Profound raised $58.5 million in VC funding and charges $499/month minimum for their Lite plan. Enterprise deals run “several thousand per month” — sometimes reaching five figures. They’ve built a product for Fortune 500 procurement checkboxes, not for teams that need to prove ROI.
But here’s what Profound won’t tell you: being able to afford $499+/month doesn’t mean you should pay it.
Table of Contents
This analysis examines why Profound’s premium pricing rarely delivers proportional value — and which alternatives give you better coverage at a fraction of the cost.
The Profound pricing problem
Let’s break down what you’re actually paying for:
Profound’s tier structure
| Plan | Price | AI models | Prompts | What’s missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/month | ChatGPT only | 50 | No Perplexity, no AI Overviews, no Gemini |
| Growth | $399/month | ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews | Limited | No AI Mode, no Gemini, no Claude |
| Lite | $499/month | +Microsoft Copilot | Limited | No AI Mode, no Gemini, no Claude |
| Enterprise | Custom ($$$) | Full coverage (10+ models) | Unlimited | Your budget |
Read that again: The $99/month “Starter” plan tracks a single AI model — ChatGPT. One model. For $99.
To get Google AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Meta AI, Grok, or DeepSeek, you need Enterprise pricing — which reportedly runs “several thousand per month” to “mid four figures.”
The math doesn’t work
Let’s compare what $499/month (Profound Lite) gets you versus alternatives:
| What you get | Profound Lite ($499/mo) | LLM Pulse Scale (€299/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $499 (~€460) | €299 |
| AI models included | 4 (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, AI Overviews) | 5 (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Mode, AI Overviews) |
| Prompts | Limited | 300 |
| Google AI Mode | ❌ Enterprise only | ✅ Included |
| Gemini | ❌ Enterprise only | ✅ Included |
| Sentiment analysis | ✅ | ✅ |
| Annual savings | — | ~€1,932/year |
You pay 54% more with Profound and get fewer AI models.
Why “can afford it” ≠ “should pay it”
This isn’t about whether your budget can handle $499+/month. It’s about what you’re actually buying.
What you’re paying for with Profound:
- SOC 2 Type II compliance: A security certification. Doesn’t make visibility data more accurate.
- HIPAA compliance: Required for healthcare/pharma. Irrelevant for 90% of users.
- SSO integration: Convenient for IT. Doesn’t improve insights.
- The “enterprise” checkbox: Makes procurement happy. Doesn’t make you more visible in AI.
- VC valuation justification: Profound raised $58.5M. That money needs to come from somewhere.
What you’re NOT paying for:
- Better data: All tools query the same AI models the same way.
- More accurate tracking: The methodology is fundamentally similar across platforms.
- Faster insights: Weekly tracking catches the same trends as daily — AI visibility doesn’t shift hour-to-hour.
- More AI models: Profound actually offers fewer models at comparable price points.
The uncomfortable truth
Profound’s pricing is designed to extract maximum revenue from enterprise procurement processes, not to deliver proportional value. When a company raises $58.5 million, that money needs to be returned — with interest. The pricing reflects investor expectations, not product costs.
A bootstrapped alternative charging €99/month can deliver the same (or better) coverage because they don’t have $58.5M in investor obligations to service.
What users actually say about Profound
Beyond pricing, Profound has real product issues:
From G2 reviews:
- “Profound has become extremely unreliable over the past months”
- “Every time we request a plan upgrade… it duplicates old prompts, restores deleted data, and breaks our tracking setup — this happened three times in under a month”
- “The platform is also getting painfully slow… key features like the Watched URL tab often don’t work properly”
- “Support is slow and disconnected — replies can take up to a week”
From independent reviews:
- “For SaaS growth companies or SEO consultants there are better value solutions in the market” — GenerateMore.ai
- “The platform’s most valuable features… are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise plan” — GetMint
- “Profound is 48% more expensive than the average AI visibility tool” — Rankability (based on analysis of 30+ tools)
- “Steep learning curve… User feedback frequently describes the interface as ‘data-heavy’ and ‘unintuitive'” — GetMint
The “enterprise” access barrier
Profound requires you to apply for access. No free trial. No self-serve signup. You fill out a form, wait for approval, then get a sales call.
This is enterprise theater designed to justify premium pricing — not a reflection of product quality.
Best Profound alternatives
1. LLM Pulse: best value for teams at any budget
Pricing: €49/month (Starter, 40 prompts) | €99/month (Growth, 100 prompts) | €299/month (Scale, 300 prompts)
Models included (ALL plans): ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews
Why it’s the best alternative:
- 90% cost savings vs Profound Lite: €49 vs $499 for entry-level multi-model tracking
- 5x more AI models at entry: 5 models on €49 Starter vs 1 model on Profound’s $99 Starter
- Google AI Mode included on all plans: Profound locks this behind Enterprise pricing
- Gemini included on all plans: Profound locks this behind Enterprise pricing
- No application required: Start free trial immediately — no sales calls, no waiting
- Transparent pricing: What you see is what you pay. No “contact sales” games.
- 20+ features live: Sentiment analysis, Looker Studio, API access, Content Intelligence, Web Analytics integration, app store tracking, query fan out, white label
- Bootstrapped model: Pricing reflects customer value, not investor obligations
The comparison that matters:
| Feature | Profound ($499/mo Lite) | LLM Pulse (€99/mo Growth) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $499 (~€460) | €99 |
| Annual savings | — | ~€4,320/year |
| AI models | 4 | 5 |
| Prompts | Limited | 100 |
| Google AI Mode | ❌ Enterprise only | ✅ Included |
| Gemini | ❌ Enterprise only | ✅ Included |
| Free trial | ❌ Application required | ✅ 14 days, no card |
| Self-serve signup | ❌ | ✅ |
| Platform stability | “Extremely unreliable” (G2) | Stable |
Best for: Any team that wants comprehensive AI visibility without paying for enterprise compliance features they’ll never use. Particularly strong for agencies, SaaS companies, e-commerce brands, and marketing teams who need actionable insights — not procurement checkboxes.
2. Peec AI: mid-market with daily tracking
Pricing: €89/month (Starter, 25 prompts) | €199/month (Pro, 100 prompts)
Coverage: ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews (Gemini, AI Mode, Claude require add-on fees)
Strengths:
- Daily tracking cadence
- Sentiment analysis live
- $29M in VC funding
- Pitch workspaces for agencies
Considerations:
- Add-on fees for Gemini, AI Mode, Claude
- Higher cost per prompt than LLM Pulse
- Reviews note it’s “a visibility tracker, not a strategy tool”
Best for: Peec AI is for teams wanting daily tracking who don’t mind paying add-ons for additional AI models.
3. Otterly AI: simple daily monitoring
Pricing: $29/month (Lite, 10-15 prompts) | $189/month (Standard, 100 prompts)
Coverage: Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity
Strengths:
- Daily tracking default
- Brand Visibility Index metric
- Clean interface
- 14-day free trial
Considerations:
- Otterly is limited to 3 platforms
- No Gemini, no AI Mode
- Add-on packs cost $99/100 prompts
Best for: Teams with simple monitoring needs who don’t require broad AI model coverage.
4. Promptmonitor: budget maximizer
Pricing: $29/month (Starter) | $89/month (Growth)
Coverage: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Grok, AI Overview, AI Mode (8+ platforms)
Strengths:
- Lowest entry price at $29/month
- Broadest platform coverage
- Contact discovery for outreach
Considerations:
- Smaller team
- Less polished interface
- Fewer enterprise features
Best for: Bootstrapped startups maximizing platform coverage on minimal budget.
5. Omnia: VC-funded European alternative
Pricing: €79/month (Growth, 25 prompts) | €279/month (Pro, 100 prompts)
Coverage: ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, AI Mode
Strengths:
- Topic discovery feature
- Daily monitoring
- €3.5M funding
Considerations:
- Sentiment analysis still “coming soon” after 5+ months
- Data exports locked to Pro (€279/month)
- No Gemini clearly included
- High cost per prompt (€3.16)
Best for: Teams wanting topic discovery who don’t need sentiment analysis yet.
Head-to-head: LLM Pulse vs. Profound
| Feature | LLM Pulse | Profound |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price (multi-model) | €49/month (5 models) | $399/month (3 models) |
| Comparable tier | €99/month (100 prompts, 5 models) | $499/month (limited prompts, 4 models) |
| AI models at $99 tier | 5 | 1 (ChatGPT only) |
| Google AI Mode | ✅ All plans | ❌ Enterprise only |
| Gemini | ✅ All plans | ❌ Enterprise only |
| Claude | Enterprise | ❌ Enterprise only |
| Free trial | ✅ 14 days, self-serve | ❌ Application required |
| Transparent pricing | ✅ Published tiers | ❌ “Contact sales” for Enterprise |
| Looker Studio | ✅ Included (Scale plan) | ❌ Not available |
| Content Intelligence | ✅ Included | Basic |
| Web Analytics integration | ✅ Included | GA4 (Enterprise) |
| App store tracking | ✅ Included | ❌ Not available |
| White label | ✅ Available | Agency plan only |
| Team members | Unlimited | Limited by plan |
| Support response | <24 hours | “Can take up to a week” (G2) |
| Platform stability | Stable | “Extremely unreliable” (G2) |
| Funding model | Bootstrapped | $58.5M VC-funded |
Read our full Profound vs. LLM Pulse comparison to learn more.
The “enterprise budget” fallacy
Let’s address this directly: if your company can afford $499-5,000+/month for AI visibility, should you pay it?
The only valid reasons to choose Profound:
- SOC 2 Type II is a hard procurement requirement: Your IT/legal team won’t approve vendors without it
- HIPAA compliance is mandatory: You’re in healthcare or pharma with regulatory requirements
- SSO with SAML/OIDC is non-negotiable: IT security policy requires it
- You literally cannot get budget approved without “enterprise” positioning: Some procurement processes are broken
Why you shouldn’t pay even if you can:
- You’re paying for compliance certificates, not capability: SOC 2 doesn’t make the data more accurate or the insights more actionable
- Feature gating is a business decision, not a technical one: Locking AI Mode and Gemini behind Enterprise pricing is about revenue extraction, not product architecture
- VC pressure creates misaligned incentives: Profound needs to justify $58.5M in funding with enterprise deals. Your ROI is secondary to their cap table.
- The data is fundamentally the same: All tools query the same AI models. You’re not getting “better” visibility data — you’re getting compliance paperwork.
- Reviews indicate instability: Multiple G2 reviews mention bugs, slow support, and data issues. Premium pricing doesn’t buy reliability.
- Opportunity cost is real: €4,320/year saved on LLM Pulse vs Profound could fund content creation, link building, or campaigns that actually improve your AI visibility.
The smart approach — even with enterprise budgets
If your company has budget for “enterprise” tools, consider this path:
- Start with LLM Pulse at €99/month: Prove the value of AI visibility tracking with real data
- Document ROI: Show leadership what you learned and how it impacted strategy
- Scale if genuinely needed: If SOC 2 or HIPAA becomes a hard requirement later, upgrade with data proving the investment
- Use savings strategically: Put the €4,320/year difference into content or campaigns that improve the visibility you’re tracking
Most teams discover they never needed the enterprise compliance features. They needed actionable visibility data — which costs 80% less.
Annual cost comparison
| Platform | Monthly | Annual | Savings vs Profound Lite |
|---|---|---|---|
| LLM Pulse Starter | €49 | €588 | ~€5,400/year |
| LLM Pulse Growth | €99 | €1,188 | ~€4,320/year |
| LLM Pulse Scale | €299 | €3,588 | ~€2,400/year |
| Profound Starter | $99 (~€91) | ~€1,092 | — (but only ChatGPT) |
| Profound Growth | $399 (~€368) | ~€4,416 | — |
| Profound Lite | $499 (~€460) | ~€5,520 | — |
| Profound Enterprise | $2,000-5,000+ | €22,000-55,000+ | — |
At Growth tier: LLM Pulse saves ~€4,320/year while providing more AI models and better feature coverage.
Decision framework
Choose LLM Pulse if you want:
- 80-90% cost savings vs Profound
- More AI models at every price point
- Google AI Mode and Gemini without Enterprise pricing
- Self-serve signup with free trial (no application, no sales calls)
- Transparent pricing without “contact sales” games
- Looker Studio integration for custom reporting
- A stable platform (contrast with G2 reliability complaints about Profound)
- Support that responds in hours, not weeks
- To prove ROI before committing to enterprise budgets
- To use budget savings on activities that actually improve AI visibility
Choose Peec AI if you need:
- Daily tracking as default cadence
- Pitch workspaces for agency new business
- Don’t mind paying add-ons for AI Mode/Gemini
Choose Profound only if:
- SOC 2 Type II compliance is a hard procurement requirement (not a nice-to-have)
- HIPAA compliance is mandatory for your industry
- SSO with SAML/OIDC is required by IT security policy
- Budget is genuinely not a constraint AND you’ve exhausted other options
- You’re prepared for application-based access and potentially slow support
Migration from Profound
If you’re currently on Profound and want to switch:
- Export your data: Download prompt lists and historical data before canceling
- Start LLM Pulse trial: 14-day free trial
- Configure identical tracking: Set up the same prompts for direct comparison
- Run parallel for 2-4 weeks: Validate data consistency
- Compare results: You’ll likely find the same insights at 80% lower cost
- Cancel Profound: 30-day notice for annual plans
- Reallocate savings: Put €4,320/year toward content, campaigns, or team training
Conclusion
Profound raised $58.5 million and built a product for Fortune 500 procurement processes. They charge $99/month for single-model tracking. They lock essential AI models (AI Mode, Gemini, Claude) behind enterprise paywalls. Users report instability and week-long support delays.
Being able to afford $499+/month doesn’t mean you should pay it.
The visibility data is fundamentally the same across tools — they all query the same AI models. What differs is:
- How much you pay to access it
- What features you get at each price point
- Whether pricing reflects customer value or investor obligations
LLM Pulse delivers:
- 5 AI models (including AI Mode and Gemini) at €49/month vs Profound’s 1 model at $99/month
- €99/month vs $499/month for comparable multi-model tracking
- 80% cost savings with better model coverage
- Self-serve signup vs application process
- 14-day free trial vs no trial
- Stable platform vs reported reliability issues
- Same-day support vs week-long wait times
The question isn’t whether you can afford Profound. It’s whether paying 5-10x more for compliance checkboxes and fewer AI models is a smart use of budget.
For most teams — including those with enterprise budgets — the answer is no.
Start your free evaluation: Compare LLM Pulse pricing and features and prove the value of AI visibility tracking before overpaying for enterprise theater.
FAQ
Is Profound worth the price?
For most teams, no. Profound charges $499+/month for their Lite plan, which includes only 4 AI models (no AI Mode, no Gemini). LLM Pulse includes 5 AI models at €49/month — 90% cheaper with better coverage. Profound’s premium pricing reflects investor obligations ($58.5M raised) and enterprise compliance features that most teams never use.
What AI models does Profound lock behind Enterprise?
Google AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Meta AI, Grok, and DeepSeek all require Enterprise pricing. The $99 Starter plan only tracks ChatGPT. The $499 Lite plan adds Perplexity, Copilot, and AI Overviews — but still excludes the models many teams consider essential.
Does Profound have a free trial?
No. Profound requires you to apply for access. There’s no self-serve signup and no free trial. You fill out an application, wait for approval, and get a sales call. LLM Pulse offers a 14-day free trial with immediate access.
Why is Profound so expensive?
Profound raised $58.5M in VC funding across seed, Series A, and Series B rounds. That money needs to be returned with interest through enterprise pricing. Their costs reflect investor obligations, not the actual cost of providing AI visibility data. Bootstrapped alternatives can offer comparable (or better) coverage at 80-90% lower prices because they don’t have the same financial obligations.
Do I need SOC 2 compliance for AI visibility tracking?
Probably not. SOC 2 is a security certification that some enterprises require for vendor procurement. Unless your IT or legal team has specifically asked for it, you’re paying a premium for a checkbox you’ll never use. Start with an affordable tool, prove value, and upgrade only if compliance becomes a hard requirement.
What do Profound users actually say about the platform?
G2 reviews mention “extremely unreliable” performance, bugs that duplicate data and break tracking setups, “painfully slow” interface, and support that “can take up to a week.” Independent reviews note it’s “48% more expensive than average” and that “SaaS growth companies or SEO consultants” will find “better value solutions in the market.”
How much can I save by switching from Profound to LLM Pulse?
At comparable tiers: switching from Profound Lite ($499/mo) to LLM Pulse Growth (€99/mo) saves approximately €4,320/year while gaining access to Google AI Mode and Gemini — both locked behind Profound’s Enterprise pricing. The savings could fund content creation, link building, or campaigns that actually improve the AI visibility you’re tracking.
What if my company has budget for enterprise tools?
Having budget doesn’t mean you should spend it. Start with LLM Pulse at €99/month to prove the value of AI visibility tracking. Use the €4,320/year in savings on activities that actually improve your visibility. If SOC 2 or HIPAA becomes a hard requirement later, you’ll have data to justify the upgrade.
