5. Promptmonitor — best budget entry point
Best for: Teams who want to start AI visibility tracking at the lowest possible price.
Promptmonitor offers one of the lowest entry prices in the market at $29/month—90% cheaper than AthenaHQ’s minimum.
Key strengths
- Publisher contact extraction: Get emails and social profiles from sites that AI platforms cite (unique feature)
- AI crawler analytics: See actual bot visits to your website
- 8+ AI platforms on all plans
- Unlimited team seats: Even on the basic plan
- Affordable pricing: $29/month entry
Limitations
- Weekly refresh on Starter: Daily requires Growth plan ($39/month)
- No enterprise compliance certifications
- Newer platform: Less established than competitors
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Prompts |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/month | 25 |
| Growth | $39/month | 50 |
| Pro | $129/month | 150 |
Bottom line: At $29/month, Promptmonitor is 90% cheaper than AthenaHQ’s entry point. The publisher contact extraction feature is genuinely useful for outreach. For pure visibility tracking with Brand Sentiment, LLM Pulse offers more advanced analytics.
6. Scrunch AI — best enterprise alternative
Best for: Enterprise teams who need SOC 2 compliance and are willing to pay premium pricing.
Scrunch AI is a well-funded ($19M) enterprise platform with SOC 2 Type II compliance and the upcoming Agent Experience Platform (AXP).
Key strengths
- SOC 2 Type II compliant: Enterprise-grade security
- Agent Experience Platform (AXP): Create machine-readable content for AI crawlers (in pilot)
- GA4 integration: Track AI referral traffic and attribution
- 7+ AI models
- 500+ brands: Including Lenovo, Penn State University
Limitations
- Premium pricing: $300/month minimum for 350 prompts
- No free trial
- AXP still in pilot: Headline feature not publicly available
- 3-day data refresh: Slower than competitors
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Prompts |
|---|---|---|
| Business | $300/month | 350 |
| Agency | $300/month | 250 (multi-client) |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Bottom line: Scrunch AI is priced similarly to AthenaHQ but offers SOC 2 compliance (AthenaHQ doesn’t advertise this) and the upcoming AXP feature. For teams without enterprise compliance needs, LLM Pulse offers better value.
7. Other alternatives worth considering
PromptWatch
- Pricing: $74/month
- Best for: Crawler log analysis, AI-generated articles
- Limitation: Limited team seats (1-5)
Otterly AI
- Pricing: $29/month (Lite)
- Best for: Semrush integration, free GEO tools
- Limitation: AI Mode and Gemini are paid add-ons
Semrush AI Toolkit
- Pricing: ~$99/month add-on
- Best for: Teams already using Semrush
- Limitation: Mixed reviews on data quality
Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Pricing: $699/month
- Best for: Teams already on Ahrefs wanting integrated AI tracking
- Limitation: More than 2x AthenaHQ’s price
Decision framework: which AthenaHQ alternative is right for you?
Choose LLM Pulse if you want:
- A real free trial to test before committing (14 days, no card)
- Simple per-prompt pricing without credit burn surprises
- Brand Sentiment to understand how AI perceives your brand
- App store tracking for mobile apps
- White label reports for agency clients
- Lower entry points (€49/month vs. $295/month)
Choose Peec AI if you want:
- 115+ language support for global brands
- Agency pitch workspaces for winning new business
- Daily refresh on all plans
- GDPR compliance by design
Choose GEO Metrics if you want:
- 7+ AI models on base plans (matching AthenaHQ’s coverage)
- AI ranking suggestions built-in
- Daily reports as standard
Choose Profound if you need:
- HIPAA compliance (only option with this)
- SOC 2 Type II certification
- Conversation Explorer for prompt discovery
- ChatGPT Shopping visibility
Choose Scrunch AI if you need:
- SOC 2 Type II compliance
- Agent Experience Platform (AXP) when it launches
- Strong GA4 integration with AI referral attribution
Stay with AthenaHQ if you need:
- 8+ AI models with credit-based flexibility
- Prompt Volume estimation to discover trending queries
- Action Center’s built-in recommendations
- E-commerce-specific features
- Google/DeepMind pedigree and technical depth
Cost savings analysis: AthenaHQ vs. alternatives
| Scenario | AthenaHQ | LLM Pulse | Annual savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small team (40 prompts) | $295/month (forced into 3,600 credits) | €49/month | ~€3,000/year |
| Mid-tier (100 prompts) | $295/month | €99/month | ~€2,400/year |
| Scale (300 prompts) | $295/month | €299/month | Similar cost |
The biggest savings come from:
- Lower entry points: LLM Pulse starts at €49/month; AthenaHQ’s minimum is $295/month
- Simpler pricing: No credit burn—you pay for prompts, not individual AI responses
- Real free trial: Test for 14 days without payment vs. AthenaHQ’s paid-plan trial
Switching from AthenaHQ to LLM Pulse
If you decide LLM Pulse is the right fit, here’s how to migrate:
- Export your prompts: Download your tracked prompts from AthenaHQ
- Start your free trial: Sign up for LLM Pulse
- Import prompts: Add your existing prompts to LLM Pulse
- Set up competitors: Configure competitor tracking
- Enable Brand Sentiment: Activate sentiment analysis for your brand
- Connect integrations: Set up Looker Studio, API, or GA4 as needed
- Compare data: Run both platforms during the trial to validate data quality
Summary
AthenaHQ is a capable platform built by Google/DeepMind veterans with strong technical foundations. But for most teams, it’s overpriced and over-complicated:
- The $295/month minimum locks out smaller teams
- Credit-based pricing creates uncertainty about true costs
- No real free trial (requires payment to test)
- Analytics-only focus means you still need other tools to act on insights
LLM Pulse offers a compelling alternative: 83% cheaper entry point, simple per-prompt pricing, a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and unique features like Brand Sentiment and Query fan out. For teams who don’t require enterprise compliance or e-commerce-specific features, it’s the clear winner on value.
The AI visibility market is maturing rapidly. Whatever platform you choose, the important thing is to start measuring now—teams who began AI search optimization in early 2025 have compounding advantages over late adopters.
